July 30, 2007

DID YOU KNOW how many people in the world died from smoking in the year 2000? You might be surprised to find that during that year, almost 5 million smokers died – most of which were men. Smoking leads to cardiovascular disease, pulmonary diseases, and lung cancer – 3 very good reasons to kick the habit. And another study also found that more than 50% of all the deaths (that’s over 2.5 million people) were in smokers aged 30-69. Still think you’re invincible to the deadly effects of smoking, think again!

STROKES vs WEIGHTS Another good reason to lift weights, according to an 8-year study of nearly 8,000 men conducted at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, found that men with high testosterone levels are less likely to have strokes. Finding that men with lower testosterone levels had strokes during the study led the researchers to believe that having higher levels of the male hormone may offer some protection. You can boost your testosterone levels drug-free by weight lifting. Resistance training is the number-one way to help your body naturally produce more testosterone. (Men's Health)

MORE PROOF! In a 17-year study of nearly 9,800 adults, researchers at New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that exercisers had a 30% lower risk of deadly heart attacks than did non-exercisers - even though the exercisers ate more calories. "For too long, people have focused on cutting calories but they really should be paying as much or more attention to physical activity," say study coauthor Judith Wylie-Rosett, Ed.D., "It's critically important regardless of weight loss."

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