Percent distribution of active physicians in patient care by specialty, 2007

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that, in 2008, there were about 661,400 physicians and surgeons in the US. More data, this time from the American Medical Association for 2007, shows us that 32 percent of physicians in patient care were in primary care, but not in a subspecialty. I will anxiously await the results for 2014 after Health Care has been socialized.

Specialty Percent

Internal Medicine 20.1%
Family medicine/general practice 12.4%
Pediatrics 9.6%
Obstetrics and gynecology 5.6%
Anesthesiology 5.5%
Psychiatry 5.2%
General Surgery 5.0%
Emergency Medicine 4.1%

“If you cannot find time to exercise, surely you will find time for illness!”

Hello, my name is Dr. Malea Jensen. I am known as Dr. J and the Iron Lady Doc.
I am a Family Practice physician in Des Moines, Iowa. I am also NSCA and PROPTA certified, as well as a national level bodybuilder.

As you know, regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States. For instance, cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in America with about 950,000 Americans dying of CVD in 2002. This is a staggering statistic and something I would like to help prevent.

The proportion of U.S. adults who are obese grew by nearly 2% between 2005 and 2007, from just under 24% to 25.6%. On a much higher level today is the threat of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has become so severe that diseases that once affected only adults are now appearing in children. The statistics are alarming, with "overweight" youth consisting of 13.9% of children 2 to 5 years old, 18.8% of children 6 to 11 years old, and 17.4% of adolescents and teenagers 12 to 19 years old.

The key to a lifetime of fitness is consistency. I am challenging each of you to get involved in a program that fits your lifestyle—something fun, something tailored to your fitness level, and something that keeps you coming back again and again!

This is where Dr. J fits into the program. I provide consultations via email regarding nutrition and exercise routines. My services include ongoing information at your request. The first consultation is $100 and subsequent fees are based on my time spent with your questions. I always provide the consultation time and the fee at the end of each email. I prefer to have cash or money orders made payable to Malea Jensen. I do not accept personal checks.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact me at ironladydoc@aol.com or at http://www.maleajensen.com.

Yesterday I blogged about weight loss, specifically fat loss, through nutrition...eating more protein, especially the branched chain amino acid, leucine.

Today, I want to comment on the exercise aspect of fat burning. Did you know that muscle makes up 35 to 40 percent of our body? For this reason, it is the largest site for glucose (sugar) uptake. And did you know that the hips and legs are the largest muscles in the body? So, it only makes sense that the more we work the larger muscles of our lower body, the more glucose control and uptake we obtain.

Strong muscles reflect good metabolic health. Strong muscular people can process carbohydrates, protein, and fat more efficiently. Strong muscles make strong people who have enhanced metabolic health. On the flipside, aging, physical inactivity, obesity, and poor diet trigger physical deterioration.

The take home message: muscle mass is critical for metabolic control, health, and longevity. The muscles of the legs and hips are the largest in the body, so strengthening them will have the greatest impact on metabolic health.

"Lose Weight" are the tag words these days as summer (I mean, Spring) approaches. I bet more than one person has told you that a calorie is a calorie and if you simply reduce your total caloric intake below what you burn each day, you will lose weight.

Calorie counting does work to some extent, but it completely ignores the the fact that we lose fat, muscle and even bone when we lose weight. In essence, our goal should be to maximize fat loss while minimizing muscle and bone loss.

Another important thing to remember about the calorie in, calorie out mantra is the concept of "HUNGER". To eat fewer calories than you burn means you must control your physiologic hunger as well as all those psychological aspects that play a role in eating.

Ok, so you have set out to lose weight. What are you going to do when you get hungry? I guess you could snack on iceburg lettuce between meals or eat veggies, but this only increases the size of your stomach since it is roughage and thus, you will get hungrier faster. This is a bad idea when you are fighting hunger pangs.

I have one option for you. Consider eating protein. More calories are burned digesting proteins than either carbs or fats. The protein in low carb diets also increases our feeling of fullness and satisfaction, thereby limiting our binging on excess calories.

If you want to lose weight, add protein or branched-chain amino acids (BCAA's) to your diet. The three branched chain amino acids, especially leucine, may help you feel full, stimulate protein synthesis, and decrease protein breakdown.

How do you describe an "educated" person?

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary gives several definitions for the word educate, including "to train by formal instruction and supervised practice especially in a skill, trade, or profession" and "to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction."

For most people today, education means training for a particular career. More specifically, many think of acquiring an education as synonymous with acquiring a four year college degree. More education means another degree. Conversely, to be uneducated means not having attended college and therefore not having a degree.

I have referred to this topic in the past and I ask, "Does it necessarily follow that a person without a college degree is uneducated, even inferior, as some seem to believe?"

If one believes that to be educated is to have a four-year degree, I would ask, "Do we suddenly arrive at a point in our lives when we are educated?" My answer, "Doubtful!" Education is a lifelong process, and I do not believe we go to school expecting to be fully educated. An education is not simply something you can purchase for a price like a product, and then expect to “be educated.”

I am not arguing for or against formal education in any way. I have 11 years of formal education, myself, post high school. One might consider me educated. Yes, I have been trained, but my education has never ceased. I believe it is important to remain curious about the world around me. This curiosity can be satisfied in many ways: books, by living itself, by travel, by social interaction, even by work.

I want you to consider the act of reading. Have you read a book lately? I want to share some statistics with you:

1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.

42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college.

80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.

70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.

57 percent of new books are not read to completion.

70 percent of books published do not earn back their advance.

70 percent of the books published do not make a profit.

Are you educated? Have any books made an impact on you? Louis L’Amour states in his biography, Education Of A Wandering Man, "Books are the building blocks of civilization, for without the written word, a man knows nothing beyond what occurs during his own brief years and, perhaps, in a few tales his parents tell him."

What is an Executive Order? Executive Orders (EOs) are legally binding orders given by the President, acting as the head of the Executive Branch, to Federal Administrative Agencies.

Executive Orders are controversial because they allow the President to make major decisions, even law, without the consent of Congress. This, of course, runs against the general logic of the Constitution -- that no one should have power to act unilaterally. Nevertheless, Congress often gives the President considerable leeway in implementing and administering federal law and programs.

The ultimate criticism of Executive Orders is that the runaway use of EOs could result in a President becoming a virtual dictator, capable of making major policy decisions without any congressional or judicial input.

Have you heard that our current president is trying to pass the healthcare bill with an executive order? Oh, I know, executive orders have been used by every president since the late 1700's. And to be honest, I am not worried. No, I am not worried.

Consider this...Governments have a propensity to overreach in so many areas of life that their exercise of power itself leads to their own undoing. Their own "undoing." Their own undoing. Say it with me, "UNDOING."

You have seen the overreach take many forms: financial, economic, social, and military. And why is this "undoing" occurring? Because citizens, it comes about as a result of overestimating the capacity of power and underestimating its limits.

But try telling that to the political class. The last thing they want to hear is that their power is limited, that their will is not a way. Washington is prone to believe that membership in the political class comes with the privilege of shaping the world to their liking.

Ahh, and so power has arisen. Politicians want to "shape" our lives. Isn't that nice of them? People, wake up! You are not dead. I know each and everyone of you is a little taken aback by Washington these days. Healthcare, jobs, unemployment benefits, tax on sodas, bans on sodium. I could go on and on.

If we open our eyes, we will see that Government cannot control the human mind, so it cannot, in the long run, control the choices people make. And if you are worried like many, I will tell you that when you look at the status of government programs and institutions these days, what you see is a government that is seemingly and enormously powerful and rich, but ALSO fragile and teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Events of the last year indicate just how far the government has slipped in its ability to manage the economy, society, culture, and world order.

And so, I will tell you, Obama will unravel. History tells us so. His empire will dissolve as have so many before him and he will be out of a job...not because he was recalled in some formal process, but because the forces of history will run him over.

If any of you think that Government is compassionate and they will help the poor get rich and the rich not so rich, the truth is: men who seek power over the lives of others are the coldest, cruelest humans of all. Watch out, Government is at your dinner table tonight!

Kick that junk food habit! Are you eating clean? What is “clean" eating? Well, we can look at it in two ways-- one, clean out that secret stash! Two, clean up your act and eat healthy!

Have you ever purchased a bag of potato chips, hoping they would last the entire week, but instead, they disappear during one setting of your favorite T.V. show? If so, you are not alone.

Some foods are called junk foods because they have little nutritional value. They are often high in calories, fat, sodium, and sugar. Unfortunately, these are the foods that taste good and we eat them despite their lack of nutritional value.

You are probably thinking that I am going to cut you off from all your eating pleasure, but the truth is, there can be a place for such foods on occasion—just an occasion, mind you! An occasional bag of potato chips or candy bar will not hurt you, but if the so-called junk foods become a regular part of your diet, then they can interfere with your nutritional health.

If you are a junk food junkie and would like to kick the habit, start slow, making one change at a time. For instance, begin by switching to a low-fat variety of your favorite snack chip or cracker. If sweets get your mouth drooling, try baking your own low sugar/low-fat variety. If you are quite certain you cannot go without that piece of candy, save it for a special occasion, such as a holiday event or weekend treat (only one piece! Don’t over indulge!).

If you start slow and give yourself some time to adjust to new habits and lifestyle changes, you will be more likely to stick with the program. You will not feel like you are depriving yourself, and believe me; every small step will motivate you to follow through with the next step.

It is unreasonable for me, or you, for that matter, to think that junk foods will never pass through your lips again (unless of course, your name is Malea Jensen and you are dieting for a major bodybuilding show!), but it is realistic and healthful to limit the amount of these foods that you eat!

Until next time, keep training with a passion and eating healthful!

The other day I discussed the core of our body and why it is important to train core stability. Today, I will give you some exercises for abdominal strength.

Abdominal Exercises

1. Bicycle Maneuver: Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands beside your head. Bring knees up to about 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion. Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. Keep even, relaxed breathing throughout.

2. Captain's Chair: Using the apparatus at the local gym, stabilize your upper body by gripping the hand holds and lightly pressing your lower back against the back pad. The starting position begins with you holding your body up with legs dangling below. Now slowly lift your knees in toward your chest. The motion should be controlled and deliberate as you bring the knees up and return them back to the starting position.

3. Crunch on Exercise Ball: Sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor. Let the ball roll back slowly. Now lie back on the ball until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor. Cross your arms over your chest and slightly tuck your chin in toward your chest. Contract your abdominals raising your torso to no more than 45 degrees. For better balance, spread your feet wider apart. To challenge the obliques, make the exercise less stable by moving your feet closer together. Exhale as you contract; inhale as you return to the starting position.

4. Vertical Leg Crunch: Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands behind your head for support. Extend your legs straight up in the air, crossed at the ankles with a slight bend in the knee. Contract your abdominal muscles by lifting your torso toward your knees. Make sure to keep your chin off your chest with each contraction. Exhale as you contract upward; inhale as you return to the starting position.

5. Reverse Crunch: Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands beside your head or extend them out flat to your sides-whatever feels most comfortable. Crossing your feet at the ankles, lift your feet off the ground to the point where your knees create a 90-degree angle. Once in this position, press your lower back on the floor as you contract your abdominal muscles. Your hips will slightly rotate and your legs will reach toward the ceiling with each contraction. Exhale as you contract; inhale as you return to the starting position.

Time to talk Core Strength bloggers. When the muscles in the hip, shoulder girdle, and trunk are all working together, they form a functional segment called the core. The core muscles are the superficial and deep spinal extensors muscles, abdominal muscles, pelvic floor muscles, and shoulder girdle and hip girdle muscles.

It is well known that you rely on your body to get out of bed, to lift your children, to perform your job and to take you places everyday. Now, consider this: every movement you make originates in the core - whether you are reaching for your toothbrush or running a marathon. If the core is not properly conditioned it will limit your physical abilities.

Training the muscles of the core helps to correct postural imbalances that can lead to injuries. The biggest benefit of core training is to develop functional fitness. Functional fitness is essential to both daily living and regular activities. Body core exercises often imitate moves that we employ in daily life or sports and thus train the body to rely on the core and reduce the strain we put on our limbs. The main concepts of core strengthening programs involve using many muscles in a coordinated movement. Rather than isolating a specific joint as in most weight lifting, stability exercises focus on working the deep muscles of the entire torso at once.

Abdominal bracing is the main technique used during core exercise training. It refers to the contraction of the abdominal muscles. To correctly brace, you should attempt to pull your navel back in toward your spine. This action primarily recruits transverse abdominals. Be careful not to hold your breath – you should be able to breathe evenly while bracing.

Other exercises that develop core strength include exercises on a stability ball, work with medicine balls, wobble boards and Pilate’s exercise programs.

Are you including core exercises in your workout?