I love what I do.......I love helping people. What a great feeling it is when someone tells me how much I have helped them attain their goals. Below is an email that I want to share with all of you. It made me smile ear to ear!! Let me just say, "it's the little things in life that make it fulfilling!"

Hi,

I just wanted to send you a quick note telling you of my progress. It has been two months since I began weight training after a long hiatus. (over a decade)

I have followed your suggested diet and eating schedule and I have seen incredible gains in muscle growth and body fat reduction.

I have taken some precaution not to eliminate too much fat from my diet but I am focusing on "good" fats and concentrating on when I eat.

I know your time is valuable and I just want to thank you for the suggestions and direction I needed so badly. You took time out of your schedule to help a complete stranger and I really appreciate it.

As I continue to get better at building the body I desire, I will have more requests regarding diet and training and I will gladly pay for this direction.

Thanks again,

JWB

It's February 1st...........Super Bowl Sunday. To many it's the biggest party day of the year. Why the hype? Well, for starters, the Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The game and all its ancillary festivities constitute Super Bowl Sunday. Over the years it has become the most-watched U.S. television broadcast of the year.

In addition, many popular singers and musicians have performed during the Super Bowl's pre-game and halftime ceremonies.

Lastly, Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest U.S. food consumption day, following Thanksgiving....Not something you want your doctor to hear!

And the history of the game......The Super Bowl was first played on January 15, 1967 as part of an agreement between the NFL and its younger rival, the American Football League (AFL) in which each league's championship team would play each other in an "AFL-NFL World Championship Game". After the leagues merged in 1970, the Super Bowl became the NFL's championship game, played between the champions of the league's two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Since the NFL season extends into the New Year, the Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather than the year it was held. For example, Super Bowl XLII, played in February 2008, was actually part of the 2007 season.

Super Bowl XLIII will be played between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The Steelers are a 6.5 point favorite.

There is something much deeper behind the "Steel Curtain Defense" and the offensive stance of Kurt Warner.

A born-again Christian, Warner is relentless in his desire to spread the word. Where many other players mention their beliefs in passing, Warner makes a point of raising his at regular intervals. He has said before, that any story about him which does not have God at its center is fundamentally missing the point.

And on the other side......Troy Polamalu. He is a big reason the Steelers will be playing in the Super Bowl today. He has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and there is no question that his desire to succeed drives him constantly.

What makes Polamalu such a dangerous player, is that he is armed with a purpose that not all players have.

It started back when Polamalu was a kid growing up in California. He went to go visit his uncle up in Oregon and ended up really like it there so he asked his mother if he could stay. She knew it was the best decision for her son because she wanted him away from any gang violence he might experience at home.

Polamalu's heritage is Somoan, and it was through his uncle that he really got in touch with those values. His mentality is to be a gentleman everywhere, except on the field. He is extremely disciplined, and never gives less than 100% of himself, even in practice. He is deeply rooted in his Christianity and that drives him to constantly strive to play at such a high level.

So, there you have it....the force behind these two great men.....God! I love it! Enjoy the game friends! Don't eat too much! Doctor J's orders!

Good day my friends. Today's post: Bodyfat 101

The #1 New Year's Resolution is weight loss. When individuals commit to a weight loss program, they most commonly concentrate on subtracting pounds from their total, overall weight. Although this is a worthwhile goal, the newest research is showing that this approach may be shortsighted. As one of the newest and most alarming studies demonstrated, abdominal fat may be a stronger predictor of premature death than overall weight. At a time of year when everyone’s mind is on weight loss, I thought it would be particularly appropriate to discuss the findings of this new study and explain an effective approach to reduce the visceral fat that accumulates around abdominal organs.

Many of the past studies investigating the association between weight and risk of death have relied upon the body-mass index of the subjects. The BMI uses a person’s height and weight to calculate a score. Individuals who have a BMI of between 25 and 29.9 points are considered overweight; anyone with a higher score is considered obese. According to current treatment guidelines, physicians usually only measure patients’ waists if their patients’ BMI indicates they are overweight.

In the past, most studies on weight gain and risk of death depended upon the BMI, but few studies examined whether the distribution of body fat contributes to the prediction of death. Now, however, an emerging body of evidence is finding that it’s not how many pounds a person gains but rather where the weight settles.

The newest study to reach this conclusion was one of the largest of its kind. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the results indicated that participants with large waists had an increased risk of death—even if they were considered to be normal weight based upon their BMI. Normal-weight males whose waists measured about 40 inches or more had double the risk of dying compared to those who had waists 34 inches or less. Females whose BMI was normal but who had waists 35 inches or more had a 79 percent increased chance of dying compared to female subjects whose waists were 28 inches or less.

Another finding of the study was that for every five-centimeter (about two inches) increase in waist size in subjects with any BMI score, death risk rose by 17 percent for males and 13 percent for females. Comparing waist-to-hip ratios resulted in similar findings.

Earlier in 2008, another study was published in the journal Circulation that reached a similar conclusion. The study authors concluded, “Measures of abdominal adiposity were strongly and positively associated with all-cause, CVD [cardiovascular disease], and cancer mortality independently of body mass index. Elevated waist circumference was associated with significantly increased CVD mortality even among normal-weight women.”

Here is a reminder of why this type of fat is so dangerous to cardiovascular and overall health. Abdominal fat is actually comprised of: 1) subcutaneous fat, which accumulates under the skin and is relatively benign and 2) dense visceral fat, found deep in the abdomen, surrounding the intra-abdominal organs. Elevated levels of visceral fat causes metabolic syndrome and visceral fat cells release inflammatory cytokines such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin (IL)-6, which contribute to chronic systemic inflammation. Visceral fat also can trigger increases in blood pressure due to the production of angiotensin, a chemical messenger that can cause the constriction of blood vessels. Even modest increases in visceral fat result in measurable endothelial dysfunction. Aging, excessive calorie intake and sedentary lifestyle all contribute to weight gain and visceral fat accumulation.

This may seem complicated, but I am recommending that you see your primary care physician and discuss your risks. Stay up to date with your health care. Start the year off right.......nutrition and exercise!!! Train hard and eat smart!!!

Hi blogger buds!! I read an interesting piece today from John Berardi of Precision Nutrition. Enjoy your reading! And, don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts. The following is an exert on "Choosing the Right Doctor."

by John M Berardi, January 7th, 2009

Today’s “big idea”: Choosing the right doctor.


While I’m called “Doctor Berardi” by some, I don’t have an MD nor do I pretend to. As a result, I try to steer clear of medical recommendations and stick with exercise and nutritional suggestions. However, the more clients I work with, the more I realize that the level of care some of you are receiving is abysmal.

Now, I know most facets of the medical system are understaffed and underfunded. But that’s not what I’m talking about today. Rather, it’s the interactions you’re having with your docs. It’s the poor communication, the short cut assessments, the flawed diagnostic procedures, and the poor follow-up.


The PN Measurement Guide
When Your Doc Isn’t Right For You

Take this example. On pages 29 and 30 of the Precision Nutrition Measurement Guide we list a number of blood tests that you should have done every few years to ensure that you’re in good health. These tests include standard blood chemistry profiles, kidney and liver function tests, basic hormonal panels, comprehensive cardiovascular risk profiles, carbohydrate/insulin sensitivity profiles, and a few more. All standard stuff that anyone who’s interested in monitoring their health and preventing age-related problems should have done every coupla years.

No surprise, armed with this information and excited to get proactive about their health, many of our clients and customers march right in to their docs to have these tests done. And what happens? Well, some of them have a great experience. Their doc works with them to collect these measures, discusses what the results mean, and offers suggestions to ensure that the blood levels stay in check.

But that’s not what always happens. Rather, sometimes they’re met with resistance and/or flat out refusal of care. Other times, the docs will agree to run the tests but then refuse to give them access to the results once collected. And, most common, and perhaps scariest of all, even if the doc runs the tests and shares the results, they don’t know what all the tests mean, how to interpret them, or what to do if one of them is out of wack.

Sigh.

These last few disturbing experiences aren’t necessarily the norm. However, I’ve heard these frequently enough to realize something is amis. But rather than railing against the medical system, there’s one thing I can do right now for myself and my family. So can you. Switch docs.

If your physician is one of those nightmarish ones above, find a new physician. Pronto. Before - god forbid - something really bad happens and you’re stuck trusting someone like this with your life.

Paging Charles Darwin

Now I’ve heard about a million and one excuses for why people don’t shop for new physicians. But the real reason is this. In our society we’re taught that switching docs isn’t something that’s in our best interest. Which is supremely ironic, in my opinion.

Better Than A New Internet Service Provider?

You see, we’re conditioned to constantly look for better deals and better service when it comes to meaningless stuff. Like cell phone companies, home phone providers, internet service providers, and cable service providers. I know this first hand. I’m the guy who wastes hours comparing rates and switching companies when a better offer comes along. And I know many of you do this too.

Yet when it comes to our health, we’re taught to take a much more passive position. We pick some doc out of the phone book, who’s on our route to work, who’s close to our house, or who our brother-in-law recommends. And we stick with them for the long haul. Never really questioning what their competency is. Never leaving even if they aren’t providing a reasonable or acceptable level of care.

Perhaps we should all be given a Darwin Award for this type of silly behavior. Come on folks, get with the program. Skip this month’s call to Bell and instead take a few minutes to think about your health care.

I Feel Ya’ - But I’m Not Sick

Now, if you’re reading this article, chances are you’re a believer in preventative medicine. And, as a result, you don’t feel like you need to make many doctors appointments. But that’s where us preventative folks can take a lesson. Waiting until you’re sick to go to the doctor pretty well guarantees that your appointment will be too late.

If you’re into preventative medicine, you should be the first one booking appointments with your doc every year or every other year. Not for treatment. But for assessment. To make sure things are in good working order. Before it’s too late and something actually goes wrong with you.

If your doc’s not friendly to that, it’s time to kick ‘em to the curb and find someone new.

Tips For Finding A Doc

There are quite a few good articles on the web that offer suggestions for finding a good doc. Their suggestions include the following for beginning your search:

Ask family and friends for recommendations
Contact a local medical referral service (many cities have one)
Browse the yellow pages
Do an online web search
Contact the American Medical Association
Find the best hospital and look there

Then, once you find a few docs that make your list, the next steps are to:

Check credentials and history of malpractice
Have a private interview and see which doc’s philosophy best matches yours
Give the one you feel most comfortable with a trial period and if it goes well, keep them

These are all pretty good, common sense tips. However, I’d offer up a couple of additional strategies, strategies based on my years of working with a wide variety of health professionals in my network.

Don’t limit your search to MDs.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve worked with some incredible MDs. But I’ve also worked with some amazing Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs), Naturopathic Doctors (NDs), and Chiropractors over the years. When competent and well-trained, these types of individuals can offer exceptional preventative care as well as illness care, care that can rival the work of any MD. So definitely look into the strengths and weaknesses of choosing each of the above as your primary care provider. You may eventually need specialists for certain issues. But for your first line of care, MDs, DOs, NDs, and Chiros can all be good choices based on your own circumstances.
Ask for referrals at local health and fitness establishments.

Sure, some of the employees at your local health food store might be scary. However, if you talk to as many natural health and fitness workers as possible in your area, you’re likely to be referred to docs that are into preventative medicine and understand your needs as an exerciser. You might talk to people at local gyms, at health food stores, at chiropractic clinics, and more. You could even contact local sports teams to see which docs they use. In the end, asking family and friends who they use is ok. But what if they don’t exercise? What if they’re not into preventative medicine? You might not be happy with their referral. So start looking in the places where people like you hang out, places where people like you get their advice.

Be sure your doc has a wide network.

I include strength coaches, other nutrition coaches, MDs, DOs, naturopaths, chiropractors, psychologists, and more in my treatment network for a reason. When a client comes to me with a problem I don’t exactly know how to address, I can get the opinions of my really smart friends. For example, recently I worked with an individual who’d been seeking medical care for 10 years to help him with an unresolved problem. With the help of my treatment network, we had his problem properly diagnosed and an effective treatment plan in action in 2 weeks! Most professionals can’t do that sort of thing alone. They need help. So make sure your doc has that sort of help and isn’t afraid to use it.

In the end, there’s no easy strategy or magic bullet for finding a doc who’s right for you. It takes some work. But if your current doc isn’t getting the job done, or if you simply don’t have a doc that you visit for regular assessments, it might be a good idea to set aside some time in 2009 to take care of this very thing. It might be the second most important health decision you make this year.

Hi Blogger Buddies! Long time no chat! Happy New Year! I have been a little lax on posting, but I'm here now! I have also updated my website with some interesting articles, Q&A, and a few pics. Check out www.maleajensen.com.

As the new year is upon us, we may want to consider some minor improvements in ourselves. I will comment on one here as I know with this blasted cold weather and being cooped up in the house with nothing to do can........well, cause a little bit of anger. Sssshhhhh, not so loud. You don't want everyone to hear! Are you one who needs some anger management this time of year? Well, the doc is in! Here are a few suggestions to keep you from blowing a gasket!

Simple as it may sound, you may want to start with some age-old advice--count to 10 before you speak. If you are super angry, a hundred might suffice!

The familiar childhood reproach of “counting to 10” before taking action works because it emphasizes the two key elements of anger management -- time and distraction.

As you may already know, the energy of anger often leads to impulsive behavior that only aggravates an already tense situation. If given enough time to cool off, however, most people can learn to control their initial impulses. Counting to 10 not only provides the time needed for delay, but also offers a distraction from the anger-arousing event. While busily counting, we cannot mentally add fuel to the fire by mulling over whatever happened.

Counting to 10 becomes an even more effective way of disarming anger if we also take a slow deep breath between each number. It appears that deep breathing counteracts the fight or flight stress reaction that underlies anger.

Once more relaxed and in control, we're ready to "respond," which is the key when dealing with anger. You should try not to react! Instead, make a careful choice regarding the best course of action, and then guide your response by the three anger-regulating principles: empathy, compassion, and assertion."

Empathy is the ability to see a situation from another person's point of view. Adopting an empathic stance opens the door to compassion by providing for a deeper emotional understanding of the source of conflict. Being compassionate in an anger-arousing situation allows for the deliberate choice of a tolerant but assertive response to resolving the conflict.

Sound simple? Give it a try the next time you feel yourself on the verge of blowing a gasket!!!

Many of you are aware that I have three little lovebugs..... my dogs. I started with two of them two years ago, and most recently added Tucker, my toy fox terripoo. He is my baby boy! Squirt, my little princess, is a dorkie (dashund/yorkie), and Nitro is my morkie (maltese/yorkie).

Most everyone knows that a pet is certainly a great friend. For instance, after a difficult day, pet owners quite literally feel the love. Pets are ALWAYS excited to see you. Not a day goes by that my little ones don't run up and jump in my arms, giving me kisses and lots of warm fuzzies. They are great!

For nearly 25 years, research has shown that living with pets provides certain health benefits. Pets help lower blood pressure and lessen anxiety. They also boost our immunity.

The old thinking was that if your family had a pet, the children were more likely to become allergic to the pet. And if you came from an allergy-prone family, pets should be avoided.

However, a growing number of studies have suggested that kids growing up in a home with "furred animals" -- whether it's a pet cat or dog, or on a farm and exposed to large animals -- will have less risk of allergies and asthma.

Pets are also good for the mind and soul. In one study, stockbrokers with high blood pressure who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than did people without pets.

People in stress mode get into a state of "dis-ease," in which harmful chemicals like cortisol and norepinephrine can negatively affect the immune system. Studies show a link between these chemicals and plaque buildup in arteries, the red flag for heart disease.

Like any enjoyable activity, playing with a dog can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine -- nerve transmitters that are known to have pleasurable and calming properties.

Heart attack patients who have pets survive longer than those without, according to several studies. Male pet owners have less sign of heart disease -- lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels -- than non-owners, researchers say.

So, what does this all mean??? Well, that means that Dr. J is going to live a long life, a happy life, with lots of serontonin flowing freely in her blood stream, no artery clogging plaques, no loss of temper, and no illnesses. May the Lord bless all my friends, family, and my lovebugs who will all put up with me that long!!!

I am sure everyone has heard that President elect Obama is developing a Health Reform for 2009. The plan is to extend meaningful health insurance to more Americans and seek to reduce costs so that every American has access to primary care.

But, you may not be aware that with Obama's new plan, there will most likely incur a shortage of primary care physicians. The workforce crisis is due to a combination of inadequate payment to do the job correctly, and inadequate resources to organize practices to do it right.

The basic premise is that if we do plan to extend meaningful health insurance to more Americans and seek to reduce costs, we need to make sure Americans have access to a primary care doctor.

You may be asking yourself, "why the shortage?" Good question! In a nutshell, surveys indicate that physicians when asked if they would choose primary care again, 1 in 4 said NO! Wow, that is pretty scary. But let me ask you a question. In what other profession, other than physicians, could you send a bill for $100 and see a payment for $45? Let me put it another way.......can you imagine what would happen if your plumber handed you a bill for $60 and you replied, "I think I'll just pay $32." Seriously, this is how insurance companies pay physicians. And, now you wonder why docs cannot continue seeing fewer patients for less money and adding more paperwork requirements. No doc in their right mind would go into medicine again at a time like this.

I hate to be pessimestic........that is not my nature, but I am simply trying to raise awareness of the crisis at hand. This is a start to finding a solution!

I urge everyone to stay involved. Keep yourself updated on the politics of healthcare. This crisis affects EVERY American!

I am a member of Sermo. It is a physician run organization. The following letter was sent to me in hopes that all physicians receiving it, would place their signature on it. Please read the following letter to physicians urging them for their signature, as well as the letter that will be written to the Americans from physicians. This is some really good stuff. Let me know your thoughts. Please comment if you choose.

Sign the Open Letter from America's Physicians

The time has come for physicians to come together and lead a new wave of healthcare reform. The current healthcare system is strained and unsustainable. Our patients' well-being and the dignity of our profession are at stake. The physician community has found a powerful voice on Sermo and we can use this platform to speak with consensus and act in unity.

On Sermo, the physician community has been able to start formulating strategies to refocus our misdirected healthcare system for optimal patient care. The first product of this effort is the launch of an open letter to the American public, outlining the challenges we face in delivering appropriate care. This letter also gives us the opportunity to declare our full commitment to our patients. What began with the idea of drafting a single letter has now grown into a movement that is unifying and giving voice to thousands of physicians.

The "Open Letter from America's Physicians" is the culmination of months of polling, discussions, and draft revisions on Sermo, involving the active participation of over a thousand physicians. We must now drive our colleagues to sign the letter to show the strength and scope of our unity to policy makers and the public. Sermo has pledged support to distribute the signed letter broadly via the Internet, national newspapers, and downloadable materials that we can share with our patients. These strategies will give us national visibility and generate significant media attention for our efforts.

We have finally been given a real opportunity to speak and act as one. There is power in our unity. We can build on this experience and create a viable mechanism for establishing a new paradigm that acknowledges the value of physician autonomy and patient-centered health care delivery, free from the intrusion of special interests and political motives.

................................

An Open Letter from America's Physicians

Dear Fellow Americans,

For decades the United States has led the world in healthcare. We have enjoyed the finest hospitals, medical schools, research, technology, and resources. Unfortunately, our healthcare system has lost focus to the point where patient well-being is placed after politics, profits, and special interests. Healthcare costs are on the rise and patients have lost their freedom of choice. These trends are hurting our economy and compromising the doctor-patient relationship. As a result, it has become difficult for physicians to deliver the best possible care.

Our heavily fragmented healthcare system has made it very difficult for you, the American public, to get the care you need. As your physicians, we want to partner with you to address the critical defects of the system as outlined below:

You are paying a lot for healthcare and not receiving enough in return. Your insurance premiums continue to increase while your healthcare options are dwindling. Gatekeepers, insurance networks, and restrictive regulations limit your choice of doctors and your access to care.
You have been made dependent on complicated and expensive health insurance plans. Employers are forced to take money out of your paycheck to purchase health coverage. If you lose your job, you are left with no safety net and the money you have paid for health coverage vanishes.
The time you spend with your physician has become remarkably brief due to regulatory hurdles requiring doctors to spend more time on documentation than with you.
We believe the following factors have made our current healthcare system unsustainable:

The insurance industry's undue authority and oppressive control over healthcare processes
Excessive and misguided government regulation
The practice of defensive medicine in response to a harmful and costly legal environment
We, the physicians of the United States, will no longer remain silent. We will not tolerate a healthcare system where those without medical expertise or genuine interest in our patients' health have absolute control. This letter is merely a summary of the most important problems in our current system. We believe that by partnering with the public we can start to demand real change and formulate practical solutions.

We invite you, our patients, friends, neighbors, and employers to unite with us at this important time in the history of healthcare in the United States. Together, we can guarantee our nation a healthier tomorrow.

Please talk to your doctor about this letter and visit www.sermo.com/doctorsunite for more information.

Respectfully,

The Undersigned U.S. Physicians