Stephanie Ann Dudley knew something was amiss when she started gaining weight.

Dudley, 44, has been working out steadily since she was 13. And between her gigs coaching a Les Mills Bodypump class at the YMCA and her law enforcement career, shes always stayed active and athletic. Up until those first few pounds came on in 2011, shed never changed uniform size not even after two children.

It didnt make sense, said Dudley, who lives in Pearland. I was gaining a lot in my waist. I always had an hourglass figure. It was really odd.

And it didnt stop at her waist. Her hair began falling out. She felt nauseated at night.

I was getting angry at things; I had a low patience threshold, she recalled.

Dudley asked her doctor to check her thyroid. When the tests came back normal, the doctor suggested regulating hormones through birth control pills. Still, Dudley started to feel more and more fatigued. It was hard to get up in the morning and go to work, she said.

She opted for a holisitic approach and sought the guidance of a natural doctor, who diagnosed her with Hashimotos thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease. Dudley eliminated certain trigger foods and took the right supplements for her body. Soon, she felt better and she stopped gaining weight.

Then she turned to technology. She used IDLife to access her DNA and generate a specific plan for her individual needs, and began logging her caloric intake with an app called MyFitnessPal. She also found a coach on Macros Inc, an online coaching forum that focuses on macro diets, which go a step further than calorie counting, by developing certain thresholds to be met for proteins, carbs and fats.

Dudleys macro coach helped her add more carbs to her diet.

Everyone is scared of carbs, she said. The same is true of fats, but by consulting with her coach, Dudley learned exactly what worked for her.

She shifted from strict cardio exercises to lifting more weights at the gym and focusing on portion control. Now, she weighs her food with a scale she purchased online.

And its helped.

Now I sleep better; my energy is better, Dudley said. My body is working more efficiently.

Dudley now has lost 16 pounds. But she likes to remind people who struggle with weight loss that it wasnt easy. She had to pursue multiple paths to make it happen. She is convinced that each person is different and needs a unique plan of attack for his or her health.

Stephanie does not grasp the powerhouse that she is, said Dudleys friend and colleague Dana Kantara. Any of us that make major changes in our lives, we are inspirations to people who are watching. Maybe thats what they needed to see to make their own change.

Dudley said that patience is key. Its a learning process, she said. People get impatient. They want to lose weight immediately. They have to be patient with themselves and with the process.

That means sometimes the process is slow or theres a diet or exercise failure along the way.

Just because you have one bad day doesnt mean its over, Dudley said. People concentrate too much on what the scale says. You cant compare yourself to others. Thats not healthy.

She recommends people start by committing to one small change at a time.

If you want results, you have to put forth the effort, Dudley added. Then it becomes a habit. And once you see the results, youll be excited. Love your body enough to take care of it.

Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.

Lindsay Peyton is ReNew Houston's Transformation columnist.

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Learning her body helped this Pearland woman lose 15 pounds - Houston Chronicle

A Cleveland Clinic survey finds that although heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, 68% of Americans do not know its the foremost killer of women.

According to the survey, many Americans incorrectly thought breast cancer was the leading cause of death in women, with men especially likely to think this (44% vs. 33%). Among Millennials, 80% could not identify heart disease as the leading cause of death in women. Heart disease accounts for one in every four deaths in the U.S.

The survey also found that many Americans didnt recognize key symptoms of heart attacks in women. Many do not know that chest pain (24%), shortness of breath or sweating (28%), pain in the neck or back of jaw (43%), new or dramatic fatigue (55%) and nausea/ vomiting (60%) are signs of a heart attack in females.

Americans also dont recognize that most heart disease is preventable for both men and women. Even though 90% of heart disease is due to modifiable/controllable risk factors, only 8% of Americans know that.

The survey found theres also a lot of confusion on what steps to take to prevent heart disease and when. The survey found that:

Treatment of heart disease has come a long way in the past few decades, but we still need to work on prevention, said Samir Kapadia, M.D., chairman of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. There are so many simple changes that patients and the public can make that can provide significant improvements to their cardiovascular health.

Samir Kapadia, M.D.

Whether it be regarding diet, exercise or other lifestyle factors, we need to continue to educate people about how to take control of their heart health.

Additional survey findings include:

The survey was conducted as part of Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institutes Love your Heart consumer education campaign in celebration of American Heart Month. Cleveland Clinic has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the country for cardiology and cardiac surgery for 25 years in a row by US News & World Report.

For more information, go to: clevelandclinic.org/loveyourheart

Methodology Cleveland Clinics survey of the general population gathered insights into Americans perceptions of heart health and prevention. This was an online survey conducted among a national probability sample consisting of 1,000 adults 18 years of age and older, living in the continental United States. The total sample data is nationally representative based on age, gender, ethnicity and educational attainment census data. The online survey was conducted by Dynata and completed between September 23 and September 26, 2018. The margin of error for the total sample at the 95% confidence level is +/- 3.1 percentage points.

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Cleveland Clinic Survey: Most Americans Dont Know Heart Disease Is Leading Cause of Death in Women - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

By Mara Benner

Its that time of year. As we cheer in the new year, and in this case, a new decade, each person usually considers the obligatory resolution, intention or commitment to some sort of personal change.

One of the most popular resolutions always focuses on our health. It might be to stop smoking, go on a diet, exercise more, incorporate daily meditation or all of the above. This year, however, you might wish to consider a more holistic approach to your health and wellness.

Research by Dr. Margaret Swarbrick has been adopted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and encourages us to consider our wellbeing through eight dimensions of wellness.

Take a moment to consider each dimension and what, if any, improvements you might wish to incorporate with the new year.

Physical wellness

Physical wellness involves the maintenance of a healthy body, good physical health habits, good nutrition and exercise and obtaining appropriate health care. Areas to consider here include: physical exercise, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, having annual medical checkups, having adequate sleep each night and incorporating stress management techniques.

Intellectual wellness

Having a healthy mind involves lifelong learning, application of knowledge learned and sharing knowledge. Among the considerations in this dimension are learning new things, keeping up with current affairs, using your creativity, trying to see more than one side of an issue and asking questions to learn from others.

Environmental wellness

Environmental wellness involves being and feeling physically safe, in safe and clean surroundings, and being able to access clean air, food and water. This includes both our micro-environment, where we live and work, and our macro-environment, our country and our world. Important considerations in this dimension include: ensuring you have a clean living and working environment with natural light and fresh air and conserving energy and time to enjoy nature.

Spiritual wellness

Spiritually health involves having meaning and purpose and a sense of balance and peace. This dimension encourages us to name our personal values, describe our beliefs about life, make conscious choices to support our personal values, learn about others beliefs and values and have an optimistic view on life as well as gratitude.

Social wellness

A healthy social life involves having relationships with friends, family and the community, and having an interest in and concern for the needs of others. For social wellness, the reflecting points include: having a network of family and friends, contributing time and/or money to social and community projects, balancing personal needs with the needs of others and having an interest in other people.

Emotional wellness

Emotional wellness involves the ability to express feelings, enjoy life, adjust to emotional challenges and cope with stress and traumatic life experiences. This dimension encourages us to consider if we accept responsibility for our actions, see challenges and change as opportunities for growth, recognize and express feelings and appropriately cope with stress and tension.

Financial wellness

Health in our finances involves having the resources to meet practical needs and a sense of control and knowledge about personal finances. For financial wellness, considerations include: having a good handle on financial status, having money on hand to meet current expenses, having savings and being on track to meet life goals. Its important to understand how to balance the wants and needs and saving and spending.

Occupational wellness

Occupational wellness involves participating in activities that provide meaning and purpose, including employment. For this final dimension, your considerations include: actively pursuing work and/or training, using online resources to update skills and learn, continuing to build your professional network, being happy with how time is spent, doing things with people rather than being isolated and using time in a way that gives meaning and purpose to life.

Living life to its fullest requires us to see everything from a larger perspective and incorporating the whole of who we are. Remember that any modifications made to our life requires approximately three months to fully incorporate, ultimately changing the previous habit or pattern. Be kind to yourself and focus on living your fullest life, rather than focusing on your perceived flaws.

Mara Benner is the founder of Four Directions Wellness, intuitively connecting body, mind, emotions and spirit. The organization is affiliated with the GW Center for Integrative Medicine and offers individual sessions, classes and consulting. Learn more at http://www.fourdirectionswellness.com.

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Life Well Lived: Seeking positive alignment with wellness in 2020 - Alexandria Times

Losing over 100 pounds in a year may sound almost impossible, but it's Jeffrey Hadley's reality.

Jeffrey Hadley lost over 100 pounds and took charge of his health.

Credit: Jeffrey Hadley/LIVESTRONG.com Creative

The 50-year-old landscaper from Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, topped 270 pounds four years ago, when a health scare that landed him in the hospital for almost a week served as a wake-up call. He was discharged with a diagnosis of adult-onset asthma, COPD, high blood pressure and a determination to change.

Today, at 160 pounds, his health issues have vanished, and he's never looked or felt better. Here's his amazing story, in his own words.

Most of my life, I'd never had a weight problem. I worked as a landscaper, an active job that easily burned 10,000 calories a day. As a result, I could pretty much eat anything I wanted.

But in 2013, I got promoted to general manager at my company, a desk job that didn't involve much activity. I kept on eating the same way, though, and within a couple years I'd gained 100 pounds. The more weight I gained, the more sedentary I became, and over the months I noticed I was becoming winded doing relatively easy activities like walking across the room.

"A little lightbulb went off in my head and I realized that my health problems were most likely due to my being so overweight."

Then, in 2015, I ended up in the hospital for six days because I was having so much trouble breathing. My oxygen levels were hovering around 80 (normal is between 95 and 100). I ended up on oxygen 24/7 with constant nebulizer treatments and three inhalers. The doctors diagnosed me with adult-onset asthma, COPD and hypertension.

On my fifth day there, one of the physicians who came in to see me began asking me a lot of questions about my diet and exercise habits. Before he walked out, he turned to me and said, 'You know, if you just lose some weight, all of this would stop.'

A little lightbulb went off in my head and I realized that my health problems were most likely due to my being so overweight.

I was released the next day. The first thing I did when I got back home was to research the term 'clean eating.' I learned that all the processed foods like pizza and calzones that were the staples of my diet were loaded with calories, added sugars and chemicals that had caused all my weight gain.

In the beginning, I just ate a ton of fruit and veggies, some meat and eggs and lots and lots of chicken. I cut out starches like bread and processed food as much as possible.

Breakfast was usually eggs, oatmeal and fruit, while lunch and dinner were usually some type of lean protein paired with fruit and veggies. I only let myself snack on fruits and veggies.

I'm single and don't have much time or space to cook, but even when I ate out I focused on healthier choices: Instead of my usual cheesesteak, for example, I'd have plain chicken.

The weight came off fairly quickly, and I think it's because I had been overeating so much. I'd order a family-style Stromboli entre at work, for example, and end up eating it all myself. I was consuming a ton of food without even realizing it.

Did you know that keeping a food diary is one of the most effective ways to manage your weight? Download the MyPlate app to easily track calories, stay focused and achieve your goals!

It was tough at first, because although I wasn't really physically hungry, I was so used to snacking all day that it felt like a real void. I bought a motorcycle and went on a ride every day as my "reward" for clean eating.

While he was losing weight, Jeffrey rewarded himself for eating well by taking his new motorcycle for a spin.

Credit: Jeffrey Hadley

When I first got home from the hospital, I was in bad shape. I was 270 pounds with a 48-inch stomach and I was barely able to climb three steps without getting out of breath. Just walking to the bathroom required a rescue inhaler. I knew if I wanted to lose weight, though, I had to become physically active.

I asked a friend who owned a kickboxing gym what I could do that would get me moving while being easy on my body. She told me to just walk. So that's exactly what I did.

At the beginning, I couldn't walk two steps without having to use my inhaler. It would take me an hour to walk a quarter mile. But I refused to quit, and as the weight came off, it became easier and easier.

Within a couple months, I was walking 2 to 3 miles a day, until I eventually worked up to 10 miles a day. Now, I regularly run 5Ks.

The medical problems that landed me in the hospital asthma and hypertension have vanished. It turns out all my excess stomach fat had been crushing my lungs and my heart.

"At the beginning, I couldn't walk two steps without having to use my inhaler. Now, I regularly run 5Ks."

Consistency was key for me. I never did cheat days, or cheat meals, or even cheat snacks. I made sure I was 100-percent dedicated to what I was doing. It wasn't easy I'm normally a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of guy.

I decided to keep everything very basic, with five main food staples: veggies, fruit, chicken, rice and eggs. I swear, I ate scrambled eggs with chicken every morning for a year, but I needed to keep it simple.

As time went on, I tried different diet programs, like keto and intermittent fasting, but I found them very restrictive and hard to stick to long term. I felt I was more successful if I followed what I dubbed JERF, or Just Eat Real Food!

The first piece of advice I'd offer to others who are looking to lose weight is to simply cut out processed food. If it comes in a bag or a box, it's probably not good for you. I found I was more satisfied and naturally ate less if I just focused on fresh, real food.

Secondly, focus less on the scale and more on how your clothes fit and how you feel.

After I'd lost about 70 pounds, I decided it was time to start going to the gym. That was tough, because I'd never lifted weights before. I was scared to death. Again, I decided to keep it simple: the first time I went, I used three machines, and that was it.

But as I gained confidence and began using more machines (and lifting heavier weights) I realized that while my stomach was getting smaller and my shirts were fitting better, my scale wasn't moving as much anymore. I was losing fat, but replacing it with muscle.

I gauge my progress now by how my clothes fit. At my heaviest, I wore a triple-extra-large shirt. Now, I easily can slip into a medium.

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'I Lost 100 Pounds in a Year by Walking and Cutting Processed Foods' - LIVESTRONG.COM

Disorders related to the brain are affecting millions of people in the United States. 90-95% of all brain disorders is caused by depression. Depression is a temporary state of low mood and resistance to any activity which requires any mental or physical work. It affects a persons thought process, general behavior, feelings, and sense of living.

A combination of these symptoms leads to sadness, difficulty in thinking, decrease in concentration required to perform work, and a notable increase or decrease in the diet and/or sleeping schedule. The circle of depression contains major depressive disorders and its inter-connected different mood disorders, like PTSD(post-traumatic stress disorder), bipolar disorders, postpartum psychosis, etc.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 1 out of every 5 adults in the USA have a mental health condition. When it comes to serious mental health conditions, 1 out of 25 adults are suffering from it. The mental health statistics of the American youth are even worse. Severe depression in youth has increased from 5.9 to 8.2% in 5 years.

16 million American adults or about 7% of the entire population have major depression, making it the leading cause of disability for people between the age of 15 and 44. Every 12 minutes a person commits suicide in the U.S., with a total number of 41,000 suicides in one year depression being the main reason.

Depression is not only affecting the U.S. internally, but at international level too. Due to depression, 490 million disability days happen at work each year in the U.S. causing $23 billion in lost workdays each year. This takes an economic toll of over $100 billion each year on U.S. business which is 1.85% of USAs GDP.

Watch: Free online class on improving mental health with proper diet and yoga

There are many solutions to recover from depression, but are all of them effective? Are all of them is practicable in ones life? Let us discuss the most affecting ways to recover from it.

Diet is responsible for more than 80% of our health. What we eat, and what dont eat affects our body directly, and consequently our mind and health. A healthy and balanced diet could help you to gain the best form of yourself, but an unhealthy and improper diet can lead you to in the opposite direction. A healthy lifestyle is where a persons diet and exercise routine is balanced. A persons diet and exercise routine should help him/her to increase the level of the melatonin hormone and decrease the level of cortisol in the body.

There are unlimited diet plan and exercises routine available, but not all of them can be practiced by everyone. You can view my free online class on how to improve your mental health on Skillshare to learn more!

Watch: Free online class on improving mental health with proper diet and yoga

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How to improve your mental health with proper diet and yoga - News Landed

LONDON: People with an eating disorder are nearly four times more likely to develop addiction to exercise, which may lead to mental health issues, and injury, according to a study.

The study, published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, is the first to measure rates of exercise addiction in groups of people with and without the characteristics of an eating disorder.

An eating disorder is defined by abnormal eating habits that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. They include binge eating disorder, where people eat a large amount in a short period of time.

The meta-analysis examined data from 2,140 participants across nine different studies, including from the UK, the US, Australia and Italy.

It found that people displaying characteristics of an eating disorder are 3.7 times more likely to suffer from addiction to exercise than people displaying no indication of an eating disorder.

"It is known that those with eating disorders are more likely to display addictive personality and obsessive-compulsive behaviours," said Mike Trott from the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the UK.

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The researchers noted it is not uncommon to want to improve our lifestyles by eating healthier and doing more exercise, particularly at the start of the year.

However, it is important to moderate this behaviour and not fall victim to 'crash diets' or anything that eliminates certain foods entirely, as these can easily lead to eating disorders, they said.

"Our study shows that displaying signs of an eating disorder significantly increases the chance of an unhealthy relationship with exercise, and this can have negative consequences, including mental health issues and injury," Trott said.

Health professionals working with people with eating disorders should consider monitoring exercise levels as a priority, the researchers said.

It is because this group has been shown to suffer from serious medical conditions as a result of excessive exercise, such as fractures, increased rates of cardiovascular disease in younger patients, and increased overall mortality, they said.

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Watch what you eat: Eating disorders can cause exercise addiction, mental health issues and injury - Economic Times

INVOKANA is the only diabetes treatment in Canada approved to treat this patient group

TORONTO , Jan. 28, 2020 /CNW/ - The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced today that following a Priority Review, Health Canada has approved INVOKANA (canagliflozin) as an adjunct to diet, exercise, and standard-of-care therapy, to reduce the risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), doubling of serum creatinine, and cardiovascular (CV) death in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy (also known as diabetic kidney disease) with albuminuria (>33.9mg/mmol).1

Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (CNW Group/Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson)

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease in Canada ; up to one in two people with diabetes will experience signs of kidney damage in their lifetime.2Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is progressive and if left untreated, can lead to dialysis or kidney transplant.3In addition, people living with diabetic kidney disease are at a high risk for heart attack and stroke.4

"This is an important advancement given the increased prevalence of diabetic kidney disease in those living with type 2 diabetes," said Adeera Levin, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., F.A.C.P., C.M., Head, Division of Nephrology, Professor of Medicine, University of British Columbia , Executive Director, BC Provincial Renal Agency and CREDENCE National Lead Investigator for Canada .** "With this new indication for INVOKANA, physicians are now able to offer a treatment option that reduces the cardiovascular and kidney risks associated with diabetic kidney disease."

The new indication is based on results from the landmark Phase 3 CREDENCE study, the first dedicated renal outcomes study of any sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor in patients with type 2 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy. In CREDENCE, INVOKANA added to standard-of-care therapy demonstrated a 30 per cent reduction in the risk of the primary composite endpoint, comprised of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), doubling of serum creatinine and renal or CV death, compared to standard-of-care therapy alone.5Results also showed INVOKANA reduced the risk of secondary CV endpoints, including a 31 per cent reduction in the risk of the composite of CV death or hospitalization for heart failure, a 20 per cent reduction in MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events; composite of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI] and nonfatal stroke), and a 39 per cent reduction in the risk of hospitalization for heart failure alone. Importantly, the study showed no imbalance in lower limb amputations or bone fractures and no new safety concerns were identified in this study of high-risk renal patients.

About CREDENCECREDENCE (Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation) is a randomized, double-blind, event-driven, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 2-arm, multicentre trial that evaluated 4,401 patients with type 2 diabetes, Stage 2 or 3 chronic kidney disease (defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] of 30 to <90 mL/min/ 1.73 m 2) and macroalbuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio [ACR] >33.9 mg/mmol to 565.6 mg/mmol). All patients in the trial were receiving standard-of-care therapy, including a maximum tolerated labeled daily dose of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB).

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ABOUT INVOKANAINVOKANA is an oral, once-daily prescription treatment used to lower blood glucose (sugar) levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.6 INVOKANA belongs to a class of medications called sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors, which offer a novel approach to treating type 2 diabetes by increasing the excretion of glucose in the urine, resulting in a reduction of blood glucose.7 INVOKANAhas been studied in more than 18,000 patients with type 2 diabetesacross 14 double-blind, controlled Phase 3 and Phase 4 clinical trials.

INVOKANAwas approved by Health Canada on May 23, 2014 as monotherapy or in combination with other antihyperglycemic agents as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adult patients with type 2 diabetes. INVOKANA received Health Canada approval for reduction of therisk of major adverse cardiovascular events on October17, 2018and was approved as an adjunct to diet, exercise, and standard-of-care therapyto reduce the risk of ESKD, doubling of serum creatinine, and CV death in adults with type2 diabetes and diabetickidney diseaseon January 24,2020.8INVOKANAis currently approved as a single agent in 79 countries.

Common side effects reported with INVOKANAinclude vaginal yeast infection, hypoglycemia, yeast infection of the penis, urinary tract infection, increased urination, constipation, skin ulcer, nausea and thirst.

Please consult the Product Monograph available at http://www.janssen.com/canada/products for important information relating to:

Canagliflozin is licensed from Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. Trademarks are those of their respective owners.

About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & JohnsonAt Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.

Learn more at http://www.janssen.com/canada. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/JanssenCanada. Janssen Inc. is one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

*All trademark rights used under license.

**Dr. Levin was not compensated for any media work. She has been compensated as a consultant.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding INVOKANA. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Inc., any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2018 , including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at http://www.sec.gov, http://www.jnj.comor on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

References

SOURCE Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

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Health Canada Approves New Indication for INVOKANA* (canagliflozin) to Reduce the Risks Associated with Diabetic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type...

You hit the gym and eat well during the day. Then at night, there's so much else to do everything except sleep. But just like you need to invest in your fitness and food intake, you also need to catch the right amount of zzzs, especially if you're trying to build muscle.

Sleep and muscle growth go hand in hand, and not getting enough shut-eye can sabotage your workouts.

Credit: PeopleImages/E+/GettyImages

"Diet, exercise and sleep are the pillars of health and the key to building muscle," Kasey Nichols, NMD, a doctor of naturopathic medicine who specializes in sleep disorders, tells LIVESTRONG.com. "Without one of these pillars, your muscle-building routine will be suboptimal at best and permanently damaging at worst."

After a strenuous strength-training session, your muscles are in need of repair. When we sleep, our bodies are flooded with muscle-building, or anabolic, hormones including insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and testosterone, which help build and repair the damage, Nichols says.

"Missing sleep or not getting enough disrupts the amount and timing of anabolic hormone secretion, which means that you will not get the growth and strength increases you work so hard for at the gym," Nichols says.

A December 2017 study of over 10,000 people in the Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions found that good sleep quality is associated with greater muscle strength, while sleeping fewer than six hours a night may be a risk factor for decreased muscle strength. The authors point out that the number of hours you sleep is important, but the quality of sleep you're getting each night matters just as much.

"Each phase of our sleep cycle contributes to muscular repair and growth in different ways. This is why it is important to not just sleep enough but to sleep well," says Sarah Ray, a National Strength and Conditioning Association-certified trainer and head of business at Volt Athletics. "If you are breezing through or missing stages of sleep due to poor sleep environments, you're not optimizing the recovery window."

How much sleep is enough? The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends adults get seven or more hours of sleep per night. If you happen to have a spare hour in the day and the choice between a full night of sleep and an extra hour of exercise, choose the sleep, says Sujay Kansagra, MD, doctor of neurology and sleep medicine, director of the Duke Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program and Mattress Firm's sleep health expert.

"If you don't sleep, your workouts are likely to not be as effective anyway, since you won't perform as well," Dr. Kansagra says. "Sleep deprivation lowers motivation to exercise. It can also negatively impact exercises that require persistent effort for long periods of time."

A systematic review published March 2018 in Sports Medicine looked at 10 sleep intervention studies and concluded that getting more sleep was the intervention most beneficial to athletic performance.

And according to a February 2015 study in Sports Medicine, sleep deprivation causes a nervous system imbalance and ultimately slower and less-accurate cognitive performance, such as slower reaction times and suboptimal endurance, which are detrimental to any fitness performance.

Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages

Sleep is serious business for making fitness gains, so how can you make sure you're doing it right? Nichols and Dr. Kansagra have some tips for getting the most out of your shut-eye.

1. Make the Most of Your Morning

"Getting plenty of bright light in the morning helps keep your sleep timing on track, particularly if you have to wake up very early," Dr. Kansagr says.

In addition to letting the sunshine in, he recommends working out in the early hours of the day instead of after dark: "The increase in body temperature from exercise tends to be prolonged, sometimes making it hard to fall asleep."

"Having a scheduled time to go to bed and wake up is an underutilized strategy to get a quality night's sleep," Nichols says. "Our bodies are set by an internal clock structure that organizes our sleep-wake cycles. Sleeping and waking at the exact time each night helps to more effectively set this cycle."

3. Say No to the Nightcap

A glass of wine before bed sounds relaxing, right? Not so fast alcohol can actually disrupt your sleep, as evidenced by that unrested, foggy feeling you get the next morning.

In fact, an August 2019 study in Sleep found that consuming alcohol within four hours of bedtime resulted in restless, low-quality sleep. One of the reasons for this feeling is that alcohol suppresses melatonin production in the brain, Nichols explains.

"Melatonin is one of our primary sleep hormones. Try to avoid alcohol a few hours before going to bed to ensure you're getting the highest quality sleep," he says.

Instead of relaxing after a long day with a glass of your favorite alcohol, Nichols recommends trying a 30-minute meditation session before bed.

4. Make Bedtime Screen-Free

The television, tablet and cell phone they're all very tempting when you're curling up in bed. They're also one of the most common reasons people don't get enough quality sleep, Nichols says.

"We've all done it stayed up late into the night because we got stuck in a black hole of Youtube videos, Instagram swipes or binging our favorite television shows," he says. "We need to prioritize our sleep, which means making our bedrooms a place where we only sleep, and that is electronic-free."

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Sleep and Muscle Growth: Why You Need Sleep to Get Fit - LIVESTRONG.COM

The moment your doctor first said the words rheumatoid arthritis, a million questions probably went through your head. What does this mean for my future? Will I be able to work or raise a family? Will I ever feel like I did before my symptoms began?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the bodys immune system mistakenly attacks the joints and other parts of the body. This causes painful inflammation in the joints as well as the eyes, mouth, skin, lungs and blood. Other symptoms include fatigue, stiffness and low-grade fever. There is no cure, but there are several medication options and lifestyle habits that can help (such as diet, exercise and reducing stress).

Every person with RA has a unique experience, and not even a doctor can tell you exactly what your journey will entail. But sneaking even a glimpse of what other RA warriors have experienced and learned since they were diagnosed can help you feel more prepared for the roller-coaster ride of RA.

Related: How Rheumatoid Arthritis Changed My Relationship With Pain

We asked our Mighty RA community to share what they wish they knew when they were diagnosed with RA bits of knowledge that might have made their path a little less bumpy, or that would have reassured them and shown them that what theyre feeling is completely normal. Consider the following list your RA cheat sheet. If youve just been diagnosed, youre now ahead of the game.

Because RA includes the word arthritis, many people assume the condition only targets the joints. However, RA is an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation not only in the joints, but other body systems as well, including the eyes, skin, mouth, lungs, heart, and blood. Fatigue and low-grade fever are also common.

[I wish I knew] how many other things apart from joints are affected. I really thought it just meant having a few stiff joints like you normally hear about arthritis but its so much more than that, it affects almost everything. Natalie P.

Related: Fighting the 'Stoner Stigma' as a Medical Cannabis Patient

Again, because of its association with arthritis, people often dismiss kids who exhibit RA symptoms. Doctors might have told you your symptoms were just growing pains or misdiagnosed you with another condition. Not only is it possible to develop RA as a child or teen, but its also common enough that theres a name for it: juvenile idiopathic arthritis. An estimated 300,000 kids and teens in the U.S. are affected by JIA, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

[I wish I knew] that young people could get it too. I kept being told I couldnt have those issues because I was too young for that and I ended up internalizing that idea. I wish someone told me illnesses dont care whether youre young or old, theyll still get you. Nicole S.

Some people find that with the right medications, their symptoms are drastically reduced, giving them the ability to lead a relatively normal life. On the other hand, certain medications can have absolutely no effect or make you feel worse. The point is, its important to take medications seriously. Dont stop taking them without a doctors approval, and know that if a certain medication isnt working for you, there may be another that will work.

Related: 7 'Red Flags' You Need a New Rheumatologist

I wish my doctor had expressed the severity of everything and that if we found the right med combo that I had a chance to go into remission. Twice I quit the meds due to side effects and I wish a nurse or someone had called me and told me the importance ofthe meds and staying under a doctors care. Meredith I.

Many people with RA find that fatigue affects their quality of life just as much as the joint pain. Fatigue can make you feel like youve run a marathon even though its only noon and prevent you from working, spending time with friends and exercising. People who dont live with chronic illnesses may think youre just tired and will feel better after a nap, but fatigue typically isnt resolved with a few extra hours of sleep.

Not everybody will understand about the rest days or the fatigue that strikes. Julie R.

[I wish I knew] that I would experience unpredictable episodes of extreme fatigue that extra rest and/or sleep will not cure. Genevieve M.

Lifestyle habits dont cause RA, and changing up your eating or exercise habits wont cure it. However, some find that eating a well-balanced, anti-inflammatory diet, quitting smoking, prioritizing sleep, reducing stress, and staying as physically active as possible helps minimize their symptoms. Talk with your doctor about strategies that make sense for your body.

Growing up I wish I had known more about implementing a healthy lifestyle (eating the right foods, staying in shape, etc.) when I was younger and it wouldnt be as hard now. Montana F.

Lets say it together: You did not cause your RA! In fact, scientists still dont know exactly what causes RA, though factors like gender, age and family history can contribute. Rather than spending energy feeling guilty about what you must have done to cause your RA, its more productive to focus on managing the condition as best you can.

[I wish I knew] that other kids had JRA as bad as I did, and that having the disease wasnt my fault. Alyson K.

There are a few blood tests physicians use to help diagnose RA. These tests look for the presence of antibodies that signify you have high levels of inflammation in your body. These tests include rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP, ESR and CRP. These tests, combined with your symptoms and imaging scans, contribute to an RA diagnosis. However, just because you do not test positive for RA, does not necessarily mean you dont have it. If you still exhibit the symptoms of RA, you might have seronegative RA, which means you dont have the antibodies that usually indicate seropositive RA. Make sure you see a rheumatologist who understands this possibility (as well as the possibility of testing positive for RA, but actually having a different autoimmune disease like Sjogrens syndrome).

Wish I knew my bloodwork didnt have to be positive to RA. Danielle F.

If you have one autoimmune disease, you are at risk for developing another (or two). Experts think genetics may be at least partially to blame since one gene could be linked to several different autoimmune diseases. Exposure to environmental factors could be another trigger. About 25% of people with autoimmune diseases have a tendency to develop additional autoimmune diseases, according to research.

[I wish I knew] that I could be more prone to other autoimmune diseases as well. I am at three now. Dani L.

Since RA causes your immune system to attack healthy tissues, some drugs treat RA by targeting the parts of the immune system that cause inflammation. As a result, a common side effect is a weakened immune system and greater susceptibility to illness since youre less able to fight germs.

If youre taking medications that lower your immune system, youll want to take steps to avoid coming into contact with germs; for example, by frequent hand-washing and staying away from people who are sick.

If anyone suggests that RA is no big deal or can be easily cured, they must not know anyone living with RA. Far more than just joint pain, the condition often forces you to limit or alter activities you used to do with ease. Its only natural to experience some anxiety and/or depression while you come to terms with your diagnosis. Theres no shame in reaching out to friends, family, therapists and/or online support groups for help.

I wish I knew my life was going to change completely. Most people dont understand what RA really does to a person. I have found people that think and they have told me that RA is curable. Its very frustrating trying to explain them. They think they know more than my rheumatologist. Janeth G.

No two people with RA are exactly alike, and one medication can work amazingly well for one person and have no effect on someone else. Thats why its important to find a rheumatologist who is willing to try different treatment options and approach your relationship as a partnership. Settling for the first rheumatologist you meet, even if they arent enthusiastic about finding the best treatment for you, could mean you miss out on helpful disease management strategies.

I wish someone would have told me that a relationship with my rheumatologist was a beneficial step in my care. Finding a rheumatologist who believes we are a team and hears me out is so important to my overall care. Knowing me as a person and not just a patient humanizes my appointments. Elaine W.

Check out these stories for more insight on RA from our Mighty community:

Tatum O'Neal's Honest Photo Reveals the Painful Side Effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis

An Important Message to Doctors Who Treat Young Patients With Chronic Illnesses

What I Want Others to Understand About Life With Chronic Illness

See the rest here:
11 Things People Wish They Knew When They Were Diagnosed With Rheumatoid Arthritis - Yahoo Lifestyle

Half of Irish workers say their job leaves them too tired to exercise.

That is according to a new Mater Private report into the health and wellbeing of employees.

500 adult workers were surveyed about their attitudes towards diet, exercise and work life balance as part of this Healthy Working report.

It found one in four spend more than six hours a day sitting, and over half do not have the energy to exercise after a day's work.

The research also found that roughly seven in 10 employees experience stress at work, while four in ten claim they have suffered from 'burnout' at some point.

Mary Morrogh from the Mater Private Wellness programme says in many cases, health can take a backseat:

"We found that only 45% of people will go to their GP for a frequent check-up despite the fact that over 40% of people might have a serious illness," she said.

"The average spend of an Irish employee on personal health and well-being was only 2, which is less than a cup of coffee, just about the price of a newspaper every day."

She is encouraging people to create more healthy habits like to walk more and sit less.

She is also encouraging employers to introduce workplace benefits like healthy lunches, on-site health checks or subsidised health insurance.

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Jobs leaving half of workers too tired to exercise - BreakingNews.ie