Exercise boosts your sex life. Here’s how….

Welcome to our health & self help blog.

Focus on Your Health:

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today's post: Monday, 10-30-2006

Exercise boosts your sex life. Here’s how….

In both men & women, people who exercise are sexier & usually have more & better sex than people who don’t.

One study of women found that regular exercise was the most reliable predictor of having a good sex life of the factors that they studied.

In fact, many people who don’t get regular exercise begin to have problems sexually by the time they are in their fifties.

1. Since one of the key ways exercise helps with sex is that it keeps your blood flow healthy & robust, people who exercise regularly often report having their best sex in their fifties.

This is quite a contrast to beginning to run out of gas sexually.

(Important note: Smoking is much worse for your circulation & robust blood flow than regular exercise is good.

This is not as well known as the fact that smoking increases the chances of people getting lung cancer. But virtually everyone who smokes impairs their circulation.

In fact, poor circulation caused by smoking is a major cause of impotence.

So, if you smoke & would like to keep a good & active sex life, you’ll make that a LOT more likely if you quit smoking.)

Regular exercise also keeps your circulation good by raising the heart protective fraction of your HDL that keeps your arteries clean & open.

You can also help do that by eating right & by keeping your LDL cholesterol low. And, it also helps keep your blood flowing well to not allow the LDL you do have from being oxidized. Because oxidized LDL tends to cause plaque build up that restricts bood flow, preventing your LDL from oxidizing is important.

Eating a variety of vegetables almost every day; eating fruit high in vitamin C & other antioxidants; & taking antioxidant supplements like vitamin C & vitamin E, particularly in their natural form, & others like alpha lipoic acid, will help keep your LDL from oxidizing.

2. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to avoid getting depressed & to get out of being depressed.

And, people who are depressed feel like having sex less often & enjoy it less when they do.

This happens far less often to people who exercise regularly.

There are three key reasons for this.

Vigorous, regular exercise releases increased amounts of key neurotransmitters in the blood stream. So the physical brains of people who exercise regularly literally work better than those people who don’t exercise. Their pleasure circuits have the neurotransmitters they need, so they don't get depressed or as depressed for as long. And, they enjoy sex more.

And, when exercisers run into the temporary hard to deal with problems everyone encounters, regular exercisers have a recent memory of doing something physically that they controlled & did successfully, their exercises, to bolster them psychologically.

Nonexercisers often lack such memories if they aren’t unusually effective people in general.

And, with some of the more severe problems, we can all use all the extra help we can get.

Exercise provides that in part.

Third, as we covered in a previous post, there are also several other reasons that exercisers think better & more effectively, so they are more likely to overcome the challenges they face.

3. People who exercise regularly & do both fitness & strength exercises can literally have more intense sex. They are stronger & have more stamina.

4. Exercisers are often more muscular & less fat than non-exercisers. So they look better to their partners or prospective partners.

5. Exercisers are usually in better health than non-exercisers; so they are both more appealing & more likely to want to have sex.

6. And, one of the biggest reasons exercisers have the best sex lives is that vigorous strength training releases testosterone.

Since testosterone is the key hormone in making you feel sexy & enjoy sex, that’s one of the most important reasons.

And, although their testosterone is at a lower level & it’s less well known, women have testosterone as well as men. And, they experience this effect when they exercise also.

*******

If you need inspiration or some ideas on an exercise plan that fits you, read this:

Exercise expert Jon Benson has co-authored an ebook that has some guidelines on how to get good results from exercise.

I find I like & support about 90 percent of Jon’s own advice. And, I find him extremely well informed.

I do disagree with him occasionally. And, you might also; & you may not like or believe in all he suggests himself.

>>> But, here’s the exciting thing about his book:

He also has tons of people of both sexes & many ages who got well -- & discarded excess fat – by exercising -- tell THEIR stories of how they got into exercise & what exactly they do in their exercise programs. It also has their very good results. Some got incredibly good results.

There are enough role models & ideas you are virtually certain to find one or several that are enough similar to you that you can do it too & see exactly how people who are like you & started where you are or maybe even at a worse level were able to do it.

Does that sound like it’s worth checking out?

If so, here’s more information on Jon’s book. See: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

Here’s what Jon has to say about FitOver40:

Jon Benson
Creator/Co-Author of Fit Over 40: Role Models For Excellence At Any Age


If you don't have a copy of Fit Over 40 yet, download yours today. In less than a few minutes you'll have the number 2 fitness e-book of all time right on your desktop - 304 pages of inspiration, motivation and fitness strategy. Fit Over 40 isn't just for people over 40 - it's an invaluable training and motivational e-book that can save you years, even decades of frustration when it comes to learning what works for your body and seeing the results you want.

One of the reasons I wrote the book was to save others the years of trial and error I went through as I went from obese to fit. With over 50 role models profiled, Fit Over 40 will stand the test of time for anyone interested in health, strength, fat loss, muscle, and motivation - at any age.

To get Jon’s book go to: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

3 ideas on how to fit exercise into a busy life….

Welcome to our health & self help blog.

Focus on Your Health:

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today's post: Wednesday, 10-25-2006

3 ideas on how to fit exercise into a busy life….

Knowing how great exercise is isn’t enough to get its benefits. It only works if you do it. And, it only works even half way well if you do it very regularly.

The biggest challenge most people face is to find the time for it.

Exercise is well worth forcing into your schedule. But it’s often not easy to do that.

Here are 3 ways that work.

1. The time most people find it easiest to stick with is to exercise first thing in the morning because normally the demands of each day haven’t yet happened. Often, later in the day, all too often things come up you have to do. And, if all your exercise is set later in the day, this will cause you to miss it too often.

Also, two of the other few times a day many people have control over are their lunch time & just after they get home from work.

The bad news is that in the morning before work, at lunch, & just after work, many people can only manage 10 or fifteen minutes of exercise. There just isn’t any more slack in their schedule.

The wonderful news is that there are studies that show that people who do 3 ten minute sessions (or two 15 minute sessions) of exercise get just as good results as people do who have the time to do 30 minutes of exercise. In fact, one expert suggests doing the shorter exercise session more often may even work better for excess body fat loss & prevention.

I used to do all my upper body strength training at home in about half an hour in the morning. I can only spare about 15 minutes now. So I do the first 13 minutes in the morning those two days & the other 17 minutes when I come home from work those days.

2. This leads to the second way to find time to exercise. Do at least part of it at home.

That way you don’t have to add the travel time to go anywhere to your exercise. You can do it on the days you don’t have a way to get to the gym. And, when you are doing easier & reduced workouts as you get over an injury or being sick, I’ve found that I can start sooner & get back to exercise more reliably by exercising at home.

I’ve found that a Nordic Track produces the best aerobic or cardio workout with the least overuse injuries. But doing things like Tae Bo routines or jumping on a rebounder to a video or using an at home rowing machine or elliptical trainer also work well for some people.

There are at home strength training stations like BowFlex & Total Gym for strength training. People who use them regularly do get good results. They do cost some money to buy & take up space to use.

If your space at home or your budget is limited, here’s something I’ve found effective.:

But I’ve also found that it’s possible to buy a small set of SINGLE dumbbells of varying weights. Then by doing my left hand for a set & then my right hand for that set for each exercise, I find I can do a very time efficient workout.

Dumbbells are one of the most effective kinds of strength training equipment.

And, the time efficiency comes because you do a set of an exercise for each hand doing the left hand first. Then your left hand is already recovered enough to do the next exercise.

Except for changing the weight & the positions & stopping long enough to write down your results, you can simply go from one exercise to another in your routine with virtually down time between exercises since each of your hands & arms or each of your legs is already recovering while you do the exercise on the other side.

3. You only need two strength training sessions at a gym with more equipment & heavier weights to get good results.

And, you can get in a good workout in half an hour.

I find that going to the gym on Monday & Wednesday night fits our schedule best. And, I get the added benefit of NOT watching about an hour of TV those nights.

When I do have to miss, my at home workouts keep my strength up until when I get back.

But some people go on their lunch hours which is very flexible. You can do Monday & Weds or Tuesday & Thursday or Weds & Friday or even Monday & Friday for example.

You can even work out one weekday lunch or evening & one week-end day.

By doing some of your exercise at home, you can get great results with just this 2 day program. And, it’s a lot more doable for many people than trying to go to the gym five days a week.

If you need inspiration or some ideas on an exercise plan that fits you you, read this:

Exercise expert Jon Benson has co-authored an ebook that has some guidelines on how to get good results from exercise.

I find I like & support about 90 percent of Jon’s own advice. And, I find him extremely well informed.

I do disagree with him occasionally. And, you might also; & you may not like or believe in all he suggests himself.

>>> But, here’s the exciting thing about his book:

He also has tons of people of both sexes & many ages who got well -- & discarded excess fat – by exercising -- tell THEIR stories of how they got into exercise & what exactly they do in their exercise programs. It also has their very good results. Some got incredibly good results.

There are enough role models & ideas you are virtually certain to find one or several that are enough similar to you that you can do it too & see exactly how people who are like you & started where you are or maybe even at a worse level were able to do it.

Does that sound like it’s worth checking out?

If so, here’s more information on Jon’s book. See: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

Here’s what Jon has to say about FitOver40:

Jon Benson
Creator/Co-Author of Fit Over 40: Role Models For Excellence At Any Age


If you don't have a copy of Fit Over 40 yet, download yours today. In less than a few minutes you'll have the number 2 fitness e-book of all time right on your desktop - 304 pages of inspiration, motivation and fitness strategy. Fit Over 40 isn't just for people over 40 - it's an invaluable training and motivational e-book that can save you years, even decades of frustration when it comes to learning what works for your body and seeing the results you want.

One of the reasons I wrote the book was to save others the years of trial and error I went through as I went from obese to fit. With over 50 role models profiled, Fit Over 40 will stand the test of time for anyone interested in health, strength, fat loss, muscle, and motivation - at any age.

To get Jon’s book go to: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

Avoid these false fat loss myths & add exercise….

Welcome to our health & self help blog.

Focus on Your Health:

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today's post: Monday, 10-23-2006

Avoid these false fat loss myths & add exercise….

Most readers of this blog do relatively sedentary work. And, most people in the United States get very little exercise in their commuting & not much in their shopping because they drive almost everywhere.

So, most of us are fatter than we should be.

There are a number of ways to eat enough to feel full; not feel hungry except just before meals; & have plenty of energy & still lose excess fat & keep it off.

In fact, studies actually show trim people often burn more calories & eat a larger volume of food than most fat people.

Here are some common misconceptions to avoid.:

1. Cut out all kinds of fat & oils.

Nope. Wrong. Bad idea. Your health suffers from a lack of essential fatty acids & you absorb some key nutrients badly that need some fat for best digestion.

Studies have actually been done with people eating a slightly reduced amount of food where one group ate virtually no fat & one group included some health safe fats & oils like nuts, avocados, wild caught salmon or omega 3 supplements, & extra virgin olive oil.

The group that ate the health safe fats & oils lost weight just like the virtually no fat group; but the group that ate the health safe fats & oils kept the weight off because they felt less hungry & enjoyed their food more. The virtually no fat group gained it all back because they got tired of not enjoying their food & feeling hungry all the time.

2. Cut out anything with carbohydrates in it.

Not quite as wrong as eliminating all fats & oils but close.

Eating a lot of protein does help you feel full & put out your hunger much better than eating most starchy & sugary foods. And, eating lots of protein does help any weight loss you achieve be fat instead of muscle & other lean body mass.

And, cutting out starchy & sugary (high glycemic) foods does help you stay trim. Do cut way back on sugar & eliminate virtually all refined grains & totally eliminate high fructose corn syrup. THOSE carbohydrates DO make you fat.

But vegetables have some carbohydrates. And nonstarchy vegetables are quite literally the best fat loss foods you can eat. Weight Watchers lists green vegetables like asparagus, green peas, green beans, broccoli, etc as having ZERO points.

The MORE of those you eat, the less fat you’ll wear !!

Also, whole fruit tastes good & gives you lots of nutrition to keep you healthy. People who eat right otherwise & get regular exercise can eat them, & even some fruit juices, & not only not gain or re-gain fat; but are more likely to keep it off as they enjoy what they eat & can sustain NOT eating the bad carbohydrates.

In the early stages of a fat loss effort, it may make sense to cut out whole grains. And, problems digesting the gluten in whole wheat & some other grains tend to help keep some people fat or less well than they should be.

Long term, however, the information I’ve seen is that people who eat some whole grains that they do digest & process OK have better health & keep off fat better than people who don’t.

Whole grains have fiber, B vitamins, protein, & other nutrients & help you feel full & add variety & enjoyment to your diet.

Just limit yourself to moderate amounts of whole grains & eat more green vegetables & other health OK protein foods than whole grains.

3. Focus on cutting calories.

Tends to work in the short run & never works long term. People who focus on calories tend to cut back too much & feel too hungry or too tired. And, they don’t learn more about what is OK to eat & what foods to cut back or elminate. And, they tend to not add exercise or add more exercise.

So, focusing on cutting calories only is a recipe for fat loss failure. It’s a lot of work. It focuses on the wrong things. And any fat lost is almost always gained back.

Only focusing on cutting calories is a BAD idea.

4. If I exercise enough, that’s ALL I need.

Not exactly. Studies show that the right changes in what you eat work better done by themselves than exercise only.

And, doing both works a LOT better than adding more exercise only.

In fact, when I read the Weight Watchers point system, I found that the moderately high amount of exercise I did each week only gave me about 25 percent of the effect I needed to be free of excess fat. They have incorporated years of experience into their point system.

There are two pieces of good news about exercise though.

a) Beginning regular exercise properly will make people who are still fat MUCH healthier. Fit fat people enjoy much better health than totally sedentary skinny people.

b) If you do enough of the right kind of exercise, you’ll lose excess fat faster; you’ll add muscle & other lean body mass; you can eat MORE, in some cases, a LOT more, without it sabotaging your fat loss goals.

You lose fat instead of muscle & lean body mass. You can eat enough to enjoy life without gaining the excess body fat back

You can even get away with eating foods you shouldn’t occasionally.

All of this makes keeping the fat off sustainable & permanent. And, studies of people who have lost 30 pounds or more of fat & kept it off find they virtually all do regular exercise. And most of them do a lot of regular exercise.

Add exercise every week & you can also eat even more & still lose excess fat & weigh less.

Try this to start:

Get at least 100 calories of cardio or aerobic exercise on at least three days each week on nonconsecutive days. ( Monday, Weds, Friday, Saturday for example.)

Get at least two days of strength or weight training each week with a day off between sessions. (Monday, Weds, Friday; or Tuesday, Thursday; or Tuesday, Friday for example.)

Even if that's all you do it will improve your health; help you eat more & still weigh less & be less fat; & it will help ensure any weight you lose is fat, NOT muscle or other desirable lean tissue, like bones or tendons.

Also, once you get used to doing that minimum, for keeping fat off, as long as you do it safely, carefully, & gradually, adding more exercise IS better for fat loss.

It will help if you do strength training three days a week instead of two & if you work up to an hour a day of relatively vigorous exercise 6 days a week.

3500 to 4200 calories a of exercise a week seems to get the best fat loss & health results.

If you need inspiration or some ideas on an exercise plan that fits you you, read this:

Exercise expert Jon Benson has co-authored an ebook that has some guidelines on how to get good results from exercise.

But, here’s the exciting thing about his book:

He also has tons of people of both sexes & many ages who got well -- & discarded excess fat – by exercising -- tell their stories of how they got into exercise & what exactly they do in their exercise programs. It also has their very good results. Some got incredibly good results.

There are enough role models & ideas you are virtually certain to find one or several that are enough similar to you that you can do it too & see exactly how people who are like you & started where you are or maybe even at a worse level were able to do it.

Does that sound like it’s worth checking out?

If so, here’s more information on Jon’s book. See: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

Here’s what Jon has to say about FitOver40:

Jon Benson
Creator/Co-Author of Fit Over 40: Role Models For Excellence At Any Age


If you don't have a copy of Fit Over 40 yet, download yours today. In less than a few minutes you'll have the number 2 fitness e-book of all time right on your desktop - 304 pages of inspiration, motivation and fitness strategy. Fit Over 40 isn't just for people over 40 - it's an invaluable training and motivational e-book that can save you years, even decades of frustration when it comes to learning what works for your body and seeing the results you want.

One of the reasons I wrote the book was to save others the years of trial and error I went through as I went from obese to fit. With over 50 role models profiled, Fit Over 40 will stand the test of time for anyone interested in health, strength, fat loss, muscle, and motivation - at any age.

To get Jon’s book go to: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

How much exercise do you need?

Welcome to our health & self help blog.

Focus on Your Health:

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today's post: Thursday, 10-19-2006

How much exercise do you need?

The ideal is about an hour a day with a mix of strength training, aerobic or cardio fitness exercises, & other active sports or activities.

The sweet spot for human health seems to be about 2800 to 4200 calories a week of exercise & physical activities.

More than that tends to cause overuse injuries or compromised immune function. And, it takes a lot of time. More than most of us have each week to devote to it.

Some athletes & people who have physically demanding work can sometimes manage to do more than 4200 calories a week & be OK. And, sometimes it can work to go over 4200 calories a week if you can get plenty of sleep & the right supplements, particularly antioxidants; & if it is temporary & you have built up to it gradually.

Less than that begins to deliver less health benefits & be quite a bit less effective in helping you keep off excess bodyfat.

However, you need to do surprisingly little
to get almost half as much benefit as this ideal.

Believe it or not, you get 40 percent of the health benefits of this ideal level of exercise with only 500 calories a week of exercise.

A twenty minute walk five days a week will get you that much.

So will two fifteen to twenty minute strength training sessions on two nonconsecutive days & less than fifteen minutes the other three days on an aerobic exerciser like a Nordic Track, an elliptical trainer, or a rowing machine will do it.

That also will get you stronger & fitter & produce more health benefits than just walking.

In fact, if you work at it & keep improving, you’ll begin to burn more than 500 calories a week.
And, if you work up to it you can even get fit enough on those three days to get the minimum amount of aerobic exercise Dr Kenneth Cooper found produces real stress protection & helps you think & perform better.

But the main point is that even a little exercise done each week is MUCH better for your health than doing none at all.

So, start with what you can already do now. And, keep improving over time until you get the results you want.

If in doing that you have set backs, just keep doing as much as you can until you overcome them. But be sure to keep doing some exercise each week; & you’ll enjoy MUCH better health than if you didn’t exercise.

If you need inspiration or some ideas on an exercise plan that fits you you, read this:

Exercise expert Jon Benson has co-authored an ebook that has some guidelines on how to get good results from exercise.

But, here’s the exciting thing about his book:

He also has tons of people of both sexes & many ages who got well -- & discarded excess fat – by exercising -- tell their stories of how they got into exercise & what exactly they do in their exercise programs. It also has their very good results. Some got incredibly good results.

There are enough role models & ideas you are virtually certain to find one or several that are enough similar to you that you can do it too & see exactly how people who are like you & started where you are or maybe even at a worse level were able to do it.

Does that sound like it’s worth checking out?

If so, here’s more information on Jon’s book. See: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

Here’s what Jon has to say about FitOver40:

Jon Benson
Creator/Co-Author of Fit Over 40: Role Models For Excellence At Any Age


If you don't have a copy of Fit Over 40 yet, download yours today. In less than a few minutes you'll have the number 2 fitness e-book of all time right on your desktop - 304 pages of inspiration, motivation and fitness strategy. Fit Over 40 isn't just for people over 40 - it's an invaluable training and motivational e-book that can save you years, even decades of frustration when it comes to learning what works for your body and seeing the results you want.

One of the reasons I wrote the book was to save others the years of trial and error I went through as I went from obese to fit. With over 50 role models profiled, Fit Over 40 will stand the test of time for anyone interested in health, strength, fat loss, muscle, and motivation - at any age.

To get Jon’s book go to: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

Escape these 10 diseases with regular exercise.

Welcome to our health & self help blog.

Focus on Your Health:

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today's post: Wednesday, 10-18-2006

Escape these 10 diseases with regular exercise.

Here’s what I got in my email from fitness expert Jon Benson:

(I added some paragraphing to make it easier to read & deleted one comment not related to the topic. I also added numbers to make it a bit easier to follow. But everything else is an exact quote.) The Editor mentioned is Jon Benson.

“April 26, 2006 Issue #25

Success For Life,
A Free Weekly Anti-Aging And Fitness E-Zine From Jon Benson And Fit Over 40

Regular Exercise: A Solution To These 10 So-Called "Age-Related" Illnesses

Here's a short and sweet issue of Success For Life, but one that I know will inspire you to either take action, or continue to take action toward living Fit Over 40.

(A special thank you to Dr. Ann Gowans for providing most of the content for this article.)

The latest news is that well into our 90s, our body systems can be stimulated to respond to regular exercise.

"From the top of our heads to the bottom of our toes, physical activity is the stimulus that gets almost all our organs working at their best," Tufts exercise expert Miriam Nelson says.

She and her colleagues give 10 ways that inactivity can take a toll on our bodies because when we are inactive, our ability to transfer oxygen from the bloodstream to cells is diminished. When we can't get as much oxygen out of our blood, we can't walk up a flight of stairs as easily, and all our other systems are also affected by this loss.

Here is the list:

1. Diabetes. Insulin sensitivity appears to deteriorate when we are inactive, but it responds positively when we get back to regular training. The most common type of diabetes, type 2, actually occurs when the body becomes insensitive, or resistant, to insulin in the blood. As the insulin stops working, the blood sugar level rises, and diabetes sets in.

Regular exercise can actually reverse the damage because it increases insulin sensitivity and makes the cells better at taking in glucose and processing it. If you love TV, remember that every two hours a day of inactivity is linked to a 14 percent increase in the risk of diabetes, as opposed to one hour of brisk walking, which is linked to a 34 percent lower risk. This makes diabetes most often a "sedentary disease."

(Editor's Note: I have personally seen type 2 diabetes completely eliminated within weeks on the proper nutrition and exercise plan without the use of drugs dozens of times in my career. As of the year 2000, one out of every four children born in the United States will develop diabetes in his or her lifetime unless we change our lifestyle habits. Economic forecaster Edwin Forrest says, "At the rate diabetes alone is increasing, our current health care system will be incapable of handling the epidemic past the year 2014." Remember - we're talking about type 2 diabetes, which is a reversible lifestyle disease.)

2. Cancer. A Harvard study says, "The evidence is fairly clear now that men and women who are physically active have a 30-40 percent lower risk of colon cancer compared to individuals who are not active." This seems to be true because activity stimulates a more active colon. The overweight also have a higher incidence of this disease. Increased activity can help with weight control. Also, regular exercise also appears to lower the risk of breast cancer by about 20 percent for post-menopausal women.

(Editor's Note: The connection to cancer and the lack of physical exercise is becoming more and more clear as research into this complex killer progresses. However, exercise alone is not sufficient, as seen in people like Lance Armstrong, one of the most fit individuals alive today. You must combat free radical damage with sufficient anti-oxidant intake from both supplemental and nutritional sources. I do not sell supplements as you know, but I highly recommend fish oil, Krill oil, and CoQ-10 in addition to the nutrition protocols covered in Fit Over 40 to stay healthy.)

3. The brain. "People who are more physically active are at lower risk for cognitive decline and dementia," says the director of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry at Johns Hopkins.

In a study of more than 3,000 older men and women, those who engaged in four activities, such as walking, household chores, gardening and jogging, during the previous two weeks were half as likely to be diagnosed with dementia five years later as those who took part in no more than one activity. Alzheimer's is a separate disease, however, and those who carry the gene that might cause the disease tend to show symptoms in their 70s rather than in their 80s, when most dementias start to appear.

(Editor's Note: This is a personal comment about my mom. She turns 80 in one month, and she looks 60…and acts 30! At the age of 75, she began weight training and supplementing her diet with the aforementioned supplements, along with Gingko Biloba, Taurine, nAL-Carnitine, and a few other brain-helpers. She was displaying serious signs of onset dementia, repeating herself up to 10 times in a few minutes. She was inactive, had high blood pressure, and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She now walks 2-4 miles per day, maintains a moderate nutrition plan along with the daily supplements, and weight trains 2-3 days per week. Her blood pressure is normal without meds, her diabetes is eliminated (again, without meds), and she no longer repeats herself at all. She's a wonderful testimony to what the Fit Over 40 lifestyle can do for anyone at any age.)

4. The heart. About 1.2 million Americans have heart attacks each year, and no one is surprised that couch potatoes have a higher risk of this happening. Exercise boosts good cholesterol and makes the lining of blood vessels more flexible. Regular exercise protects the heart through blood pressure reduction, insulin sensitivity, better oxygen supply and more flexible arteries, among other good things. Exercise training also has a wonderful effect on those who already have heart disease if they are given a regimen to suit their needs and are closely monitored.

(Editor's Note: "….. Exercise the Fit Over 40 way can promote ongoing vasodilation , or the forced opening and widening of arteries. This increases blood flow and decreases the likelihood of strokes and heart attacks by 50-75% according to most studies.)

5. Stroke. Active folks are 25 percent less likely to have a stroke than their sedentary counterparts.

This is because of a lowered blood pressure, improved HDL cholesterol and a subsequent reduction in blood clots. Regular activity protects the arteries that feed the brain as well as the heart. High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for any stroke, so any way you can reduce it, go for it. Genes sometimes play a part here, and not much can be done about this except to stay as healthy as possible.

(Editor's Note: Stroke risk can be cut in half with simple aspirin therapy, under a doctor's supervision. However, if you cannot take aspirin, there are wonderful natural alternatives. Other than exercise and nutrition, you can take fish oil and eat organic berries to help reduce inflammatory responses naturally.)

6. Muscles. Both women and men find that as we age, muscles start to just wither away. It starts in the 40s for women and in the late 50s for men. For every decade after 50, we all lose some 6 percent of our muscle mass, leading to a 10 to 15 percent loss of our strength. But hey, we can build lots of that back up with strength training exercises. The earlier we start, the better. Even 100-year-olds can show some gain. So get started tomorrow.

(Editor's Note: I did not write "get started tomorrow", in case you're wondering! This is absolutely wonderful advice. If you cannot train with weights or get to a gym, check out Dov Orshi's Anti-Aging Fitness Program, now available when you purchase the Fit Over 40 Deluxe Edition.)

7. Bones. Fragile bones cause more than 1.5 million fractures each year in this country, but the disintegration starts decades before cracks appear. Bones can respond to activity, strength training and medicine, but this must be done only after a medical evaluation and prescription to help prevent any more bone loss.

(Editor's Note: What is rarely mentioned when it comes to bone loss is the connection to age-related hormones and exercise. The decrease in testosterone is actually the leading cause of bone density issues, with calcium depletion being a distant second - and a symptom of the former. To increase testosterone naturally, increase your healthy fats, as covered in Fit Over 40, and begin resistance training.)

8. Mental health. Those who are active are less likely to develop depression, and regular activity can really help if you are already depressed. The right exercise seems to be more effective than increased socialization, antidepressant drugs or cognitive behavioral therapy, according to a recent study of 2,000 people.

(Editor's Note: The study I mentioned in one of my recent newsletters proved that mild to moderate depression, which accounts for over 75% of treated depression, can be managed just as effectively with regular exercise as opposed to medication. Combine this with proper nutrition, which helps to balance blood sugar and serotonin levels, and you have a natural way to fight the blues. Severe depression should always be treated under a physician's care.)

9. Weight. Weight gain is a real problem for those of us who are growing older. Often, our appetites for great food do not decrease, but our ability to maintain a high level of activity is seriously reduced. Watching TV is one of our prime enemies. I would be hard-pressed to throw out my late-night viewing of great old movies, but I make it a rule to never watch daytime TV except to keep an eye on the weather if needed. As we age, gaining weight and losing fitness go with the territory, so we must be vigilant and dedicated to get ourselves out there. We can easily gain 5 pounds a year by doing nothing, and often, this weight goes to the belly, the most dangerous place. Maintaining lost weight requires more physical activity than losing it in the first place. Those folks who have lost 30 to 50 pounds need to get in 60 to 90 minutes a day of real activity to maintain the loss.

(Editor's Note: What can I say to this one? We all know about weight gain. The question is simple: what are you going to do about it? Do you realize that the role models in Fit Over 40 either maintain or lose body fat as they grow older? There's not one exception to this! See for yourself. Not only is it "possible", it's actually the natural way to age. Only in modern times have we become sedentary long before our days were up.)

10. Immune system.If you frequently get colds, you might need to boost your immune system. Thirty to 45 minutes of walking about five days a week is good, but for sure, don't overdo it. Marathon runners have a higher risk of colds after a race because immune function goes down after a prolonged, intense bout of exercise. The same is true for inflammation. Regular exercise can reduce inflammation, but watch anything more strenuous because you can make things worse.

(Editor's Note: I take 4,000-8,000 mg of Ester C in capsule form per day. The result: no colds or cases of the flu in 8 years. I came down with a mild case of the flu this year after trying to go without C for six months. I will not repeat that mistake!)

The bottom line, according to the Nutrition Action Health Letter, is that you should shoot for 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, cycling, jogging or swimming to lower the risks of heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer. To keep off substantial amounts of lost weight, shoot for 60 to 90 minutes a day. To build muscle and prevent bone loss, do strength training at least twice a week.

- Original article by Ann Gowans”

If you need inspiration or some ideas on an exercise plan that fits you you, read this:

Exercise expert Jon Benson has co-authored an ebook that has some guidelines on how to get good results from exercise.

But, here’s the exciting thing about his book:

He also has tons of people of both sexes & many ages who got well -- & discarded excess fat – by exercising -- tell their stories of how they got into exercise & what exactly they do in their exercise programs. It also has their very good results. Some got incredibly good results.

There are enough role models & ideas you are virtually certain to find one or several that are enough similar to you that you can do it too & see exactly how people who are like you & started where you are or maybe even at a worse level were able to do it.

Does that sound like it’s worth checking out?

If so, here’s more information on Jon’s book. See: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

Here’s what Jon has to say about FitOver40:

Jon Benson
Creator/Co-Author of Fit Over 40: Role Models For Excellence At Any Age


If you don't have a copy of Fit Over 40 yet, download yours today. In less than a few minutes you'll have the number 2 fitness e-book of all time right on your desktop - 304 pages of inspiration, motivation and fitness strategy. Fit Over 40 isn't just for people over 40 - it's an invaluable training and motivational e-book that can save you years, even decades of frustration when it comes to learning what works for your body and seeing the results you want.

One of the reasons I wrote the book was to save others the years of trial and error I went through as I went from obese to fit. With over 50 role models profiled, Fit Over 40 will stand the test of time for anyone interested in health, strength, fat loss, muscle, and motivation - at any age.

To get Jon’s book go to: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

Feel like skipping exercise? Try this….

Welcome to our health & self help blog.

Focus on Your Health:

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today's post: Monday, 10-16-2006

Feel like skipping exercise? Try this….

Jon Benson, exercise expert & author of Fit Over 40, sent me an email with this idea.:

(I subscribe to his free eLetter.)

“When You Don't Feel Like Going To The Gym...Do This
------------------------------------------------------

A lot of people probably think I go to the gym on auto-pilot. This is not always the case.

In fact, tonight was a prime example of...(see if you can relate)

-- Had every intention of working out in the early afternoon (when I usually train)

-- Got caught up in work mode

-- Ended up not eating my meal on time...and workout time turned into chow time

-- The hours crept on by until it was...you guessed it...dinner time

-- "Can't train this late" ran through my mind

It was almost a workout aborted. One of these is no big deal...but one turns into two,
which can turn into dozens.

That's a big deal.

So, here's what I did -- despite the fact that I really do 'not' like to workout at night...
especially legs.

I used "secret weapon number 1" -- I told myself, "Okay, Jon...just do a 'sissy workout'.
Just enough to say you did something. Don't even TRY to train hard!"

All of a sudden, the gym became...shall we say..."easier to find."

At first, I did just what I told myself – kept it really light. Then, sure enough, after the
initial warm-ups and so-forth, the iron bug bit me.

I wanted more.

I ended up breaking a personal best in a new movement I'm using.

I then did used the same trick for my post-workout walk. "Just up to the end of the street and back...enough to say I did it."

I walked much further...gladly.

The secret is two-fold. First, use your mind to your advantage. In a way, this is typical 'reverse psychology.'

Once you tell yourself, "I'm only going to do X", then "XX" becomes a bonus. "X" is still acceptable, so either way you come out ahead.

Second, the majority of the time when you do not 'feel' like workout out, you're
really feeling something else.

Distracted, busy, lethargic...it really does not have much to do with your actual
workout session.

Go with it -- tell yourself you'll do a "busy person's workout"...and watch what
happens.

Chances are you'll find your groove, and then do the "human" thing -- rebel against
your own plan. "I'll show ME!"

It's kinda funny, but believe it -- this will save you dozens and dozens of missed
workouts in the year.

You may even get a personal best or two.

Remember, all you have to do is tell yourself that you're going to do "something".
Heck, I've even said to myself, "Look, I'll just drive to the gym and look around!"

Seriously -- this works. Chances are you will get to the gym, look around, decide
to "pick up something" while you're there...and the next thing you know...personal best!”

Jon’s method really works:

Jon’s method works even when you really can’t do a full work out !! Here’s what just happened to me.:

As you know if you read this blog about ideas on fighting colds & flu a few days ago, I just got over a really bad cold.

I knew that if I did my regular work out at home, I’d get sicker. And, I knew that if I went to the gym, I’d expose others there.

So, I did skip going to the gym. But, by only doing my most important exercises at home, &, by doing those initially with both much lighter weights, & with about 20 to 50 percent less repetitions I only had to totally skip one workout the whole time I was sick. And, by doing a bit more each day, this morning I was back up to my regular work out.

And, I’ll be back at the gym tonight. However, since I do a heavier work out there, I’ll do fewer reps this time to get back to speed without a setback either with my cold or by injury.

I’ve also used Jon’s method when I was too rushed to be able to do a whole work out or when I simply wasn’t up to it.

He’s also right that if you are physically well, you’ll often find you can do your regular work out once you do the first easier set or two.

Here’s Jon’s ending comment.:

“Now, I bet you want to know more of these "secret weapons". Well, my book is full of
them.

And, right now, you can get five FREEE e-books along with my e-book, all for the
same price.

Go see – “ http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

Or, if you need inspiration or some ideas on an exercise plan that fits you you, read this:

Exercise expert Jon Benson has co-authored an ebook that has some guidelines on how to get good results from exercise.

But, here’s the exciting thing about his book:

He also has tons of people of both sexes & many ages who got well -- & discarded excess fat – by exercising -- tell their stories of how they got into exercise & what exactly they do in their exercise programs. It also has their very good results. Some got incredibly good results.

There are enough role models & ideas you are virtually certain to find one or several that are enough similar to you that you can do it too & see exactly how people who are like you & started where you are or maybe even at a worse level were able to do it.

Does that sound like it’s worth checking out?

If so, here’s more information on Jon’s book. See: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

The 3 best benefits of exercise & how to get them

Welcome to our health & self help blog.

Focus on Your Health:

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today's post: Thursday, 10-12-2006

The 3 best benefits of exercise & how to get them

*People who exercise think & overcome challenges better—often a LOT better

*People who exercise can eat more fats & stay healthy

*People who exercise can even get way with eating some sugar & starchy foods.

***************

*People who exercise think & overcome challenges better—often a LOT better

There are dozens of ways your life, your success, your happiness, & your ability to overcome even horrible challenges depends on your ability to think well & to solve problems & do even do it while under stress.

People who exercise do it better. They get more blood supply to their brains. People who don’t exercise are often like cars with just barely adequate or poor fuel delivery, their mental engines simply haven’t got the fuel they need for full power even when it’s desperately needed.

Their neurotranmitters are closer to their optimum levels which results also in clearer & faster thinking & in far less depression. That’s also important because depressed people often give up & quit thinking usefully at all.

Exercisers are used to taking action regularly & overcoming mild difficulties. And, most exercisers are also getting used to making progress over time & making doable improvements. That’s important because exercisers persist more intelligently & longer & are more proactive & better at real world achievement thinking skills precisely because they get regular practice in their exercise programs.

Exercisers also tend to have greater stress tolerance & as a result tend to think better under stress as their thinking parts of their brain are less distracted & have better blood flow.

*People who exercise can eat more fats & stay healthy

Almost everyone, certainly the vast majority of Americans, occasionally eats too much saturated fat. Bacon, sausage, cheese, ice cream, egg yolks all have saturated fat. And the grain fed meat most people eat does also.

Kenneth Cooper MD who wrote the “aerobics” books found that people who exercise digest & process fats better than people who don’t.

Subsequent research has shown that people who get enough regular & vigorous exercise increase their levels, not just of HDL cholesterol but exercise increases the fraction of HDL that is heart & health protective.

It’s even possible that exercisers can eat a bit more of the harmful transfats & get away with it.

It’s definitely been shown that people who are too fat who exercise are MUCH healthier than those who don’t.

*People who exercise can even get way with eating some sugar & starchy foods.

Kenneth Cooper MD who wrote the “aerobics” books found that people who exercise digest & process sugars & starches better than people who don’t.

More recent research has found that regular vigorous exercise tends to prevent insulin resistance & type II diabetes in fact.

Just this morning I got an email saying there is evidence that eating too much sugar & having your body process it badly is more, maybe MUCH more, the cause of heart disease than eating too much saturated fat & having high LDL cholesterol as a result.

Obviously most people should simply slash the amount of sugar they eat each week. But wouldn’t be nice if you could get away with having ice cream or your favorite dessert every once in a while?

If you exercise vigorously several times each week you probably can. And, if you don’t exercise, you very probably cannot. It’s about that simple.

*************

But what if you have trouble believing that people like you can get good results from exercising?

What if you really haven’t exercised before & need some ideas of what might work best for you?

Here’s a great solution:

Exercise expert Jon Benson has co-authored an ebook that has some guidelines on how to get good results from exercise.

But, here’s the exciting thing about his book:

He also has tons of people of both sexes & many ages who got well -- & discarded excess fat – by exercising -- tell their stories of how they got into exercise & what exactly they do in their exercise programs. It also has their very good results. Some got incredibly good results.

There are enough role models & ideas you are virtually certain to find one or several that are enough similar to you that you can do it too & see exactly how people who are like you & started where you are or maybe even at a worse level were able to do it.

Does that sound like it’s worth checking out?

If so, here’s more information on Jon’s book. See: http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth

Ideas on fighting colds & flu.

Welcome to our health & self help blog.

Focus on Your Health:

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today's post: Tuesday, 10-10-2006

Ideas on fighting colds & flu.

Ouch !!

Since I did my last post on Thursday last week I came down with -- & am now about 80 percent recovered from -- one of the worst colds I’ve had in years. (I tend to not get colds usually but had been exposed to it the previous week & had been badly stressed on Thursday afternoon.)

But, I did get rid of it without complications somewhat quickly & avoided the lasting chest congestion the people had who gave it to me.

Doctors say to drink plenty of fluids or water when you have a cold or flu or other kind of fever producing illness.

But they TOTALLY undersell it.

When you do drink a lot of water, you still feel sick & need to take it easy; but you AVOID being light headed or dangerously dehydrated –
& you tend to avoid having the mucus in your nose & chest get too thick to get rid of easily, which helps you avoid secondary bacterial infections & to recover faster.

It’s also been found that hot spices with capsicum -- like in red pepper, jalapenos, Louisiana Hot Sauce, & Tabasco Sauce tend to have a similar effect.

People who normally eat a lot of those virtually never develop bronchitis & secondary chest infections from colds.

It worked well for me. I had hot sauce on my tomato sauce & lentils & extra virgin olive oil. And, in the early stages I even put a decent serving of red pepper in a small glass of water & drank that also.

Believe me, you can feel it work. Soon afterwards your eyes run a bit; your nose loosens up & runs a bit; & any chest congestion you have tends to loosen up & become easy to cough up. We’re talking maybe two minutes afterwards tops. So it’s very quick.

I also drank a large glass of water just before I went to bed & every time I got up to go to the bathroom from the extra water I’d have another glass.

It worked. Instead of waking up dry & feeling the inside of my nose & chest feeling like they’d been in a blast furnace, even though I still felt very sick, they were close to normal.

The other thing I did was to make up & drink two kinds of Echinacea tea from the Traditional Medicinals company. (Whole Foods Market sells those. And, I got mine from another local health foods & supplement store as I happened to be there the Friday evening I came down sick.)

Their Echinacea Elderberry has both of those ingredients. Echinacea has had a bit of a mixed review; but it may help. And, if your cold is really the flu, Elderberry has been effective, so I like the combination; & I find the taste is decent.

Even better, I got their Echinacea Lemon Throat Coat tea.

In the early stages when my throat was still sore, it really helped.

I even combined the two in one large cup of hot water.

It may have been just the help of the hot water & the slippery elm & other similar herbs in the throat coat; but I felt a lot better almost as soon as I drank one.

And, I already take over 1000 mg a day of vitamin C; 30 mg a day of zinc (plus a balancing 2 mg of Copper that creates a need for); two Cat’s Claw capsules; & one capsule of Panax Ginseng.

Not only does this tend to keep me from getting colds; I think it helped me to throw off this one.

The other thing I do is, each fall as soon as the flu vaccine is available & I’m not sick with a cold like I was this past weekend, I get my flu shot.

Not only do I hardly ever get the flu each shot protects me against, I hardly ever get the flu at all anymore.

And, I think that’s because the flu strains that show up now that weren’t in this year’s shot I probably am partially immune to them because in a previous year or two I did get a shot that gave me immunity against one or more of its cousins.

All these things aren’t perfect. But if you do similar things you’ll get colds & flu much less often & will get over them more quickly.

Lastly, something I’ve not yet tried is the mushroom extracts & astragalus supplements that Dr Andrew Weill says protect him from ever getting colds.

I do know that the one cold & flu season I tried the astragalus, I never got a cold or the flu.

More on Boosting HDL Cholesterol, III

Welcome to our health & self help blog.

Focus on Your Health:

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today's post: Thursday, 10-5-2006

More on Boosting HDL Cholesterol, III

(Our previous post has some excellent information on this. And, I didn’t post it all here.

You can see it by going to that earlier Post: Friday, 8-11-2006 Boost your HDL to protect your heart)

And, in our last two posts before today, we posted more information on boosting your HDL in response to someone who has been trying but not succeeding so far.

Here’s a bit more.

Since I’ve been very successful in keeping mine high, these other supplements I list today that I take may well be contributing to my high HDL levels.

In addition, there is significant evidence they protect my health & help prevent heart disease whether they boost HDL or not.

So, if continuing good health & protecting your heart are worthwhile to you, you might want to consider adding them yourself.

1. Vitamin C:

I take a moderately high amount of vitamin C.

Linus Pauling & Mathias Rath have made a very credible case that doing so helps to prevent heart disease.

And, it clearly has many other benefits, including protecting your body from the effects of stress & slowing your rate of aging by up to 62 percent.

I take a 500 mg time-release supplement. My daily B-complex supplement has another 500 mg. My daily multivitamin has 50 mg.

And, I get three or more servings of fruit or fruit juice each day; I’m beginning to eat at least one or two servings of vegetables each day & plan to get to 5 or more. I think this adds another 50 to 100 mg of C each day.

2. Vitamin E. It’s a bit less clear exactly how heart protective this is & exactly how.

In addition, it may be unwise to take more than 200 iu a day extra as some people do.

But Solgar makes a vitamin E supplement with 200 iu of E as natural alpha tocopherol with some of the other E complex as well, Beta, Gamma, & Delta tocopherol.

I take that one. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that works with lipids & fatty parts of your body. By helping to prevent oxidation of your LDL & probably of your HDL & blood vessel walls, this likely IS heart protective. And, it’s hard to approach this level of these nutrients by eating the foods that contain them as your sole source.

The other bit of good news is that Gamma Tocopherol helps prevent prostate, & very possibly breast & ovarian, cancer.

I also suspect that taking the several naturally occurring components of vitamin E together gives you the most health benefit.

3. Taking bilberry & ginkgo biloba supplements daily, & eating lots of blueberries each week have been shown to promote circulation, keep your mind sharp, protect your blood vessel walls & to help prevent stroke.

I take those supplements daily & eat two packages of frozen blueberries each week.

By taking both vitamin E & Ginkgo, it would be unwise for me to have surgery without discontinuing the Ginko for several days before it. And, I should never combine these with taking an anticoagulant or blood “thinning’ medication.

But doing all this clearly helps protect my heart & my health.

Could it be that these three things also get some of these health effects by boosting my HDL?

I suspect the answer is yes. But I know of no research on it.

More on Boosting HDL Cholesterol, II

Welcome to our health & self help blog.

Focus on Your Health:

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today's post: Tuesday, 10-3-2006

More on Boosting HDL Cholesterol, II

(Our previous post has some excellent information on this. And, I didn’t post it all here.

You can see it by going to that earlier Post: Friday, 8-11-2006 Boost your HDL to protect your heart)

Also, the man who I wrote my last post for, on Thursday, 9-28, emailed me back with two things.

I replied & that reply might be useful for some of you also,
so I’ll post most of all that next. :

"I checked the amount of chromium in my Men's Health Dietary Supplement that I get from Trader Joes. It shows the 200 mcg of chromium as "chromium amino acid chelate".

Have you any idea how this compares with the chromium polycicotinate that you recommended?

BTW, what is lipid peroxidation ? I have never heard of it."

Here’s my reply to him. (Even though it suggests stores local to us, Whole Foods Markets is now in many parts of the US & you can check out their website for their nearest store: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com )

“1. Chromium polynicotinate in the 200 mg size is available at Whole Foods Markets & at Country Sun in Palo Alto. (If the Whole Foods just South of downtown Palo Alto where I get it is farther from you than the one in Redwood City, you can check there.And, there is also Apple Health Foods in the Sequoia Station Center in Redwood City that may have it. )

I get the Solgar brand; & I've also used the Country Life/Biochem brand when they were out of the Solgar.

I checked a resource I know &, since people looking for blood sugar control take 200 mg three times a day, it's likely OK to take 400.

And, any version of Chromium seems to work for blood sugar control.

But for boosting HDL, I strongly suspect the Chromium polynicotinate works far better. It has the niacin part of the molecule also. And, there may also be a synergistic effect between the niacin part & the chromium.

Why not take that also?

”Lipid peroxidation” creates oxidation of your LDL, & maybe of your HDL.

The two kinds of LDL that cause heart & related diseases are:

the high density kind that literally is so small it fits into the chinks in the molecules lining your blood vessels (Trans fats & excessive animal saturuated fat intake increase those.)

& oxidized LDL.

Oxidized LDL is a lipid made from regular LDL by ”Lipid peroxidation”. So, if you reduce that, (”Lipid peroxidation” ) as that study found, in layman's terms, you have less "rusty," or damaged, LDL gumming up your pipes (blood vessels.)”

**************

Here are some further ideas he might try.

1. He clearly is taking a multivitamin which has some extra things thought to be good for men.

But, if he isn’t yet taking a broad spectrum B Complex vitamin also, he may not be getting enough of the B vitamins to help ensure the Niacin works.

Since I’ve gotten good results, I think well of the “Stress Formula, B Complex plus C from Solgar.

They did remove part of the folic acid they once had, all the PABA, & part of the B6. And, I’ve read I should have more pantothenic acid than they now include. So, I take more folic acid, an additional 800 mcg; 100 mg of PABA; & 250 mg of pantothenic acid in addition. And, I may add some B6 also.

The pantothenic acid may well help boost HDL by itself as a related supplement, Pantothine, does boost HDL.

Also, I take lecithin 1200 mg a day which has choline. And, choline also boosts HDL.

2. Moderately intense or vigorous exercise may boost HDL better than exercise that is less challenging.

Some people have found it helps lose fat better. And one health writer, Dr Al Sears, suggests it may also work better than low intensity, sustained cardio or aerobics to strengthen your heart.

So, if my friend isn’t now doing sets of strength training that make him sweat or get out of breath, or doing that in part of his cardio work, doing some of that in his exercise routine may also boost his HDL levels.

(You can also add more vigor to longer cardio by going much faster at intervals during your cardio until you get a bit winded & then slow down until your breath recovers.

That’s also been shown to help you get into good shape faster.)

3. He may need to eat just a bit more eggs, or more extra virgin olive oil, or more wild caught salmon—or even some free range chicken or grass fed only beef.

That might help because your body needs something to make the HDL from. And, he may be getting a bit too little.

That strategy is best when you also add supplements with sterols like Beta Sitosterol or supplements like policosanol that keep your LDL low.