Blog of The Official Tom Wilson

[Nov. 29th, 2005|09:09 am]
[Tags | brain fitness mind exercise ]
[ Current Mood | cheerful ]

Visuospatial abilities are related to the ability to make quick and accurate estimates of distances, areas, and volumes; that is the general proportions of things and their distribution in space.

Try the following:
Close your eyes and visualize your body the way it looks now. Review each bodypart from head to to and front to back. Now recreate your body the way you would like it to look in the same manner in the same review process. Do this as often as convenient. This is a popular exercise of top performers.

When you walk into a room try to estimate the size of the room and the distance other things in the room are in relationship to you and each other.

After visiting somewhere try drawing a diagram of the place you have visited. You can use either an outdoor area or an interior space.

My Thoughts: I used to have a lazy attitude towards mental fitness. After getting out of college, I actually avoided reading or any mental "work" unless it was actually necessary and instead operated in a perpetual "vacation" mode. Now I realize the importance of daily mental stimulation and embrace it.

START TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF MENTAL FITNESS

The Official Tom Wilson

link: http://healthgate.partners.org/browsing/browseContent.asp?fileName=14618.xml&title=Mental%20Fitness:%20Exercises%20for%20The%20Brain

Posted at 09:19 am by fit-talk
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[Nov. 28th, 2005|09:45 am]
[Tags | brain fitness mind exercise ]
[ Current Mood | happy ]

Logic is the art of reasoning - finding an orderly sequence for disparate elements. Awaken the inherent logic inside of you through the following exercises.

Instead of a list when shopping, use memory aids, such as forming a complete word or one that can be completed by adding vowels or a consonant from the first letter of the word. Do you remember ROY G. BIV? You can also take the first letter from each item and construct a sentance to bookmark the things you need.

Play some games. Cardgames, chess, checkers, bridge, crossword puzzles, and even video games are good choices. Mix it up. Just as doing the same physical exercises all the time, becomes less stimulating, playing the same game all the time will reduce the stimulating effect. Selecting the game randomly will activate new cerebral circuits and nueronal regions. Continually, find new games and interests to recruit the simulating effects of the mental exercises.

CHALLENGING YOURSELF PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY IS STIMULATING.

The Official Tom Wilson

link: http://healthgate.partners.org/browsing/browseContent.asp?fileName=14618.xml&title=Mental%20Fitness:%20Exercises%20for%20The%20Brain

Posted at 01:54 pm by fit-talk
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The goal is to exercise perception in all five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.

SIGHT: Each day make as many observations about an area of your body as you can. Then immediately write down you observations. This exercises short term memory. At the end of the week try to write down your observations for each day of the week. This exercises long term memory. You can also substitute objects instead of bodyparts. Some suggestions for areas of the body are: face, torso, back, arms, midsection, legs, and glutes. Then you can break it down even further: chest, biceps, triceps, obliques, low back, thighs, hamstrings, and calves.
Of course you will need two mirrors for some areas of your body.

SMELL/TASTE: When eating a meal try to identify the ingredients in the foods and seasonings you eat, write them down for each item, then check the labels.

MEMORY: Try to memorize the foods you eat throughout the day and the portions sizes. At the end of the day recall as many of the foods/portion sizes as you can and write them down.

HEARING: Try to recognize callers on your phone messages before they identify themselves and try to recount the calls for the day that evening and again at the weeks end.

SMELL/TOUCH: To exercise your sense of smell and touch, with a partner try to identify items with your eyes closed.

My Thoughts: These exercises not only maintain and sharpen mental skills, but also help to create self awareness. Challenge yourself and make it fun.

MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO BE MENTALLY STRONG.

The Official Tom Wilson

link: http://healthgate.partners.org/browsing/browseContent.asp?fileName=14618.xml&title=Mental%20Fitness:%20Exercises%20for%

Posted at 09:00 am by fit-talk
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Myth: The decline in mental abilities associated with aging - such as memory loss, sluggish thinking, blocks in problem solving - are inevitable.

Key Info: In a major longitudinal study researchers reported "the pattern of decline of cognitive capabilities generally associated with advanced aging" was "neither extensive nor consistent", if the brain remains challenged.

The Data: Numerous major studies on aging over the past 25 years support the findings that mental (and physical) decline with aging in not inevitable. What can be done to preserve, even enhance, our mental fitnesss as we grow older? Not suprisingly, the same advice to achieve physical fitness applies to mental fitness, use it or lose it. Just as weight repetitions in the gym or jogging strengthen certain muscle groups, mental exercises appear to stregthen and enhance cognitive functions.

My Thoughts: Over the next week, I will outline strategies to strengthen various mental abilities. I will begin a series that recommends exercises that focus on building up abilities like perception, long and short term memory, and visuospatial, structuralization, logic and verbal abilities. These techniques of cerebral activation called "Brain Fitness".

Schedule time in each day to practice some "Brain Fitness" for peak performance.

The Official Tom Wilson

link: http://healthgate.partners.org/browsing/browseContent.asp?fileName=14618.xml&title=Mental%20Fitness:%20Exercises%20for%20The%20Brain

Posted at 09:00 am by fit-talk
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Myth: Low Fat, High Carbohydrate diets are good for individuals with a predisposition to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other pathological states.

Key Info: Low Fat, High Carbohydrate diets have long been known to raise triglycerides, lower HDL, and in the abscence of weight loss, may worsen blood sugar control, all undesirable. The benefits of a Low Carbohydrate diet are observed in both normal and overweight individuals.

The Data: A High Carbohydrate diets is known to increase triglycerides and A Low Fat, High Carbohydrate diet specifically lowers good cholesterol (HDL). In contrast, there is an obvious improvement in glucose and insulin, lowering of triglycerides, increase of good cholesterol and a normalizing of blood pressure from carbohydrate restriction in individuals predisposed to the above mentioned pathological states. It is likely these effects are the result of carbohydrate restriction on insulin metabolism. This conclusion is probably not surprising, but has not been explicitly stated before.

My Thoughts: Once again, I am happy the data is finally catching up with observations of fitness professionals, who manipulate diet and exercise to reach specific goals. The best reason of all to restrict your carbohydrates: You will look and feel better.

AVOID SUGAR AND STARCHES AND YOU WILL LOOK AND FEEL BETTER.

The Official Tom Wilson

link: http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/31

Posted at 09:00 am by fit-talk
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Myth: Most Supermarket Ham is a healthy food item.

Key Info: Most supermarket ham is formed or reformed ham. Reformed ham is made from chopped or emulsified meat, which is not necessarily all muscle meat. It is a manufactured food item and very low grade food.

The Data: The lowest percentage of meat found in processed ham was 55% meat, 37% water, with additives including gums and polyphosphates, sugar and salt making up the remaining 8%. Most supermaket ham sold today, including premium ham is chopped and passed under needles which inject it with a solution of water, sugars, preservatives, flavourings and other additives, or put into a giant machine resembling a cement mixer and mixed with a similar solution. The process dissolves an amino acid called myosin so the meat becomes sticky and when put into moulds, comes out looking like a whole piece of meat. If the ham is to be presented as a traditional cut, a layer of fat is stuck around the edge of the mould to make it look as though it has been cut off the whole leg.

My Thoughts: I hope you didn't read this just prior to a meal. Most processed food is handled similarly to reformed ham, a la Chicken McNuggets. The moral of the story, it is best to avoid processed foods completely or indulge in them only occassionally. Occassionally means only 3 or 4 times per year.

EAT REAL FOOD

The Official Tom Wilson

link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,,1607326,00.html

Posted at 02:55 pm by fit-talk
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10 Exercise Tips

Myth: Exercise is a massive chore on your never ending to-do list.

10 Exercise Tips To Stick With Your Fitness Routine

1) Give Exercise Priority

A survey shows exercisers and non-exercisers have the same amount of leisure time each week - 24 hours.

2) Make It Convenient

Join a health club that is close to your home and if possible, do your cardio workout outdoors in your neigborhood.

3) Start Slowly

Build up your activity level in comfortable increments to prevent dropout.

4) Find A Comfortable Schedule

Exercise 3 - 5 days per week, limit workouts to one hour or less.

5) Maintain What You Achieve

You must maintain your routine to continue to enjoy the benefits of exercise. De-conditioning starts as soon as 5 days after interruption or termination of a routine.

6) Add Variety

Increase the intensity of a workout instead of skipping it and change your program every six weeks.

7) Re-evaluate

During an illness, injury or personal crisis review your program and progress; then strategize and recommit to your goals.

8) Be Progressive

Make heathful choices that continually improve your daily regimen.

9) Network

Build a support network of fit people.

10) Reward Yourself

Periodically schedule social events that require you to look your best and target a specific fitness goal for the event. Treat yourself for the effort with a night out, new clothes or a trip.

The Official Tom Wilson

link: http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=18776

Posted at 11:38 am by fit-talk
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Fact: Exercise Prolongs Age.

Key Info: Physical Activity will not only potentially add years to your life as you age, but the quality of those years is likely to be improved by regular exercise.

The Data: Research indicates significant quality of life gains. This is the only study to date to examine the relationship between physical activity and quality of life over 5 years. Individuals that continued to be physically active were "fitter", had higher levels of self confidence and physical self esteem, expressed more positive affect, that is happiness or contentment, and a better quality of life.

My Thoughts: These new findings should inspire you to get up, get out and get moving on a regular basis. Everyone that exercises, notices a significant deterioration in there quality of living, when they have a lapse in there program. Do not let this happen to you.

YOUR LIFE WILL IMPROVE NOW AND OVER THE LONG TERM WITH EXERCISE.

The Official Tom Wilson

link: http://www.rxpgnews.com/research/aging/article_2842.shtml

Posted at 05:25 pm by fit-talk
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Fact: Calorie restriction is proven to extend lifespan in animals.

Key Info: Caloric restriction retards aging, what has been observed, is less cell mutation and cell death.

The Data: Geneticists have now linked "cell death" to aging. Changes in the powerhouses of our cells, the mitochondria, appears to trigger cells to die and speed up the aging process. Inducing these changes, in a lab, leads to premature aging in mice, which live only about half as long as normal mice. It is believed slowing this process is one of the major mechanisms of how caloric restriction retards aging.

My Thoughts: One strategy to achieve a "caloric restriction" environment for would be to reduce and maintain bodyfat levels to better than excellent levels and do cardio exercise 5x per week. Eating small portions is essential to maintain low bodyfat levels.

A LEAN BODY IS KEY TO MAXIMIZE HEALTHY LIVING.

The Official Tom Wilson

link: http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?language=english&type=article&article_id=218392651

Posted at 12:05 pm by fit-talk
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Myth: A calorie is a calorie.

Key Info: The principle of "a calorie is a calorie", that weight change in low calorie diets, is independent of the type of calorie is completely false. A 150 calorie piece of cheesecake is not the equivalent of a 150 calorie chicken breast.

The Data: There is a "metabolic advantage" with high protein - low carbohydrate diets, more weight may be lost calorie for calorie compared with diets of higher carbohydrate content. There is ten or so studies demonstrating that low carbohydrate diets can lead to greater weight loss than low calorie - low fat diets.

My Thoughts: Serious fitness professionals, have limited carb intake for fat loss, for decades. Finally, the data is available, to substantiate what was obvious to most in the hardcore fitness community.

A CALORIE IS A CALORIE, ONLY IF IT IS A QUALITY CALORIE.

The Official Tom Wilson

link: http://www.nutritionj.com/content/3/1/9

Posted at 10:58 am by fit-talk
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