Welcome to “FitnessMantra Weekend”, your once-a-week health news update. As always you can also stay updated with the latest in fitness news by subscribing separately to the Fitness Mantra del.icio.us feed.

It’s spring time and that means along with the promise of the inevitable good times of summer, the season also brings with it the problems associated with a high pollen count: allergies.

If you are among the millions whose respiratory system is easily susceptible to seasonal allergies, then there’s some good news for you: Med diet ‘cuts lung disease risk’ from BBC news states that a mediteraanean diet - one high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish - is your best best against lung disorders, diseases and allergies, especially if you are male.

French researchers tracked almost 43,000 men for 12 years. The Thorax study suggests the diet - with much fruit, vegetables, grains and fish - is rich in anti-oxidants, which cut the risk of tissue inflammation.

The researchers, from the French research institute Inserm, found that a Mediterranean diet was associated with a 50% lower risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) than the Western diet - even after taking factors such as smoking and age into account.

So, pile those plant products onto your plate: they are your best guard against the pollutants of the season. And have a great summer!

More health and fitness stories of this week:

1. Experts warn of detox diet dangers - Chew On This: Experts say there’s little evidence that extreme regimens such as the Master Cleanse or Fruit Flush do anything more than lead to unpleasant, unhealthy side effects.
2. Boiling leads to loss of anticancer compounds from vegetables: Among all cooking methods, boiling is the worst to cook vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussel sprouts because it causes the biggest loss of anticancer compounds in these vegetables, according to a new study.
3. ‘Functional foods’ prompt warning: Foods that claim to improve health and well-being should be the subject of tougher checks, say Dutch scientists.
4. Ban on Trans Fat Stirs Up Questions: Trans fats: 2 grams per serving. “Is that a lot?”
5. Applebee’s dumps trans fat from the menu: Restaurant-chain operator Applebee’s International Inc. said Thursday that it is no longer using trans fat frying oil at its more than 1,800 domestic restaurants.
6. Staying Active Is a Challenge for All Ages: Surfing the Internet is often cited as a cause of sedentary living. But what if the Web could be transformed into a tool to help boost physical activity?
7. Family Challenge Week Two: Add Activity: Take one balloon. Blow it up. Toss to a family member and voila! You’ve got a game of balloon ball going indoors or out.
8. Even limited exercise helps overweight women-study: Just 10 minutes of exercise a day can help even the most inactive overweight women, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
9. Insulin Levels May Dictate Success With a Diet: The key question was, “Why do some people have success with low-fat diets and others don’t?”
10. College students: Hip, fly … and fat: They are young, hip, fly … and fat. College students are not the icons of youthful energy and sex appeal, but instead could be the poster-kids for America’s ever-expanding waistline.
11. Get slim on the office treadmill: Obesity experts have developed a vertical workstation which helps employees take exercise and shed weight as they work.
12. Med diet ‘cuts lung disease risk’: Eating a Mediterranean diet halves the risk of serious lung disease like emphysema and bronchitis, a study says.
13. Omega-3, Vitamin D Levels Cut Risk of Eye Disease: Eating plenty of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids — such as tuna and salmon — may reduce the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration, a new study says.
14. Calcium And Vitamin D Slow Weight Gain: Calcium/vitamin D supplements slow postmenopausal weight gain in women who aren’t getting enough calcium.
15. Diet Rich in Cereal Fibers May Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes: A diet rich in fiber from cereals and in magnesium may help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, German researchers report.

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Have a great weekend!

Technorati Tags: health, fitness, health news, fitness news, health links, fitness links, del.icio.us, mediterranean_diets, allergy

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Today, May 17th, is World Hypertension Day, simply a day chalk-marked to remind ourselves about the dangers of this common, but often silent (and hence ignored) disease. The international theme of the day is “Healthy Diet, Healthy Blood Pressure.”

Did you know that High Blood-Pressure or hypertension affects nearly 72 million, or nearly one in three, adult Americans? A number of news stories are out on the wires today to mark the occasion and each cites a report that is scarier than the previous one.

EarthTimes is talking about Global High Blood Pressure Situation Growing Dire. Signed off by more than 14 leading groups, an expert report warns that:

Instances of uncontrolled hypertension will rise dramatically, triggering a global cardiovascular disease epidemic, unless governments and healthcare policymakers take immediate and wide-ranging corrective action.

The report warns that in developing countries, the number of people with hypertension could rise by 80% to 1.15 billion, meaning that almost three- quarters of people with high blood pressure will be in developing countries by 2025.

Heart-attacks and strokes are just some of the major effects of ignoring hypertension; it can also lead to kidney and eye damage. Lifestyle factors that affect the prevelance of hyperension are the usual suspects that plague an increasingly sedentary world: obesity, lack of physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and high sodium intake.

An interesting expose “Stressed, distressed and BP rising” highlights the pitfalls of living a life focussed squarely on becoming the next big success story at the cost of one’s health. Stress, over-work, unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles/lack of exercise and finally the biggest “lack: of all: lack of sleep together combine to raise the blood pressure of many modern white-collar workers. Read the thought-provoking article for tips to help reduce the factors that can contribute to early coronary incidents.

What can you do on the occasion of World Hypertension Day?

• Get your blood pressure checked (many pharmacies do this for free and if not, it’s well worth a trip to your doctor to make sure your systolic and diastolic numbers are in line).
• Resolve to eat well and reduce sodium from your diets.
• Make fitness your way of life by incorporating an exercise regimen into your daily schedule.
• Tell a family-member/friend/neighbor about the importance of having their blood pressure checked regularly. You already know that 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. have hypertension, but did you know an even more surprising fact? Just 1 in 3 of those who have hypertension even know they have it! We can help increase awareness by spreading the message from our own inner circles.

Let us work together to keep hypertension, the silent threat, under control.

Technorati Tags: health , nutrition, fitness, high blood pressure, hypertension, world hypertension day

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