Tuesday February 12th 2008

12:10: The Health Roundup with Jay McQueen.

12:13: Those no-calorie sweeteners that you’re pounding back may actually be making it harder for you to control your food intake and lose weight, according to a new study.
Guest: Helen Van De Mark, Registered Dietician, St. Joseph’s HealthCare. 905.522.1155 x 33115.

12:20: Some exciting new research out of McMaster University is suggesting that even a little bit of exercise can produce results, whether you’re a couch potato or a fine tuned athletic machine.
Guest: Dr. Stuart Phillips, Heads up McMaster University’s Exercise Metabolism Research Group. 905.870.4650.

12:35: Have you ever thought twice about taking your young child in to get a needle because you don’t want to put he or she through the pain? Researchers in Pennsylvania thought that might be the case and set out to find a possible solution.
Guest: Linda Hatfield, assistant professor of nursing and public health sciences at Penn State, also lead researcher on the study. 717.531.4159


12:45: Rexall Radio Pharmacy segment. guest: Hilton Silberg.

High Blood Pressure and Exercise, why Activity is Key !

High Blood pressure and exercise are closely related and connected. Regular physical activity makes your heart stronger. A stronger heart can pump more with less effort. Becoming more active can lower your blood pressure by an average of 10millimeters of mercury (mmHg). That's the same effect as some blood pressure medications. For some people, it's enough to reduce the need for medication. The risk of hypertension increases with age, and like it or not we are all getting older each day. But you don't have to sit back and wait for high blood pressure to strike. Exercise! It can reduce high blood pressure and the risk for cardiovascular disease. And if your blood pressure is already high, exercise can help to control it. The benefits of exercise can also maintain a healthy weight, but you need to keep it up. It takes about one to three months of regular exercise to stabilize blood pressure. So what kind of exercise works? Flexibility and strength training are important parts of an overall fitnes plan, but it's the aerobic activity to control high blood pressure. You don't need to spend hours at a gym to benefit. Simply adding moderate physical activities to your daily routine will help. Any physical activity that increases your heart and breathing rates is considered aerobic. Moving the lawn, raking leaves or washing the floor will count! Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. If perhaps a day in a life, you can't set aside time for exercise, remember that shorter bursts of activity count too! If you are a senior with high blood pressure, you might be afraid that exercise could make things worse, but a recent study has showed that moderate exercise produced no ill effects in seniors with untreated mild high blood pressure, In fact the study also showed loss of abdominal fat. The study group participants were aged 55 to 75 years of age and worked out for an hour at a time, three times a week. One of the best ways to become active is to start a walking program! Remember life style modifictions can have an important role in the treatment and prevention of hypertension.