Fitness expert Chris Freytag

Almost all women have cellulite.  Concern over the condition brings countless women into diet centers, health clubs and beauty counters.  While most remedies have been proven ineffective, the changes that women make as a result of that concern can be positive; better eating practices and improved exercise habits.  But can a woman be too young to be concerned over the appearance of cellulite?  This question comes from a teenage reader who would like to reduce cellulite on her thighs. Ask the Trainer fitness expert Chris Freytag responds with helpful diet and exercise advice and suggestions for developing a healthy body image at an early age.

Get Your Rear in Gear reader: Hello!  I am 13 years old I have a bit of cellulite on my thighs.  How can I get rid of it? I usually eat well and I like eating salad and some fruits, too.

Chris Freytag: Well, you are not alone…cellulite plagues 90% of all women at some point and sometimes it starts in our teenage years.  The quest to get rid of cellulite has become a billion-dollar business.  Most cellulite creams and pills have been proven ineffective and a waste of money.  Bottom line, cellulite is the product of body composition, genetics and hormones. Cellulite is basically pockets of fat which are trapped in the loosened fibers and cause dimpling in the skin. There are no miracle cures, but to reduce the appearance of the “cottage cheese” look, you need to tighten up the muscle fibers, maintain a healthy body weight, and eat a healthy diet.

Try these steps to reduce cellulite:

• Get your cardio exercise – try for at least 3 times a week.   This will help improve circulation, burn calories and feel good!
• Try a few strength exercises – do a few squats or climb some stairs to tone and tighten your leg muscles.
• Join a new sport – something that allows you to run, jump, walk and have fun.
• Stay hydrated and eat healthy.  Avoid preservatives, chemicals and processed foods.  Eat fresh fruits, veggies, and as much real food as you can.
• Wear clothes that flatter your figure. Not necessarily the newest trend but find the styles that make you feel good.
• Do some positive self talk everyday – remind yourself of your best qualities.

Remember – beauty is much deeper than cellulite.  Beauty is about who you are on the inside.  By keeping a positive mental attitude and body image and you will appear more attractive the world around you!

Get Your Rear in Gear: There are many reasons to develop good diet and exercise habits from an early age.  Improving one’s appearance is one of them.  But as we age, those health habits will also help us to prevent disease and enjoy fuller, healthier lives.  Check out the links below to learn more about developing a strong body image in the teen years, then check out some of the other links to learn more about developing exercise and nutritional habits for a healthy life.

Chris Freytag is a nationally known fitness expert on NBC-TV, the fitness expert for Prevention magazine, and author of 3 books. Chris holds a BA in Journalism and is a certified Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and Lifestyle and Weight Management consultant.  Visit her website for more information about her products or exercise DVDs.

Submit a fitness question to the trainers!

Read more:

• Healthy Body Image: Tips for Guiding Girls (Mayo Clinic)
• Get a total body workout at the neighborhood playground
• Runners live longer healthier lives
• 5 steps to developing a successful fitness plan
• Get fit with the kids during Spring Break

At GetYourRearinGear.com, medical and health experts have repeatedly pointed to the importance of diet and exercise in the prevention of chronic disease, including colon cancer. In a recent interview, Dr. Robert Madoff, Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Minnesota, discussed how he made changes in his own diet to improve his health. He says, “nutritionally, I’ve migrated from a typical high meat, high fat “Western” diet over the last few years to what would now be described as a “Mediterranean” diet – many more vegetables, less meat, and less dairy than I used to eat.” Ask the Trainer fitness expert Chris Freytag also recommends a healthy exercise plan paired with the food found in a typical Mediterranean diet to reduce body fat and improve health. “Eating MUFA’s – monounsaturated fatty acids- such as olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds, avocados and dark chocolate have been linked to reducing body fat.  Therefore, choose a MUFA with most meals and get moving.”

The Mediterranean eating plan is less of a diet than a lifestyle. Healthy fats and lean proteins are paired with a regular exercise program for optimal health. Learn how to get started on the Mediterranean plan by clicking on any of these links.

• What is the Mediterranean diet?
• Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
• Ask the trainer: MUFAs reduce body fat
• Three nutritional tips for preventing cancer
  

C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition
Health Care Reform and You

Health Care Reform and You from Judi Sohn on Vimeo.

Understanding the Affordable Care Act

Deborah Nagle, M.D.

Cancer treatment options can be confusing, especially when initial treatments are not as successful as anticipated. This Ask The Doctor question comes from a reader who was diagnosed with colon cancer at a young age and is now in the process of gathering information about future treatment.

Submit a question to the doctors

Get Your Rear in Gear reader: At age 33, I was diagnosed in 2007 with colon cancer that had metastasized to my lungs; about nine very small bilateral spots.  After 12 rounds of Oxaliplatin, Evastin and 5FU they were gone.  I followed up with CT scans every three months.  The spots started growing again.  I did another round of chemo in June 2009 for about eight months.  This time I had allergic reaction to Oxaliplatin so I only had about three doses of that.  I just continued with Evastin and 5FU until January.  My last CT scan in June showed they are growing again.  My oncologist wants to start chemo again in August.  This time he wants to add Irinotican (which I have heard is horrible).  I went to my thoracic surgeon and he doesn’t want to do surgery because the spots are bilateral and too small and are responding to chemo. Do you have any new suggestions or treatment ideas that I could consider?

Dr. Nagle: Joan, surgery and chemotherapy are the mainstays of treatment for colon cancer.  Unfortunately, there are too many lung nodules for surgery.  Given the pattern of disease (both lungs and 9 small lesions), the only real option at this point is chemotherapy.  Most medical oncologists will utilize all standard regimens before trying something more experimental.  Irinotecan has been shown to be effective.  Everyone responds to chemo a bit differently, so it may be worth a try for you.

Dr. Deborah Nagle is the Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and member of ASCRS. She is also a member of the Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians and an instructor in surgery.

Colon cancer is the number one cancer killer among non-smokers

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control reports that 22 million adults aged 50-75 still need to be tested for colorectal cancer. The findings were part of a study carried out by the CDC which focused on screening trends for both breast and colorectal cancer. The good news is that screening for colon cancer has increased by 11%. The bad news, however, is the number of people who still need to be screened.

According to the report, roughly one third of Americans are not getting screened for colon cancer according to CDC guidelines. The guidelines state that “at age 50 and until age 75 (sometimes younger or older, if your doctor recommends it), men and women should have one or more of three tests to check for colon cancer. In particular, adults aged 50–59 years should get screened because their testing rate is so low. The maximum benefit is expected when people in their 50s are informed and start getting tested.” The three suggested tests for colon cancer include the FOBT (stool test), a flexible sigmoidoscopy, or a colonoscopy. Colonoscopy, according to many gastroenterologists, is the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening.  Lack of awareness and education, as well as insufficient insurance coverage are cited as possible reasons for the lack of testing. Only 36% of uninsured Americans are up to date with colorectal cancer screening, despite the fact that colon cancer is the number one cancer killer for non-smokers.

To improve screening rates the CDC suggests that organizations can

• Inform people about who should be screened and about test options.
• Explain the benefits of screening for colon cancer.
• Identify groups in the community who are not getting screened.
• Make sure tests are done correctly.
• Work with minority and other hard-to-reach groups to encourage and facilitate screening.
• Identify problems (barriers) that keep people from getting screened.
• Create programs to solve these problems and increase screening such as using “patient navigators.” Patient navigators can guide people through the screening process, making it easier to get screened, learn test results promptly, receive appropriate follow-up care, and find support networks.
• Encourage medical practices, especially those with low screening rates, to remind patients to be screened, track who has been screened, and follow up with patients who have not been screened or who need additional tests or treatment.

If you are 50 years of age and have not been screened, if you have a family history of colorectal cancer, or if you are experiencing symptoms which cause concern, visit the Education page at GetYourRearinGear.com. The Colon Cancer Coalition oversees Get Your Rear in Gear 5K races and events across the country which help raise awareness about the importance of colon cancer screening. Get more information about the events or the organization by visiting GetYourRearinGear.com.

Read more:

• Symptoms that warrant a doctor visit
• Got a Question?  Ask the Doctor and get an answer!
• Ask the Doctor: Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy as a screening option?
• Hereditary cancer 101: What you need to know about inheriting cancer
• Phone reminders increase screening rates

Submit a fitness question to the trainers!

Get Your Rear in Gear reader: I am 21 years old and about 115 pounds. I like to exercise and I have a great tummy and legs, but when I tone I tend to loose my chest. I’m lucky to always have been a petite female, but I really stress about looking too thin. Do you have any suggestions as to what I could do to fill in?

Kris Wayne: This is a great question.  Breast tissue is primarily fat, so when you lose weight, that area will get smaller. If you would like to “fill out” that area try to develop the pectoralis muscle in the chest area. Add pushups or use free weights to do chest exercises such as the “fly”. If you belong to a gym, the weight room will also have a chest press machine and pec fly machine. Just be aware that it takes a great deal more effort to build muscle than it does to lose fat. This means you must be prepared to be both persistent and patient. The rule of thumb is that lighter weights and high repetitions will build endurance, but if you want to increase muscle mass, you can use heavier weights and fewer repetitions to actually develop more lean mass. Good luck!

Kris Wayne is the Generations Fitness Specialist for the Metropolitan Minneapolis YMCA. Kris is a certified presenter and fitness instructor through the American Council on Exercise and is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer.

Read more:

• Is weight training important for a runner?
• How to begin a weight training program
• How to do the perfect push up
• How to get Michelle Obama arms

According to a release, the 2008 was study funded by the National Cancer Institute and appears in the July 2010 edition of Medical Care. The study involved nearly 6,000 Kaiser Permanente members aged 51- 80 who were overdue for colon cancer screening. Half received up to three reminder calls stressing the importance of screening and offering them an at-home kit to detect blood in the stool. Within six months, 22.5 percent of people who received reminder calls ordered and completed a stool card test, compared to only 16 percent of those who did not receive reminder calls.

• Listen to the reminder call

Colon cancer is at least 90% curable if caught in its earliest stages. Screening guidelines suggest a colonoscopy beginning at age 50 for most adults. Those with a family history of the disease, or those experiencing symptoms should talk to their health care provider about getting screened at an earlier age. However, many adults are reluctant to have a colonoscopy performed. An FOTB (fecal occult blood test) may be a reasonable alternative. Positive results from the FOTB may indicate any number of conditions and should be followed by further testing.

Read more:

• Ask the Doctor: colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy as a screening option
• A simple solution to improve cancer screening rates
• Top four reasons that people avoid a colonoscopy
• Active patient involvement is key to improving screening rates

Photo source

Are you getting in shape for a Get Your Rear in Gear 5K? While outdoor training can improve your performance in a running event, exercising in the sun can also increase your risk of getting of skin cancer. A study published by the Skin Cancer Foundation found that distance runners are at a higher risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease. Lead researcher Christina M. Ambros-Rudolph, MD was quoted in the article and explained why she believed that the runners in her study developed more skin lesions.

“The most obvious reason for their increased risk,” she noted, “was their excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Many worsened the problem by neglecting sun protection. Almost all tended to wear shorts and short-sleeved or sleeveless shirts, leaving their legs, arms, and upper back sun-exposed. Only 56 percent regularly used sunscreen.”

Additional studies by researchers in Germany found that “sweating because of physical exercise may contribute to UV-related skin damage as it increases the individual photosensitivity of the skin, facilitating the risk of sunburns.”

To stay safe during your outdoor run, be sure to apply a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. The Mayo Clinic recommends using one full ounce (enough to fill a shotglass) to cover the body, and to reapply at least every two hours even if the weather is cloudy. The Skin Cancer Foundation offers additional tips for runners and marathon participants. Participants of shorter races, such as Get Your Rear in Gear 5K events can benefit from these tips as well.

Sun Protection Tips for Runners from the Skin Cancer Foundation

• Run during hours when the sun is less intense. Generally it is strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you train during those hours, find shady places to run.
• Put sunscreen on before your running outfit, not at the race site. This will give it time to soak in, and keep you from applying it less thoroughly or forgetting it altogether because of pre-race excitement.  Use an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen.  Look for stick formulations, sport, or water-resistant versions.
• Run in a hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Polarized lenses help beat the glare.
• Always keep sunscreen in your race bag.
• Have a friend posted somewhere in the second half of the race to hand you a small, one-use, wipe sunscreen (or keep a small packet in your pocket), so that you can reapply it to your face, neck and arms as you run. You can do that without really breaking stride. Sunscreen starts to lose effectiveness at about the two-hour mark, or even sooner if you are sweating heavily.
• Before post-race festivities begin, reapply sunscreen, and give yourself a quick massage in the process to help relax your sore muscles.
• Post-race clothes should include a lightweight but long-sleeve T-shirt and sweats. Darker colors offer ideal sun protection. Or opt for special sun-protective clothing.

Read more:

• Common myths about sun protection

Dr. Robert Madoff, M.D.

It is not always clear which symptoms, or combination of symptoms, require the attention of your health care provider. Often, symptoms come and go, which makes the decision to see a physician more complicated. A Get Your Rear in Gear reader submitted her symptoms to the Ask the Doctor panel to find out if she should make an appointment with her physician.

Get Your Rear in Gear reader: For the past couple months I’ve had the following symptoms and don’t know if I should act upon them or not. The symptoms include: daily headaches, frequent migraines, chronic fatigue, and bowel problems including frequent change in consistency (from completely round, solid, and lumpy to pencil thin and runny), pain when passing bowels, pain after passing my bowels (for about an hour after passing), abdominal pain/cramping, and lower back pain.

Dr. Madoff: Thanks for contacting Ask the Doctor. You appear to have significant symptoms that deserve evaluation.  You should start by seeing your primary care provider.

Get Your Rear in Gear: Readers may also use the Education page at GetYourRearinGear.com to find resources about symptoms. There are also links to other websites which provide helpful tips and advice for managing your health.

Robert Madoff, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Minnesota, and holds the Stanley M. Goldberg, MD Chair in Colon and Rectal Surgery. He is Editor-in-Chief of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, and has served as a Co-Editor of the journal from 2001-2007

Submit a question to the doctors

Fitness expert Chris Freytag

Maintaining a healthy body weight through exercise and proper nutrition is key to good health. Sometimes, weight loss is necessary and for many, presents a challenge. But occasionally, weight loss is a bad thing. This week’s Ask The Trainer question comes from a reader who wants to enhance her hourglass figure, but is concerned that doing aerobic workouts will cause her to lose too much weight.

Get Your Rear in Gear reader: I am trying to eat more to get a more curvy figure (mainly on my hips) but at the same time I have excess belly fat I need to lose. I heard doing cardio would get rid of the belly fat but I am worried that I will get skinnier. What would you advise?

Chris Freytag: Here is the bottom line: you cannot “spot reduce” body fat.  You cannot tone fat.  You cannot tighten fat.  The only way to get rid of and change body fat is the old-fashioned way – by doing cardiovascular exercise and eating healthy. When fat melts off your body, it melts off of your overall body, not just your arms or stomach or thighs.  And everyone’s body eliminates body fat differently depending on a whole host of factors such as age, genetics, hormones, intensity of exercise, etc.

In your case, you want to eliminate some fat while simultaneously adding muscle.  So you still need cardio exercise.  Aerobic exercise at a moderate intensity trains your body to use fat for fuel more efficiently. Cardio exercise is also good for your heart and overall health.  In addition, eating MUFA’s – monounsaturated fatty acids- such as olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds, avocados and dark chocolate have been linked to reducing body fat.  Therefore, choose a MUFA with most meals and get moving.

However, while “spot reducing” body fat doesn’t work, “spot sculpting” does!  What I mean by spot sculpting is to strength train focusing on specific muscle groups in order to firm that particular area.  I am a huge advocate of strength training.  Not only does it make you look better, but strength training and “sculpting” results in you feeling better and having more energy.

Change it up a bit by taking a Pilates class to sculpt your abs, or try using a stability ball while doing your ab crunches. If you exercise at home, try my downloadable CORE workout at www.exercisetv.tv/slimdown.

You can do all the sit ups you want, but if you have a layer of extra fat over your muscles, you won’t be able to reveal the toned and sculpted 6-pack underneath. The best approach to a flat belly is to combine a schedule of cardio exercise with a consistent strength training program and add MUFA’s to your diet.

Chris Freytag is a nationally known fitness expert on NBC-TV, the fitness expert for Prevention magazine, and author of 3 books. Chris holds a BA in Journalism and is a certified Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and Lifestyle and Weight Management consultant.  Visit her website for more information about her products or exercise DVDs.

Submit a fitness question to the trainers!

Learn more about running and fitness from our panel of experts:

• Should I train through an injury?
• How do I make the most out of my workout?
• Should I walk or run to lose weight?
• Got a fitness question?  Ask our online personal trainers