Engineer Your Fitness

The benefits of statins have long been nebulous. Their stated purpose is to reduce cholesterol on the assumption that high cholesterol causes heart disease. The scientific study mentioned in this write up shows that we have been hoodwinked. Statins have reduced the overall population risk of heart attack 1%.
There are other, much better, ways to reduce one's chances of heart attack. The first is to reduce the vascular inflammation that triggers cholesterol build-up. The best ways to do this are exercise and a diet (not a temporary regime to lose weight, but diet as is understood by science as the accumulation of things typically consumed) that is rich in anti-inflammatory foods. Further aiding is a conscious diet that reduces blood sugar levels. There are many ways to do this in a healthy way, Shakeology is one component of a healthy regime.

Do you or someone you know take statins? Has a doctor ever recommended it to you?

A new scientific paper is slamming pharmaceutical companies for using statistics in such a way as to deceive doctors and patients into believing that the benefits of statins are much greater than studies actually show they are!

The deception was in the use of "relative risk reduction" as a way of describing their results instead of using "absolute risk reduction". Let me explain what these two terms mean.

Absolute risk describes the risk of something bad happening within a population. And absolute risk reduction describes the effect of a drug (or diet or lifestyle choice etc.) on the total population's risk of that bad something happening. Let's say that out of 100 people, an average of 40% have a heart attack within 10 years. That would be an absolute risk of 40%. But when these 100 people take a certain drug, only 20% end up having a heart attack. That's an absolute risk reduction of 20% (because 40-20=20 and we're looking at the population as a whole). When we express this same statistic as relative risk reduction, we're instead relating the new number (20%) compared to the old number (40%) and it no longer matters how big your population is or how many of them were at risk in the first place. In this case, this drug causes a relative risk reduction of 50% (because 20 is half of 40). How would you like to halve your risk of a heart attack?! Of course really, both 20% and 50% are pretty impressive numbers in the context of reducing risk of bad things!

The problem with using relative risk numbers comes when the absolute risk is low. In the case of the statin drug trials, even choosing participants at higher risk of cardiovascular disease (people with high blood pressure and at least 3 other risk factors), only 3% of the participants had heart attacks (more than half of which were non-fatal). Taking statins caused about 1 less heart attack. The relative risk reduction, depending on exactly which trial you look at) is between 30 and 50%! But, the absolute risk reduction is about 1%.

That's where the problem is. The absolute risk reduction is 1% (and even less when you only look at fatal heart attacks).

Statin researchers, however, don't present the 1% effect to the public. Instead they transform the 1% effect using the "relative risk" statistic, which creates the appearance that statins benefit 30-50% of the population.

If statins were harmless and had not reported side effects, this misrepresentation would be benign. But, there are increased risks, which have been downplayed by statin manufacturers. According the the authors of this new study, "increased rates of cancer, cataracts, diabetes, cognitive impairments and musculoskeletal disorders more than offset the modest cardiovascular benefits of statin treatment."

The link between statin use and increased risk of cancer is especially worrisome since most clinical trials of statin use lasted 5 years or less. That's a really short time when it comes to cancer risk, but increased cancer incidence is still seen--that means the long term risk is likely much higher.

The authors of this study advocate other strategies that reduce cardiovascular risk, such as quitting smoking, weight control (the authors advocate reducing carbohydrate intake), exercise and stress reduction--all, completely consistent with the Paleo lifestyle (which itself has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors in clinical trials).

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For a really great explanation of relative risk versus absolute risk in the context of statin drugs, see this article from Dr. Eades: http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/statins/absolute-risk-versus-relative-risk-need-know-difference/

The infographic below is from Dr. Mercola: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/22/debunking-the-science-behind-lowering-cholesterol-levels.aspx

The paper, if you're interested: David M Diamond, Uffe Ravnskov. How statistical deception created the appearance that statins are safe and effective in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 2015; 8 (2): 201 DOI: 10.1586/17512433.2015.1012494

Here's a great summary of the paper too: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150220110850.htm

Darin Olien has some very insightful comments about health and nutrition. As we continue our education on nutrition and how it impacts our lives he is sure to play a prominent part.
His comments on the Paleo diet are especially interesting to us. Back when we started on our lifestyle change it was on a modified Paleo diet because we didn't believe in adhering strictly to what was being touted as Paleo, which was really little more than warmed over Adkins. We still believe a modified Paleo diet is the healthiest one we can be on. However, this is with the caveat that vegetables and fruit comprise the largest part of what is consumed. We steer clear of GMO foods as much as possible and encourage organic whenever possible.

The Protein Myth | Super Foods For a Super Life with Darin Olien Get ready for an important discussion on eating and nutrition with expert Darin Olien. Darin, sometimes known as “the Indiana Jones of Superfoods”, has scoured the globe finding the foods that can make a real difference in our lives. Chalene asks him about what’s available on the market, what we kno…

We had seen a report recently on some testing done by the state of New York on herbal supplements. The University of Guelph also did a similar study and published it in BMC Medicine Journal (http://bit.ly/1AKYa9K). Both studies conclude that a majority of herbal supplement pills contain elements that were not listed on the labels (i.e. filler material). Product substitution occurred in 2/3 of the products. What's more, only 16% of the companies had product without any substitution. One of the worst offenders substituted rice for the labeled St. John's Wort. Another St. John's Wort had a laxative in it, rather than the listed ingredient! We suppose their rationale is you don't have time to be depressed if you are running for the bathroom all the time.
The attorney general of New York tested several big chain brands, ranging from GNC to Walgreens to Walmart and Target. All major stores where we used to feel safe if we were going to purchase an herbal supplement. 80% of the 24 tested samples contained unidentifiable DNA or came from a plant not on the label. 20% of the samples contained wheat or common allergen legumes that were not listed on the label!
The supplement market is a multi-billion dollar industry and it is VERY tempting for companies to cut corners or just felt out lie about their product. We believe strongly there are herbal supplements that can greatly enhance your quality of life. To find a quality company is the real trick. We feel the quality of the superfood in Shakeology is exactly as advertised. People sometimes comment on the price of Shakeology. Quality comes with a price. However, you can rest assured that what is in Shakeology is designed to deliver health giving, life benefiting nutrients for optimal health. Darin Olien declared his formulation is "...a supplement containing some of the greatest nutrient dense foods in the world; carefully formulated to give your body life enhancing potential for a healthier mind, body and stronger performing life.”
We encourage you to try it, and even offer a 30 day, bottom of the bag, guarantee. If you don't like it, even if you've opened the bag and used it all, BeachBody will refund the purchase price. Do your due diligence, but we feel like this is the single best thing you can take for your overall health. http://bit.ly/19pLVoy

We just got off a conference call with Darin Olien, the creator of Shakeology. He had a lot if insight into how Shakeology came to be and why he continues his association with BeachBody.
He had an interesting point that makes a lot of sense. When we talk about Shakeology we talk about 70 super foods and then talk about each individually. What we have failed to recognize up until now, is the complex interaction between the different ingredients. Different ingredients interact with others to achieve a catalytic interaction. This means that while the ingredients are super foods by themselves, the overall formula for Shakeology is engineered to bring out exponential benefits that can't be achieved consuming the superfood by themselves.
Learn more about Shakeology at www.shakeology.com/aaronengineer and stay tuned for more insights.

An interesting article came across our desk this week on the benefits of flavonoids. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in October of 2014. It looked at the relationship between dietary flavonoid intake and healthy aging in women.
The study began in the 80s looking at women in their late 50's. It then followed up 15 years later to see how they had aged, looking at 4 aging criteria - no chronic diseases, no impairment in cognitive function, physical function, or mental health. All women had to have survived to 70+.
The study concluded that increased intake of flavonoids during midlife is associated with better chances of surviving to older ages with better health and well being. The study found a strong correlation between increased use of compounds found in parsley, celery, citrus peels and juices, berries, onions, and broccoli.
NO CORRELATION was found with the compounds found in teas or cocoa.
Our recommendation is to make a habit of incorporating these groups into your diet as early as possible. Anti-oxitive and anti-inflammatory foods should feature prominently in your daily fare.
(Dietary flavonoid intake at midlife and healthy aging in women
Am J Clin Nutr December 2014 100: 1489-1497; First published online October 29, 2014. doi:10.3945/ajcn.114.085605)

Inflammation of the arteries leads cholesterol to try to fix the problem. Persistent inflammation leads to plaque buildup and eventual blockage. Shakeology can help fight the inflammation and lead to a healthier you. Check it out at www.shakeology.com/aaronengineer

World Renowned Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease By: Dr. Dwight Lundell   We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong..

It is important to keep your health as well as your fitness top of mind. Here is a great article on why lemon water is good for you. We start every day off with a pint of room temperature lemon water, first thing. http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4769/Why-You-Should-Drink-Warm-Water-Lemon.html

Why You Should Drink Warm Water & Lemon The way you start each day is incredibly important. Whether you're a mom, a coach, a writer, a small business owner or a yoga teacher, what you do first thing in the morning matters.

Having a "nice butt" is about more than looks. The gluteal muscles are part of the core group and responsible for helping with stability. If we have weak gluteals we place a higher burden for stability on our lower back, as it has to compensate.

Stay tuned for an exercise video or two to come out over the next week. I was thinking this morning about how to make exercise more relevant to all of us and I'll be demonstrating the moves with proper form, and variations to make it fun for everyone!

Did you see Shaun T on Live! with Kelly and Michael this morning? Poor Michael looked like he was maxing out!
The moves of the program Shaun was demonstrating are from Insanity: Max 30 and it is designed to take you to the point where you can't go any further. It is designed to max you out. You WANT to leave it all on the floor. It is also designed to last only 30 minutes.
Check out the program at my webpage to decide if it is right for you and order. http://www.engineeryourfitness.com/insanity-max30/

Cardio exercise or high intensity interval training - which is better for you? That debate is waged by runners and trainers. Which is right? Check out our thoughts:

Cardio or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)? - Engineer Your Fitness Home › Cardio or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)? Cardio or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)? Cardio exercise vs High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the most hotly contested topics in fitness when it comes to which is better for burning fat. Some say that the best way…

Try this the next time you eat at home: Serve your meal on a smaller plate than usual. When you use a big plate, it tricks your mind into thinking there's less food on it and makes you think it's OK to give yourself more. Using a smaller plate could prevent you from over-eating.

Before talking yourself out of your next workout, remember these words!
http://bit.ly/1ByC7kM

Motivational Fitness Quotes Here are the top 5 motivational fitness quotes to get your moving!