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7 Reasons to Drink Green Tea

trevor — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:42:22 GMT

7 Reasons to Drink Green Tea

The steady stream of good news about green tea is getting so hard to ignore that even java junkies are beginning to sip mugs of the deceptively delicate brew. You'd think the daily dose of disease-fighting, inflammation-squelching antioxidants--long linked with heart protection--would be enough incentive, but wait, there's more! Lots more.

CUT YOUR CANCER RISK
Several polyphenols - the potent antioxidants green tea's famous for - seem to help keep cancer cells from gaining a foothold in the body, by discouraging their growth and then squelching the creation of new blood vessels that tumors need to thrive. Study after study has found that people who regularly drink green tea reduce their risk of breast, stomach, esophagus, colon, and/or prostate cancer.

SOOTHE YOUR SKIN
Got a cut, scrape, or bite, and a little leftover green tea? Soak a cotton pad in it. The tea is a natural antiseptic that relieves itching and swelling. Try it on inflamed breakouts and blemishes, sunburns, even puffy eyelids. And that's not all. In the lab, green tea helps block sun-triggered skin cancer, whether you drink it or apply it directly to the skin - which is why you're seeing green tea in more and more sunscreens and moisturizers.

STEADY YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE
Having healthy blood pressure - meaning below 120/80 - is one thing. Keeping it that way is quite another. But people who sip just half a cup a day are almost 50 percent less likely to wind up with hypertension than non-drinkers. Credit goes to the polyphenols again (especially one known as ECGC). They help keep blood vessels from contracting and raising blood pressure.

PROTECT YOUR MEMORY, OR YOUR MOM'S
Green tea may also keep the brain from turning fuzzy. Getting-up-there adults who drink at least two cups a day are half as likely to develop cognitive problems as those who drink less. Why? It appears that the tea's big dose of antioxidants fights the free-radical damage to brain nerves seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

STAY YOUNG
The younger and healthier your arteries are, the younger and healthier you are. So fight plaque build-up in your blood vessels, which ups the risk of heart disease and stroke, adds years to your biological age (or RealAge), and saps your energy too. How much green tea does this vital job take? About 10 ounces a day, which also deters your body from absorbing artery-clogging fat and cholesterol.

LOSE WEIGHT
Oh yeah, one more thing. Turns out that green tea speeds up your body's calorie-burning process. In the every-little-bit-counts department, this is good news!

http://food.yahoo.com/blog/beautyeats/26529/7-reasons-to-drink-green-tea

getting down to my goal weight

rdomi2003 — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:39:19 GMT

So i'm new on here. I thought that if i signed on to a online website then i would reach my goal weight faster. I started these Tae Bo DVDs which are really fun....The not so fun part is i can only do 20-30mins...I never realized just how out of shape i am. I thought that since i went from 202lbs to 168lb I was in good shape....A little overweight but still in better shape than before....I guess my question is.....Well i always wanted to start running...But the only thing is i'm a smoker and well I get really short of breath...My question is how do i train to start running and how can i get myself in better shape...And has anyone else been in my shoes...where i'm at now?

Really?

mousie_04 — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:15:47 GMT

So...where to start. I've been doing very well regarding exercising (surprisingly). My boyfriend has finally realized he should come running with me and we've been doing cardio workouts about 5 out of 7 days. I'm very proud of myself (and him!!) in that regards. I'm not one to enjoy cardio but with him there it's been a lot better. HOWEVER, my eating habits have been average to horrible! I eat very well from breakfast till lunch (while I'm at work) and then everything hits a wall and starts tumbling in a vicious downward spiral (when I get home)! I pound down the carbs (crackers, pretzels) gorge on cheese and lately, since everyone has been so generous in giving me chocolate (because they know it's my favorite) I've been hoarding chocolate kisses and ghirardelli chocolates. I don't want to admit it but yesterday I had 2,776 calories which completely wiped out my great cardio day! I walked for 45 minutes at a 5.0 incline which I felt pretty good about! The sad thing is about 1600 of those calories came after 4:00. I haven't the slightest idea how to stop this ridiculous eating! I just get a bite of chocolate and I can't stop until I literally can not eat anymore because I feel sick to my stomach. No one knows about this ridiculous problem I have, not even my boyfriend because I am completely ashamed of it. I'm also not sure why I've decided to post my crazy eating habits on a website (I'm definitely not one to "blog"). I just feel I need to start making my habits public because maybe it will help me realize what a awful thing I'm doing to my body.

Thanks to all for "listening". Maybe I can gather some inspiration from some of you, or maybe I'll start telling the whole world about my eating habits so I can stop hiding it so I can get some help from those around me. Wish me luck in this never ending battle of frustrations!

Consumed Vs. Expended Calories

Anthony Lea — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:29:18 GMT

Just wondering, I have a hard time finding foods that have ALOT of calories to meet the (roughly) 3000 per day calorie rate without going over my fat and carbs (Hence, other threads that I wrote asking about high calorie, low fat, high proten foods)... PLEASE HELP, its much appreciated

Body Fat Percentage

smmuirhead — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:05:25 GMT

Does anyone know of a reliable (but estimated) way to calculate your body fat percentage? I've looked at online calculators, but something just doesn't seem right about them. Are they good to use? Thanks for any info.

New Year, New You!

mousie_04 — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:09:09 GMT

Happy New Years to everyone!

I'm just curious if anyone has made any resolutions for next year?

I think I'm going to try and give up chocolate for my mom. She has had to make tremendous changes in her life and I feel that since she has made these sacrifices to start living a healthier life, I can too. She's definitely my motivation and I am incredibly inspired by her and her recent weight loss of 60+ pounds. I think this is the only resolution I'm going to make for this year because I am in love with chocolate and I think it would be hard to focus on any other major resolution.

Wish me luck and best of luck to all of you in the new year!

The Power of Antioxidants and Tea

trevor — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 09:47:48 GMT

http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/the-power-of-antioxidants-and-tea/article16118.html

Holiday Treats and Tricks

Gallows Jack — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:04:21 GMT

It's that time of year, when your coworkers have dishes of Halloween chocolates on their desks, when someone you know may be bringing home bags and bags of candy to (in theory) hand out to other people. (I know the attrition rate at my house is pretty horrendous.)

Then, once that hurdle is out of sight, it'll be time for Thanksgiving, and your Aunt Gracie will be sure to fill your plate to overflowing whether you want her to or not.

And as if that's not enough, by the time you've finished digesting November, the December holidays will be right there to stuff you full of family treats all over again.

Of course, you have more than one group of friends (and maybe more than one grouping of family) during these festive times, so you might be doubling or tripling your merriment - and probably your calorie intake to boot.

What are your plans to take on the holiday season without losing your motivation or gaining a billion pounds?

weight scales, body fat scales, i am poor

caroline6288 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:11:42 GMT

Hey all! I know, I'm such a moocher, always asking questions!!! So, I'm setting out to buy a scale today so that I can track my weight weekly. However, what I really want is a scale that also measures body fat so that I can make sure my diet and exercise plan is helping and not hurting. However, I am a poor college student and simply can not afford a 40 dollar scale! Is there any alternative (cheaper) way to measure body fat percentage at home? Thanks everyone :)

group events

tdhuntington — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:04:02 GMT

Is there any way to manage a group event? I'm thinking of having my staff at work involved with online fitness goals. It could, but does not have to be competitive. I know American Cancer Society has a 10 week course through work:
http://www.acsworkplacesolutions.com/activeforlifeonline.asp
I was hoping for a longer commitment probably with 10-15 week blocks, in the form of a group within the membership, each group with a team leader. Let me know, Thanks, TDHuntington

The sooner you quit, the better it is

trevor — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:48:35 GMT

The sooner you quit, the better it is

By Jeremy Manier

Chicago Tribune reporter

July 8, 2008

Both of this year's presidential candidates say they are ex-smokers, but recent research suggests that they may face increased health risks from cigarettes for years to come.

Some of the damage that cigarettes inflict on the body subsides quickly, halving the risk of heart disease and stroke within five years after a smoker quits. But the effect of smoking on risks of cancer and other diseases can persist for decades, experts say.

Even Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), 71, who quit smoking in 1980, still faces some increased risk of cancer from smoking two packs a day for 25 years, studies suggest. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), 46, who says he has struggled to stay off cigarettes since quitting last year, may have less long-term risk because he smoked fewer cigarettes per day.

Better to quit young

A major message of the research is that people who quit at a young age are far better off than those who put it off until later. Obama and McCain, both of whom waited until their mid-40s to quit, would have been measurably better off if they had stopped a decade sooner, experts said.

"If you quit by age 35, by the time you're 45 you look pretty much like a never-smoker in most of our profiles of risk," said Terry Pechacek, associate director for science at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's office on smoking and health.

The danger intensifies as smokers approach their 30th year of addiction, Pechacek said. The risk of getting lung cancer for a person who has smoked for 30 years can be six times greater than the risk for someone who has smoked for 20 years.

Some of smoking's effects may be irreversible. For example, the chronic bronchitis that many smokers develop heals only partially. And quitting cigarettes often has little effect on emphysema, which stems from the damage that cigarette smoke can cause in the lung's fine structures.

"That stuff doesn't repair itself," said Dr. Norman Edelman, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association.

Getting other risks down to normal can take time. A study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that among women who smoked for 20 years on average, it took 30 years after quitting for their risk of lung cancer to reach normal levels.

Yet heart disease risks declined much more rapidly, the study found. Within five years of quitting, the excess risk from smoking had fallen by 61 percent.

"Clearly there are immediate benefits for some diseases," said study co-author Stacey Kenfield, a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health. "It's never too late to stop."

Cancer risks are more difficult to get back to normal because of how that disease progresses in the body, experts said.

Genetic damage

Each cigarette has the potential to inflict small bits of genetic damage that can accumulate over time and cause cancer later in a smoker's life. The longer a person smokes, the more cells get damaged, and the longer it takes for the body's repair mechanisms to remove the damaged cells.

Climbing a mountain

Pechacek of the CDC compared the process to climbing a mountain; smoking more cigarettes takes a person farther up the slope. "If you smoke too long, [you] may not have enough years left to get back down to the base," he said.

One measure of an ex-smoker's risk is expressed in "pack-years," the number of packs smoked per day multiplied by the number of years a smoker was addicted. McCain, who smoked two packs a day for 25 years, would have about 50 pack-years, while Obama, who smoked less than one pack a day for about as long, would have fewer than 25 pack-years.

A risk calculator

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York has posted an online lung cancer prediction calculator (at mskcc.org/mskcc/html/12463.cfm) that uses pack-years and other information to assess an ex-smoker's risk of developing cancer. Some researchers have debated the usefulness of pack-years in such predictions, arguing that overall duration of smoking matters more than the number of cigarettes smoked.

Like many smokers who try to kick the addiction, Obama says he has suffered smoking relapses since first attempting to quit last year. Such setbacks are less important than the ultimate goal, Pechacek said.

"Usually it takes three or four quits before a person is successful," he said. "We need to stop looking at those as failures, because really they're steps toward success. You're building the skills you need to quit."

www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-0708-health-smokejul08,0,5016701.story

10 Things You Can Do to Cheer Yourself Up

trevor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:27:42 GMT

Whether you have the winter blues, you're suffering from a disappointment, or you're just feeling a little down, we all have times when we could use a little lift. Here are 10 ideas to get you back on the upswing.

1. Plan Some Fun. Get out your calendar. Next do a search for things to do in your area. Local newspapers usually have a "What's Going On" section. Pick out your favorite 5 or 10 things. And remember the things you choose don't have to be big events. It can be as simple as taking a long drive in the country or going for a walk on the beach. Write them into your calendar. Invite someone to join you on some. For others go and meet some new people.

2. Express Your Creativity. Do some painting. Decorate your house with flowers. Do a paper mache project. Pick up that guitar, practice and write a song. Practice juggling. Make a funny photo album with all those old photos you've got in boxes by adding quirky caption above each picture. Learn how to play the harmonica. Write and illustrate a mini book or comic book. Maybe pick your favorite movie get a friend to act out one of the scenes with you while you videotape it. It doesn't have to be good. Just doing these things will make you feel good. And if you keep doing them you'll naturally get better.

3. Get Outside. Fresh air does wonders for your body and spirit. If you can go to a park or a place in nature, even better. Here are some things you could do: go for a walk, fly a kite, plant some vegetables or flowers, roller skate, ride a bike, or go on a 'treasure hunt" to find things for an art project.

4. Let Music Take You Higher. Turn on your favorite music and sing! Pull down the shades and dance. Rent a video on belly dancing. If you're in your car, you can still move a little to the music. Go for it! What do you care what other people think? Have fun with it! Sing, dance, play an instrument. Practice your favorite song and then go to karaoke and let the world hear your talent!

5. Walk a Dog. If you don't have your own dog, offer to walk a neighbor's dog. Or even better yet, sign up at the local MSPCA to walk the pooches who have no one to love them. What a nice way to make a difference!

6. Volunteer. There are so many ways to help others. Here are a few ideas.

Feed people. Volunteer at a food kitchen or make your own homemade batch of food and share it with people who could use it: shut-ins, elderly, new mothers, someone who is works too much, etc.
Help People: volunteer with the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, or Meels on Wheels.
Mentor. Check out Big Brother/Big Sister, Mentoring.org, or SCORE (mentoring small business start-ups).

7. A Change Will Do You Good. Get some order in your house. Change your furniture around. Change your decorations, or maybe go minimalist for a change. Clear out the clutter. It doesn't matter where you start. Just pick a place in your home that's been bugging you and attack it! Then sell, throw, or give away stuff you don't need. You'll feel great afterward and you'll have made a dent in making your living space more peaceful. And maybe it will give you inspiration to tackle another area tomorrow.

8. Plan a Party. There doesn't need to be a good reason other than it's time for some fun. Start with a small idea and build around it. Maybe you can get inspired by a theme, certain foods, or your favorite music to get the ball rolling. Then think about who you would like to invite. When and where will you have it? Will you cook, hire caterers, or make it pot luck? A meal or finger foods? Will there be dancing, contests, games, or other fun stuff like costumes? Maybe it will be low key with some jazz music, wine and cheese. Or maybe it will be a Hawaiian luau. Or maybe if you have a lot of singe friends you can have a white elephant party. Call a friend for help with the logistics.

9. Personal Spa and Relaxation Day. Include as many of these ideas as you like or have time for. Get a massage, pedicure, and haircut. Take a bubble bath with candles, music and champagne. Give yourself an egg-white or mud mask facial. Line up 2-3 movies to watch in bed while eating your favorite delights: ice cream, chocolate, whip cream, jello, popcorn, finger food hors d'oeuvre, and more. What else would you include to pamper yourself?

10. Reach Out. Connect with friends and family. When was the last time you wrote and mailed an actual letter? Why not do it today? Or how about making some home made post cards with materials you have lying around the house. Cutout some pictures from magazines or from your photo collection and make a mini collage. Maybe just call one old friend from college or high school that you haven't talked to in forever. Or maybe you could visit a neighbor who might need some cheering up too! Bring some cookies!

What's your favorite way to ditch the blahs and cheer yourself up? Please share!! We'd love to hear from you!!

Written by K. Stone of Life Learning Today.

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/01/10-things-you-can-do-to-cheer-yourself.html

Well being?

smmuirhead — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:57:01 GMT

What does the well being number mean on the daily summary page? How is it determined? Just curious...

Six Healthy New Year's Resolutions

trevor — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:30:19 GMT

Getting healthy need not be overwhelming. Here are six simple, straightforward ways to get on track toward optimum health in the new year.

1. Post It On the Fridge! Adopt the Anti-Inflammatory Diet
The anti-inflammatory diet isn't a weight-loss program (although you can lose weight on it) or a temporary eating plan. It is intended to counteract chronic inflammation, now known to play a central role in the development of heart disease, many cancers and Alzheimer's disease. Poor diet is perhaps the main contributor to chronic inflammation. The anti-inflammatory diet can help you correct that: it points the way to food choices that can help you remain optimally healthy. Here's a link to the anti-inflammatory diet. Print out these tips and post them on the fridge. Along with influencing inflammation, the diet will give you steady energy and provide all the vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and dietary fiber you need.

2. Get Smart About Snacking

Snacking throughout the day is actually a good idea, as it can help keep blood sugar levels and energy steady - which leads to improved mood, better productivity and more effective appetite control. But if you're trying to lose weight or to eat a healthier diet, that convenient bag of chips can sabotage your efforts. Processed foods contain too many calories, the wrong kinds of fat and carbohydrates, and have too much salt and too many additives. Instead, plan snacks ahead of time and make sure you always have healthy ones on hand: fresh or dried fruit; raw, unsalted nuts (pistachios, cashews or walnuts); flavorful natural cheeses and dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa solids. And don't forget to set aside leftovers from the healthy meals you'll be preparing.

3. Get Serious About Breathing Exercises
Simple breathing techniques offer a drug-free way to help lower your blood pressure, calm a racing heart, or settle an upset digestive system. Proper breathing has direct influence on emotional states and moods. When you're upset, you breathe rapidly, shallowly, and irregularly, but you can't be upset if your breathing is slow, deep, quiet and regular. At first, the effects are subtle, but they will gain power the more you repeat them. Whether you want to address health problems or just relax and reduce stress, make this the year to learn and practice the breathing techniques you'll find here.

4. Fitness: Consider a Personal Trainer
If you're really committed to getting into shape in 2008, a personal trainer can get you off to the right start. A study at McMaster University in Canada found that people who are new to exercise do better when they have some professional help. If you plan to do strength training (and you should!), you'll need a trainer to learn the correct form so that you won't injure yourself. If you can afford it, continued weekly training sessions will keep you motivated and ensure that your workouts are appropriate to your age and fitness level. If you can't afford weekly sessions, pay for one or two to set up a program. When you've achieved your initial expectations, schedule another training session to set new goals.

5. Take Time for Tea
Drinking green tea can improve your cholesterol ratio, as well as help protect against cancer and bacterial infections. The difference between green and the more familiar black tea is in the preparation: both come from the same plant, Camellia sinesis, but to make black tea, leaves go through an oxidation process that darkens them. This process deceases some of tea's beneficial compounds, including polyphenols called catechins. Green tea is unfermented, which means that it contains more catechins. But don't think of tea drinking only as a utilitarian way to imbibe those healthful compounds. Learn to appreciate the subtle fragrance of good quality green tea and use tea time to unwind, meditate and as a respite from your stress du jour.

6. Volunteer to Help Others
Service organizations always appreciate donated money, but giving of yourself, especially in a way that draws on your unique talents or skills, is more satisfying. You can volunteer to feed the homeless, help people with terminal illnesses, and help to clean up the environment. Donate clothing you no longer wear and other items you don't use. Look for ways to help those close to home: take meals to shut-ins, offer transportation to elderly or disabled neighbors and tutor or read to children. Don't focus only on the needs of strangers. Look for ways to help friends and family members, too.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02898/Six-New-Years-Resolutions.html

Presents that pack a healthy punch

trevor — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:03:24 GMT

By Jacqueline Stenson

Contributing editor

updated 6:54 a.m. ET, Tues., Dec. 11, 2007

Fitness gifts can be a great way to motivate someone on your Christmas list to ring in the New Year right.

As we feel compelled to note each year, though, fitness gift-giving can be a little tricky. New exercise gear and gadgets are fun for fitness buffs, but they aren't for everyone.

"Do give a fitness gift if the person shows interest or has hinted throughout the year that it's something they would want," says Gina Lombardi, a personal trainer in Los Angeles and contributor to MSNBC.com's Fit List. "Or if they have been trying to lose weight, for example, and need a nudge or some expert advice in the form of a DVD or a book."

On the other hand, she says: "Don't give a fitness gift to someone who you think needs to lose weight. This is a guaranteed insult — even if you're right."

If you've screened your list and identified the recipients who'll be glad to get the gift of fitness, here are some ideas for presents that pack a healthy punch:

Not just for the boys
Kickboxing classes have long been popular with women. And like young guys, more women and even older adults are now getting involved with punching a boxing bag, too.

All that jumping and jabbing is a great way to work up a sweat and to blow off some steam. And as long as you've got the right gear and are taking careful aim at the bag instead of someone's head, nobody should get hurt.

Everlast has a Women's Heavy Bag Set for $99.99 that includes pink gloves, hand wraps and heavy bag. For $34.99, the training gloves also come in more gender-neutral colors such as red and black for women who wouldn't appreciate the pink stuff.

Of course, a boxer needs a high-performance jump rope, such as the Buddy Lee Aero Speed Jump Rope, which sells for $34.95 and can be adjusted to your height. It comes with a wrench to tighten the swivel bearings in the handle should they loosen from all that jumping.

For relieving stress, Everlast sells a Desk Top Speed Bag for $19.99 that suctions onto a desk so users can give it a good punch during heated moments at work.

Tracking progress
Got a gadget lover on your list? Consider the Timex Ironman iControl Watch, $125, which has a receiver that hooks up to an iPod.

Users can do all the things they usually do with a sports watch, such as record workout intervals, but they can also pick their favorite workout music from it.

Another gadget that has made our gift guide before, but deserves a repeat appearance, is the pedometer.

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people who wore pedometers to keep track of their steps actually walked about a mile more than they did before they strapped on the devices. They also lost a few pounds and their blood pressure dropped, too.

Pedometers are widely available for around $20. If you want a fancier model, for a little more money (about $30), consider the Sportline ThinQ Pocket Pedometer, a device the size of a credit card (3 millimeters thin) that slips right into your pocket.

It's small but it still counts steps, measures distance traveled and calculates your calorie burn like the bigger models.

Stylish sneaks
How about some personalized sneakers for your one-of-a-kind fitness buff?

Reebok lets you customize shoes from the tongue to the sole with sports logos and a variety of colors. Nike also has a line of shoes that you can personalize with a name and various colors for the famous swoosh, the shoelaces, etc.

Prices range from around $90 to $140 and the shoes can take up to a month to arrive, so last-minute shoppers may need to give a gift card for these.

Stocking stuffers
Any woman with long locks will appreciate hair gear that stays in place without pulling at the roots. Studio i/m has an "Active" line that includes hair bands, clips and head wraps for under $10.

Buying for an aging boomer? Consider stuffing his stocking with a Mr. Happy Gel Pack or hers with Little Miss Helpful Gel Pack. These $10 items can be chilled or warmed to ease a weekend warrior's aches and pains.

You could always put a bow on a gift card to a sporting gear shop. But for a more personal twist, how about a handmade coupon good for a few workouts with you?

Fitness experts say buddying up is good for the both of you. And it doesn't cost you a dime.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22140551/

Stress can crank up the risk of heart disease

trevor — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 15:32:35 GMT

Stress can crank up the risk of heart disease

By Bryant Stamford
Special to The Courier-Journal

Psychological stress is an established risk factor for heart disease. This means it contributes to clogging of the arteries along with smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.

But stress has always been the Rodney Dangerfield of risk factors, getting no respect.

Much emphasis is placed on physiologic measurements, because they are easily quantified and categorized.

High blood pressure is readily identified, and treatment options are pretty straightforward. If you and I have a blood pressure of 145/95, we both, all other things being equal, would demonstrate the same degree of risk associated with such an elevated pressure.

On the other hand, if you and I are stressed, it's not so easy to quantify. What is my stress level compared to yours? Is mine higher or lower? If mine is higher, but I handle it better, am I then less stressed?

And when it comes to treatment, stress often is ignored unless it triggers physical symptoms or unacceptable behavior. And because the source of stress may be difficult to pin down, emphasis likely is placed on treating overt symptoms and helping victims cope.

Stress may be a key factor

Despite the ambiguities surrounding psychological stress, I've been saying for years that I believe it is a key factor in the development of heart disease, rather than a peripheral factor.

The analogy I have used is that stress is the blender, but it has no lid. All of the risk factors (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc.) are placed in the blender, creating a soupy mix.

The soupy mix can certainly be damaging to health as it sits there. But real trouble starts when the blender is turned on -- when stress increases -- spewing the soupy mix and really making a mess.

Support for this position is mounting. We know that stress can contribute to high blood pressure. Remove the stress (turn off the blender), and blood pressure drops.

Most are unaware of the effect stress has on cholesterol. The body is a cholesterol production factory, and the vast majority of cholesterol circulating in the arteries was produced in the body, in the liver. Cholesterol is an important building block in the body, and it serves as a key component for several hormones. When stress increases, cholesterol production can skyrocket. Remove the stress, and cholesterol drops.

Recent research contributes another piece of evidence indicting stress as more of a culprit. Studies in mice have shown that stress triggers release of a hormone -- neuropeptide Y (NPY) -- that promotes fat accumulation, particularly in the abdominal region.

The worst-case scenario is a high stress level combined with a lousy diet loaded with junk food. This is particularly problematic for those who over-consume comfort foods, such as chocolate chip cookies, when stressed.

Now, don't jump on NPY as a prime cause of obesity and sit around for the next decade waiting for scientists to find a way to neutralize this hormone. There are many reasons for obesity, and this is only one. But it's one that involves stress, and that's why I'm bringing it up.

Abdominal fat deadly

Fat can be added all over the body, but abdominal fat has the most severe health implications -- another cause for concern about stress and NPY. The reason is abdominal fat contributes to insulin resistance -- an inability to move glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells where it will be metabolized to produce energy. When glucose lingers in the blood, it accumulates. A modest accumulation is referred to as pre-diabetes (also known as metabolic syndrome).

If ignored, pre-diabetes likely will develop into full-blown type 2 diabetes, a powerful risk factor for heart disease.

The bottom line

As always, my advice is the same. To beat heart disease and be healthy, eat right and get some exercise daily. Let me add that because stress may take a much larger toll than we recognize at present, put reducing stress, by whatever means possible, right up there near the top of the list.

"The Body Shop" runs Thursdays. Bryant Stamford is professor and chairman of the department of exercise science at Hanover College. If you have questions or suggestions, go to his Web site at professorstamford.com. Or address questions to "The Body Shop," The Courier-Journal, P.O. Box 740031, Louisville, KY 40201-7431.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071011/FEATURES03/710110319/1012