Steve McCombs
I am writing this the day after the Oklahoma City tornado devastation . I spent yesterday afternoon texting with my son while he was in a storm shelter , perhaps 3 miles north of the tornado ’ s path . He is stationed at Tinker AFB and , as I write this , is working rescue and response with other Air Force units . Unlike earthquakes , tornadoes can be predicted to some extent , based on the weather patterns that produce them . When you live in “ Tornado Alley ” you simply expect them . Many folks have tornado shelters – in fact , all new residential construction in Oklahoma requires one . Similarly here in California , there are building codes relating to earthquakes . Which brings me to the topic at hand : Are you prepared ?
We will have a large earthquake along the San Andreas Fault at some point . Dr . Lucy Jones from the U . S . Geological Survey ( USGS ) recently spoke here at the district Office and stated as much . In fact , it is overdue based on the scientific data . There are also other faults in and around California , Arizona and Nevada that can , without warning , rupture . There are also other natural or man-made disasters that can affect us , and we need to be prepared at home and at work .
What I want to talk about at the moment is the “ Shelter-in-place ” option , should you find yourself at work and unable to leave . Think for a moment or two about what you ’ d need if you found yourself having to stay put for a few days . Do you take regular prescription medicine ? What would you do for food and water ? How about sleep ? What about personal cleanliness ? So here ’ s a list of essentials :
1 . Three days ’ supply of any prescription medicines you take every day .
2 . A case of bottled water and 3 days worth of some type of non-perishable food . You might also consider keeping some type of nutrition shake like “ Ensure ” or some other brand . These shakes have calories , vitamins and minerals .
3 . A pack of baby or personal cleansing wipes .
SAFETY Tornadoes remind us to prepare
The Oklahoma tornadoes have served as a tragic reminder to prepare as well as possible for any disasters or emergencies . ( File photo )
4 . You ’ ll probably want a blanket and small pillow if you have to sleep at the office , yes ?
5 . You may also wish to purchase a travel tooth brush and other small personal care items that are sold in sizes you can take on an airline . 6 . A comfortable pair of shoes . All of the above-listed items can easily be stored in your cubicle or office . We all have cabinets with “ stuff ” in them we almost never use ; why not turn that one cabinet into your own personal shelter in place stockpile ? You ’ ll want one that you can lock .
The bottom line is simply this ; be prepared . You never know when disaster will strike and you need to be ready , both at home and at work . Here ’ s a link to the USGS you ’ ll find useful in helping you prepare .
And , as always , drive safe , drive sober and buckle up !
Steve
Cecy Ordonez
BUILDING WELLNESS The truth : Fat turns into muscle ; Muscle turns into fat
If you knew that a certain type of exercise could benefit your heart , improve your balance , strengthen your bones , and help you lose weight as it made you look and feel better , wouldn ’ t you want to get started ? The answer is strength training . Strength training is not only for bodybuilders and power-lifters , but it can benefit people of all ages , abilities , and people who suffer from various health conditions . When I follow up with someone after I have prescribed a complete workout program ( i . e . aerobic , flexibility and strength training ), I find too often the exercise that is skipped is strength training . Besides the “ I-don ’ t-have-time ” excuse , one other reason I often hear that deters people from starting or continuing a strength training program is the idea that “ muscle turns into fat ”. On the other hand , I have those that are motivated to incorporate strength training and they ask me how to turn “ fat into muscle ”.
It is impossible , yes impossible , for muscle to turn into fat or fat to turn into muscle . That would be equivalent to magically making an orange turn into an apple . Let me explain .
There are several hundred different types of cells in the human body ( muscle , fat , liver , nerve , bone , skin , etc .) and they each usually come in a few different varieties . Muscle for example has three . One type is smooth muscle ( lines the organs and blood vessels ) and the second is cardiac muscle ( found in the heart ). The one we are concerned with is called skeletal muscle . The skeletal muscle is made of threadlike fibers ( cells ) of 10 to 100 or more that are bundled together into what is called fascicles . These fascicles are themselves bundled by a sheath called epimysium which forms the muscle and attaches via a tendon to the skeleton . Muscles are a very specialized tissue that has both the ability to contract and the ability to conduct electrical impulses .
Fat cells on the other hand , called adipocytes , have two types : brown and white . For our purposes , we are concerned with the white fat cells which collectively form adipose tissue . Each fat cell is filled with a single droplet of triglyceride that occupies most of the volume of the cell . Its function is to insulate , protect major organs and is a means to store energy . The muscle and fat cells are both anatomically different and serve different functions in the body . So where do we get the idea that a muscle cell can convert to a fat cell or vise versa ?
The myth stems from bodybuilders . When bodybuilders stop training after a competition they begin to look soft . Although there are many contributing factors as to why this happens , there are two primary ones : muscle size and calorie intake . A body builder in training will lift weights that cause the fragile muscle fiber to microscopically tear . When the fiber heals it becomes thicker and stronger to prevent future breakage . This is what causes muscles to become bigger , called muscular hypertrophy . Since the muscle is metabolically active , the bigger the muscles the more calories it burns even at rest , much like an engine running in neutral . When a bodybuilder stops strength training , they instantly lose the need for the extra calories and slowly the muscle will begin to shrink . Over time the growth factors lessens , as the muscle fiber continues to shrink and the calorie needs becomes even less . If the bodybuilder , who has now become accustomed to eating more calories , does not decrease their calorie intake , the result is a simultaneous decrease in muscle size and increase in fat . This gives the illusion that the muscle turns into fat . The reverse is true as well . A bodybuilder who is religiously training and feeding the body the right foods to support their current muscle mass while decreasing body fat , will result in an illusion that the fat cells turn into muscle .
The bottom line , regardless of what the goal is , carefully monitoring your calorie intake as well as properly training your muscles can bring many health benefits for you . You don ’ t need to be a competitive bodybuilder to support any muscle you do build ; the secret is in the nutrition . Edward Mitchell , a Civil Engineer in the Asset Management Division , and a 13 years and current competitive natural bodybuilder says , “ Without proper nutrition and supplementation , you ’ re not going to make anywhere near the gains you could make had your diet been spot on . With a good diet and supplementation plan , you will increase your muscle mass and lower your body fat fairly quick . I can see why people would think that they turned the fat into muscle , but I ’ m pretty sure science has proven that you can ’ t chemically convert a fat cell to a muscle cell or vice versa . My advice to someone who wants to start strength training is to go out there and do it . It is intimidating , I totally get that , but you have to take that first step . Once the muscle mass and strength gains start showing , you ’ ll be hooked . I guarantee it ”.
10 NewsCastle March 2013 11