Category: Exercise

Strongself > Blog > Nutritional Advice > Exercise

Robots working in the O.R.

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Replacing a joint has become so matter of fact. Baby boomers especially don’t think twice about replacing a knee, hip etc. if it means extending the amount of time that they are able to stay active. The first joint replacement, according to historians, was in 1890. It was a carved and machined piece of ivory which replaced the knee of a seventeen year-old. It was performed, by a German surgeon named Themistocles Gluck. Over the years, the material used has changed dramatically. Everything from metal, plastic, ceramics to titanium. In the decade, 1990-2000, new technology made plastics more durable. This eliminated wear and tear and eventual replacement of the joint again. Technology has progressed to the point where you enter an operating room and there may be a model of a bone implant superimposed on a 3-D model of the person’s joint. Robotic arms which are directed through a console are guided and controlled by the surgeon. The tiny robotic hands are able to bend and rotate with a greater range of motion. This enables the surgeon to operate by only making small incisions preserving more bone and soft tissue than a conventional open procedure. Less muscle damage translates to faster recovery. Greater accuracy can mean better alignment and balance after knee surgery and minimal leg difference after hip surgery. This also preserves the longevity of the replaced joint. Hopefully we will never replace the surgeon totally.

https://www.intuitive.com/en-us/about-us/company?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9LKyvP_k7gIVjeSzCh318QIcEAAYAyAAEgIRz_D_BwE

https://www.davincisurgery.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9Pm0tv7k7gIVByCGCh3b8QMbEAAYAiAAEgKhpPD_BwE

Weight Loss without Exercise…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

It is a fact that in order to lose weight, exercise should be a major component in speeding up your metabolism. However, there are a few tips, though they may sound strange, have been proven to help.

 

 

 

 

 

  • Surround yourself with Blue. Color can function as an appetite suppressant. Many fast-food restaurants use bright colors as part of their décor. Researchers have found that people eat 33% less in a blue room or when they dine on blue plates.
  • Light a Vanilla Scented Candle. The aroma has been shown to dampen dessert cravings. One group of 160 volunteers lost an average of 4.5lbs with this method.
  • Brighter Lights and Softer Music. Dimmer romantic lighting in restaurants encourages the ordering of more food. Soft music encourages slow chewing as opposed to a hectic pace brought on by fast paced tunes.
  • Stick to Wrapped Candy. Having to unwrap a piece of candy takes time and keeping the used wrappers in front of you will serve as a reminder of how much you have already eaten.

Fear of Pasta:

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Should pasta be a part of our diet? Why is it that it is the first food that people eliminate when they feel they want to eat healthy or lose weight? Actually, pasta can be a good source of energy as well as a nutritious part of your diet when used properly. Sure, pasta can put on weight, but that depends on how much of it you are consuming and what you are combining it with. It should be part of the meal and not the entire meal. In other words, about a cup of cooked pasta in combination with olive oil, vegetables, beans or some animal protein can provide a nice combination of carbohydrates, fat and protein. With so many types available, is one better than the other? Regular refined pasta may seem to be an undesirable choice but in fact it is made from semolina (a hard Durum wheat) which is high in protein. Since it is refined it is also fortified with folate and B vitamins. The nature of this type of pasta is such that the way its protein and carbs are bound together it digests very slowly making it a slow release of energy in the body. Vegetable infused pasta is nothing more than colored pasta with no added nutritional benefits. Whole wheat is a step up since it contains the whole grain of the wheat so you will get both the bran (fiber) and the germ (healthy fat) of the wheat. Pastas made from beans or other grains (chickpeas, lentils, quinoa etc.) do have a higher nutritional value but vary in taste. Using pasta for energy can really work especially if you are an active person. Just be aware of portion size and incorporate other grains to vary your diet and nutritional needs.

Distraction and Athletic Performance…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

In a recent study, at the Academy of Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory in Northwestern University, research is being conducted to determine whether professional athletes may be able to edit sounds better than the average person. It suggests that sports may change the activity of brain waves. Researchers feel that the sense of sound is one of the most complex tasks the brain is asked to perform. It calls upon the brain to decipher which sound or noise is necessary to respond to. By connecting electrodes to a person’s scalp, they were able to see which type of person processes sound quicker. What they found was that athletes were able to pinpoint sounds and filter out surrounding noise much faster than most of us. Their brains seemed to be much quieter.  The intense concentration of an athlete can train the brain to understand sound at an intricate level. The study was not able to truly determine whether being an athlete increased the perception of sound or whether the ability was innate in professional athletes.

 

https://www.scifeye.org/reviews/heightened-connection-between-physical-and-mental-activity-to-the-perception-of-sound-in-athletes-discussed-by-the-new-york-times#:~:text=In%20Summary%3A%20A%20recent%20study,is%20digestible%20to%20any%20audience.