Fish Oil Prevents Aging

A study from the American Journal of Medicine demostrates an association between blood levels of Omega 3 fatty acids and a lower rate of DNA ‘wear and tear’.

Antidepressants work…if you really need them

A new meta-analysis was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association …

Your assessment acts like an annual membership, and you will be reminded when you are due for follow ups and important preventive medical screening tests and visits.

For fitness enthusiasts, the process involves measurement of lactate thresholds for precise assessment of endurance over time and selection of future training intensities. For those who want to manage their disease risk over time, the assessment gives you a framingham score, estimating your 10 year risk for developing coronary artery disease. This is the perfect annual health screen for someone who is looking for an executive health assessment with a strong focus on fitness, lifestyle, and athletic performance. Together with the advice and medical testing of your family doctor, your assessment will leave you feeling as though no ’stone is left unturned’ with regard to your health.

Aside from your assessments with your medical doctor, all parts of your annual assessment are performed by Dr Oughtred himself which provides for a 5-star professional experience which you won’t forget. Take the time for your assessment now, and see what new avenues of health open up for you.

New to 2010 is Dr Oughtred’s annual health assessment: a comprehensive health assessment that includes a medical assessment, a physical therapy type of assessment, and a fitness and lifestyle assessment. Patients will receive a 15 page booklet outlining and explaining their results, and it comes complete with a comprehensive plan …

Lactate Testing is quickly becoming the preferred test for people that want to assess their aerobic capacity and determine how to make the most of their exercise program. I began to offer lactate testing to all of my patients in 2009 and I have found it effective not only …

The 2 supplements that I recommend the most are Fish Oil and Vitamin D. Lately, its seems that the evidence for supplemental Vitamin D is mounting at a rapid rate, and I thought it would be appropriate to write about it.

Vitamins are called vitamins because our body’s cannot function without them – they are vital to life. Almost all of them have to be consumed in the food we eat, or we will get deficiency syndromes and die. Vitamin D is different; our primary source of vitamin D is from the sun.

Vitamin D functions as a hormone in the body, which makes it unique from other vitamins. The human body can make it, but unfortunately it needs a little help to be switched on. This is the where sunlight comes in; circulating vitamin D close to the surface of the skin is altered by the sun’s radiation, converting it from D2 to D3, the active form of the vitamin.

The active form of Vitamin D governs the absorption and metabolism of Calcium in the body, and calcium is used by all cells in the body. Thus it allows for proper functioning of the entire body, but in particular the immune system, the nervous system and the skeletal system allowing for strong bones and teeth.

Right now, research is demonstrating that lower levels of Vitamin D are associated with a variety of problems. For instance, experts agree that the increased incidence of Multiple Sclerosis and other autoimmune conditions at higher latitudes is at least partly due to a lower supply of Vitamin D from the sun. People with darker skin who live in higher latitudes are more susceptable to deficiency because dark skin acts as natural sunblock, and prevents the activation of Vit D. It is no coincidence that people with lighter skin live at higher latitudes.

It’s a catch 22: direct sunlight can lead to skin cancer, and the lack of direct sunlight can lead to more cancer, weak bones, insomnia, dementia, autoimmune disease and who knows what else. I don’t recommend tanning beds because it is too easy to burn your skin with them. Dietary sources of Vitamin D are usually not adequate on their own.

The solution is to either supplement your sunlight or supplement your diet. You would need at least 30 minutes of direct sunlight sunlight on at least 3 days of the week to get it from the sun, and even with that amount you are not guaranteed optimal intake. Because I live in Vancouver, where sun is hard to find in the winter, I recommend supplementation for most patients. Walter Willet from Harvard’s school of public health recommends 1000 IU for all people, regardless of where they live, and he says that the recommendation may increase pending further research. I recommend 1500 IU per day during the dark winter months and 1000 IU per day during the brighter/ sunnier months. When in doubt with your dosage, you can have your blood tested to fine tune your optimal dosage. I shoot for 60-100 pmol/L with my patients.

Review:

Supplement 1000 IU – 1500 IU Vit D per day, or ensure > 30 minutes of direct sunlight on 3 or more days of the week.

If in doubt, have your Vit D levels tested to see what your optimal intake is.

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Fish Oils Prevent Vision Loss

Ensuring that you get small amounts of fish oil on a regular basis can decrease your chances of getting age related macular degeneration, according a recent study.

My recommendation for everyone is to take 1-2 tsp of fish oil per day in order to decrease total …

Dryland Training Schedule for Sept 8-Oct 29, 2010.
Kinder
Wednesday – 7-8.30 pm City (please email to confirm attendance)

Wednesday – 9.30-11 am Club Cabin
FIS
Monday – 7-8.30 pm City (by appointment only – email Dr O)

Tuesday – 9.30-11 am Club Cabin

Wednesday – 9.30-11 am Club Cabin

Wednesday – …

Happiness of your friends, your friend’s friends, and your friend’s friend’s friends can make you happier

A Harvard team was able to demonstrate that when the happiness of your friend increases, it can directly increase your happiness, and in turn improve your overall health.  Not only that, but people you …

During my athletic career, I was impressed by the knowledge and understanding of the physical therapists that helped me.  Unfortunately, I almost always had to be injured before I would benefit from their expertise.  It made no sense to me to wait until I was hurt before addressing my physical …

Exercise and sleep can help to prevent cancer

A study in Maryland found that people who had less sleep had a greater chance of getting breast cancer.  The CDC recognizes sleep deprivation as a serious health problem with fewer and fewer people getting the sleep that they need to be …

Take a look at this clip which highlights some of the exercises that Mike did during his recent visit with Dr Oughtred, in Vancouver, BC.