Wordtrade LogoWordtrade.com
Medicine

 

Review Essays of Academic, Professional & Technical Books in the Humanities & Sciences

 

Fitness

Total-Body Toning with Lashaun Dale DVD by Lashaun Dale [DVD, running time 89 minutes] (Human Kinetics)

Total-Body Toning asks: Are you ready for a workout that produces results results you can see and feel? If so, look no further than Total-Body Toning with Lashaun Dale, your personal program for slimming, shaping, and sculpting your body.

Through interval training and a blend of traditional and nontraditional resistance exercises, perfecting ones physique has never been easier. Total-Body Toning includes eight workouts on this DVD in 89 minutes:

  • A total-body core workout for defined abs and a tapered waist.
  • Two upper-body workouts for toned arms and sexy shoulders.
  • Two lower-body workouts for a firm butt and shapely legs.
  • Warm-up section, fundamentals, and flow workout.

The DVD's special programming option allows viewers to personalize every workout for their goals, their schedule, and their body. Viewers can target body regions, improve cardio-respiratory fitness, or challenge themselves to a grueling total-body workout. They simply sequence the workouts and create a program. From length to progression to level of intensity, the choice is up to viewers.

This DVD allows viewers to look and feel their best with Total-Body Toning, a personal guide to achieving the ideal physique. Personal trainer Dale guides viewers through one of the most effective cardio and strength exercises for more focused workouts and better results.

Micronutrients in Health and Disease by Kedar N. Prasad (Informa, CRC Press)

Increased oxidative stress due to the production of excessive amounts of free radicals along with the effects of chronic inflammation play a major role in the initiation and progression of a host of disease states, ranging from cancer to posttraumatic stress disorder. In varying doses, micronutrients, including antioxidants, B vitamins, and minerals have been shown to help ameliorate these effects. However, clinical studies using isolated micronutrients to combat these illnesses have proven that such limited therapy has produced inconsistent results.

Assembling a plethora of rational and scientific evidence, Micronutrients in Health and Disease makes the case that the use of not one but multiple micronutrients working together in combination with a low-fat, high-fiber diet can prove successful in the prevention and management of these chronic conditions. The book is written by Kedar N. Prasad, formerly Professor and Director for the Center for Vitamins and Cancer Research at the Department of Radiology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, President of the International Society of Nutrition and Cancer from 1992-2000, and currently Chief Scientific Officer of the Premier Micronutrient Corporation.

Following an overview of basic facts about micronutrients, oxidative stress, inflammation, the immune system, and the results of various clinical studies, Micronutrients in Health and Disease explores the use of micronutrients in the prevention and improvement of standard therapy in a number of disease states, including:

  • Coronary artery disease
  • Diabetes
  • Cancer
  • Alzheimers disease
  • Parkinsons disease
  • Hearing disorders
  • Posttraumatic stress disorder
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Adverse effects of radiation
  • Arthritis

Steeped in research and heavily referenced, Micronutrients in Health and Disease concludes with a list of common myths and misconceptions about micronutrient use and a chart with dietary reference intakes (DRIs) of all the major products.

According to Prasad in the introduction, the growing sentiments against the use of micronutrient supplements for improving human health, preventing disease, and improving treatment outcomes among most academic and practicing physicians, and many health professionals, have created confusion and uncertainties in the minds of many consumers and health professionals. These sentiments are primarily based on a few clinical trials in which supplementation with a single dietary antioxidant, primarily vitamin E and beta-carotene, increased the levels of risk factors and/or incidence of the disease in high-risk populations, such as heavy tobacco smokers, patients with coronary artery disease, and cancer survivors. Without critically examining the experimental designs of the trials with respect to the selection of antioxidants, recommendations are being made not to take any micronutrient supplements for health benefits. Such recommendations are alarming from the public health point of view. The adverse health effects of a single antioxidant in high-risk populations were expected, because such populations have high internal oxidative environments in which the individual antioxidants are oxidized and then act as prooxidants.

A few clinical trials with vitamin E alone produced no adverse health effects in normal populations with low internal oxidative environments, whereas others revealed beneficial effects in high-risk populations. Unfortunately, these clinical trials never receive as much publicity as those with negative results. Prasad and others have published several reviews in peer-reviewed journals challenging the current trends of using single antioxidants in high-risk populations for preventing the risk of disease or improving treatment. Prasad has also proposed that multiple micronutrients, including standard dietary and endogenous antioxidants, may be more useful in prevention and management of disease than single antioxidants. These articles failed to have any significant impact on the design of clinical trials, and the inconsistent results on the effect of a single antioxidant continued to be published. The growing anti-micronutrient views promoted by most academic and practicing physicians and science writers of the major news media have alarmed him enough to write Micronutrients in Health and Disease.

Many books and conference proceedings on the value of individual micronutrients in health and disease are available. These books provide both the positive and negative effects of antioxidants on human health and disease. None of the these books have critically analyzed the published data on antioxidants and health, and never questioned whether the experimental designs of the study on which the conclusions are based are scientifically valid, whether the results obtained from the use of a single antioxidant in high-risk populations can be extrapolated to the effect of the same antioxidant in a multiple antioxidant preparation for the same population, and whether they could be extrapolated to normal populations.

In Micronutrients in Health and Disease, Prasad proposes the unified hypothesis that increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are primarily responsible for the initiation and progression of most chronic human diseases as well as accelerated aging. Additionally, he contends that the glutamate release that occurs in certain chronic human diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders also plays a role in the maintenance and progression of the disease. They represent a good candidate to help maintain good health and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve the efficacy of current treatment modalities. Based on the specific health conditions, Prasad has developed a series of formulations of multiple micronutrients containing dietary and endogenous antioxidants. He has included only standard micronutrients that have been used by consumers for decades without reported toxicity. He has not included any herbs, herbal antioxidants, or antioxidants from fruits and vegetables in these formulations, because none of them produced any unique effect that can not be produced by standard antioxidants present in the formulation. The rationale for these formulations is discussed with respect to each specific health or disease condition.

In Micronutrients in Health and Disease, Prasad proposes a clinical study design for each disease that can be used to test the efficacy of these micronutrient formulations in healthy aging and prevention and improved treatment of certain common human diseases. Those who are taking daily supplements will be comforted by the information provided in this book, those who are on the sidelines may decide to take a micronutrient supplement daily, and some who are currently opposed to recommending micronutrient supplements will find this book challenging and may decide to test the proposed idea clinically or continue to believe that micronutrient supplements may be harmful. In the latter case, they should provide scientific reasons for their recommendations.

Prasad hopes Micronutrients in Health and Disease will arouse enough passion for and against taking multiple micronutrient supplements to lead to comprehensive, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical studies in high-risk and normal populations. Meanwhile, Prasad recommends that individuals continue to take appropriately prepared multiple micronutrients in consultation with their physicians and health professionals for healthy aging, reduced risk of chronic diseases, and improved current treatment outcomes.

Filled with research, Micronutrients in Health and Disease is a solid resource for those seeking to promote healthy aging and prevent and manage disease. The book will serve as a reference volume for graduate students in nutrition, instructors teaching courses in nutrition and health, researchers involved in prevention and improving treatments of diseases using micronutrients, primary care and academic physicians interested in complimentary medicine, and health professionals in complimentary medicine and the nutrition industry.

Fitnessgram/Activitygram Test Administration Manual by The Cooper Institute (Human Kinetics Publishers) (Hardcover) This fully updated manual now includes a DVD with video clips to help teachers administer the FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM tests. In doing so, teachers impart the value of physical activity and guide students in making fitness a lifelong habit.

New to the Third Edition

DVD features video clips showing all test protocols for the FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM test, including common errors and corrections.

DVD includes reproducible forms, charts, certificates, and reports that teachers need to conduct the test, record the results, and communicate to administrators, students, and parents.

Manual is highlighted with new illustrations and photos, and an attractive, reader-friendly design makes it easy to use.

The FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM Test Administration Manual, Third Edition, features an increased emphasis on ACTIVITYGRAM, which is the only computerized physical activity management tool available for use with schoolchildren.

More about the Test Administration Manual

Set individualized goals for students

Give students responsibility for managing and recording their own activities

Help students understand the value of physical activity and make healthy behaviors and choices a lifelong habit

Part I introduces teachers to the program components and the mission, goals, and philosophy behind the program. It provides information on fitness education and assessment guidelines, detailing the assessment process step by step. It also explores ways to promote physical education, and it examines guidelines and provides promotion models.

Part II focuses on various aspects of FITNESSGRAM. It takes teachers through test administration issues, including safe administration of the program, considerations for special populations, and administration to primary grades. It provides tests for aerobic capacity; details how to determine body composition through skinfold measurements, body mass index, and other methods; and shows how to test for muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. It also answers physical activity questions related to FITNESSGRAM and guides teachers in interpreting FITNESSGRAM results.

Part III provides an assessment module for ACTIVITYGRAM, outlining how to administer the program and how to interpret the results and give feedback to students. Four appendixes provide guidelines on where to find testing equipment and how to use it, answers to frequently asked questions, and health-related fitness charts and copy masters of all 17 forms and reports.

FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM Test Administration Manual, Third Edition, is time tested, research based, and highly practical—even more so now with its new DVD component. It’s sure to help teachers assess students’ fitness and motivate them to take responsibility to adopt and maintain healthy habits throughout their lives.

More about FITNESSGRAM® and ACTIVITYGRAM®

FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM is an integrated fitness and activity assessment program that can greatly enhance the effectiveness of school-based physical education programs. The program consists of software, a test manual with DVD, and related ancillaries, including The Cooper Institute's FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM Reference Guide. It is designed to work in conjunction with Physical Best, a program of curriculum resources and training certifications for health-related fitness education developed by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) and now run by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

FITNESSGRAM is recommended by NASPE and is the first health-related fitness test to use criterion-referenced standards. This means that test scores are compared to research-based health standards rather than to national averages. FITNESSGRAM has been widely used for two decades and is guided by a distinguished scientific advisory board.

Through FITNESSGRAM and ACTIVITYGRAM, teachers will be able to accurately assess students’ fitness levels, set goals for the students based on those assessments, and teach students how to manage and record their own activities. Teachers can easily track and report students’ progress, motivate students to stick with their activity programs, and—perhaps best of all—teach them to make healthy choices a lifelong habit.

These unique features set the FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM program apart from other test batteries for youth:

FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM allows teachers to produce individual as well as group fitness and activity reports for students. The reports are generated using complex algorithms that take into account children’s results on various fitness tests as well as estimates of their current activity level. This personalized feedback provides students and parents with more meaningful information than a simple listing of fitness scores. The group reports can help teachers track data over time to document their efforts to promote activity and fitness in their curriculum.

FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM uses criterion-referenced standards to evaluate students on each dimension of fitness and on measures of physical activity. These standards are age and gender specific and are based on how fit and active children need to be for good health. The use of criterion-referenced standards is a critical distinction, because this type of feedback helps to minimize comparisons among children and allows teachers to provide personalized information to each child about their health-related fitness. Feedback in FITNESSGRAM is targeted to personal fitness for health rather than to goals based on performance. • FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM encourages student involvement in physical education. Software allows students to enter personal data and print out their own reports. The reports provide personalized feedback that encourages children to establish regular patterns of physical activity. The program also encourages the use of self-testing or peer testing to promote self-monitoring skills needed for lifetime participation in physical activity.

Headline 3

insert content here