Alcohol and Fitness

An informative look at recent Holistic Fitness News

DR KAPLAN'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Return to the Fitness training News and Holistic Health Archive

Well guess what returned to the health columns this week? Alcohol! It seems that the media is obsessed with finding out exactly how much alcohol is good for you. It is no longer even debated that some alcohol is good for your heart and your health in general. Initially the men in white coats were saying 2 to 4 units a day. This went down to a recommended 2 units, probably for road safety more than anything else. However this week we have something much more specific.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine now gives specific recommendations regarding alcohol consumption based on your age and sex. The advice is quite startling:

For MEN:
Under 34: 1 (yes, 'one') unit of alcohol a day
35 - 44: 2 units a day
45 - 54: 3 units a day
55 - 84: 4 units a day
85 + 5 units a day

For WOMEN:
Under 44: 1 unit a day
45-74: 2 units a day
75+ 3 units a day

So sorry to all you young things out there. Remember, I don't make this stuff up. These figures and recommendations are based on bona fide scientific studies. But, hey, for once in a blue moon it's good news for the older and wiser!

One thing we can be sure of is the healthy benefits of a sensible personal training fitness programme.

Now what could be even healthier for you than not smoking and regular exercise? The answer is POSITIVE THINKING! The 'Power of Positive Thinking' has been a cliche since the book with that title by Norman Vincent Peale was published in 1952, but now the eggheads at Yale have proved that people with a positive attitude to growing old. live over 7 years longer than the pessimists. This was based on a 23 year study. People over 50 were assessed in 1975 as having a positive or negative attitude to ageing. The 'negs' lived for an average of another 15 years but the 'posies' made it for another 22.5 years. So it's official now. A positive attitude really is good for your physical health. And if you take life too seriously, you do indeed stand a better chance of getting a serious dis-ease.

Positive people tend to smile and laugh more than pessimists and regular readers of this column know that I'm a very strong advocate of laughter as an aid to health. Always remember the mnemonic SMILE to remind you how healthy laughter really is.

S is for Stress Release

M is for Muscular Relaxation

I is for Increased Immunity.

L is for healthy Lungs

E is for Exercise and increased levels of Endorphins and Encephalins (the 'feel good' chemicals of the body)

Homeopathic Tip of the Week

The sun has long been established as being bad for your skin. This is the gratitude we have to the source of all our power. As a doctor, I recommend all the usual prophylactics.
1. Avoid the hottest times of day.
2. Keep covered and use good suntan lotions.
3. Drink plenty of water.

However if you still manage to get sunburnt or you just have a bad headache from being in the sun too long, you can try the homeopathic remedy BELLADONNA. Take one tablet of strength 6c (the usual one at most health food shops and chemists) every hour for a few hours and of course drink plenty of water to rehydrate.

Happy holidays!

Dr Kaplan's personal website is: www.drkaplan.co.uk and his practice website is www.140harleystreet.co.uk and he can be contacted on (020) 7487 3416