Exercise and 'Exercise'

An informative look at recent Holistic Fitness News

DR KAPLAN'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

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Walking has often been touted as the 'best form of exercise'. This may yet turn out to be true, but it seems that it's not the sort of exercise that prevents heart disease. As I love walking, I was disappointed to read that a recent study showed that half an hour of brisk walking five times a week did not offer much protection against heart attack and strokes. The men in white coats at Belfast's Queens University conducted a ten-year trial of 2,000 men between ages 45 and 60. A decade later the researchers noted that 252 of these men had died, three quarters of that number from heart attacks and strokes. Unfortunately the study showed that light and moderate forms of exercise such as regular brisk walks, golf and dancing offered no protection against cardiovascular disease. On the other hand the men who engaged in strenuous exercise such as swimming, running or climbing stairs showed not only lower rates of death due to heart disease but a lower rate of death across the board! In other words, if it don't hurt, it don't work. Or no pain, no gain. Okay then, feel a bit more smug next time you come off the dreaded stepper or stairmaster at the gym! I certainly will

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Aspirin Again

Two weeks ago I described aspirin as one of the wonder drugs of our time. More and more confirmation is coming in that an aspirin a day for the over 50s may 'dramatically' prolong life. The Week, quoting a journal called Medical Hypothesis states that low dose aspirin decreases heart disease by 25% and the risk of dying from heart disease by up to 50%. Aspirin was also recently shown by one study to reduce the chances of breast cancer but that study suggested that for this you needed a normal dose aspirin. (Normal dose: 300mg. Low dose: 75-81mg) Certainly the case for taking the low dose aspirin daily seems strong, but you have to watch out for side effects so I'd still only recommend it with your doctor's approval.

How to enjoy your food more

Eat at expensive restaurants? Buy organic? Raw energy? Chew slowly? Not at all. It seems that the key factor is not what you eat but where you eat it. Ambience is everything. In an ingenious study, researchers at Bournemouth University, served exactly the same chicken a la King at 10 different venues including a boarding school, an old age home, an army barracks and a four star restaurant. At the restaurant it was rated superbly while it did poorly at the less salubrious dining rooms with the army barracks coming rock bottom. Good company also makes a meal but this has yet to be verified by the scientists.

Homeopathic Tip of the Week

Exercise is great but sometimes we all overdo it a bit and feel bruised and sore the next day. When this happens, a few doses of Arnica 6 (one four times a day for a few days) is the homeopathic medicine of choice. At a gym, you should never overdo things but in sporting contests such as football games or marathons, people like to give 'their all' and pay the price. Arnica has a great reputation in these situations.

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