Fit Communications

A recent Reuters story covers a scientific literature review proving what we already know: that movement keeps us young(er).

Aerobic exercise helps turn back biological clock

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Maintaining aerobic fitness through middle age and beyond could delay the aging process by more than a decade and prolong independent living, according to a new review of research on aerobic fitness and dependency in old age.

One caveat: if you’re also interested in your shape and appearance, you also need weights. Weight training offers scads of health benefits: increased bone density and muscular strength, improved balance, healthier joints, and so on. There’s also research indicating that it improves cardiovascular health.

Ideal combination: aerobic exercise plus weights.

I should’ve seen this story (Reuters report, published on MSNBC.com) two weeks ago but didn’t:

Trans fat suit costs McDonald’s $8.5 million
McDonald’s has agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle a lawsuit over artery-clogging trans fats in its cooking oils, the company said on Friday.

Who benefits? The plaintiffs, of course; the American Heart Association, to which Micky D’s has promised to donate $7 million; and consumers of French fries etc., when McD’s further reduces the amount of transfat in its foods.

When you see "hydrogenated vegetable oil" on the label, that means transfat–which is worse for your arteries than saturated fat (e.g., butter [mmmmm good] and lard).

As always, if you stick to less-processed foods, you’re okay. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy, whole grains: no transfat, no problem.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is clamoring for the fed to categorize sodium (salt) as an additive and thus to regulate it. Here’s a Reuters story published on MSNBC.com:

Government should regulate salt, says group
A consumer group sued the federal government, saying that salt is killing tens of thousands of Americans and that regulators have done too little to control salt in food.

I don’t know much about the science, as I’ve never worried about salt intake. It strikes me, however, that the simplest way to avoid ingesting too much sodium is to cook your own food, from fresh ingredients, and avoid all that packaged snack food and prepared stuff that isn’t good for you anyway. Apparently restaurant food is a key contributor to the high sodium content of the American diet. Just one more reason not to eat out.