Healthy Meals For Valentine’s Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy Ways to Say “I Love You” this Valentine’s Day
(Roses Not Included)

As clipped from the American Diabetes Association

Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to spend some quality time with the ones you love—but it often means going out to a nice (heavy) restaurant meal and eating lots of chocolates.

There are plenty of other ways to show the love on this special day. Why not try cooking your own healthy and easy, yet elegant, meal at home instead? Or going on an adventurous date?

Here are better, healthier ways to show your valentine you care this week (or any date night!).

Cook a Romantic Meal at Home

You’ll be surprised how a simple entrée of roasted chicken breast can be transformed into an impressive meal with the addition of flavorful sides and a unique dessert. These recipes (all from our Recipes for Healthy Living!) offer a balanced meal that you can enjoy without much effort:

 

Roasted Chicken Breasts

These quick chicken breasts can be used for anything—serve with steamed veggies and brown rice, use them for chicken salad or slice thinly for a sandwich with whole grain bread, spicy mustard, fresh spinach and thinly sliced tomato.

This Recipe Serves 4

Ingredients

Cooking Spray
4 4-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 ½ tsp. paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place the chicken breasts on the baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic and whisk until combined.
4. Brush on or pour lemon juice mixture over each chicken breast, coating evenly.
5. Sprinkle each chicken breast evenly with paprika and bake in oven for 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
6. Let the chicken breasts rest, covered with foil for 10-15 minutes before slicing or serving.

MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Make sure your spices are gluten free and this recipe can be gluten free.

 

Green Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

This festive salad is easy to put together and makes for a light yet tasty side.

This Recipe Serves 5

Ingredients

Dressing:
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup fresh raspberries, pureed
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper

Salad:
4 cups mixed baby field greens
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon pine nuts

MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Confirm that the ingredients you are using are gluten-free, and this recipe can be gluten-free.

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients.
2. In a medium salad bowl, toss together salad ingredients. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to coat.

Rustic Red Potatoes and Green Beans

This mixed veggie dish is a great example of how to increase your vegetable intake while controlling your carbohydrate intake.

This Recipe Serves 6

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 pound green beans
6 petite red potatoes, cut into eighths
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl mix together potatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon parsley.
3. Place potatoes on half of baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl mix together green beans, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon garlic salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
5. After potatoes have baked for 15 minutes; add green beans to other half of baking sheet. Bake potatoes and green beans for additional 20 minutes.
6. Place potatoes and green beans in serving bowl and mix together.

MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Confirm ingredients are gluten-free and this recipe can be made gluten-free.

 

Grilled Fruit Salad with Chocolate Drizzle

Try this for a delicious and somewhat different dessert! If you have fresh mint, chop some up and add it to this salad for even more flavor!

This Recipe Serves 6

Ingredients

For Sugar-Free Chocolate Sauce
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/3 cup Splenda
2/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp Smart Balance

For Grilled Fruit
1 large wooden skewer, soaked in warm water
6 large strawberries, hulled
2 peaches, quartered and stone removed
½ pineapple, sliced into 1”-thick rings (or 1 can pineapple rings in juice, drained)
2 watermelon wedges, rind removed (about ¼ a small watermelon)
Cooking Spray

Instructions

1. Prepare an indoor or outdoor grill.
2. In a small sauce pan, whisk together cocoa powder, Splenda and water. Bring to a simmer for one minute over medium heat. Whisk in the vanilla and Smart Balance off the heat and set aside to cool.
3. Skewer the strawberries and other fruit on the soaked wooden skewer. Coat all of the fruit pieces with cooking spray and grill for 3-4 minutes on each just to mark the outside of the fruit. Do not cook all the way through.
4. Remove from grill and let cool. Cut the fruit into equal sized chunks and combine a medium bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Divide the fruit among six bowls and drizzle each with 1 Tbsp of the chocolate sauce. Any leftover chocolate sauce can be refrigerated in an air tight container and used for up to one week.

Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Parfait

If it works with your meal plan, try our parfait with a quick five-minute prep time and only 19 grams of carbohydrates per serving.

This Recipe Serves 4

Ingredients

32 oz non fat, plain Greek yogurt
2 small lemons, zested and juices
¼ cup Splenda
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup sliced almonds

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and Splenda.
2. Add ½ cup yogurt to a parfait dish or small bowl. Top with ¼ cup blueberries, then another ½ cup of yogurt. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sliced almonds.
3. Repeat with three more parfait glasses. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Get Your Heartbeat Going

There are plenty of fun fitness ideas that you and your significant other can enjoy just as much as a heart-shaped pizza. Take a dance lesson together, like a waltz or ballroom class. Get outside (weather permitting!) and go on a romantic hike or bike ride. Challenge your partner to see who can get to the top while rock climbing—indoors or outdoors!

Once you’ve worked up your appetite, reward yourself with a healthy, sophisticated meal (see above!).

Skip the Food and Go out on the Town

Whether you’re single or romantically involved, there are lots of fun things to do on Valentine’s Day without having to feel guilty. Take a trip to a museum you’ve always wanted to visit, or go see a movie (if you can decide on one together!). Watch a film at home if you’re trying to save money. Learn new healthy recipes by signing up for a cooking class or relax with a massage (you might need it if you use the exercise tips above!).

Still Gifting?

FT has just the thing for you. Special deals just for Valentine’s Day. Check it out here.

The Results Are In: Lifting Weights Helps Protect Against Heart Disease & Diabetes

Article clipped by our friends at the American Diabetes Association
from Eureka Alert

People who lift weights are less likely to have metabolic syndrome—a cluster of risk factors linked to heart disease and diabetes, reports a study in the October issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

“Lifting weights may play a role in reducing the prevalence and risk of metabolic syndrome among U.S. adults,” according to the study by Peter M. Magyari, PhD, HFS, CSCS, and James R. Churilla, PhD, MPH, MS, RCEP, CSCS, FACSM of Brooks College of Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville.

9% of Americans Lift Weights

The researchers analyzed data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), an ongoing, nationally representative study of health risk factors. In the survey, respondents were simply asked whether they lifted weights; the responses were analyzed for association with the presence of metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors linked to increased rates risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. People with at least three out of five risk factors—large waist circumference (more than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women), high triglyceride levels, reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, or “good” cholesterol), elevated blood pressure, and high glucose levels—are considered to have metabolic syndrome.

Of 5,618 U.S. adults who had fasting blood samples for analysis, 8.8 percent answered yes to the question about lifting weights. Lifting weights was about twice as common in men than women: 11.2 versus 6.3 percent. It was also more common among younger people—lifting weights became less frequent for people aged 50 years and older.

White and black Americans were about equally likely to lift weights, while Mexican Americans were least likely. People at higher socioeconomic levels were also more likely to say they lifted weights.

Reducing the Odds of Metabolic Syndrome by 37 Percent

This cross-sectional analysis of the 1999-2004 NHANES data found a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome among people who reported lifting weights: 24.6 percent, compared to 37.3 percent in those who did not lift weights. After adjustment for demographic factors, lifting weights was associated with a 37 percent reduction in the odds of metabolic syndrome.

Several recent studies have evaluated the impact of exercise for prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome. Resistance exercise, including weight-lifting, may have protective effects. Research has linked greater muscle strength and muscle mass to lower rates of metabolic syndrome. Since lifting weights increases muscle strength and mass, it might also help to decrease the development of metabolic syndrome.

The new study provides population-level data showing that people who lift weights are less likely to have the risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome. This suggests that incorporating weight lifting or other forms of resistance exercise into physical activity programs might be an effective way to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, both for individuals and in the population.

“Exercise professionals should strongly encourage the activity of lifting weights among adults of all ages to promote metabolic health,” Drs Magyari and Churilla conclude. These efforts should focus on groups with lower rates of weight lifting: women, older adults, Mexican Americans, and lower-income people. The authors acknowledge some significant limitations of their study—such as a lack of detailed information on weight lifting and other types of resistance exercise, including manual labor.

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To start lifting weights at a Fitness Together studio near you, or to learn more how FT Gets Results, go to FTGetsResults.com

About The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

The editorial mission of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (JSCR) is to advance the knowledge about strength and conditioning through research. A unique aspect of this journal is that it includes recommendations for the practical use of research findings. While the journal name identifies strength and conditioning as separate entities, strength is considered a part of conditioning. The journal wishes to promote the publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts which add to our understanding of conditioning and sport through applied exercise science. The JSCR is the official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

 

 

Step Up & Out With Fitness Together This Saturday

WE ARE STEPPING OUT BECAUSE …

Fitness Together Studios are Stepping Out because we are proud to do our part to Stop Diabetes. We decided to team up to change the future and make a positive impact in the lives of those who are affected by diabetes. We are committed to walk and raise money in this inspirational event not because 26 million people in the United States have diabetes, but because we personally know some of them, and want to do something about it.

Chances are, you also know someone who has been affected by diabetes and you already know how important it is to stop this disease. By making a donation or joining our team, you will be helping the Association provide community-based education programs, protect the rights of people with diabetes and fund critical research for a cure.

As a team, united in our desire to Stop Diabetes, we are asking for your support. Please make a donation to one of our team members or become one of us by joining our team. When we bring together dedicated team members and kind donors, the power we have as a group far outweighs what any of us could do alone.

If you are already signed up for the walk, check us out at our booth for more information on how FT helps fight the battle against Diabetes and Obesity.

Date: October 20, 2012
Location: Boston Common – 1, 2 or 3 mile routes
Time: Check-in/Registration at 9:00 a.m. Walk begins at 10:00 a.m.
Step Out Event Contact: Karen Bagley, kbagley@diabetes.org
For more information, call 617-482-4580 ext.3487 or Contact Us.
Event Fundraising Goal: $555,000.00
Achieved to Date By All Teams: $204,317.39
Number of Teams: 249
Number of Participants: 1,614

We truly appreciate your support. Together we can Stop Diabetes!

Click the links below to join a team, or donate. See you there?

Team Name				Team Captain
Fitness Together Newtonville				Alera, Ashley
Fitness Together Westford				Briggle, Greg
Fitness Together Dedham				Cardoza, Michael
Fitness Together Norwell				Caruso, Joe
Fitness Together Belmont				Castaldini, PJ
Fitness Together Chelmsford				Clermont, Jay
Fitness Together Cohasset				Coleman, Bill
Fitness Together Franklin				Espinosa, Jerry
Fitness Together North Attleboro				Espinosa, Michael
Fitness Together Lincoln/Barrington				Gagliano, Matt
Fitness Together North Andover				Genetti, Adam
Fitness Together Bridgewater				Goulet, Dan
Fitness Together Mansfield				Guess, Jess
Fitness Together Medfield				Humble, Robert
Fitness Together Westborough				Lichtman, Steve
Fitness Together Beverly				Maxfield, Derek
Fitness Together Auburndale				Mayer, Sandy
Fitness Together Back Bay				Partridge, Nathan
Fitness Together Tyngsboro				Schaum, Cathy
Fitness Together Burlington				Stapleton, Brendan

To get more info about Fitness Together’s commitment to create fitness programs to fight obesity and help reverse diabetes go here.

Download our Diabetes Study

Click on the image to Download the Study

Harmful Effects of Soda on Your Body

It’s almost as easy as air… and almost as difficult to count. Add a fountain drink to your lunch. Grab a can from the vending machine. Get a quick pick-me-up in the afternoon. Sip something with your popcorn at the movies.

But what is all that soda doing to your health?

The truth is, drinking soda can lead to more than just a bigger belly. The habit can be associated with asthma, heat disease, diabetes and much more.

Check out the infographic below before popping open the next can. May we suggest water instead?If you do care about your health and your body, however, take a look at the harmful effects of soda consumption over time. (If you click on the image you can view it in full.)

For more information about our full 360 degree Fitness Together programs, which include nutritional guidance, please go to FTGetsResults.com

Hopkinton Waitress Commuted Two Hours Daily To Beat Diabetes

Can a balanced diet and exercise help overcome type 2 diabetes? That’s what Hopkinton resident Carol Pontremoli was trying to prove.

Part of an observational study conducted and subsidized 50 percent by the Fitness Together Massachusetts Owners Group, Carol, a 50-year-old waitress, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years ago. She believed her diagnosis was part hereditary and part improper nutrition.

BEFORE: Carol, far right

“After I was diagnosed, my doctor told me to lose weight but simply dieting didn’t work, so he prescribed medications,” said Carol. “There was no real advice or direction or how important it was to take the medication at specific times on how to take better care of myself. I had a lack of knowledge and couldn’t figure out how to do this on my own.”

After nearly two years of doctor visits and medications, she did something she has never had the courage to do before – ask for help.

“I saw an advertisement on TV for the diabetes study and decided to go online and fill out the application,” said Carol. “I’ve never done anything like that before. I didn’t tell anyone about it either, not even my husband. When I was chosen for the study it came as a huge shock.”

In order to participate in the subsidized observational study, Carol had to work with one of 43 participating Fitness Together studios in the area. The closest one to her was an hour away in Natick, Mass., but Carol decided it was worth the mileage.

After just three months into the study, Carol lost three pant sizes and felt better than she ever had. “I’m on my feet six days a week waiting tables so by the time I got home all I wanted to do was lay down and relax. I never realized it was my diabetes making me so tired all of the time. Now I stay active and go to Fitness Together after work.”

Carol has even inspired her husband to take control of his life as well by joining the Fitness Together studio in Westborough, Mass.

The Fitness Together Massachusetts Owners Group, which is comprised of 43-area Fitness Together franchised locations, formed the special health study under the guidance of Joan Hill, a Certified Diabetes Educator and Nutritionist, to see how six months of resistance training and cardiovascular exercise, combined with nutritional coaching can impact type 2 diabetes. All client results were  shared with the American Diabetes Association of Eastern New England.

The results, as noted in the full study, show that the Fitness Together Type 2 Diabetes Program was successful in improving the physical and emotional health of participants. Many participants continued to stay at Fitness Together after the study period was over and trained for another 6 months or longer.

You can read more about the study and download a copy here.

“We wanted to invite type 2 diabetics into our studios and offer our personal, tailored and safe exercise and nutritional guidance program to help improve their lives for the better,” said Steve Lichtman, owner of four Fitness Together franchises. “Our integrated program isn’t just about losing weight. It’s about battling an illness in a smart, responsible and healthy manner.”

 

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Many Fitness Together locations in Eastern New England now offer a small group personal training program. PACK™ training combines the energy of up to four people with coaching from a certified trainer, all in a private setting. From swinging battle ropes at full speed to using suspension trainers to conduct pull-ups, PACK™ training participants engage in total body movements designed for maximum results – a similar approach to a professional athlete’s training, yet scaled to meet each person’s fitness level. For more on our group training sessions, or for more about Fitness Together, go to FTGetsResults.com.

 

 

Study Results Show Fitness Program Helps Those With Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes

We are releasing to the public today the findings of our Type 2 Diabetes Observational Study completed in 2011. We are excited that the study has proved what we knew anecdotally since creating this special program for those who have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic or those with diabetes. We had seen marked improvements in physiological, psychological and emotional areas of our clients, but with this study, the results conclude the program was successful in improving the overall health of participants.

The full study in PDF format is available for download here: Fitness Together Diabetes Study 09_2011

“I would like to see all my patients with diabetes so empowered,” noted David M. Harlan, M.D. (William and Doris Krupp Professor of Medicine Chief, Diabetes Division Co-Director, Diabetes Center of Excellence at UMass Worcester).

Dr Harlan had been given a pre-publication copy to review and comment on the results of our 6-month Fitness and Nutrition program created especially for those with diabetes and those with a pre-diabetic condition, as diagnosed by their physicians.

Going through all the data, Dr Harlan also noted that “Fitness Together’s program appears to have “re-energized most enrolled individuals…[most] lost weight, improved their exercise tolerance, and noted important improvements in their blood pressure and diabetes control…[and] participants noted big improvements in their sense of well being allowing them to regain a sense of control over their diabetes.”

The 6 month study we conducted in 2010/2011 was under the auspices of Joan Hill (Diabetes Educator at CMIPA, Consultant at MA Department of Public Health, Owner at Hill Nutrition Consulting, LLC) and in conjunction with the New England Chapter of The American Diabetes Association. The study group consisted of 12 men and 12 women; 15 of them had diabetes and 9 who were considered pre-diabetic.

After subjects gained clearance from their respective physicians, they were weighed, measured and given a fitness assessment by a certified personal Fitness Together trainer. They were also asked to fill out survey questions regarding their ability to manage their diabetes and their over-all sense of well-being. As subjects continued in the fitness program, they were re-assessed approximately every 6 weeks.

Participants in the study had an average weight loss of 10 lbs per person, an average 13% reduction in body fat and an average loss of 2.5 inches in the waist and 1.9 inches in the hips. The group had an average drop in A1C of .86 (meds alone drop A1C by .80), for those with diabetes, the average drop was 1.2 or 50% improvement over meds. Of those on meds, 8 had their meds reduced, 8 stay the same and 1 increased

The study also tracked the psychological and emotional success of the participants through a Sense Of Well Being survey as designed by Joan Hill R.D., C.D.E., L.D.N. and was administered before and after the 6 month study. After participating in the Fitness Together program of strength training, cardio and nutritional guidance, participants in the pre-diabetes category scores indicated a marked improvement in both the ability as well as maintain the motivation to manage their own diabetes routine. Participants with diabetes scored the greatest improvements in “feeling less overwhelmed by the demands of living with diabetes” and more confident in their ability to manage their condition.

The results, as noted in the full study, show that the Fitness Together Type 2 Diabetes Program was successful in improving the physical and emotional health of participants. Many participants continued to stay at Fitness Together after the study period was over and trained for another 6 months or longer.

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The full study in PDF format is available for download here: FTDiabetesStudy09_2011

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Many Fitness Together locations in Eastern New England now offer a small group personal training program. PACK™ training combines the energy of up to four people with coaching from a certified trainer, all in a private setting. From swinging battle ropes at full speed to using suspension trainers to conduct pull-ups, PACK™ training participants engage in total body movements designed for maximum results – a similar approach to a professional athlete’s training, yet scaled to meet each person’s fitness level.

For more information about personal one-on-one training or PACK™ training at Fitness Together locations in Eastern New England, visit FTGetsResults.com.

About Fitness Together Holdings, Inc.
Based in Highlands Ranch, Colo., Fitness Together Holdings, Inc., is one of the world’s largest wellness organizations. The parent company oversees Fitness Together Franchise Corporation, a personal training fitness franchise established in 1983 that began franchising in 1996, and Elements Therapeutic Massage, Inc., a massage therapy franchisor that began franchising in 2006. Today, the combined franchise network has hundreds of franchises sold across the United States, Costa Rica, Brazil, Israel, Ireland, and Canada. At Fitness Together, we are about one client, one trainer and one goal. For more information and for a complete set of studio listings, go to FitnessTogether.com

Franchise Information
Fitness Together and Elements Therapeutic Massage are each actively selling franchises. If you are interested in changing your life and the lives of others, please visit us online or call 877.663.0880 ext. 51 for more information about fitness franchise opportunities.

For Diabetics, Brief, High-intensity Workouts May Lower Blood Sugar

Clipped from Stone Hearth News

Newswise — Researchers at McMaster University have found that brief high intensity workouts, as little as six sessions over two weeks, rapidly lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics, offering a potential fix for patients who struggle to meet exercise guidelines.

The small proof-of-principle study, conducted on eight diabetics, appears in the latest edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology.

It found that a total of 30 minutes of high-intensity intermittent exercise per week, involving a total time commitment of 75 minutes, lowered 24-hour blood sugar concentrations, reduced blood sugar spikes after meals, and increased skeletal muscle mitochondrial capacity, a marker of metabolic health.

“These findings are intriguing because they suggest that exercising very strenuously for short periods of time, may provide many of the same health benefits as traditional exercise training,” says Martin Gibala, professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster and supervising author of the study. “This is the first study to show that intense interval training may be a potent, time-efficient strategy to improve glycemic regulation in people with type 2 diabetes.”

Current guidelines from the Canadian Diabetes Association call for 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week—twice the training time commitment of study participants—which can be tough to manage for many people including those with diabetes, adds Gibala.

He is quick to point out that larger studies are needed to comprehensively examine the potential benefits of this type of training, especially compared to traditional exercise guidelines.

For the study, researchers gave each volunteer a baseline exam to test blood sugar over a 24-hour period, assess fitness levels and take biopsies of thigh muscle to measure proteins linked to health status. Each workout involved riding a stationary bike for 10 bouts of 60 seconds at roughly 90 percent of maximal heart rate, with one minute between each burst of exercise. The routine also included a warm up and cool down such that each training session lasted 25 minutes in total.

Participants showed improved blood sugar levels even though they did not lose weight during the short two-week study.

“The improved glycemic control may be linked to changes in the subjects’ muscles, such as an improved ability to clear glucose from the blood after meals”, says Gibala. “We need to conduct further research to identify the mechanisms behind these results.”

The research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada and the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Martin Gibala Explaining The Research 

PACK TRAINING – High-Intensity Workouts FT’s economical solution for the training regimen noted in the study

A copy of the study is available at for download HERE

Click HERE or more on Fitness Together’s PACK Training.

To find an Fitness Together Studio near you in Northern New England, go to FTGetsResults.com

How Golfing Led To Amputation: Dr. Donald Pelto, DPM

DR DONALD PELTO, DPM, is a member of the New England Amputee Association and specializes specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of all conditions of the foot. Dr. Pelto completed the three-year reconstructive foot and ankle surgical residency program at St. Vincent Hospital. He is trained in the latest surgical advances with a special interest in all aspects of diabetic foot care. It’s important for diabetics to seek help for chronic foot conditions in order to avoid any long-term complications, especially those that may lead to amputation. Early detection and prompt treatment can keep a small problem from developing into a serious one.

Central Massachusetts Podiatry

At Fitness Together, we know exercise is a cornerstone of diabetes management, along with dietary and pharmacological interventions. Today, both the ADA and NASM (National Association of Sports Medicine) recommend that patients with type 2 diabetes perform at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and should perform resistance exercise 3 times per week. “Diabetes is a major health issue affecting more than 24 million Americans, and our franchisees have told us they are happy to have a chance to make a difference,” says Jeff Jervik, president and CEO of Fitness Together Holdings, Inc.

To find out more about FT’s individualized programs for diabetics, please contact your local Fitness Together Studios at FTGetsResults.com

Join us on facebook at facebook.com/FTGetsResults

Diabetes & Dementia?

By CARRIE GANN (@carrie_gann) clipped from the ABC News Medical Unit

To View The ABC Broadcast click on the video

People with diabetes may be at an increased risk of developing dementia, a new study finds.

Scientists have suspected the link between the two diseases for several years, but several experts say this latest study highlights how treating preventable diseases like diabetes and obesity may be useful in preventing the onset of dementia.

“Our findings emphasize the need to consider diabetes as a potential risk factor for dementia,” said study author Dr. Yutaka Kiyohara, of Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan. “Diabetes is a common disorder, and the number of people with it has been growing in recent years all over the world. Controlling diabetes is now more important than ever.”

Researchers began studying residents of the town of Hisayama, Japan, in 1961, monitoring the numbers of people who got cardiovascular diseases. In 1985, they began measuring the numbers of people who developed dementia. The researchers followed more than 1,000 people for an average of 11 years.

They found that 27 percent of the people with diabetes developed dementia, compared with 21 percent of people without diabetes.

The study was published in the latest issue of the journal, Neurology.

Dr. Richard Caselli, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, said the connection isn’t particularly new, but its implications for the importance of treating diabetes are.

“Nobody doubts that diabetes is associated with a higher incidence of dementia,” Caselli said. “But this is one more reason for people to be aware of the potential ravages of diabetes and to treat it aggressively and adequately and try to prevent consequences.”

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 25.8 million adults and children have diabetes in the United States, creating $174 billion in health care costs. And 79 million more Americans are prediabetic. Add those numbers to the $183 billion it costs to care for the 5.4 million Americans who have Alzheimer’s disease, and it’s not hard to see how doctors are interested in any connection between the two conditions.

“Given how common diabetes is, we would expect that the economic implications would be tremendous, if it was linked to dementia,” said Dr. Zoe Arvanitakis, a neurologist at Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago.

Diabetes has been known to put people at risk for strokes, which can lead to a type of dementia called vascular dementia, in which damage to the brain’s blood vessels deprive it of the oxygen it needs to function. But there is also increasing evidence that all types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, may be linked to how the brain responds to insulin, the hormone connected with diabetes.

“There is some evidence that the brain is very sensitive to fuels like sugar and hormones like insulin,” said Dr. Joel Zonszein, a professor of clinical medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “How exactly it happens is really speculation, we really don’t know.”

A recent study showed that an insulin-based nasal spray was effective against the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Although the specifics of the connection between diabetes and dementia are still a little fuzzy, scientists say their current emphasis is on the importance of prevention.

However, Dr. Michael Perskin, chief of geriatrics at New York University’s Tisch Hospital, said preventing more cases of diabetes doesn’t necessarily mean that the numbers of people with dementia will dwindle.

“If people aren’t dying of strokes and heart attacks, they’re living longer and are more likely to get dementia,” Perskin said. “If you do a good job of treating cardiovascular symptoms, of course you’re going to see more dementia.”

Fitness Together & Diabetes

Fitness Together has finished a study with individuals who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This observational study was conducted by area Fitness Together studios to examine the impact of a 26-week individualized fitness training program. Exercise, it has been found, is as important as regular blood glucose tests in measuring safe success. “Diabetes is a major health issue affecting more than 24 million Americans, and our franchisees have told us they are happy to have a chance to make a difference,” says Jeff Jervik, president and CEO of Fitness Together Holdings, Inc.

To find out more about FT’s individualized programs for diabetics, please contact your local Fitness Together Studios at FTGetsResults.com

 

Ken Ballou: Too Fit To Fail

Ken Ballou: On His Way

By Martha Hicks Leta and Greg Briggle

Trainers hear excuses all the time and if pushed will eventually pose the question to evasive clients, “What fits your schedule better, exercising one hour a day or being dead 24 hours a day?”

Ask a guy who’s stared into the gaping maw of his own mortality, and he’ll tell you for sure, exercising. Definitely exercising.

Ken Ballou is the kind of guy you could miss in a crowd. Unassuming, average height, average build, he’s not the sort to come up and start telling you his life story. But if you ask him why he works out at Fitness Together in Westford, you’d better pull up a chair.

For most of his adult years, Ken was not the sort to embrace physical fitness in any form.  “As far as I was concerned ‘exercise’ was just two four-letter words made into one big, bad eight-letter word,” he says.

The sorry state of his health showed it. At 255 lbs, he had type 2 diabetes, hypertension and couldn’t get through the afternoon without falling asleep at his desk. He’d go home and sleep 12-14 hours and still feel tired.

But that wasn’t enough to get him to make the necessary changes. “The idea of working out on my own was laughable,” says Ken.

Finally, Ken’s doctor said he was running out of options. If he didn’t do something drastic he was looking at a future of declining health and insulin injections, which Ken dearly wanted to avoid. And then a co-worker convinced him to try the one-on-one personal training program at Fitness Together.

Trainer Greg Briggle wasn’t expecting much when he first met Ken, but it didn’t take long for him to be impressed by his new client’s tenacity. “Ken’s one of the toughtest people I’ve ever been around,” says Greg.

Ken was equally impressed by the program at Fitness Together. He says he never once questioned the expense. “The value of 45 minutes a day of a training program designed just for me by experts of this caliber? You can’t put a price on it. These are people who really know their stuff, and I know the trainers put time into preparing my program for each and every appointment.”

Since committing to his four-days-a-week FT program, Ken has lost 57 lbs., lowered his glucose levels into a healthy zone and has been able to cut back on or eliminate some of the medications he once relied on to keep him alive. But that was just the beginning of his journey.

Last Christmas Ken was behind the wheel when he collided with the business end of a large deer, totaling his car. He was left with a severely broken wrist that required surgery, something that would have been much riskier had Ken not taken care of his diabetes.

Despite his injuries, he kept up with his fitness program and his trainer was, once again, very impressed. “Ken was unable to put any load on that wrist, meaning no weight-bearing workouts,” says Briggle. “Ken could have easily stopped his training, but he wouldn’t hear of it.  He never complained, he never quit, he never canceled and he trained hard every single day doing whatever his trainers asked of him.”

As it turned out, Ken’s decision to keep up with his program may have been the difference between surviving or succumbing to the next major event that awaited him.

As Ken describes it, he was in the middle of a fairly typical workout when he realized something was very wrong. He became short of breath, had pains in his lungs and became very light-headed.  Fortunately, his trainer realized it too and called 911. When Ken awoke in the hospital he was told he’d survived a major episode, one that had nothing to do with diabetes but rather a blood clot that had traveled to his lungs: a pulmonary embolism. The same thing had killed his mother at the age of 32, and, as it turned out, Ken carried a genetic permutation that made him susceptible.

When Briggle showed up at the hospital to check on his friend, he was greeted unexpectedly by Ken’s nurse: “So you’re the guy who saved Ken’s life.”

Greg was baffled. “The nurse left and I asked Ken what she meant. He began to tell me how the doctor said there was no doubt that his workouts saved his life.”

Briggle’s not likely to take credit—he says it’s all Ken. “Ken gives us every ounce of energy he has every time he walks through the door. Were some days hard? Of course they were. Did he want to cancel sometimes? No doubt. But he showed up anyway. And it paid off. It saved his life.”

Ken says the experience changed his perspective. “Now I look at training differently. Now it’s not just the diabetes. I don’t know if I could have another episode like that and I need a strong heart to get through it. Now I say, ‘Train as though your life depends on it.’”

While Ballou credits his Fitness Together trainers with saving him, the benefit has obviously been mutual.

Says Briggle, “The odds of this happening to anyone are probably pretty slim but I know I’m training just a little bit harder and when it gets too tough, I think about Ken and I push on.”

To learn more about one-on-one and small group training at Fitness Together in your area go to FTGetsResults.com.

For FT Westford, contact Greg Briggle at 978-392-5800.

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Greg Briggle
Owner Fitness Together Westford

Greg Briggle is the proud owner of FT Westford as well as a Certified Fitness Coach. He has been a certified personal trainer since 2002 through the ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association). The ISSA is recognized world wide as a leader in sports and fitness certifications. Other certifications include Specialist in Performance Nutrition and Endurance Fitness Trainer. In the past he trained at Golds Gyms specializing in training competitive bodybuilders teaching about diet, weight training and posing. He is also a former competitive natural bodybuilder winning several titles. Outside of the gym he enjoys spending time with his wife Dreana who he has been married to for the past 14 yrs and their dog Coco. They spend some of their free time together traveling to the Caribbean and scuba diving. (The dog, though, stays home, Greg says.). They also enjoy watching and participating in any sport and generally staying active. “Our Westford trainers,” he told us, “and I have a passion for fitness and helping people achieve their goals. We genuinely share their joy when they tell us we have helped them change their lives. Our mission is to help you change yours. I look forward to meeting our next client, perhaps that’s you?”