That's Fit

I'm shocked and saddened and reminded once again of the fragile nature of life after hearing that NBC's Tim Russert died this afternoon of an apparent heart attack.

Russert, 58, reportedly collapsed in his Washington office while recording voiceovers for this Sunday's Meet The Press. He could not be revived.

Click here for more information on Russert and his tragic passing. And in honor of this fine man whose death comes just two days before Father's Day, take a look at his book, Big Russ and Me -- a story about his relationship with his father. Russert himself was father to one son, Luke.

In my very own city, in a neighborhood just a few miles away, a 36-year-old woman was beaten and raped while jogging this morning. She wasn't far from her house, on a trail that winds through her sprawling subdivision, when a man got out of his car, assaulted her at gunpoint, and got away when her screams beckoned another jogger. The man is on the loose. The woman, now in the hospital, is left scarred forever.

I don't know much else about this story -- I don't really want to know more -- but I do realize that my own solo darkened morning runs through area neighborhoods have got to stop. I don't like it. But I do like my life. And so I can run on my treadmill at home. Or I can run outdoors during daylight hours, perhaps with a friend tagging along, or I can focus my efforts at the gym. I don't have to run outside, in the dark, alone. In fact, I'd be pretty wise not to.

Fitness, clearly, isn't always good for your health, especially with a possible side effect like rape. So please, let this story motivate you to take every possible safety precaution when you're working out. It's exactly what I'm going to do.

Put down the eggs, men! Well, not all of them. For some of you, anyway.

Middle-aged men who ate seven or more eggs per week had a higher risk of earlier death, say U.S. researchers reporting on the 20-year-long Physicians' Health Study. And men with diabetes who ate any eggs at all raised their risk of death.

Eggs have long been controversial -- and this research adds to a growing body of evidence about the safety of the possibly-forbidden food. Here are some initial conclusions:

If you're lean and healthy and you want to stay that way, steering clear of burgers is a wise move. It's an even wiser move for those who are obese -- studies show that obese people are even more affected by burgers and other high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods.

In one study, 10 normal-weight folks and eight obese folks were fed an 1,800-calorie meal consisting of a burger, fries, cola, and apple pie. After two hours, blood tests showed that both groups had increased inflammatory and oxidative stress -- key factors in artery hardening, which leads to heart attack and stroke. Another hour later, the lean eaters' levels were back to normal. The obese group's numbers were still rising. The interesting twist is this: a high-fiber, fruit-based meal full of 1,800 calories had no such adverse effects.

This study, detailed in the March 2008 Reader's Digest, is small and therefore not conclusive. Still, we might learn a lesson from it: Ditch the greasy burgers, especially if you're above a normal weight range, and embrace fiber and fruit. Nothing new, is it? Consider it a friendly reminder.

If burgers are a must-have for you, check out these healthier varieties.

12 "healthy" foods that really aren't:

Why? Click to find out!

Macular degeneration is an eye condition which most commonly affects elderly folks. It's described as a thinning of the inner lining of the eye. This can result in big time vision loss, but the degeneration has more implications according to a new study released by Australian researchers.

If elderly individuals developed this condition before the age of 75, they were twice as likely to die within the next decade from heart attacks or strokes. When considering a later stage development, the risk goes up five and ten times respectively for the two dangerous heart problems.

However, they are quick to note that this correlation should be read carefully because apparently 3,000 study subjects isn't enough to draw definite conclusions. Even so, it took ten years to get these results. If you want to read on further, check out the article here.

Does the possibility of suffering a genuine heart attack without ever being aware that it happened scare anyone else but me? Well, it should if it doesn't, because an estimated 4 million people have suffered these "silent heart attacks" at one point or another. The scary part is that they are symptom-free, so it would be very hard to detect.

This poses an obvious question: How do you check or treat a silent heart attack if there are no signs to point you in the right direction? First off, these are full-blown attacks just like the painful ones -- both exhibit blockage of the blood vessels. Because of this, the same consequences and after-effects could be felt.

There are a couple ways to find out, but these are mainly post-attack procedures. Electrocardiograms can detect these "hushed" versions, as well as hormone tests using blood samples. But if you have any risk factors like diabetes, smoking or hypertension then consider getting checked out. Especially if you feel the potential after effects that could signal heart damage like unusually frequent fatigue or lowered endurance.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Paul Watford

Age: 61

Occupation: Retired

How often do you exercise? Five to six days a week

What type of exercise do you do? Two to three days a week I do stadium steps. Two to three days a week I do core body exercises: sit-ups, push-ups, varying plank exercises, and yoga stretches.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? Its up to me. I am the only active person in my family.

You'd think that after having a heart attack or being diagnosed with something scary like heart disease, people would turn a dietary new leaf. Two new studies have been released which contradict that logic, however. Many heart patients didn't get the fruits, veggies, and fiber they needed.

The fat intake wasn't curbed either. So how would a bunch of scientists know what these people ate anyway? Well, they self-reported the data used in the studies. The first study assigned points based on the healthiness of the diet after having been diagnosed with coronary heart disease or having had a heart attack. Well over 500 people were assessed, and the results showed that the average diet got a score of almost 31 points... out of 80.

This showed that a poor diet was consumed on average by victims of heart attack or disease even a year later. The second study took into account more people. Over 4,000 hypertension patients self-reported what they ate, just like the other study. Knowing that they had high blood pressure, they still did not eat a diet specifically designed to address hypertension. Perhaps only these patients know why they didn't take the steps necessary to rule out future visits to the doctor for conditions they already treated.

Jittery feelings are not uncommon among many people. In fact, 40 million other folks suffer from anxiety disorders too. But even if you aren't diagnosed with something like that, curbing the jitters is always helpful for stress management. We are a pretty medicated society, but here are five things you can do to lose those overwhelming feelings.

First, admit that you are having these anxiety feelings to begin with. Be nervous! Don't try and force yourself to calm down, because that will only make things worse. Instead, look at your problem square in the face and try to handle it head on. This leads to the second tip: Don't try and be perfect.

Perfection is something we all strive for, but it can cause more anxiety than needed. Striving for flawless performance is great for goal setting. But don't let yourself get panicked because you couldn't be perfect every time. Another great tip involves other people, and how you treat them. Is someone else causing you to feel jittery or high strung? Stop being so nice. If you're being overly agreeable when you should be standing up for yourself, then try acting on those feelings and get what you deserve! These are just a few tips, so check out the full article for more information.

Studies show worry can make you sick, can even increase the risk of cancer, heart attack, and stroke. While there are no easy answers to sidelining the health-threatening stresses in your life, here are some strategies that can help chip away at this most annoying health issue.

Make a wish list of what you'd like to change. If your jam-packed schedule is making you crazy and you want it to stop, then put this on the list -- then take steps toward altering your calendar. When a request for your time comes in, especially during this busy holiday season, ask yourself: Do I have time? Do I really want to take this on? How will this commitment affect my family? If stress floods your body at the mere thought of the added responsibility, then politely tell the requester, "No."

Change your standards. Maybe your house doesn't need to be neat and tidy at every moment of the day. Let all-the-time cleaning go for a day and see if you feel more peaceful. Holiday decorating got your head spinning? Then do less. Let go. Enjoy whatever it is you can accomplish, without feeling guilt that you aren't doing more. And don't be wary of inviting in outside help. Hire someone to clean the house. And get the entire family involved in decorating.

Never worry alone. Get a good dose of powerful human contact. The distraction, conversation, and bonding will do the body good.

Exercise. It changes the brain's chemistry dramatically and immediately. Do it regularly, and you'll notice the mood benefits are huge.

Get professional help. If your own attempts at ditching stress don't work, consider talking to a professional who may have tried-and-true options for squashing the stress in your life.

If you've had a heart attack recently but think you're feeling well enough to go back to work, you may want to think again. According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Laval in Quebec, for those who have suffered a heart attack, going back to work at a stressful job can lead to another heart episode.

Results of the study showed that both men and women who returned to a high stress work environment were at twice the risk of experiencing another heard attack irregardless of age, marital status and education. Unfortunately, it's isn't realistic for most people not to return their jobs after a significant heart event.

So what should you do if you've had a heart attack and have to go back to work? According to the article, you need to find ways to lessen mental and physical strain at your job. Suggestions include eating healthier lunches, going for walks during breaks, learning how to be assertive when dealing with colleagues and more.

Have you got any tips on how to make work a healthier, more relaxing place to be?

Like the Atkin's Diet? How about the South Beach Diet, or even the Lemonade Diet? Although some of those eating disciplines are fine for losing weight (I suppose), they may not be enough to really prevent cardiovascular disease. Okay, then -- so what is?

Long-term changes to your overall diet are the keys, and losing weight should be the byproduct -- not the main goal.

In other words, don't focus just on losing weight. And don't focus just on cardio health (although that is very important). I agree with Riska Platt (registered dietician) who says that "people tend to focus on one thing ... there are selected foods that have excellent properties in the management of heart disease but you've also got to look at your total diet."

It's all about balance in every possible way when it comes to diet, right?

Have you ever had a panic attack? Some people have these in job interviews, while others have them when faced with something scary (like a tarantula roaming in the house, perhaps). That rapid pulse and shortness of breath are no laughing matter.

According to new research, panic attacks may even contribute to heart attacks in the near future. Women who had at least one panic attack in a six-month period were three times as likely to have a heart attack in the next five years compared to those women who never reported having a panic attack.

Even though risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, inactivity and depression were all considered in the study, the conclusion was that panic attacks in and of themselves raised heart attack risk. For those prone to having them, you may want to consult with your medical practitioner to find out how to curb the possibility of having one.

Coronary artery disease sufferers possessed nearly double the amount of colorectal tumors and cancers compared to those without the artery ailment, according to a new study out of Hong Kong.

It's interesting here to see how cancer of the colon relates to heart disease. Researchers on the study indicated that both conditions were probably related to chronic inflammation more than any specific link between artery disease and cancer tumors.

Still, the risk factors for both diseases are very similar, according to the researchers. The list sounds like a broken record to many of us: high-fat diet, a high-protein diet, a sedentary lifestyle. Although a high-protein diet may sound odd to some, it's right up there. This is why you'll see the word 'balanced' in front of diet in many cases. Too little or too much both can be problems in striving to maintain a state of good health.