Book Nook Cafe discussion

LOL, Julie. Ditto! Particularly this summer.

:)

LOL Julie. 😊

What I like is he tells you what is the optimum cardio exercise we need and not the minimum most people may achieve. Just like diet, I want to know what is optimum. It seems 60 minutes daily at a good fast clip of 4 MPH is what we need to shoot for. Of course we need to add in weight training and stretching. This is barring and physical or medical issues one may have.

I follow Nutrition Facts and Dr. Greger on YouTube and FB. I also have his book, How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease

I think next year he is coming out with a cook book which I am looking forward to reading.

How Much Should You Exercise?
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-...

This is a good idea, Alias. Most people are looking at it from a zero movement start & so the minimum is almost an encouragement. For those who are already working on their good health, knowing the optimum is excellent. I'm sure i wouldn't have thought of it, of course. Enjoy!

The optimum is discouraging to anyone who is busy....it makes us want to forget exercise altogether (which I mostly do because I really hate it, but that's another issue). Between a full time job and other household things it is impossible to work out 60 minutes every day plus extra for weights and stretching unless I never want to do anything fun in life. Or even relax. Quite frankly, I'd rather die early from being unhealthy! It's better to get people to exercise a little than not at all.

Good point, Julie. As we are retired, we have more available time (which isn't to say we exercise, you understand), which makes the "optimum" a valid option. Back when i worked outside the home, it took all i had to make it to the shower! I would sweat in there in hopes of feeling good about things. ;-)

It's like the statistic that the average American watches TV for 4 hours a day. How in the world do people have time for this???

When I google it said that "22.5 percent met the physical activity guidelines (people who exercise 30 minutes a minimum of 3 days a week."
"The National Center for Health Statistics at the CDC showed that 39.6% of US adults age 20 and older were obese as of 2015-2016 (37.9% for men and 41.1% for women)."

I get that some may not want to know what the optimum is or even the minimum. However, the reality is it is a statistic, it's information. Not being told what the optimum is isn't going to change that.

If for whatever reason a person can't or doesn't want to exercise or eat the recommended fruit/veg/whole grains for example, no one is forced to do so.

However, even if one can't do the optimum, at least knowing that doing some amount of cardio, weights, & stretching has proven to be beneficial and hopefully that should motivate people to do something. As you noted, Julie, it's not all or nothing to see improvement.

Perhaps some will look at how they spend their down time. How much TV/internet etc. they consume daily. Maybe cut that in half and exercise 20 min a day or whatever time they can fit in. Maybe take a quick walk around the block at lunch time. Do sit-ups or other exercises while watching TV. I used to always stretched and do a few exercises when I used the ladies room at work.

Some ideas are for the general public that doctors might suggest are: could a person get up a bit earlier to exercise or make a healthy breakfast instead of eating a bagel and run out the door. Turn off the TV and go to bed earlier. Getting good enough quality sleep is essential for the body to repair itself. Maybe walk around your home while talking on the phone. I do this and I'm in a tiny apartment. While waiting for the microwave, do counter top push-ups. While I wait for the subway I do my ankle circles and neck stretches. Today, I walked back and forth outside the laundromat while my clothes were in the dryer.

To be clear, I am not saying I am Mary Poppins and 100% perfect in every way. Not even close. But I still want to know what is the optimum that I can shoot for. We are all different, but I find it motivating to have a goal to shoot for. What's that expression? Reach for the moon and you may land on the stars. :)

There are 1,440 minutes in a day. I think 95% of people could do the minimum and find 30 minutes 3 days a week to move and maybe make a healthier meals. It may not be optimum but it is a step in the right direction.

I want my doctor/nutritionist to tell me, based on actual studies, what is optimum. I may not eat that way at every single meal, but if I can do that 90% of the time I think my health benefits tremendously.

That is why I like Nutrition Facts. org. He gives you the studies from medical journals. I may not follow the advise 100% but at least I won't say, why didn't the doctor tell me XYZ could have lowed my stress levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar or whatever mostly lifestyle ailments people have and tell them they could have gotten off their meds if they changed their diet/exercise and feel a lot better.

Now if I choose to eat this way 100% (optimum) or maybe 75% or less that is up to me. But I think not to tell me what the optimum level for diet/exercise and leave me in the dark is just not right.

As one ages, doctors tend to assume the worst when it comes to the physical activity a person is capable of doing. (Assuming no physical or medical issues) I find that very patronizing. Some doctors may also do that with people who work or have families. It's easier to prescribe a pill.

In sort of a similar vein, when NYC started to require the calories on foods sold at chain restaurants there was a big uproar by some customers who didn't want that info. They said it was the "nanny" state telling them what to eat. This of course is ludicrous. It was arming the customer with information so they could make an informed decision about what they ate. You want to eat a 400 calories of sugar/fat go ahead. But for someone who doesn't want to consume a 400 calorie snack this info is vital.

I guess I am this soapbox because my sister has numerous lifestyle ailments. I know for a fact, her doctors never mention her weight, exercising or her diet. They just gives her meds. When you love someone and watch their health deteriorate unnecessarily it's very painful thing to watch.

Julie wrote: "It's like the statistic that the average American watches TV for 4 hours a day. How in the world do people have time for this???"

I couldn't imagine finding anything on TV worth watching for 4 hours every day!

Alias, I agree. Information is important, at least for those who would like to know it. Those that don't want to know can ignore it, if they so wish.
I try to keep active. I don't know if I'm at the optimum, whatever that may be, but I do fulfill the 30-minute-3-times-a-week criteria.
We eat fairly healthily. We aren't perfect but I think if we averaged our meals over time, we fit well into a healthy guideline of fruits/vegetables, lean meat and starches.

Brain-Healthy Foods to Fight Aging

It seems we should eat foods containing Lutein. I knew it was important for eye health. However, now know it's also good for the brain, too.

Go Kale smoothies ! :)


Brain-Healthy Foods to Fight Aging
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/brai...


Do Lutein Supplements Help with Brain Function?
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/do-l...

I agree that it's informative to know the optimum numbers for exercise, just as it is for caloric intake. Sometimes, knowing those numbers also adds to the guilt but ignoring the numbers or not is the option of each person. I am fully impressed when folks regularly address their physical health in well-being ways. I tend to follow along the way Petra mentioned. As for perfect, i am positive i do not want to meet that person! I have enough problems. ;-)

Julie, those tv-watching hours we've heard about over the years flummox me, too. Who can find that much to watch every day? Then i start thinking about how, if that's an average, this means there are many folks watching my share of hours, too! Poor dears.

Thanks for the links about lutein, Alias. It's one of those nutrients i know i'm consuming, as those foods feature heavily in my diet but i rarely think about the whys of it.

madrano wrote: Thanks for the links about lutein, Alias. It's one of those nutrients i know i'm consuming, as those foods feature heavily in my diet but i rarely think about the whys of it. ..."

I found it interesting in the video when he says that center circle, where luten can be found, is what the eye doc looks at when he shines the light in your eyes. Fascinating.

A decade or so ago i began using those lutein vitamins. Ultimately i stopped because i realized almost the same amount was offered in my multi-vitamin. Since then i've also found that the science doesn't back up lutein supplements as being particularly effective. At the time, however, eye doctors were suggesting them, which is how i learned my father-in-law was on them.

I like that meditation flow chart. It is quite encouraging, imo.

How does meditation add more hours to your day?

Julie, i took it to mean that it refreshes you so that you don't nap and can stay awake longer. I suppose it could mean that it enhances the hours you are awake.

Julie wrote: "How does meditation add more hours to your day?"

I was wondering the same thing, Julie ! I often have a hard time squeezing 10 min. in to meditate. I did it for a long time but am got out of the habit. I found it got easier and my mind was less chaotic when trying to mediate after I had a consistent practice. I guess I'll be starting back at square one with the "monkey mind" as they call it.

I think Debs answer is spot on.

I have trouble with meditating too. They always say to focus on your breathing, but focusing too much on my breath makes me anxious and panicky. And if I try too hard to actually control it, I'm in really big trouble. I have to find something else to make my main focus like picturing something in my mind.

Julie wrote: "I have trouble with meditating too. They always say to focus on your breathing, but focusing too much on my breath makes me anxious and panicky. And if I try too hard to actually control it, I'm in..."

I try to just notice it, not control it. That's hard to do for me though. I start thinking am I breathing too shallow, to quick, to slow...ugh. :-O

I prefer to just count. Maybe up to 4 or 6 in and 4 out.
Sometimes I will say a word. For example, on the in breath, peace and on the out, stress. Maybe in breath, health, out breath illness. etc.

I find I do best with guided meditation. I use the free app
Insight Timer. They have over 10K meditations of all types and music. I enjoy the affirmations meditations that they have also.

Think You Don't Have Time to Meditate? Science Shows That Even a Few Minutes Can Boost Your Productivity

Scientists reveal that you don't need to meditate like a monk to experience its benefits. Here's how to 'micro-dose' meditation.

In spite of all the studies showing the amazing benefits of meditation, most people fail to turn this practice into a habit for one simple reason. I call it the myth of "monk-style meditation."

It's the myth that, if you want to become a "real meditator," you need to seal yourself off from the world for long periods. This myth tells you that you can't just meditate for five or ten minutes a day. You have to do it for at least 30 minutes or an hour each day.

This myth arises from the early neuroscience research on meditation highlighting the superhuman brains of "experienced" meditators. In one such study, the average participant had around 19,000 hours (that's about six and half years of meditating for eight hours a day).

A 2018 study conducted by researchers at Mass General and Yale University, however, shows that you don't need to quit your job and move to a monastery in Bali to experience the benefits of meditation. Even short bursts of meditation can deliver powerful benefits.

These researchers wanted to understand whether people micro-dosing meditation (doing it for just ten minutes a day) would still experience its benefits. After running two separate studies, they found that these small doses of meditation enhance cognitive performance.

Those with no prior meditation experience who meditated for just ten minutes each day showed faster response times, greater accuracy, less distraction, and an enhanced ability to sustain attention. As they concluded, "we tested the boundary conditions of brief mindfulness meditation, and showed that even a very small 'dose' can have beneficial effects in individuals with very little or no practice."

How to micro-dose meditation
If you don't have an hour each day to sit alone in a quiet room, then it's worth trying this scientifically-validated micro-dosing approach. Here's how to do it.

1. Find a comfortable seat, anywhere
You don't have to sit on a fancy meditation cushion, sealed away from car horns, sirens, and other distractions. You can do this practice anytime, anywhere. Do it on a park bench, on an airplane, or in the waiting room at your doctor's office. Lifting the constraint of having to be in a quiet, undistracted, undisturbed place makes it much easier to fit this practice into your day.

2. Start by building the muscle of attention
Here's my method for meditation micro-dosing. I start with training focused attention. For the first ten breaths, I count each inhale and exhale. For example, I think "one" on my first inhale, then "one" on my first exhale, then "two" on my second inhale, and so on until I get to ten without losing focus. If I can't make it to ten, I go back and start all over.

3. Cultivate the skill of meta awareness
Once I make it to ten (which might not happen if I'm really distracted), I shift to training a slightly different quality of the mind, what psychologists call "meta awareness." This is your ability to stand back from the thoughts and emotions racing through your mind. To do this, I shift from counting breaths to focusing on the sounds, sensations, and sights (if eyes are open). It's a lot like watching a movie called "Life." You just relax into a state of watching the movements of the mind, noticing sensations, thoughts, and sounds come and go.

4. Close with an altruistic intention or wish
Here's a great way to wrap up your meditation micro-dosing practice. In the classical traditions, it's called "giving the merits." End with an intention that extends beyond yourself. "I want to be kind." "I want to be of service." "I want to listen and act from this bigger, less reactive, perspective."

The best thing about this practice is that it's portable and ultra-efficient. You really can do this anywhere. And, as we now know, the science shows that you aren't wasting your time by only meditating for five to ten minutes. These short burst of meditation can help you sharpen your mind throughout the day, increasing your focus, productivity, and overall wellbeing.

https://www.inc.com/nate-klemp/think-...

Good information in the last post, Alias. I'm not at all practiced with this and am very irregular, however, i feel a renewed sense of energy when i try. Generally i believe it's because of the breathing technique. We breath so shallowly but concentrating on it during meditation helps remind me to take in more throughout the day. Happy by-product, imo.

madrano wrote: "Good information in the last post, Alias. I'm not at all practiced with this and am very irregular, however, i feel a renewed sense of energy when i try. Generally i believe it's because of the bre..."

Deb in my ballet and also yoga classes we do this common breathing exercise . It's the with one hand on the belly and the other hand on the chest. I never really knew how to correctly do it or what I should be looking for.

This running video explains it so well and she demonstrates it perfectly. It's well worth a watch, IMO.

How To Run A Mile Without Getting Tired
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILEqw...

You are right about the breathing aspect of that video. I don't believe i ever would have thought to look it up but it's a good explanation.

This is from Runners World. Interesting. I do try to weight train but I need to focus more on it, clearly.



https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...

What are Proprioception / Balance Exercises? Proprioceptive and balance exercises teach your body to control the position of a deficient or an injured joint. An common example of a proprioceptive or balance exercise is the use of a balance or wobble board after an ankle sprain

Another article
"The take home message for me as a sports physician is that I will take strengthening exercises to prevent injuries even more seriously than I already did:"

– hip abduction, lunges, squats, step ups and step downs to prevent ACL injuries and anterior knee pain
– leg curls and Nordic hamstring exercise to prevent hamstring injuries
– proprioception exercises for the ankle (the ankle app!)5 to prevent ankle injuries
https://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2014/07/20...

Interesting. Stretching is all i do in prep for exercise & walk. Good to know.

How to Eat Popcorn When You are Dieting!
https://imgur.com/gallery/0ljfkUr

LOLOLOL!! What a brilliant idea! Thanks for the laugh, Julie.

What an innovative idea! People are so inventive. 😊

:)

It's easy to train when you feel good, but it’s crucial to show up when you don’t feel like it—even if you do less than you hope.
~~~Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones----James Clear

I am committed to working out every day starting tomorrow 🤣
I feel like I just haven’t had time between work, school and our bathroom finally (after over 2 months) getting torn down from being flooded from 2 floors up 🤪

Stephanie, you can do it. Life has been busy for you but you can make a half hour or more of time. What kind of workouts are you looking to do?

I have 102 kilometers of running to do to meet my annual goal. I increased it last year and it's proving quite a challenging goal (1300 kilometers for the year). I've got to keep up the pace in order to make the goal. I'm determined to do it, though.

I’m hoping to get at least 15 minutes a day. Maybe more depending on what I can make time for. I haven’t even had time to read for fun because things have been busy here....so much homework but classes are done 12/20 and am looking forward to the break!

As far as types of workouts, I try to do YouTube workouts (Rebecca Louise). I like her programs because most are 10 minutes and can be intense :)

Good luck with the workouts Stephanie. 😊

Stephanie wrote: "I am committed to working out every day starting tomorrow 🤣
I feel like I just haven’t had time between work, school and our bathroom finally (after over 2 months) getting torn down from being floo..."

Excellent.

I've found a habit tracker works wonders. It's great motivation and you can see where you need to improve and where you are doing really well.

Among other things in my journal I keep track of the weight machines I use, classes I take, any at home exercise and my Fitbit stats.

Stephanie wrote: As far as types of workouts, I try to do YouTube workouts (Rebecca Louise). I like her programs because most are 10 minutes and can be intense :).."

blogilates on YouTube has a huge following. She has short intense workouts.

Thank you, Barbara!

Thanks, Alias! I will look into that workout program!!

You're welcome.

I would say that the minimum is almost an inspiration and encouragement for such individuals who has started from zero. Knowing the optimum is absolutely difficult for busy individuals. Just like other working guys, it is so hard for me to extract sixty minutes in a day for working out because I have to perform different household duties so I prefer to go for red led light therapy due to good results. However, I have not given up yet. Despite facing difficulties, I daily work out for fifteen or more minutes.

Good job, Claire. It's very hard to fit it all in. Some experts now say if you are short on time creating a HIIT workout is the way to go as they can be done in 20 min. If you go to YouTube you will find a lot of follow along videos for HIIT. Maybe you can alternate 20 minutes a day. For example:
Day 1 HIIT
Day 2 stretching or yoga
Day 3 light weight or exercise bands at home
Repeat.

High-intensity interval training
Description
DescriptionHigh-intensity interval training, also called high-intensity intermittent exercise or sprint interval training, is a form of interval training, a cardiovascular exercise strategy alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods, until too exhausted to continue. Wikipedia

As to creating Habits for exercise or anything else, I found two books about habits very helpful for me.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones--James Clear
You can find interviews of him on YouTube.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business--Charles Duhigg

Good luck !