Are You Fitter than a 5th Grader?!

Do you know how many times Ulysses S. Grant was elected president?  Do you know the Japanese island that is home to the City of Tokyo?  If so, you might be smarter than a 5th grader.  

BUUUT, are you fitter than a 5th grader?  This week, the California Dept. of Education released the results of the annual fitness test given to all 5th, 7th, and 9th grade students in public schools (apparently, if you are an 8th grader or go to a private school, you can eat all the Cheetos you want!). 

28.5% of the 5th graders achieved in the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) in all six areas of the test.  If 28.5% sounds pretty poor to you, the State points out that this year is better than last year!  The test assesses six major fitness areas, including aerobic capacity (cardiovascular endurance), body composition (percentage of body fat), abdominal strength and endurance, trunk strength and flexibility, upper body strength and endurance, and overall flexibility.  Over a million kids took it. 

For aerobics, you may be asked to do a mile run (you get 9 to 11.5 minutes for boys, a little more for girls).  For body comp, they may do a skinfold measurement.  For abs, you’ve gotta do “curl-ups” (12-24 for boys, 12-26 for girls). For trunk, you’ll need to do trunk lifts (which we assume have nothing to do with large cases with stickers from countries you’ve visited).  For upper body, its push ups (7-20 for boys, 7-15 for girls), modified pull ups (5-15 for boys, 4-13 for girls), or arm hangs.  For flexibility, it is a “sit and reach” or a shoulder stretch. 

At Fantasy Healthball, we address all six of these categories through our various daily health challenges.  Can you do 7-20 push ups or 12-24 curl-ups?  Are you fitter than a 5th grader?  Think about it.  Make sure, this Thanskgiving holiday, that you are making some time for aerobic activity and other exercise.  I know Ulysses S. Grant would!  — Jim Ballard

Get Email Updates from Our Blog

Jeff and I have been posting about a blog a week since we launched our Fantasy Healthball website and blog at the Superbowl halftime show earlier this year.  As of today, we offer an easier way to stay connected to your friends at Fantasy Healthball.  You should notice a new icon on our blog with the words “Subscribe to Fantasy Healthball by Email.”  Just click on those words and a little form will pop up that asks you for your email address. 

If you are the type that would like to be notified whenever we blog, rather than checking in from time to time at our blog to see if there is a new post, this new service has been created just for you.  We hope you enjoy the convenience. 

We also have a new little red icon for those of you that would like to stay current with a direct RSS feed.  You know who you are!

We value your time and privacy.  We WILL NEVER sell or share your email address with anyone.  You also will not get overwhelmed with emails from us.  You can see our blog rate under our Archives section, we blog on average once a week.  We are 100% serious about not sharing your info.  We are as serious as Mike Singletary after his tight end taunts another player leading to a penalty.  Now that is serious!

Now with that commerical out of the way, get out there and play some Fantasy Healthball!  — Jim Ballard

Diabetes Only Affects the Other Guy

Diabetes only affects the other guy, right?  Right.  Problem is, there are over 23 million other guys.  Take this quick little Fantasy Healthball quiz to find out if you might be next:  1)  Are you getting any younger?  2)  Do you get daily moderate to vigorous exercise?  3)  Is your diet full of fruits, vegetables, and the healthiest foods?  If you answered no to these questions….well, you know. 
 
Recently, I was trying to figure out the number of Americans with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.  It was no easy task because I kept finding different numbers.  I quickly figured out that the reason for the discrepancy was that the number is constantly growing.  Over a million and a half new cases were diagnosed last year bringing the total to over 23 million.  Only 5-10% of those are type 1 diabetes.
 
Michael Krasny at KQED did a great show in diabetes this month which, if you missed, you can HEAR by clicking HERE.  By the way, Krasny is diabetic.

His guest Dr. Ed Gregg said the reason for spike in type 2 diabetes is in part due to increased awareness and detection.  Another huge part of it, though, has to do with weight and obesity trends.  Diabetes trends parallel trends in obesity.  Other factors include:  age, diet, ethnicity, poverty, and related cultural influences of these that affect what people eat and how active they are.  The above map shows the highest risk in the south.  And though I have raved about the healthiness of California in past blog posts, California has a huge increase due to increasing numbers of people in all the above categories.

Type 1 diabetes has increased as well, but the real spike in the US is fueled by the increase to type 2.  Dr. Gregg summarized the difference in type 1 (Jay Leeuwenburg and Jay Cutler) and type 2 like this:  the pancreas of people with type 1 diabetes is not producing any insulin and they need insulin from other sources to survive.  Type 2 is a mixture of body not using its own efficiently and then over time not secreting as much insulin.  Type 1 diabetes is in part an auto-immune response whereas type 2 diabetes has a number of causes but obesity and weight gain over the course of life has greater impact on body’s ability to use insulin efficiently.

What to Do:   First, you can get tested to detect as early as possible.  You should get tested if you are overweight, obese, elderly, others in your family have been diabetic, or you have other medical conditions such as high cholesterol.  One test screens fasting blood sugar.  If the numerical result is between 100 and 125, you are pre-diabetic and already have an increased risk for stroke or heart attack.  Over 125 is diabetic which increases the risk for those, and also kidney failure, blindness, and other things that can ruin your day. 

How to avoid type 2:  If you are pre-diabetic or you think you might be at risk, the doctors recommend losing some weight (starting with 5-10%), go on a lower calorie diet, and increase physical activity.  The CDC recommends a structured program to increase physical activity.  Imagine that, a structured program keeps your head in the game.  Well, we’ve got the game for you.  Hut one, hut two…..  – Jim Ballard

Yes I Can! Yes You Can!

Jeff and I are excited to announce that we now have the support of someone we are a huge fan of, Jay Leeuwenburg.  Jay Leeuwenburg started over 100 NFL games and lined up against eventual Hall of Famers Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor during his 9 years as a lineman in the NFL.  In college, he played on the greatest teams in the history of the University of Colorado football, and became a unanimous All-American center.  He played for the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Bengals, and Redskins.  He also was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes just days after his 12th birthday. 

Jay partnered with Denny Dressman to write Yes I Can! Yes You Can! which is the life story of Jay’s triumph over adversity.  The book is not only inspirational in Jay’s overcoming his diabetes, but it is a great look into what it is like to be a top college and NFL player.  Jeff and I highly recommend the book, which is a must read for anyone who wants to learn more about diabetes and sports, or just enjoys a great sports book.  We love Jay’s “Can Do” attitude.  As Jay learns about how to live the life he wants to, while managing his diabetes, he takes on challenges and overcomes difficulty that might crush a less motivated person.  Instead, he shows how he succeeded in the hopes that others can do the same thing. 

Jay was not drafted until the 9th round of the 1992 college draft.  His goal immediately became to play the number of years in the NFL for the round in which he was drafted.  He did it and started at every interior line position.  We love how Jay never let anything stop him.  He writes about running to the sideline for a quick soda to raise his blood sugar.  You’d think Type 1 diabetes might slow a kid down, maybe give you an excuse not to be an athlete.  But Jay, with discipline and determination, managed his own health and achieved all his goals. 

Fantasy Healthball is about the same thing.  It is about discipline and determination allowing you to achieve your goals – in our case, your health goals.  We’ll turn your passion for sports into passion for great health.  Let your love of the NFL motivate you to lose weight, get stronger, and live a longer, healthier life.  We can help you overcome adversity.  If a 12 year old diabetic kid can turn into a Monster of the Midway, you too can meet your goals.

We feel a great kinship with Jay.  As readers of Our Story know, Jeff was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and has struggled greatly with health.  We also grew up idolizing the Chicago Bears.  Even as I write this I have a Walter Payton photo on my wall.  Jay inspires Jeff to overcome his diabetes.  He inspires me to jog a little longer, swim a little further, and listen to my body so I can live a healthy life.  We hope he inspires you too.  — Jim Ballard

Veggie Assembly Line

Filler Up

Of all the challenges on our scorecard, one that really stands out for me in making a big change in my life is the “veggie challenge.”  It says “eat at least 2-3 cups of vegetables each day.”  For me, that has meant raw vegetables so I can maximize the nutrients (rather than overcooking them so they lose their punch).  I go for a mix.  For example, one days worth might be a few cups made up of carrots, cucumber, yellow and red peppers, celery, tomatoes, and snap peas (just like is shown in the photo).

If you check out the Diet and Nutrition section of our website, you’ll see the veggies are the linebackers of our Food Formation.  Everyone knows the importance of linebackers.  Jack Lambert, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor, Ray Lewis - the foundation of your defense.  They are your heavy hitters.  Your body needs a lot of these.  Like linebackers, these are packed with power and energy you need to be successful.

Vegetables have vitamins, minerals, and fiber and luckily they are found almost anywhere.  But they get a bad rap because they are what your parents made you finish before you could have the cupcake or ice cream.  Many a sentence has started with, “Finish your vegetables, and then you can…”  But vegetables are our friends.  We think of them as an “anti-cancer food.”  Make vegetables a best buddy. 

Veggies got your back, while say a chocolate donut is just going to stab you in the back!

So exactly how many servings of vegetables do you need in one day? As a general guideline, the 1992 food pyramid recommended 3-5 servings per day of veggies.  The 2005 pyramid varies the number based on age, sex, and level of physical activity and puts it in terms of cups.  Generally, it recommends 2-3 cups of veggies for people who don’t get a lot of exercise (more if you do). 

Examples of a cup of veggies include:  two medium carrots, a cup of chopped broccoli, a medium sized baked potato, two large celery stalks, a large tomato, or two cups of raw leafy greens. 

In the photo you see our veggie assembly line.  Every Sunday night, I make six of these – one for me and one for my wife for the next three days.  Wednesday night, I do the same thing to finish out the week.  If I eat them all week, it is 22 total points including the bonus.  Not only do they make me feel healthy in the short run (while I’m eating them or that day), but they make me feel like I am investing in my body for the long haul as well.  The picture shows the kind of advance prep it may take to get you going.  Give it a try, you’ll never regret it.  — Jim Ballard