One of the most common New Year’s resolutions Iowans make is to get in better shape. Dr. Kurt Van Veldhuizen, a certified sports medicine chiropractor in Johnston, says he’s a big fan of realistic resolutions that get people exercising. “They’re excellent,” Van Veldhuizen says. “The more movement we have, the more people are being responsible for their own health, the less we have to hear about it in the media. I always encourage people to get up and be as active as they can.” He says the road to good health involves physical fitness and nutrition, but don’t try to take on too much at once.

“A routine is the key here,” Dr. Van Veldhuizen says. “You have to start off real slow by doing something at the same time every day. It doesn’t have to be at 5 o’clock every day but the same time slot during that day’s period of time so you know you can fit it in.” He says the phrase of “no pain, no gain” doesn’t need to apply. If you take on hard-core exercises when you’re not ready for them, you’ll likely be hurting afterwards and that can derail the whole process. He says to build up your endurance gradually.

“Start with proper nutrition and hydration,” Van Veldhuizen says. “The big thing is remembering this is a marathon, it’s not a sprint. If we go into this 100%, we’re going to burn ourselves out within a couple of weeks. It’s going to hurt and we’re going to hate every second of it. If we go a little bit slower, take our time, start with stability, then get some aerobic conditioning in and from there, start to build the strength.”

He suggests halves when drinking water — if you weigh 200 pounds, drink 100 ounces of water per day. When it comes to food, eat lean meats, fresh vegetables, limited fruits, little starch, nuts, seeds and no sugar. Caloric intake should be enough to support exercise levels, but not enough to encourage body fat. Also, he says spread your meals out, eat 5 to 6 times per day if you’re exercising.

(Radio Iowa)

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to quit smoking. Now, smokers from western Iowa and eastern Nebraska are taking part in a study to determine how genetics may impact their ability to quit smoking. Dr. Julia Houfek (HOE-feck) is lead researcher for the study at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Dr. Houfek says they hope to learn why some smokers can quit and others can’t.  “We’re studying a certain genetic characteristic that’s related to nicotine dependence,” Houfek says. “This information may help smokers, especially those who have tried to quit and have difficulty quitting decide the best way to quit for them. We’re also interested in knowing how smokers understand this information and then use it in their smoking behaviors.”

Recent studies have found perhaps 70-percent of the reasons a person can’t quit smoking may be genetic. “This is very new information, the research is ongoing right now,” Houfek says. “We’re learning more and more about this every day. There’s a real interest among researchers to understand if we give people this type of information about their genetic predisposition to smoking or nicotine dependence, what impact that might make on their smoking behaviors.”

After extensive testing, volunteers are being given the information about their genetics and then tracked to see if they seek out the best ways to quit smoking based on that genetic makeup.  “They do not have to stop smoking as part of this study,” Houfek says. “We’re just interested in knowing how they understand the information and if they use it in any way in their smoking cessation. We need a control group though, to follow along, for comparison purposes.”

Of the 90 people being enrolled in the study, half are receiving information about their genetic profile, while the others won’t receive the information until after the study is over. The UNMC College of Nursing received a 40-thousand dollar grant to conduct the study which may help smokers determine their best path to quit.

(Radio Iowa)

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