A vast body of evidence demonstrates that exercising regularly offers a bulwark against life-threatening complications, such as heart disease. The case for exercise could not be clearer but when it comes to how much you need to do to extend your lifespan, the jury is often out. Research is increasingly shedding light on this area, however, and one study shows that even a little exercise can go a long way.

The NHS recommends adults should do at least 150 minutes (two hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week to reap the health benefits.

While the more exercise you do the better, according to findings published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, even partaking in 10 minutes of exercise a week a day can reduce your risk of developing life-threatening complications.

The study was based on data from more than 88,000 U.S. adults who participated in the National Health Interview Survey between 1997 and 2008. All of the participants were ages 40 to 85 and did not have any chronic diseases when they took the survey.

They also provided demographic and health information, and were tracked by researchers for about nine years.

READ MORE:How to live longer: This simple activity may increase your life expectancy

About 8,000 people died during the follow-up period, and the researchers found virtually any amount of exercise reduced the risk of dying of cardiovascular disease, cancer or any other cause.

What was particularly noteworthy is the study found participants who did just 10 to 59 minutes of light-to-moderate intensity physical activity each week had an 18 percent lower risk of early death than people who were sedentary.

The findings also revealed they also had a 12 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular issues during the study and a 14 percent lower risk of dying from cancer.

Whats more, these reductions in risk increased the more people exercised.

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People who got 60 to 149 minutes of light-to-moderate exercise per week had a 22 percent lower risk of early death than sedentary people, and those who got 150 to 299 minutes had a 31 percent reduced risk.

In addition, those who engaged in 300 to 449 minutes of light-to-moderate physical activity per week was linked to a three percent lower risk of dying during the study period.

Out of all of the exercises available, aerobic exercise comes out on top for its myriad health benefits.

One of the primary health benefits of doing aerobic exercise is it helps keep visceral fat at bay.

Visceral fat is a harmful form of belly fat that lies close to internal organs and can trigger a range of deadly mechanisms in the body.

Emphasising the effectiveness of aerobic activity to attack visceral fat, many studies have shown that aerobic exercise can help you lose visceral fat, even without dieting.

For example, an analysis of 15 studies in 852 people compared how well different types of exercise reduced visceral fat without dieting.

They found moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercises were most effective at reducing visceral fat without dieting.

Aerobic exercise generally refers to any activity that gets your heart pumping and makes you breath faster than you normally would when resting.

Walking, jogging, biking, dancing, and swimming are popular examples of aerobic activity.

Of course, it is also important to compliment an exercise regime with a healthy, balanced diet too.

The NHS advises eating a low-fat, high-fibre diet, which should include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (five portions a day) and whole grains.

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How to live longer: Do this much exercise each week to increase your life expectancy - Express

Springfield Hospital will likely cut ties with nine health clinics throughout the region as part of its bankruptcy plan.

The clinics in Springfield, Londonderry, Ludlow, Chester, Rockingham and in Charlestown, New Hampshire are currently part of Springfield Medical Care Systems, and they are tied to Springfield Hospital.

But Springfield Hospital is working to become part of a three-hospital system with Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in Windsor and with Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont, New Hampshire. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center would likely oversee the new organization.

More from VPR: Vermont's Springfield Hospital Files For Bankruptcy [June 27, 2019]

Springfield Medical Care Systems CEO Josh Dufresne said the clinics cannot remain tied to Springfield Hospital under the proposed three-hospital partnership.

As were looking to split these two companies apart and be completely independent, we have to make sure that the right services stay within the right company, Dufresne said.

Neil Mallan, 50, lives in Saxtons River and goes to the Rockingham Health Center in Bellows Falls. His doctor there got Mallan enrolled in the lifestyle medicine program, which is run out of the Springfield Health Center, one of the clinics in the system.

The lifestyle medicine program stresses diet, exercise and mental health to address chronic health issues, and Mallan said the connection between the clinics led to dramatic improvements in his health.

It has changed my life in a sense that I have a little bit more self-esteem. I feel better, Mallan said. I have big plans to see my grandchildren grow up and to be able to be active during that period of time. And its just been great for not only me but for the whole family.

More from VPR: Green Mountain Care Board Pushes Sustainability As Rural Hospitals Struggle [Oct. 15, 2019]

Since April, Mallan has lost 50 pounds, and hes no longer taking diabetes or cholesterol medication.

Dr. Scott Durgin leads the wellness program at the Springfield clinics and he said healthcare services in small rural towns have to be aligned within a larger system to better serve people who live far from population centers.

When Im working in Ludlow, there are certainly patients that I see there that cant go anywhere else, theyre just going to be able to see a provider in Ludlow," Durgin said. "And I think the same goes for Springfield, and Londonderry and Charlestown. And I think that provides a much better service for those that need it the most."

'It's uncertain right now'

This model, of having a hospital coordinate healthcare services in rural communities, has been happening more frequently as primary doctors struggle to keep their practices open.

Dufresne, the Springfield Medical Care Systems CEO, said the clinics lost $2.5 million in 2018 and will have to submit a separate plan to the bankruptcy court. And that could mean consolidation, or closure, among the many services the clinics now offer.

And what were doing right now is meeting internally with each one of the departments," he said. "We do feel its key that those department folks know whats going on prior to having community dialogue or press releases or those type of activities."

The medical offices offer dental, and eye care, mental health support, general medicine, and even child care at two sites. And Dufresne said in a sparsely populated region like southern Vermont, the models just not working.

More from VPR: As Losses Mount, Some Hospitals Request Steep Rate Increases [Aug. 1, 2019]

Where we went astray a bit is we started to become everything to everyone, he said. And we started to do services, maybe broader services, than what we probably should have focused on. And do we continue that? Its uncertain right now.

Once the bankruptcy plan is finished for the medical care system, community meetings will be held to discuss how the changes might affect the region.

Springfield Hospital will submit its bankruptcy plan to the court in early spring.

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Springfield Hospital Looks To Sever Ties With Clinics In Bankruptcy Plan - Vermont Public Radio

By Shirley Bose If its your birthday today Planetary positions are auspicious for travel, particularly for work/business. Visiting several new destinations is exciting and negotiations being successful is also revealed. Planning career/business moves for the next one year is important, keeping long term goals in mind. Income/profits increase. The relationship with your spouse/partner is good, but sometimes you feel there is less emotional connection. Follow diet/exercise plans.

Capricorn: Dont complicate life with an avoidable relationship. News from overseas is quite unexpected. Karmic undercurrents advise being on guard though some work related issues have been logically resolved. Colours: lime green/white.

Virgo: Focus on one task at atime instead of multi-tasking. Getting enough sleep is important. Karmic undercurrents reveal an unexpected surprise is thrilling and just what youve wanted. Colours: bronze/grey.

Aquarius: A wholesome and balanced life is what you aim for. Anxious feelings disappear unexpectedly. Karmic undercurrents advise gradually changing a traditional approach to a more modern way of thinking. Colours: lavender/brown.

Gemini: Just do your duty, letting go of what is not important. Business/career move ahead rapidly. Karmic undercurrents advise taking assertive action since you are in an advantageous position. Colours: maroon/gold.

Libra: Work runs according to schedule and two deadlines are met without any major delays. Resolving a misunderstanding immediately is better. Karmic undercurrents advise being sensitive to a friends moods. Colours: rust/yellow.

Pisces: The present karmic cycle favours enhancing work-related knowledge. Some sign up for a seminar. Karmic undercurrents advise not spending inordinate amounts of time alone. Dont become a recluse. Colours: turquoise/red.

Cancer: Dont worry about circumstances that are karmic in origin. Just do your best to systematically work through them. Karmic undercurrents advise living in the moment peacefully and with faith. Colours: khaki/mustard.

Scorpio: Social life sets a good pace once more and friends make plans. Money owed to you by someone is returned. Karmic undercurrents advise not procrastinating. Do the work immediately. Colours: white/scarlet.

Leo: Stay away from people who regularly play mind games. Karmic undercurrents reveal receiving karmic justice in a job done well feels good (someone else had taken credit for it). Colours: purple/red.

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Horoscope today: Here are the astrological predictions for February 14 - Mumbai Mirror

Its cold, its dark, and youve got zero motivation. Well, one trainer has good news for you: you only need to commit to seven minutes, three to four times a week. Not only could you lose weight and build muscle something thats essential for everyone over the age of 30 but it builds up bone density and targets belly fat, a common midlifer problem. Sounds do-able, right?

HIIT is nothing new you see people doing it in their local park every weekend. But Zana Morris, personal trainer and founder of The Clock gyms in London, has a unique take: we need to do it much harder and for a much shorter time. "You should be totally exhausted after six reps, Morris says, then you move on to the next exercise.

"The key is to think of it like sprint training: you wouldnt sprint for 45 minutes, you run all out for a few minutes. Its the same with HIIT when youre doing it right its about short, sharp bursts.

When I join Morris well-heeled, mainly middle-aged clients at her luxe Marleybone gym for a month in December, I do a different circuit on each visit, either legs and bum, shoulders and arms or back and chest, and am out the door in under 10 minutes. Its a get in, get on, get the job done approach, Morris laughs.

Her approach, which she has been honing for more than 20 years, is backed up by a plethora of research, including a recent study in The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Journal which found that seven minutes was enough to get the fitness benefits. You really can see a difference fast when you do seven minute really intense sessions, Morris says. On average, when you team it with the right nutrition, we see clients lose around 6-7lbs of fat and gain 2-3lbs of muscle.

The reason, Morris explains, is down to our hormones, particularly insulin levels. Any weight around our middle is insulin related, she says. Put simply, insulin, the hormone that regulates the levels of glucose in the blood, can cause weight gain when the cells absorb too much glucose or blood sugar and convert it into fat. Not only can it make you fatter, but in a catch-22 situation, increased body weight can also lead to higher insulin levels. Sleep affects your insulin levels, as does eating carb-heavy or sugary foods and stress all midlifer concerns.

But micro HIIT sessions can reverse that a study published in the journal Frontiers found that a ten-week HIIT training programme in sedentary adult women at risk for type-2 diabetes had positive effects on their insulin levels, while a separate Brazilian study confirmed the same thing, looking at sleep-deprived men and the effect that HIIT had on their insulin levels.

Theres an added benefit to performing HIIT, according to Pamela Peeke, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland and Equinox Health Advisory Board member: The healthy stress your body undergoes during HIIT triggers autophagy, which rids your body of cellular debris and stimulates the production of stem cells, the primary regenerative cells in the body. The more stem cells you have, the better you are able to induce super autophagyits a cycle. Think of it as a spring-clean for your cells.

Peeke recommends HIIT training three times per week plus find every opportunity to add one, two, three minutes of HIIT to your day." Such as doing as many squats as you can in a minute while you wait for the kettle to boil or racing for the bus at a full-out pelt.

But for added benefit, as Morris has found with herself (she has roughly the same body composition now shes in her mid-forties as she did as a 20-year-old) and her clients, is to add in weights. After the age of thirty, we lose between 3-5pcof muscle per decade in a process called sarcopenia (most men will lose about 30pcof their muscle mass during their lifetimes). Its problematic because it not only leads to diminished strength as we get older, but makes us more prone to breakages, according to a study from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

More pressingly, the amount of muscle you have has affects on your weight. Its estimated that 1lb of muscle burns about 50-100 calories per day, Morris explains. So, by the time youre 40, if youve already lost around 5lbs of muscle due to natural age-related wastage, you would need 500 calories less per day. But not many of us reduce our calorific intake in fact, we often increase it. The antidote is to try to rebuild that muscle.

When I train with Morris for four weeks over December, I build up my strength surprisingly quickly. In four weeks I am able to lift 110 kgs on the bench press machine, up from 80kgs at the start. In a month I gain 2.5 lbs of muscle taking me back to my twenty-something levels.

While having a trainer on hand to set your weights up is a luxury, the exercises are easy to replicate at home or in your own gym. You can do 60 squats in a minute, or as many as you can do, or swimming sprints in your pool. You can do it with almost any exercise, Morris says. But dont in the zeal of January restarts think that more is better. In fact, going over the 30-minute mark has negative effects on our ability to build muscle because we start to produce cortisol, which can lead to muscle atrophy. Morris shudders when she thinks of midlifers doing marathons and triathlons (I darent tell her Im one of them).

At the same time nutritionist Mackenzie Dumas looks at my diet. She points out that theres little point training if Im going to continue with my nightly Maltesers/ half a bottle of wine habit. For the first 12 days Im on a high fat, low carbohydrate diet which comprises of a lot of avocado and eggs, and almost zero carbs. During this period, I lose eight pounds of fat, according to Dumas callipers. Then she moves me onto a more sustainable high protein, low carbohydrate diet, which is broadly what the surgeon Dr Andrew Jenkinson author of Why We Eat (Too Much), recently recommended in The Telegraph.

The month under Morris's guidance has been a huge re-education in fitness. Out goes the half-hearted Sunday morning boot campbootcamp in the park, replaced by seven-minute power sessions with my kettlebell.

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Get ready for micro HIIT: the seven-minute workout that could transform your body, and your life - Telegraph.co.uk

Thirty years ago, fat was the main diet demon and carbs fuelled the day with toast or cereal the standard breakfast, a simple sandwich at lunchtime. Back then, dinner wasn't dinner unless a potato or some rice or pasta graced the plate.

Now there are few food groups as tainted as the humble carbohydrate, especially when it comes to weight loss. So while many an extreme diet bans carbs completely, are they really that bad for us? Are some better than others? And how can you strike the right balance for you?

Carbohydrates are one of the three macro-nutrientsthat give the body energy (the other two are protein and fat). Carbs are primarily found in plant-based foods, including bread, rice, breakfast cereal, fruits, starchy vegetables and sugars and offer 17kJ (4 calories) of energy per gram.

The simplest form of carbohydrate is glucose, and carbohydrates range from mixes of simple sugars to hundreds of individual sugars that form more complex carbohydrates, such as breads and cereals.

Carbohydrates can also be grouped according to their glycaemic index. The glycaemic index refers to how quickly or how slowly a carbohydrate releases glucose into the bloodstream. Low GI foods such as wholegrains release the glucose relatively slowly, compared to higher GI foods such as white bread and rice.

Generally speaking, natural sources of carbohydrate, as found in whole, natural foods like fruit, starchy vegetables, and legumes, and wholegrains such as oats, barley and quinoa, are the best carbs to include in the diet on a daily basis.

When carbs are consumed as wholefoods, we get the added benefit other key nutrients, including fibre, vitamins and minerals. Wholegrain and low GI natural sources of carbohydrate are also far less likely to be overconsumed the way refined carbohydrates found in processed cereals, white breads, snack food, biscuits, juices and sugars are.

The amount of carb you need will depend largely on how active you are. If you spend all day on your feet and are already quite slim, you will need more than someone who sits all day does minimal exercise. And similarly, on days you train for an hour or more, you will need more than on a sedentary day when you barely leave the house.

Without shifting to a complete 'low carb' or keto approach, where carbs equate to less than 20 per cent of total calories or just 50-80g of total carbohydrates per day, the average adult will require 30-50 per cent of their daily calories from carbohydrates (you can see this is a wide range), equating to roughly 80-200g of carbohydrates each day, or 1-3 half cup serves at each meal.

As carbohydrate is the primary fuel for the muscles, it is a common belief that eating fewer carbs means that you automatically burn a greater amount of fat. While this is somewhat true, as the body prefers to burn carbs in the form of glucose as its primary energy source, if carbs are restricted to a great enough extent, even though the body will shift to burning fat it will also slow metabolic rate over time. This means that initially you will get good results from a strict low-carb approach, but over time metabolic rate will reduce and the body will begin burning fewer calories as a result. This effect can be observed in individuals who have great success initially using a low-carb diet but who find it difficult to maintain once they return to their usual carbohydrate intake.

The strongest sign that you're eating too much carbohydrate is if you're gaining weight, or not losing weight despite making a concerted effort to eat less and exercise. The easiest way to count your own carbs is to use an online monitoring app such as 'myfitnesspal'.

While extremely low-carb diets, or less than 50g of total carbs a day will support ketosis and rapid weight loss, for those not in keto, it is possible to eat too few carbs for the amount of activity you are doing.

Signs your carbs may be a little on the low side include constant sugar cravings and hunger and an inability to lose weight despite eating less and exercising more. This may suggest you need a little more carbs to successfully burn body fat. The minimum amount of carbs someone not in keto will require is roughly 80-100g plus another 20-30g for every hour of exercise.

Naturally every food that contains carbohydrates has a different amount and generally larger serves for example, larger slices of bread have more than smaller slices. As a general rule of thumb, cup of carbohydrate or one piece of fruit has about 20g of carbs per serve. For a more accurate analysis, simply check 'carbs per serve' on nutrition panels or use a monitoring program such as 'myfitnesspal'.

So carbs are not bad for us, rather it tends to be the types of carbs we commonly choose or are served. Large slices of sourdough or Turkish bread, the white rice in sushi and large serves of noodles and fries at night are when we get our carbs wrong.

On the other hand, fruit, vegetables and controlled portions of wholegrains have plenty to offer the key is to stick to natural, whole unprocessed carbs when you can. And if your goal is weight loss, keep a close eye on how much total carbohydrate you are consuming each day.

Susie Burrell is a leading Australian dietitian and nutritionist, founder of Shape Me, and prominent media spokesperson, with regular appearances in both print and television media commenting on all areas of diet, weight loss and nutrition.

Auto News:Kia's Australian Open Fleet hits the road -caradvice.com.au

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Everything you need to know about carbs - 9Honey

February 11, 2020 Looking at recent media articles about the California wildfires, I continue to see people banter about the electrical utility companies liability due to wildfire ignition starts and the Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). Seems that a large majority believes that if the utility companies did not contribute to the start of wildfires, our state and nation would not have the current wildfire problem.

Are they right?

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Public comments express that utility companies may put shareholder interests above general public safety by deferring system maintenance for years. But just think if we did not witness the recent influx of devastating wildfires associated with utility companies, would the politicians and others change their priorities and aggressively address/fund wildfire issues?

This thought is not unlike you and I who may know that we need to lose weight, exercise and change some lifestyle habits so we dont suffer a heart attack, but we dont make the hard lifestyle choices until a major traumatic event hits us. While I dont want to thank the utility companies for their liability or the damages and tragedies that resulted, the overall wildfire situation has disclosed a range of topical issues such as infrastructure maintenance, antiquated technology, social media generational differences, insurance coverage/rate issues, population growth outpacing first-responder system growth, and the publics role in emergency preparation.

Here in California, the issues may not be different from elsewhere, but the scale of impact is perhaps nearing a tipping point as the impacts of fire touch nearly every sector, including:

Whether you acknowledge climate change impacts or not, if you are not happy with PSPS actions by utility companies, just recognize that the last three years of devastating wildfires have created an opportunity to aggressively address the wildfire problem.

The National Wildland Fire Cohesive Strategy clearly identifies that as a nation we must learn to live with wildfires by restoring our landscapes, building fire adapted-communities, and having a robust response system. We need to restore our landscapes by various means and the amount of acres burned over three years could never be accomplished by current fuel treatment practices due to bureaucratic and social-acceptance hurdles. We need to build fire-adapted communities, but this community effort has to be contiguous/continuous and not the checkerboard approach that is being done today. Our response system needs advanced technology that is available today and emergency response resources must be bolstered to meet the publics performance expectations.

As noted by a Headwaters Economics report Full Community Costs of Wildfire as a country, we need to decide if we will ever address and sizably invest in the wildfire problem before a fire, or will we simply pay for damages and subsequent post fire issues (i.e. flooding, loss of water sources, etc.) (https://headwaterseconomics.org/wildfire/homes-risk/full-community-costs-of-wildfire/).

In other words, when it comes to wildland fire we must go on a diet, exercise and change lifestyle habits before our heart attack because someday we may not be there to pay for damages. The recent history of devastating wildfires should be the traumatic event that wakes us up to effectively address todays wildfire problem.

And in a strange way, we should acknowledge that those fires and subsequent PSPS issues have helped to focus political efforts. Yet political will and action relies on social will, which is ultimately an individual decision.

Have you seen the fires? Have you tried to adapt to smoke and lived without power? Are we ready, as individuals and communities, to get fire-fit?

Bob Roperspent 40 years in the fire service focusing on wildland fire topics. He is the retired Fire Chief from Ventura County, CA, retired State Forester of Nevada, and currently Western Fire Chiefs Association Policy Advisor. He served as the FIRESCOPE Chair and participated in the development of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Strategy development. He was a member of Governor Schwarzeneggers Blue Ribbon Commission following the CA 2003 Firestorms. He wroteWildfire The Answer,a reflection and call to action after the 2017 California fire season, in February 2018 Wildfire.

Reprinted with permission from Wildfire Magazine (www.wildfiremagazine.org), published bythe International Association of Wildland Fire (www.iawfonline.org).

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Bob Roper | The fires of California: Past the tipping point? - YubaNet

Its more than just getting the sale. The most important question to ask someone is How did you sleep last night?

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (PRWEB) February 14, 2020

KMOXs podcast series The Business of Family Business features a variety of family owned businesses in the St. Louis area. In January they chose to interview the owners of STL Beds, Dave and Doug Belleville, due to their business success and strong family ties.

The full interview can be found here: https://omny.fm/shows/the-business-of-family-business/stl-beds#description

STL Beds has been serving customers since 1986. They offer great prices on mattresses, bedroom furniture and waterbeds throughout the entire United States. Dave and Doug are professionally trained mattress experts with 50 years of industry experience combined. They understand the importance of a good night's sleep and have a passion for helping their customers find a sleep solution thats right for them.

Podcast host, Ryan Wrecker, asked a few different questions about the history of the company, trends in the mattress industry and what sets them apart from some of their competitors. Dave and Doug were happy to dive into the rise and fall of waterbed popularity and discuss current trends that theyve noticed in the industry. One of these trends specifically is the rise of big bed-in-the-box companies. They explain that one of the key things that sets them apart from these popular online-only companies is the fact that their mattresses are made of high quality materials and they make sure to identify and cater to everyones specific sleep needs.

Its more than just getting the sale. The most important question to ask someone is How did you sleep last night? or Is your mattress comfortable? Most people really cant answer that question. Doug said, Diet, exercise and sleep are the three most important things that we need to focus on in our lives and our business is based on one of those things.

They concluded the interview by discussing the future of STL Beds. Dave is looking to slowly phase out of the business and hand it over completely to his son Doug who is happy to receive it. They have found success in a niche market and look forward to a bright future of providing high quality mattresses and service for their customers.

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NewsRadio 1120 KMOX Released an Interview With STL Beds Owners and Family Members Dave and Doug Belleville - PR Web

OPERATION Transformation star Tanya Carroll was shocked after failing to lose any weight on this weeks show - despite following the diet and exercise plan closely.

The mother-of-four's surprising 0lb weight loss stunned fitness expert Karl Henry, who admitted he was surprised as her Fitbit stats were strong.

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However, the shows resident medic Dr Sumi Dunne insisted that Tanya's failure to shed weight was down to her time of month coinciding with the weigh-in.

Commenting after Tanya missing her 2lb target weight loss, Karl Henry said: "Im surprised, your Fitbit stats are brilliant.

"Youve got the biggest inch loss of any leader - 20.5 inches. Im at a loss for words. Your stats are good."

However, Dr Dunne said: "When we come around our menstrual cycle, part of it is that we hold onto water.

"That makes us feel bloated and heavy. Pants can be tight, bra straps dig in."

Tanya, from Glanmire in Cork, insisted she wouldnt let the results of the weigh in hold her back.

She said: "(If this happened last year) I probably would have been back on the chocolate. Im not disappointed."

Dietitian Aoife Hearne also backed the busy mum and insisted her progress is remarkable.

She said: "Im absolutely not worried. Some big takeaways are that youre up muscle and down body fat.

"The body composition is changing and thats the most important thing - those things are moving in the right direction.

"Over the past four weeks, you have seven per cent weight loss. Thats a big thing."

Last week Tanya got emotional as she got to spend some time with her ill father.

The leader revealed in the circle of truth that her dad has had a number of health problems over the years.

During the truth circle Tanya broke down in tears saying: "My dad has everything. He has diabetes, he has stints, four kidney disease.

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"He has heart disease, heart failure, liver disease, you name it he has it."

But this week her father joined her and her family to watch her back on the show.

Her father said on the show: "She means the world to me. She's outstanding. Sure there's six of them there and I'm proud of them all."

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OT leader Tanya shocked after failing to lose any weight this week despite sticking to diet and exercise p - The Irish Sun

You probably wouldn't recognize actor Ethan Suplee if you saw him out in public these days, even though he's been onscreen, both in TV and movies, for the better part of the quarter century (he's been in everything from Boy Meets World as a kid to Mallrats, American History X, Remember the Titans, My Name Is Earl, Wolf of Wall Street, and most recently Motherless Brooklyn). Suplee has pulled off one of the most dramatic and impressive transformations we've seen from someone living under the public eye, but his workouts weren't to pack on the muscle needed to play a superhero. Suplee was more focused on transforming his relationship with food and fitness. Then the pounds dropped, and muscle followed.

The 43-year-old actor recently documented his progress, sharing that he had shed over 200 pounds and started packing on muscle with a consistent weightlifting routine. Suplee is all-in on this newfound health kick, to the point that he's started his own podcast, American Glutton, that focuses investigates obesity, diet culture, and the ways that he has engaged with his own health over the last 20-plus years.

But this isn't the first time Suplee, who has weighed over 500 pounds before, has slimmed down. So far, though, it feels like it's the first time that all of his hard work will help him to actually maintain a healthy lifestyle. He opened up about his journey in a phone interview with Men's Health, along with sharing his go-to chest push day workout on video.

Suplee says that he was always a "heavy kid," and that's when his relationship to his weight and food developed. His grandparents put him on a diet, so he began sneaking food and preferring to eat alone, a cycle that would become hard to break as an adult. Food became just like every other drug, and I didnt understand how my body used it, he says. But there was still a long road ahead, and many of Suplee's earliest roles showcased his size as much as they did his talents.

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By 2002, Suplee knew he had to change. "I had this girlfriend at the time, and I just realized at some point that in order to have a lasting relationship with her and be able to lead the life I wanted to lead, I would have to do something about my health." He opened up to her about his goals, and they set out to live a healthier life. Suplee started by putting himself on a liquid diet and estimates that he lost 80 pounds in two months, an extreme drop and lifestyle change that he would never advocate now. He shifted to a diet that only allowed him small portions of lean meat and vegetables, got down to around 400 pounds, then the weight loss slowed down. That wasn't good enough for Suplee.

"You have this immediate massive drop in weight, and you go okay, I want to keep riding that roller coaster to the finish line," he says. "But there's no thought to the long term practicality of weight loss."

Once 2005 rolled around, his wife was pregnant with their first child and Suplee was an exercise fiend, practicing Muay Thai and jiu jitsu. But his weight loss had plateaued, and he was thrown off his routine when he started filming My Name Is Earl. "I wasn't factoring in how I was going to maintain my weight at work when I was working like, 14 hours a day, five days a week," he admits. "Over the course of five years, I gained 100 pounds."

Coming out of the show, Suplee picked up a new hobby, cyclingbut the way he went about it wasn't healthy. He restricted how much he was eating, doing "all kinds of really crazy stupid diets"he once only allowed himself to eat while he was actually on the biketo go along with a grueling cycling regimen, and dropped all the way down to 220 pounds. This was the least weight he'd ever carried, but that in itself was not satisfying. "I was really, really unhappy with how I looked, and I didn't feel comfortable in my skin," he says. "I felt like a light breeze would knock me over. I don't know if I'm just big boned or a big dude, but 220 felt really, really small."

After all the hard work, Suplee was still unhappy with his body. He also had loose skin from all his weight loss, something that negative media outlets used to shame him for his progress. "TMZ stopped me and was like hey, you look great, what're you doing? And I said I ride bikes," Suplee recalls. "Then they had people talk about it and someone said 'well, he's still a fat guy." Suplee had 14 percent body fat at the time. Worse, Suplee says that paparazzi began to take photos of his loose skin for stories about the downside of weight loss, turning his hard-earned progress into a source of shame. "For the news to be kind of negative, I was like, fuck you guys," he says.

Worse still, he crashed his bike, badly. He dropped cycling, then picked up CrossFit, but busted his knee and gained "easy" 150 pounds. He was back to square one.

Then, Suplee was cast in a new show, Hulu's Chance. He began lifting weights for the role of D, a big, tough guyand something clicked. "I found that I really enjoyed lifting weights and I could get my workout in an hour, and so that wasn't like a huge part of my day," he says. "Even if I had a really long work day, I could go before or go after."

More importantly, Suplee decided to dig into the most difficult part of the equation, his nutrition. He started with keto, but everything finally clicked when he came across a TED Talk by Dr. Mike Isratel, "The Scientific Landscape of Healthy Eating". "I probably watched it four times in a row," Suplee says. "I was just like, this is not what I was being told." Suplee had bought into the theory that all carbohydrates are bad in any form, so being told that the macronutrient is actually a necessary source of fuel was eye-opening.

He switched to a low fat diet, gained 8 pounds in three days, but stayed the course after doubling down on the science and checking his lean body fat percentage using a DEXA scan.

Now, Suplee is about 260 pounds, and feels much healthier. He uses progressive overload principles very slightly over a four-week periods, then comes back a little heavier and repeats the process. He's mostly focused on hypertrophy, not lifting a house full of weights. "I don't give a crap about how many plates I have on there, that's irrelevant," he says. "The only thing I'm trying to do at this point is lose fat and hold onto the muscle." Suplee's biggest goal is to get to 10 percent body fat, then see how much muscle he can pack onto his frame. He calls it a "crazy, kind of science-y fun project I'm looking forward to."

The public reception to his recent weight loss is much more positive as well, with no TMZ hit pieces or shame paparazzi photos. Suplee credits that shift in part to being totally in control of the narrative, through his posts on Instagram and his openness on his podcast about his journey.

"The more I feel that I understand, scientifically, the more power I have over it."

No matter what anyone thinks, Suplee is training hard now, and he plans to continue that going forward. That also applies to his acting career. "I made my career as the fat guy," he says. "I dont want to be fat anymore. If the podcast is what I have to do make a career, thats fine."

All of the effort has been worth it to Suplee for the knowledge he's gained. That's what he hopes everyone who marvels at his before and after photos can learn.

"The most important thing I would want anyone to take away is that for me, the biggest change was understanding how food works," he says. "And the more I feel that I understand, scientifically, the more power I have over it."

Suplee is hard at work at achieving his goals, so the Men's Health team met up with him at Grant Roberts' Granite Gym in Beverly Hills, where the man himself, strength coach Grant Roberts, helped to walk us through his chest push day workout split.

Power Plate Pushup

1A. Dumbbell Incline Fly - 3 sets of 10 reps

1B. Dumbbell Incline Press - 3 sets of 8 reps

2. Low Bench Press (Machine Press) - 3 sets of 10 reps

3. Cable Scoop - 3 sets of 10 reps

4A. Dumbbell Pullover - 3 sets of 10 reps

4B. Dumbbell French Press - 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

5. Double Skullcrusher with Hold - 8 reps, 5 reps, 3 reps, 1 rep

See more here:
Ethan Suplee's Workout To Stay Fit and Maintain Healthy Habits - menshealth.com

Music therapy isn't the same for everyone, so find some joy in the music of your real-life and maybe even push away a moody cancer funk.

Martha lives in Illinois and was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in January 2015. She has a husband and three children, ranging in age from 12 to 18, a dog and a lizard.

I remember when my middle daughter was a baby - she was not an "easy" baby - and I'd drive around sometimes for hours just to try to get her to fall asleep. Once, or more precisely "if", she did, I would either just sit in the car quietly reading or sleeping until she woke or I'd risk bringing her into the house, where I'd put her in the crib, car seat and all.

It was during this time that I got a lot of advice from doctors, family, friends, magazines and pretty much every mother or grandmother whose path I crossed that music would soothe this savage beast. Not just any music, though. Classical music.

I still smile when I think about that advice. Classical music was the one surefire way to enrage this baby.

Music is often put forth as a complementary therapy for people with cancer. In the same way I tested out classical music on my daughter, I've tried to get into the calming "cancer music", like the flutes, the music my qi gong instructor puts on at the start of each class. I'm just not soothed by the tones though. I can appreciate the beauty of this music, and classical recordings don't send me into a fit the way it did that little baby in her car seat. Still, for me, music therapy has to sound a little different.

Starting with the early days of my diagnosis, I've actually made good use of my own music-as-therapy. At chemotherapy appointments, putting on my headphones and hitting play on my phone are the first things I do once those drugs are hooked up to the IV pole. It's not dulcet tones though. What I'm listening to is often whatever that same daughter has been playing in the car. It's loud, it's feminist, it's danceableand it has the power to pull me out of a moody funk.

It reminds me of the days when my daughters enthusiastically practiced their songs for Junior High plays, of the fun I've had at small concerts with them and the long days at huge music events in Chicago, where I am certifiably in the old-lady category.

It's music therapy for my real life.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that what people recommend when you're getting cancer treatment may simultaneously not work for you and work great with slight modifications. For me, music therapy falls into that category.

I'm probably never going to be calmed by listening to an Indian flute recording, but with different music, I can wind up in the same place. Sure, I get there with a bit more volume and a lot more movement (and some out-of-tune singing) but this is definitely a situation where it's the destination that matters and not the how-you-get-there.

Take a moment today to think about the exuberance for life that you respond to in your favorite music and let that be a bit of complementary therapy for your heart and soul. Sing it out loud or play it quietly to find the joy we all deserve.

Go here to read the rest:
Music For The Cancer Life - Curetoday.com