Q: How much exercise do I need each week? 
As we grow older, we start to lose calcium and bone and under the skin are fat pads which lessen. Two protein strands elastin anc collagen are produced at lesser quantity. Those wrinkles come about because without enough of these two proteins the skin is not as smoot h and elastic as it once was and therefore sags. A product named AHA causes stimulation of mucin, which is a substance that fills in between collagen fibers. Over the counter creams with AHA help remove the outer layer of skin which has become dried and has damaged cells
Botox when injected prevents the muscles from moving and therefore wrinkles are stopped. Wrinkles disappear for about four months. Not enough studies have been done to determine the long term effects of this treatment.
90% of all skin changes associated with ageing are really the result of sun exposure. Smokers are five times more likely to have wrinkles. Smoking reduces the blood supply and oxygen to the skin and it may affect collagen and elastin. Fast weight loss will be very noticeable as sagging skin in the face. Exercise works because it relieves stress and increases blood supply. Moisturizers will keep the skin from dehydrating although they will not lessen wrinkles.
It is an obvious principle that any successful weight loss requires less calories in than one is taking in now. However, portions have exploded since the 70’s. Supersized servings of french fries and sodas are often two to five times larger than when they were introduced. In order to downsize your portions one must know the portion sizes of today and realize the difference in portion sizes when they were introduced.
The Burger King hamburger in 1954 went from 2.8 oz and 202 calories to 4.3 oz. and 310 calories today. Macdonald’s french fries went from 2.4 oz and 210 calories to a current size of 7 oz and 610 calories. Hersheys milk chocolate bar went from 2 oz and 297 calories in 1900 to 7 oz and 1,000 calories today. At 2,000 calories a day as an average of what one should consume only two Hershey chocolate bars will make one fulfill his 2,000 calorie requirement. Coca -Cola went from 6.5 fluid oz and 79 calories in 1916 to 16 fluid oz and 194 calories today. That movie popcorn in the 1950’s was 3 cups and 174 calories and is now seven times as much at 21 cups (buttered) 1,700 calories.
Typically if one ate ½ of the current portions they would be near the calories of the products in the above paragraph when those products were first introduced.
At our home meals we also do not adhere to proper portions. The portions sizes that follows are based on recommendations from the American Dietetic Association and Weight Watchers International.
Fruit should be the size of a deep champagne glass. Cheese should be the size of a domino. How many of us have steak the size of a deck of playing cards or a burrito the size of Dove or pasta the size of a computer mouse or a potato the size of a light bulb and butter the size of one of a pair of dice?
Quite simply by keeping portion sizes in mind when eating fast food and at home in meals is the simple and successful way to bring in less calories than one presently takes in. It may not sell a new diet book but quite simply less calories in than the overweight person takes in means lower weight.
The longest survival record of 17 months with an artificial heart was by Tom Christerson. On July 2, 2001. AbioCor is the company that produced this artificial heart. The Jarvic-7 heart made by Robert Jarvic in the early attempts in 1980 had the host die within hours or days and there were massive foreign-body rejection problems. There are more than 4,000 American on waiting lists for transplants and there are less than 2,500 donor hearts available yearly. This is the dilemma that fuels companies to attempt to make an artificial heart.
For artificial hearts to be beneficial there needs to be improvements in electronics, battery technology, fuel cells, prosthetics, as well as engineering changes. Having a practical artificial heart may not be a reality until perhaps the 21ST century.
Meanwhile other methods hold more hope in the short term. There are heart helpers being developed which are made to assist the left ventricular of the heart. This is the chamber that pumps oxygenated blood to the body.
Stem Cell research also holds promise since the heart has been proven to be able to repair itself using stem cells.
Artificial hearts, heart helpers and stem cells all are working to solve one of medicine’s elusive goals which is to help these patients who have seriously diseased hearts. In addition, portable oxygen machines, like the Resperonics Ever Go, have also extended the life of cardiac patients.
