Everyone knows that running is a great way to get into shape, but did you know that it can benefit almost every part of your body, as well as lift your mood? Running is incredibly effective at making you healthier in a number of ways.  While it may not be everybody's favorite form of exercise, knowing what it can do for your life just may make you look at running in an entirely new light.

Improve Your Health
Believe it or not, running is actually a great way to increase your overall level of health.  Research shows that running can raise your levels of good cholesterol while also helping you increase lung function and use.  In addition, running can also boost your immune system and lower your risk of developing blood clots.

Prevent Disease
For women, running can actually help to lower your risk of breast cancer.  It can also help reduce the risk of having a stroke.  Many doctors today recommend running for people who are in the early stages of diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis, and it is proven to help reduce the risk of having a heart attack.  By helping the arteries retain their elasticity and strengthening the heart, your chances of suffering a heart attack can be significantly reduced.

Lose Weight
Running is one of the best forms of exercise for losing or maintaining a consistent weight.  You will find that it is a leading way to burn off extra calories and that it is the second most effective exercise in terms of calories burned per minute, following only after cross country skiing.

Boost Your Confidence
Not all of the benefits of running are physical.  Running can provide an noticeable boost to your confidence and self-esteem.  By setting and achieving goals, you can help give yourself a greater sense of empowerment that will leave you feeling much happier.

Relieve Stress
Stress can actually cause a number of health and mood problems.  It can also diminish appetite and sleep quality.  When you run, you force your body to exert excess energy and hormones.  Running also helps to reduce your chances of developing tension headaches.

Eliminate Depression
When you are depressed, the last thing you likely want to do is to get up and go for a run.  Yet you will find that after only a few minutes of running, your brain will start to secrete hormones that naturally improve your mood.  In fact, there are few things in the world that can better or more rapidly treat depression than exercise such as running.

It may seem surprising to learn all of the different ways that running can improve your health, but the truth of the matter is that these are only a few of the many benefits that it can offer to your body.  Running really is incredibly beneficial to the body, mind, and spirit, and you will find that even short runs can leave you feeling more energized, more focused, and better able to enjoy all that life has to offer.

Source: Active

Younger people focused on appearance, older people on health.

By Jan Eickmeier

If you're trying to lose weight, what's your motivation? The answer may depend on your age.

An article in the journal Obesity analyzed data from 2,964 participants in the National Weight Control Registry. The data revealed that motivations for weight loss and weight loss behaviors differed between young adults (ages 18-35) and older adults (36-50). 

Of the nine possible reasons for weight loss, six were significantly different between the groups. Older adults were more likely to mention health as their motivation for losing weight, while young adults were more likely to mention appearance, social pressure, wanting to feel good about themselves, attending a social event, and to improve their social life.

Older adults were more likely to enroll in a commercial weight-loss program and talk with their physician as ways to lose weight, while young adults were more likely to attend exercise classes and to lose weight on their own.

Both groups were physically active at entry into the registry, but young adults were more likely to exercise vigorously, to exercise for weight loss, and to exercise in a group.

While weight loss at entry into the registry was similar between both younger and older adults, older adults maintained their weight loss for a significantly longer period of time.

Source: Runners World

For Immediate Release:

Lazarex Cancer Foundation honored as 2013 top-rated nonprofit
New GreatNonprofits.org Award is Based on Positive Online Reviews

Danville, CA 10/29/13 – Lazarex Cancer Foundation announced today that it has been honored with a prestigious 2013 Top-Rated Award by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews about nonprofit organizations.

“We are excited to be named a Top-Rated 2013 Nonprofit,” says Karen Ambrogi, Communications Manager for Lazarex Cancer Foundation. “We are proud of our accomplishments this year. We’ve increased the number of cancer patients we financially assist to participate in clinical trials by 47%.That’s huge. In 2014 we are launching a new program to address the (cancer) health disparities afflicting low income and medically underserved populations with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and UNLV in Las Vegas.”

The Top-Rated Nonprofit award was based on the large number of positive reviews that Lazarex Cancer Foundation received – reviews written by volunteers, donors and clients. People posted their personal experience with the nonprofit. For example, one person wrote,

“When I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, I lost all hope because I needed an experimental drug in a clinical trial to save my life. Financially, we could not afford for me to participate in the trial. Then, I found Lazarex, and this Foundation came to my assistance. I am responding to the experimental drug and it is keeping me alive. I believe that this Foundation is saving my life by helping me afford to stay on this trial.”

While the Top-Rated Awards run through the end of October, Lazarex Cancer Foundation was part of the inaugural group to qualify for the year.

“Savvy donors want to see the impact of their donations more than ever,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits, “People with direct experience with Lazarex Cancer Foundation have voted that the organization is making a real difference.”

Being on the Top-Rated list gives donors and volunteers more confidence that this is a credible organization. The reviews by volunteers, clients and other donors show the on-the-ground results of this nonprofit. This award is a form of recognition by the community.

About Lazarex Cancer Foundation

At Lazarex Cancer Foundation we support all end stage cancer patients and the cancer community by providing assistance with cost for clinical trial participation, navigation through clinical trial options, and community outreach and education.

About GreatNonprofits

GreatNonprofits is the leading site for donors and volunteers to find reviews and ratings of nonprofits. Reviews on the site influence 30 million donation decisions a year. www.greatnonprofits.org

Media Contact

Karen Ambrogi [email protected] 925.820.4517

“…In tribute to Scott's life, which he lived fast and furious with no time for meandering, the Zenaro family will be working to raise even more money for Lazarex by raffling off his pride and joy — a custom Harley-Davidson Softail motorcycle.”

Scott Zenaro’s Motorcycle Raffle 

We are excited about a unique fundraiser for Lazarex Cancer Foundation.  Ron and Carol Zenaro, the parents of our Very Important Patient, Scott Zenaro, have donated all the prizes, including Scott’s $40,000 handcrafted custom motorcycle to Lazarex to raffle off.

 Tickets are only $100 each 

 ONLY 500 tickets will be sold to raise $50,000.  

Every dollar goes to Lazarex Cancer Foundation

Grand Prize - Scott Zenaro’s Custom Softail Handcrafted Motorcycle, $40,000 value

Second Prize - Hawaii Condo for 6 Nights/7 Days $ 2,500 value

(For 2 people, based on availability) 

Third Prize - Keurig 700 Vue Single Cup Coffee Brewer $200 value

For more motorcycle and raffle details and to purchase tickets online go to: https://lazarex.ejoinme.org/zenaroraffle

Winners will be announced Saturday, October 5, 2013.

Tickets may also be purchased by contacting Ron Zenaro at:

 [email protected], 508.981.5050 

“Lazarex came to Scott’s aid to provide him with a second chance at life. Lazarex provided Scott substantial financial assistance associated with clinical trial treatments, 3000 miles from his home. This assistance extended Scott’s life 2½ years.”  

Source: Lazarex Cancer Foundation

_by Honor Whiteman

Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle analyzed 1,001 prostate cancer survivors from a population-based study, aged between 35 and 74 years of age. All survivors had been diagnosed with the disease between 2002 and 2005.

The participants were asked to complete a food frequency questionnaire two years before their prostate cancer diagnosis, and were required to give information regarding their diet and beverage consumption.

The participants were also interviewed about their:

Less recurrence or progression of prostate cancer The analysis showed that of these participants, 61% consumed at least one cup of coffee a day, while 12% drank four or more cups of coffee a day.

The men who drank four or more cups of coffee a day had 59% less risk of prostate cancer recurrence and/or progression than those whose coffee consumption was just one cup a week or less.

Additionally, the researchers analyzed the link between coffee consumption and prostate cancer-specific death in 894 patients included in the original food frequency questionnaire.

Results showed that 125 men had died after the median follow-up period of 8.5 years. Of these, 38 had died specifically from prostate cancer, but daily coffee consumption was not associated with these deaths.

There was no link found between coffee consumption and reduced mortality from prostate cancer, the researchers add, although they note this study did not include enough men who died from the disease to address that as a separate issue.

Milan Geybels, a previous student at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and lead author of the study, says the results of this study differ from those of other studies looking at the same link, as the researchers used a "composite definition" of prostate cancer recurrence/progression. He adds:

"We used detailed information on follow-up prostate-specific antigen levels, use of secondary treatment for prostate cancer and data from scans and biopsies to assess occurrence of metastases and cause-specific mortality during follow up.

Using these detailed data, we could determine whether a patient had evidence of prostate cancer recurrence or progression."

The study authors add that further research is needed to determine exactly how coffee may have effects against prostate cancer. But they say biological activities linked to consumption of phytochemical compounds found in coffee can have "anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects."

The researchers say that these naturally occurring compounds include:

• Caffeine, "which can inhibit cell growth and encourage apoptosis"
• Diterpenes cafestol and kahweol, "which can inhibit cancer growth"
• Chlorogenic acid, "which can inhibit DNA methylation".

'Don't start drinking lots of coffee - it may be harmful' The study authors warn that although these results indicate a positive link between higher coffee consumption and reducing the recurrence and progression of prostate cancer, the preventive effect needs to be demonstrated within clinical trials before coffee can be recommended for secondary prevention.

Milan Geybels says:

"Although coffee is a commonly consumed beverage, we have to point out that increasing one's coffee intake may be harmful for some men. For instance, men with hypertension may be vulnerable to the adverse effects of caffeine in coffee.

Or, specific components in coffee may raise serum cholesterol levels, posing a possible threat to coronary health. Patients who have questions or concerns about their coffee intake should discuss them with their general practitioner.

This research is the latest in a variety of studies that claim health benefits, and also risks, of coffee consumption.

US researchers found that drinking four or more cups of coffee a day was linked to risk of early death.

However, a July 2013 study from the Harvard School of Public Health found that suicide risk in adults was lower among those who drank 2 to 4 cups of coffee a day.

Source: Medical News Today

A new trend for group racing has been gaining momentum as a recognized way to help people stay fit, while socializing at the same time. The racing theme is so popular that there have been a host of new racing fitness industries popping up worldwide. A few of these new adventures are known as the 5k races, and the color me 5k race.

The idea seems to be catching on so well because it is an answer to a worldwide obesity, exercise, and fitness problem, and at the same time, the, “team for life”, camaraderie aspect of the whole social networking experience is a motivating human force. Unlike other one-time events, the 5k series is ongoing, and happens on a regular basis, to provide large groups with a way to work out at an optimal, fat burning, level. Although group jogging and walking are ways to burn calories, the effects are not comparable.

In physiology, there is a theory known as post oxygen debt, the layman's term has coined it to be, “after burn”. This theory translates to the idea that, in the scenario where one is working out at an optimal level, also known as “vigorous exercise”, where the subject is actually sucking, or gasping for air, at the end of the workout, they will continue to reap benefits of calorie burning for upwards of one day after the activity.

The theory is explained to the effect that, because of the body's overcompensation to supply extra air, and work, at an overloaded capacity, it, naturally, has to return to the state that it started from. In order to return to its natural state, it continues to level out from its peak, on an incremental level, so that it can pay back the oxygen it used, and, “get out of debt”. In any case where the body is huffing and puffing with an increased heart rate, experts say that the body ultimately ends up burning an unparalleled amount of calories, in comparison with a lower integral workout, like walking. In theory, the after burn can last for more than one entire day.

In comparison, although walking is a way to get the heart rate level up, it is not the sort of activity that promotes a high metabolism, and it also doesn't create a significant oxygen debt. In order to increase the effect of walking to lose weight, the walker would have to increase the pace of the walk to the point of crossing the respiratory threshold, so that they were breathing hard. {Read full article}