Want Strong Bones? Skip the Milk!

So how do we get enough absorbable calcium into our diets if we aren't consuming dairy? Far healthier sources of calcium come from plant foods. Here are a few excellent choices:

White Beans
Soy Beans or Soy Nuts
Baked Beans
Okra
Spinach
Collard Greens
Mustard Greens
Turnip Greens
Kale
Swiss Chard
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Sesame Seeds
Almonds
Oranges
Tofu
Rhubarb

Also, Juice Plus Complete® is an excellent source of dietary calcium. Make a shake with chocolate or vanilla Complete and soy milk if you need a quick snack, or as a pre-or-post-exercise drink. Lastly, as important as it is to eat calcium-rich foods, it's equally important to do weight-bearing exercise, which strengthens bones, muscles, and ligaments.

Bit of a setback with marathon training

I went out on Saturday morning with Andrew to run 18 miles. I felt good and was looking forward to it and felt we could do a good time. But as I ran down the hill to meet Andrew at the bridge I just felt my hamstring tighten. I thought I could maybe stretch it off before we started but after a couple of good stretches it became clear that it was a bit more serious than I'd first thought. I tried a slow jog but whenever I increased my stride my hamstring complained and so reluctantly I had to stop and let Andrew continue on his own. It was such a beautiful morning that I jogged slowly up the road, got out my bike and decided to try some cycling instead. I caught up with Andrew and cycled back and forward, trying to encourage him (probably annoying him no end!) and cycled 22 miles all in all. The big encouragement for me was that it was dead easy. I averaged about 19 m.p.h. and hardly broke sweat. Maybe I'm getting fitter than I thought?

I rested Sunday and have been on two gentle jogs on Monday and Tuesday, just slow and steady, with no adverse effects at all. In fact tonight I ran for 35 minutes without a single twinge. Maybe I'm healed. I'll do a few more easy but longer runs this week but this weekend is our Church Weekend Away so I won't get a run in until Monday. Here's hoping that that's my tweaky muscle over for the next few months.

I still haven't entered the Luton Marathon yet as I need to arrange some cover for me for that Sunday before I can enter. I must get on with it.

By the way, I've been letting my nutrition slip a bit recently. Too many sausage rolls at lunch time and too many chocolate bars in between. I have decided to make lunchtime a fruit only time and also to cut out all chocolate until Christmas (when I shall gorge myself good and proper!) I'm also upping my water intake to avoid dehydration.

I'm 50 years old next week (11th November) and so I'll get to run in the veterans section of the next marathon - whoopee!

Don't let flu spoil your marathon training

Fruit and seeds oil – natural flu defence
***********************************
Flu season is just around the corner, so it will pay to start boosting your immune system now.
That’s why this little shortcut is so timely...

University of Minnesota Researchers have found natural support for the immune system in the form of cold-pressed fruit and herb seed oils. The oils are packed with natural antioxidants and essential fatty acids that help jump start the immune system.

So before you find yourself reaching for the Lemsip, get yourself down to the health food shop and use these natural supplements to give yourself a head start:

* Snack on nuts, pulses and seeds

* Try supplementing your diet with walnut, hazelnut, sesame, sunflower, raspberry seed and cumin oils or blended oil high in omega 3, antioxidants and vitamin E

* Only buy cold pressed oils – they are gently squeezed so they retain all their essential nutrients

If you can't be bothered with all that fuss then try Juice Plus - 17 fruit and vegetables in two capsules. Go to www.juiceplus.co.uk/+mm026962 for more details of this amazing supplement for athletes. I haven't even had a cold since I started taking them, never mind the flu. Godd marathon nutrition starts with Juice Plus.

Help for the runners curse - arthritis

So many people I meet these days, especially runners it seems, are suffering from arthritis to varying degrees. Ray Collins at Goodlife sent me the following helpful suggestions this week to help deal with it. See if you find it helpful. Good nutrition can help prevent so many of the major killers today, so don't accept that its a lottery.

Research shows that changing what you eat can help relieve arthritis symptoms. You may not be able to cure your arthritis with diet, but it can mean less pain, shorter periods of stiffness, and a stronger grip. Some people who change their diet are able to reduce - or even give up - drugs. To ensure you are eating a healthy, balanced, nutritious diet, eat plenty of:

Fish and sea food. All fish are good (except for gout sufferers), especially cold water oily fish like mackerel, sardines, herring, salmon, trout and tuna. Eat at least five fish meals a week.

Chicken, turkey (with the skin removed), veal. Eat these instead of red meat.

Vegetables. Go for green, leafy, raw and fresh. Dark green vegetables contain the essential fatty acid - alpha-linolenic acid. Have a salad day. Try and eat at least one totally vegetarian meal a week.

Fruits. All fruits are fine. They also replace the sweetness when you give up white sugar.

Polyunsaturated oils. Found in seed oils like sunflower, safflower. Add linseeds, sunflower seeds and unrefined oils to your diet.

Wholefoods. Wholegrain bread and brown rice are high in fibre.

Water. Water is needed for many vital body functions. Filtered water is better than tap water.

Right, that's the basics. Now for the interesting stuff...

Gammalinolenic acid Found in evening primrose oil, borage seed )starflower) oil, blackcurrant seed oil.

GLA is another kind of essential fatty acid. It converts to a prostaglandin called E1, known to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Taking 6 grams a day can reduce morning stiffness and other symptoms. When fish oils and GLA are taken together it may sometimes by possible to reduce or even stop treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs.

Vitamin B5
In rheumatoid arthritis there may be a deficiency of B5 (also known as pantothenic acid). It aids tissue repair. Some nutritionally oriented doctors suggest 1000mg of vitamin B5 to help with morning stiffness, general disability and pain.

Vitamin B6
Helps reduce swelling and joint stiffness.

Zinc
Zinc metabolism is altered in rheumatoid arthritis and patients are often low in zinc. Working with other nutrients, zinc also has a role to play in reducing inflammation.

New Zealand Green Lipid Mussel
This is an extract of the New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel, which may have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Selenium
There's a relationship between low levels of the trace element selenium and rheumatoid arthritis. People with the condition seem to have an abnormality in the metabolism of selenium.

Yucca tea
7 or 8 grams of the root boiled in a pint of water for 15 minutes is often drunk for symptom relief. It can be taken 3-5 times a day.

Kelp, royal jelly, ginseng, cider vinegar, garlic and honey are also thought to help arthritis sufferers.

So there you have it. I might also add that many of the fruit, vegetables and vitamins mentioned above are contained in the Juice Plus+ capsules that I take every day and doctors are now using them in the treatment and prevention of arthritis as well. See the sidebar for details.

Getting back into the groove.

Since finishing the Stockholm Marathon I've eased back on the training a good bit but not completely. I needed a good solid week off after the draining heat of Stockholm but I have started again and done about 6 runs since then including my fastest ever 'Town Route' and a good 10 miler yesterday. I chose to run a very hilly route and did it in 1hr24min. It rained almost the whole way but was, in a perverse sort of way, really enjoyable and I finished in the sunshine feeling quite strong.

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to give the Leicester Marathon a go in October so I'll begin to get my head round the serious training from mid August onwards.

Have any of you run Leicester? What's it like?

On a related subject, I went to a Juice Plus nutrition conference on Saturday. Brilliant! We were treated to a series of emminent doctors all talking about some aspect of nutrition and presenting their own research into the benefits of a diet mainly consisting of fruit and vegetables and berries. Very compelling evidence to suggest that many of the worlds major killer diseases can be prevented by a diet rich in f, v and berries. Given that less than 10% of our population even eats the basic minimum of 5 a day (which is now known to be inadequate, but at least a start) its no wonder that obesity, heart disease, strokes and cancer are all on the increase.

I try to eat my minimum but even with my heightened awareness of good nutrition I still don't always manage so I'm so grateful to Juice Plus for making it possible for me to take my daily intake in 3 capsules. Don't make the mistake of poo-pooing this until you've tried it. JP+ are the most independently researched nutritional suppliment in the world and I for one feel great taking them every day.

Check my sidebar for details.

By the way, Dr Mitra Ray made a statement on Saturday which astonished me. In her, not inconsiderable opinion, athletic achievement is 90% nutritional and 10% fitness. The implications of that statement could be enormous if this true.

Bazooka those verrucas?

If you have had a verruca you will be aware that these little fellas can be a real pest for runners.
Here's a weird little treatment you might want to try. It comes courtesy of Ray Collins who sends me a weekly email on health and related matters. If you'd like to subscribe to Ray's slightly wacky emails then go to http://www.goodlifeletter.co.uk

Here's what he wrote:

Thought you may like to know about a cure for verrucas that I have tried and it does work - DUCT TAPE. I read an article in Sainsbury's magazine which said to cover verruca with duct tape and rub away dried skin with an emery board once a week for a few weeks (can't remember how many).
I found that for verrucas on the toes (and my son had 2) it worked a treat - they were gone after 6 weeks. It didn't work so well on the sole of the foot - probably because I couldn't get the tape to stick long enough!
Anyway - given the cost of verruca treatments I thought you might like this one as it was amazingly cheap and no slower than conventional treatments. Great stuff.

For fact fans, verrucas are actually warts on the foot, caused by an infection with a strain of the human papilloma virus. Conventional treatments involve freezing them with liquid nitrogen, but why go through all that if there are natural remedies to try first? Tea tree oil is well known for treating verrucas and warts on other parts the body. Or try and rub the inside of a banana skin onto the verruca for a few minutes, two or three times a day.

Do you have a food allergy or intolerance?

Edward Grocott has written this great book called Food Allergy and Intolerance. In one of the chapters he examines the subject of food allergies and intolerance. He explains that you need to ask yourself 12 simple questions. The publisher has kindly let me reprint it here in full for you.

DO YOU HAVE AN ALLERGY OR INTOLERANCE? By Edward Grocott
If you have encountered health problems with food, you need to deal with it. This may sound obvious but often people try to get by without understanding their problem and its effects. This is wrong. If you suffer repeated health side-effects from perfectly edible food you have a serious medical problem and one that requires action. Your life could depend on it. The first step to controlling and living with your problem is to know exactly what it is you are dealing with.

Health problems linked to food are split into two groups; food intolerance and food allergies. Simply put, food intolerance is pretty much what it sounds like. A sufferer is intolerant of a certain food, and has problems digesting it for a number of reasons. This could result in simple but very inconvenient side-effects such as severe diarrhoea or bloating. But it could also lead to far more serious health problems or mass complications. Either way, it is imperative for your help you understand what is happening to your body.

Quite different from food intolerance, food allergies are an immune response to certain foods - an immune response that can, in extreme circumstances, be faithful to a process called anaphylactic shock. Alerted people suffer from an abnormal, oversensitive immune system that can react with lethal consequences if exposed to certain foods.

This book may help you to understand if you have an allergy and ways to cope with it. However, it cannot be stressed highly enough that if you have health problems linked to food, you should contact your doctor - especially if you suspect you may be allergic.

The first question you must ask is do you (or someone you know) suffer food intolerance or a food allergy?
A QUESTIONNAIRE TO SEE IF YOU ARE FOOD INTOLERANT OR SUFFER FROM AN ALLERGY.
This is not a hard and fast rule, but the following questionnaire can help you confirm if you have an intolerance or allergy. Always backup diagnosis with a visit to the doctor. Answer YES or NO to the following questions.

Have you, for as long as you can remember, suffered minor health problems -- headaches, skin rashes, constant colds, viruses, pains, boating, problem sleeping or stomach upsets?

Have you always suffered problems, however mild, with your skin?

Have you tried to lose weight and never succeeded and if you have lost weight have you put it on again?

Do you get recurring problems like joint and muscle pains, restless legs, fatigue headaches, tics, rashes, depression, anxiety, and tinnitus?

Do you suffer recurrent bouts of unexpected and uncharacteristic exhaustion?

Do you still feel tired after a full night's sleep?

Do you never feel quite yourself?

Does your life seem to alternate between alertness and lethargy?

How changes to your diet affected your health?

Do you frequently have stomach problems -- wind, indigestion, constipation and/or diarrhoea?

Have you had bouts of anxiety, nervousness or depression for no apparent reason?

Have seemingly minor but persistent health problems gone undiagnosed?

The more questions you have answered YES to, the greater the chance that you are suffering as a result of food intolerance or allergy.

If, on the other hand, you have answered NO to them all then it is unlikely that food is your problem.

ALLERGY OR INTOLERANCE?
It is important to understand which you are dealing with as both have different implications and treatments. In the majority of cases the test to establish which you have is very simple. Firstly, food intolerance, in the main, revolves around two core, and highly common complaints - problems with milk and problems with wheat. For example, if you have ever drunk a glass of milk and suffered diarrhoea or bloating very shortly afterwards you are displaying the classic symptoms of lactose, or milk, intolerance.

Or if you have ever eaten pasta and suffered similar symptoms, you are likewise displaying the textbook example of gluten intolerance or coeliac disease as the intolerance is otherwise known.
If, however, you have health problems after eating anything from apples to coconuts to fish and nuts, It could be that you have a food allergy.

In eating one of the above foods leads to either a shortness of breath, choking, vomiting or hives you should consult a doctor as soon as possible because it is almost certain you have a serious and, in extreme cases, potentially lethal allergy.

That might sound overly dramatic, but it cannot be stressed enough: if you have seen any of your symptoms described above, you need to understand and control the condition. At this stage, though, you should congratulate yourself; you have passed the first hurdle to overcoming your food health problem. By answering a simple question "do you suffer symptoms with milk and wheat or quite different symptoms with different foods?" you have, in the majority of cases, established whether you have food intolerance or an allergy.

Another half-marathon distance under the belt, but...

... it was a bit frustrating. Again I ran the Berkhamsted Half Marathon course in lovely weather, cool and sunny, but this time I ran it with my marathon training partner, Andrew. Having run below 1hr 48mins on my own on Monday past we were quietly confident that we might be able to push our time down to 1hr 45min. No luck! Andrew ran it in around 1:47 and I did 1:51. Its a strange thing - we both felt we were running quite fast but the clock doesn't lie so I guess I must have been a bit tired from Monday's run. Also I did not sleep at all well last night and tossed and turned until the small hours. I know - its all just excuses but I guess that's what marathon training is all about. Trying this , that and the next thing to shave a few seconds off your time.

Also I wonder if my nutrition is slipping a bit? I noticed that I didn't eat particularly well this week and skipped a few meals because I got too busy.

My weight is down to 12 stone 4 lbs and my pulse is sitting at 42 b.p.m.

Still monitoring the Q-Link pendant but not sure at the moment if I can give it a glowing report. I think I am feeling a bit more energetic in the evenings but its not so noticeable that I can say without doubt that its working. I'll keep monitoring. Interestingly enough I didn't wear the pendant in bed last night and slept very badly. Coincidence? I expect so.

6 ways to fight back against high cholestorol

1. Eat Less Saturated Fat

Particularly bad are red meat, cheese, full fat dairy products. I'm not saying 'give them up' but if cholestorol is a problem consider a month's fast from them.

2. Eat More Healthy Fats

Yes, not all fats are bad for you. Good sources of healthy fats are olive oil, avocados, olives, nuts and pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

3. Learn to relax

Long-term stress raises blood cholestorol levels. People under stress tend to eat more fatty foods. To help you relax, take up a hobby like running marathons:-)

4. Start moving

No not your house or your country but just some gentle exercise at least three times a week. This has the effect of reducing cholestorol levels. Don't panic... just do it.

5. Lose weight

Helps lower your risk of heart disease, stroke and even cancer.

6. Eat more fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are natures way of healing the body and keeping it fit for action. If you struggle to get your 9 a day then try taking a natural supplement such as Juice Plus+. Go to http://www.juiceplus.co.uk/+mm026962 for more info.

6 Tips for Looking and Feeling Younger

By Wendy Churchill

Stop Moaning, Start Shining.

If you think that in 1901, life expectancy was 49 for women and 45 for men, it’s easy to see why people are saying today that 50 is the new 30, 60 is the new 40 and 80 is the new 60. Make sure you actually enjoy being as young as you are today - instead of fretting about how old you are! Get out there and shine!

S-t-r-e-t-c-h your body - feel FANTASTIC.
Stay supple and you will look and feel fantastic - not to mention the benefits for your back and your physical capabilities as you continue to age. Just ten minutes of stretching a day will work wonders on your looks and make you feel fantastic.

Stimulate the hormone that keeps you young.
Another benefit of exercising for a stronger body is that it can help stimulate the production of HGH - Human Growth Hormone. HGH is a hormone that we all have in our bodies but which slowly declines as we age. It is responsible for maintaining the immune system and keeping the body younger and stronger. Scientists have demonstrated that increasing the levels of this hormone in the body can have a very positive rejuvenating effect.

Gurn away the creases.
In his book, The Five Minute Facelift, Robert Thé tells us that “One of the surest ways of ageing faster than we should is to ignore the tension that builds up in the facial muscles as a result of everyday living.” His book contains dozens of different exercises that feel really great to do - from soothing worry lines on the forehead to strengthening the muscles on your jaw line. Think dramatic screwing up and stretching expressions for general easing of tension. Massage with finger tips all over the face and scalp. Hold a hand on the top of your hairline and look down to stretch the forehead. To avoid a double chin, “open your mouth and pull your lower lip tightly over the bottom teeth.”

Prescription-strength creams for wrinkles and age spots.
Studies have shown that topical creams containing the retinoids tretinoin and tazarotene are highly effective at reducing fine wrinkles, age spots and rough skin. According to Dr. Beatrice Wang, assistant professor of dermatology at Royal Victoria Hospital and McGill University in Montreal, you may even see results in as little as six to eight weeks.

Update your look - backdate your age.
If you wear glasses, buying some more modern frames can change your look instantly. Splashing out on an expensive ‘salon’ haircut can do wonders for both your look and your confidence. Wearing dated fashions, on the other hand, can show your age more clearly than the rings on a tree. Instead of “mutton”, I was told by a personal shopper once, think sophisticated”, “fresh” and “sharp”.

Wonderful, personal stuff from outside the mainstream! Just how I like it.
If you’re interested in Wendy’s wit, wisdom and insight into the many tricky issues of modern life, check out her free email at http://www.bagofrevels.co.uk

Become a more COMPLETE runner

It is absolutely crucial that you repair your hard worked muscles after every run and the way I have been doing it for the past couple of years is by drinking a half-pint of Complete after every run. It not only helps me to avoid muscle damage (which at my age is an issue) but it actually tastes delicious. I thoroughly recommend it to any serious runner. Check out my website if you are interested in this product or any of the other excellent products that Juice Plus+ produce. Go to http://www.juiceplus.co.uk/+mm026962

Juice Plus+ products are amongst the most highly researched nutritional supplements on the planet and are recommended by many of our top doctors and nutritionists. Read their testimonies on my website.

Juice Plus+® Complete is a whole food-based drink mix that provides great nutrition in every scoop: isoflavones; proteins; carbohydrates; natural fibre; the Juice Plus+® original powders and phytonutrients; 23 vitamins and minerals; natural sugars; no preservatives; gluten free; no artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours; no dairy content which makes it suitable for vegans.

Juice Plus+® Complete can be used in any number of ways: as a fantastic "on-the-go" breakfast; pre-exercise energy drink; post-workout recovery drink; an any time, especially late night, snack; or a complete meal replacement to help you watch or lose weight. It comes in your choice of two delicious flavours: French Vanilla and Dutch Chocolate.

Personal best by a minute.... yeehaahh!

Tonight I ran my usual 3.4 mile evening route in 26min 14 secs which shaves almost a minute off my PB. I felt very strong and although it was quite fast (for me) I still think 25 minutes is within my grasp. Keep tuning in to measure my progress. I think the long weekend runs are really paying off.

If you are interested in decent supplements and health drinks then go to
www.drinkquality.blogspot.com and www.drinkvitamins.blogspot.com

I don't get anything for recommending this guy but I do think his product is very interesting and worth your while taking a look.

The Safe Way to Detox

I received this email the other day and thought it might be helpful to some of you. See what you think.

Firstly, I agree with you. I think you need to be careful about suddenly changing your diet to any extreme, or cutting out any food group altogether.

My simple guide for a detox is this:
- Drink plenty of water. Tap water is fine (although I prefer mineral water). Just make sure you get about 3 glasses a day inside you. You don't need to drown yourself to feel the benefit.

- Get some fresh air. Over the next week, make sure you stretch your legs and go for a brisk walk. You should do this EVERY day really, but if that's not for you try and make the effort over the next few days.

- Eat NORMALLY. Don't suddenly starve yourself in a bid to miraculously right the wrongs. Eat normally, eat well, but no snacking on sweets and chocolate.

- Get some early nights. A good night's sleep is really one of the best ways to help your body mend itself.

- The five portions of fruit and veg a day rule - with an amendment. As well as trying to eat five portions of fruit and veg, try and mix the colours for maximum intake of antioxidants."
[Billy here: I struggle to do this so that's why I take Juice Plus+ (see side panel) - it gives me 17 fruit and vegetables a day in an optimum mix - its easy and its great for me]

Secondly, you're right about the liver being the body's vital detoxifying organ. But problems can arise if it's not doing its job properly. So sometimes the cleanser needs a clean! One way to do this is to use a liver tonic that combines some of nature's most powerful cleansers... curcumin, dandelion and milk thistle to name but a few.
'Liver Pure' is designed to clean out your liver and help it do its job properly. If you're worried about your liver, you can have risk-free trial of it here:
http://snipurl.com/_Liver_Tonic

The Biggest Threat to our Hearts Good Health - Homocysteine Levels!

I suscribe to a health and fitness email which I receive every few days. If you'd like to receive it then email Ray Collins [gll@email.emv1.com]. Here's what he wrote in his last email. I found it very helpful... see what you think.

My Great Uncle Richard was quite a guy,
In the late 60s, before the fitness crazes of the 70s took hold, he was obsessed with exercise.
A thin, rake-like figure, he used to run circuits around the park near our house in Oxfordshire.
We kids used to find it hilarious because he was an unnatural runner, taking such tiny, quick steps that he hardly seemed to move... like he was on a treadmill. Women with prams used to lap him!
But, bless him, it kept him fit for the next two decades.
Which was why it was so shocking when he died of a heart-attack the age of 61.
How could a fit man with low body-fat, low cholesterol and an exercise habit die so relatively young?
You may find the answer shocking...
---------------------------------
The truth about heart disease
---------------------------------
Recent studies have uncovered what seems to be the REAL culprit behind 50% of cardiovascular, heart and stroke problems.
And it's none of the usual suspects. Not fat. Not lack of exercise. And not even cholesterol.
According to research published in the British Medical Journal, homocysteine is THE BIGGEST THREAT to our heart's good health.
A study at the department of cardiology in Southampton General Hospital trawled through 92 studies that focussed on homocysteine levels in over 20,000 patients - an incredible number when it comes to looking at stats.
I won't bore you with the pages of reports I ploughed through, but in a nutshell, high homocysteine levels are a strong indicator that heart problems are present.
But, as always, I am the bearer of good news.
Homocysteine levels can be brought down quickly and easily (and without spending a fortune), using a combination of nutritional supplements. Here's what to do...

** Get your homocysteine levels checked out. Under 8 is good. Under 7 is even better.

** Studies (reported in the British Medical Journal) have shown that vitamins B6 and B12, together with folic acid, help lower homocysteine levels. So make sure you eat foods rich in these substances.
For folic acid, liver is absolutely the best source, plus spinach, brocolli, asparagus, beetroot, banana, oranges and peaches.
For B12, eat liver beef, chicken, pork, fish, eggs, milk, cheese and yoghurt.
For B6 eat whole grain cereals, breads, liver, avocados, spinach, green beans, bananas, fish, poultry, meats, nuts, potatoes, green leafy vegetables.

** Boost your intake of these substances with supplements.
Folic acid and B 12 can be taken daily between 500 to 1000mcg each, and for B6 try 50 - 100mg.

Run in a storm to increase your marathon strength

I came home from work tonight with the wind threatening to blow my car off the road. Quite exciting actually to see nature in the raw. Anyway I decided to still go for my evening run and it was great. The wind was so strong in my face at one point that it almost brought me to a standstill. Even so, my time ended up only about 50 seconds slower than last night's run. I felt quite strong and really enjoyed it. If I want to run the marathon in under 3.45 then I need to keep on forcing myself to run this 5.5k distance as fast as I can. My ultimate aim is to do it in under 25 minutes before June.

My marathon nutrition is back on track after the usual Christmas wobble. The chocolate is almost done and the fruit cake will soon be finished and then its back to really sensible eating - plenty of fruit and veg, and of course continuing with the Juice Plus. So far this winter I have had no colds or muscle strains so I'm feeling very greatful to JP+. The complete powder is such a good recovery drink after a run.

6 things you need to know before running a marathon (6 of 6)

6. A good after-race strategy is crucial if you want a quick recovery.
Many runners find themselves in great pain after a marathon, so much so that it often puts them off ever running another race. Here are a few tips to help you get back to normal living as soon as possible.
· Immediately after finishing you should try to keep walking for 5-10 minutes to allow your legs to cool down. If the weather is cold, windy, or wet make an effort to get inside or back into warm clothing. Keep drinking small amounts of water or sports drink if your stomach will allow it, even when you feel you no longer need to. My personal favourite marathon nutrition is ‘Complete’ from the Juice Plus+ organization. www.juiceplus.co.uk/+mm026962
· Ice any sore spots immediately.
· As soon as you feel like eating, begin with small amounts of easily digestible food that you know will agree with your stomach. Although carbohydrate replacement is vital, protein is important for rebuilding damaged muscle tissue immediately following the race and for the next few days. Drink a lot of water for 48 hours.
· Keep your legs elevated as much as possible for the 24 hours after the race.

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6 Things you need to know before running a marathon (2 of 6)

2. Running a marathon requires a lifestyle change (sorry, it just does!)
If you are serious about running a marathon well it will require three major lifestyle changes, at least for most of us it will.
· You need to sort out your nutrition. What I mean is that no serious runner will put junk into their body and expect to perform well. I’m afraid that means MacDonalds and their likes need to be shelved for the duration of training and your intake of fruit and vegetables needs to increase dramatically.
· You need to sort out your hydration. Most of us are actually permanently dehydrated through a lack of water. Whilst training for a marathon drink much more water than normal and severely cut back on your alcohol intake.
· You need to rest much more than you used to.

Saturday morning long run

Another glorious Saturday morning - freezing cold but dry and sunny. Almost perfect for marathon training. I say almost because the only downside is that our canal towpath which is our normal running route is very muddy from lots of rain this week (in fact we had a tornado fairly close to our twon this week) and it makes it a bit dangerous to run on. I'm almost scared that I might pull a muscle which snookers the training for a couple of weeks. Fortunately since I started taking Juice Plus+ I haven't had a serious muscle pull in two years. I love this stuff (go to www.juiceplus.co.uk/+mm026962 for more details.)
Anyway, we ran about 8.5 miles in 79 minutes which is not all that fast but its okay in the early stages of our training. Now I can just relax for the rest of this lovely day. Life is good!

By the way, I found this lovely blog from a lady describing her run in Seville Spain. Great pictures. www.runmomrun.blogspot.com

Study: Veggies could stem mental decline

Eating two or more servings of vegetables a day may slow a person's mental decline by about 40 percent compared with a person who consumes few vegetables, according to a six-year study of nearly 4,000 Chicago residents age 65 or older. Consuming lots of fruit did not appear to offer the same mental protection, although fruit has been associated with a wide variety of other health benefits, said Martha Clare Morris, chief of Rush University Medical Center's Rush Institute for Healthy Aging. The slowdown in the rate of cognitive decline experienced by people who ate 2.8 or more servings of vegetables a day is "equivalent to about five years of younger age" compared with people who ate less than one serving, Morris reported in Tuesday's issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study also suggested it may never be too late to reap the benefits of vegetable consumption. Older people who started eating more than two servings a day still showed a significant delay in mental decline, Morris said. One serving of a vegetable is generally equal to a cup. The findings come on top of two earlier Rush studies indicating that the foods people eat may significantly affect their mental agility. Morris reported four years ago that eating foods high in vitamin E appeared to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and last year she found that eating fish had a similar effect.

Veggies are full of antioxidants. Vegetables, especially those in the green leafy category, are brimming with antioxidant compounds like vitamin E, flavonoids and carotenoids that help snuff out cell-damaging free radicals, Morris said. Eating vegetables with olive oil, vegetable oil or some other type of poly- or mono-unsaturated fats enhances the body's absorption of antioxidants, she added.

"This study is tremendously important," said Alberto Ascherio, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, who found similar results over a two-year period in the Nurses Health Study of more than 120,000 nurses. "It's not easy to capture the correlation between dietary behavior and cognitive function. "This goes in line with previous evidence supporting the potential protective effect of vegetable consumption," he said. "Each of these studies is like a small step forward. In this field we don't have the critical experiment to answer the question once and for all. We have to get to the truth by small steps. It's a long process to try to understand what we can do to reduce cognitive decline."

In trying to figure out which specific food groups bestow important health benefits, epidemiologists match people as closely as possible so other factors in their lifestyles cancel each other out. Matt Kaeberlein, who conducts research on the biochemical processes of aging at the University of Washington, was surprised the study didn't show any beneficial effect of eating fruit on cognitive decline. Studies in animals, he said, show that berries, particularly blueberries, strawberries and cranberries, seem to protect memory in aging animals. And a diet high in fruits and vegetables has been linked to protection against heart disease, cancer, stroke, diverticulosis, diabetes and obesity.

Morris agreed that animal research indicates that berries may help preserve memory but that too few people in the study consumed berries regularly to determine if they helped preserve memory and other cognitive functions. "The link between better cognition and vegetables is interesting and certainly real," Kaeberlein said. "But I wouldn't change my diet to stop eating fruits based on this study. There's plenty of evidence that for overall health you're going to be better off eating a diet that's high in both fruits and vegetables."

Further research is needed to document the exact role that vegetables play in cognitive health, Kaeberlein said. Learning which specific nutrients provide the greatest protection could lead to developing a pill people could take that would have the same benefits, he said. Phyllis Chase, 84, a participant in Rush's Chicago Health and Aging Project, said she eats six to seven servings of vegetables and fruit every day. Chase, who reads, walks, works puzzles and pulls a cart for nine holes of golf, grows vegetables in her back-yard garden. "I love vegetables. I've been a vegetable eater all my life," she said. "If I don't have anything cooked for dinner, I'll sauté two cups of mixed vegetables and I'll make a turkey wrap out of it."

Like other study participants, Chase is regularly interviewed about the foods she eats and her daily activities. She is also regularly tested for dementia, memory, abstract thinking, speed of thinking, perceptual speed and visual-spatial skills. People in the study had their overall mental function tested in their homes at the start of their participation and then at three-year intervals. "We were then able to say what each person's test score was each year that we measured it so that we knew whose scores stayed the same and whose got worse, and then we were able to match their scores with the highest vegetable consumers and the lowest," Morris said. Chase appears to epitomize the Rush study results, which found that green leafy vegetables such as kale and collard greens had the greatest benefit, followed by carrots, squash and other yellow vegetables, and then cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

The study found no significant benefits from two categories, potatoes and legumes, or beans. "The results are encouraging," Morris said. "It seems that two or more vegetables per day was responsible for a significant decrease in the rate of decline of thinking ability."

By Ronald Kotulak, Tribune science reporter, October 23, 2006, 9:50 PM EDTEating

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