Encouraging Health

Everyone knows fish is brainpower, now there is even more reason for the Elderly to eat fish.

This article on cnn.com,states: “High blood levels of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, may help preserve thinking ability in the elderly, according to the findings of two studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The results were particularly striking among subjects with high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.

Subjects who ate fish had a slower decline in cognitive function than subjects who did not eat fish.

The investigators conclude that “fish consumption and EPA+DHA intake are not significantly related to cognitive impairment but are significantly related to cognitive decline.â€? ”

I would suggest giving your mothers and fathers a fish dish at least once per week.

There may be some truth to waistlines and heartburn.

From the article:

“Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a common digestive disorder that can affect people of all ages. As recent studies continue to confirm the longstanding link between excess weight and GERD, soaring obesity rates are likely to lead to an increasing number of Americans who are affected by this disease.

Scientists say, however, that although occasional heartburn is not a worry, frequent heartburn can lead to serious complications if left untreated.

GERD is an established risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma, a type of esophageal cancer that has increased approximately 600 percent since 1971. If both obesity and GERD are present, the risk of this kind of cancer increases even more than seen with GERD alone.

Instead of trying to make unhealthy eating tolerable, it may be time to develop better eating habits and shape up to a healthy weight to reduce GERD and risk of esophageal cancer.”

I’ve noticed problems with heartburn occur more frequently, plus my BMI is 27, well over the Government’s FDA recommended 18.5-24.9. I’ve re-started my total body fitness plan again.

Have you?

This story find an interesting link between Depression and Diabetes. From the article:

“Elderly people who are depressed are more likely to become diabetic than those who are not, according to a study that suggests depression may play a role in causing the most common form of diabetes.

Writing on Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the researchers said people with a high number of symptoms of depression were about 60 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes, than people not considered depressed.”

This shows that the more we take care of ourselves, the less likely we’ll develop life-threatening diseases. Taking care of ourselves means more than taking the right medication, seeing a dr once a year or eating right. Have some sort of social life, do hobbies regularly, get some physical exertion going.

For those who may say Diabetes is inevitable, read this from the article:

B”ut the study statistically accounted for known lifestyle risk factors for diabetes like being overweight and sedentary, and still found that depression increased the risk of diabetes.

Carnethon said the findings suggest depression may play a role in causing diabetes. While the study did not explore possible biological mechanisms, Carnethon said a high level of the stress hormone cortisol in depressed people may be the reason.”

So go out there and get happy!

depression, diabetes

depression, diabetes

Whats the underlying reason you eat? Are you hungry? Tired? Sleepy?

This article from RealAge.com , How to Fight Cravings gives some good tips on new to tell the difference.

“Fleming recommends one of the classic strategies: carrying a food journal and writing down everything you eat and why you eat it. You’ll start to notice the times you’re eating when you’re not really hungry. Once you’ve identified your emotional triggers, find alternative activities to eating. If anger sets off cravings, hit a punching bag instead. If boredom brings on hunger pangs, get busy — call a friend or clean a closet. And if stress spurs a hankering for sweets, go for a short walk and get in shape.”

hunger, emotional triggers

hunger, emotional triggers

According to this latest report, eating a diet high in flavonols (Flavonols are found in plant-based foods with onions, apples, berries, kale and broccoli having the highest concentrations.) may reduce the chances of smokers getting pancreatic cancer (thought to be due to the high propensity of smokers who have pancreatic cancer).

The scientist of the study stated “Of the three individual flavonols studied (kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin), kaempferol, abundant in spinach and some cabbages, was associated with the largest risk reduction (22 percent) among all study subjects.”

Short of smoking, people can enter more plant-based foods into their diet. See the link for morer information on which plant-based foods are highest in flavonols.

pancreatic cancer, flavonols, plant-based foods

pancreatic cancer, flavonols, plant-based foods

According to this article, Locomotor Training helps the spinal cord reroute pathways by suspending by harness a paralyzed person over a treadmill and moving their legs.

From the article:

“The late Christopher Reeve, paralyzed in a 1995 riding accident, made headlines five years ago when he announced that he had regained some sensation and motion throughout his body, thanks to a regimen that included being suspended by harness over a treadmill while therapists moved his legs through a walking gait. The therapy, known as locomotor training, was said to take advantage of the fact that the spinal cord is hardwired with a sort of backup program for walking, one that can take over when signals from the brain quit.

But there were doubters. Reeve was just one person–and a wealthy one too, who could afford the best care. In the 2 1/2 years since his death, however, locomotor training has gone mainstream, with at least 17 hospitals and rehab centers in the U.S. and a handful in Canada and Europe offering it. So far, the patients who have undergone the therapy number only in the hundreds, but about a third of them have been 21 or younger, a fact that is not only helping doctors spare the very patients in whom loss of mobility hits the hardest but also revealing much about how the nervous system works.”

What do you think of this novel therapy?

paralysis, therapy, Locomotor training, Christopher Reeve

paralysis, therapy, Locomotor training, Christopher Reeve

Saw this interesting study that links back pain with memory impairment.

From the article:

Patients with chronic back pain have significant impairments in short-term prospective memory compared with people without pain, according to the findings reported in the February/March issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.

Dr. Jonathan Ling, of Keele University, Staffordshire, UK, and colleagues compared the prospective memory of 50 subjects with chronic back pain to the memory of 50 subjects who were pain-free.

“One explanation for the observation of short-term prospective memory deficits may be related to the link between pain and stress and the impact of this relationship on cognitive function,” Ling’s team explains. “An alternative explanation may be related to glucocorticoid (steroid) treatment to which our group of patients may have been exposed.”

When I was a Workers’ Compensation Adjuster, there were a lot of clients with back injuries sutained on the job, from logging, healthcare and construction. I hadn’t noticed any memory impairments in any of them, although they did complain that there was more stress in their lives and they foud it difficult to get all the things done the did before they were injured. So, there may be more to this than I thought.

What’s your take on back injuries and memory impairment?

back injury, memory impairment, stress

back injury, memory impairment, stress

Shawn Bridgeswanted the world to see whatMeth does to a person.

He asked for a film to be made to chronicle his death so that others may avoid a similar fate.

To order “No More Sunsets”, click here.

Shown Bridges, Meth, Addiction

Shown Bridges, Meth, Addiction

Look at your DNA for clues about Prostate Cancer.

Scientists found a link in a man’s genetic makeup. From the article:

” The findings, published in 3 separate studies, may lead to genetic tests that will help identify those most at risk for the disease. The findings may also help unlock the biological mysteries behind prostate cancer, which could speed up the discovery of new treatments.

The 3 studies focus on DNA variations located on chromosome 8 in some men. The variations may be linked to as many as 68% of prostate cancer cases in African Americans, 60% in Japanese Americans, 46% in Latinos, 45% in native Hawaiians and 32% in whites, the authors of 1 of the studies calculate.”

Later on, the article states: “To know for sure, men have to get a prostate biopsy, which is a potentially painful and expensive procedure. Doctors hope to find DNA variations that would help determine which men might need aggressive prostate cancer screening — which could lead to biopsies — because they have a high risk of developing the disease.”

So guys, see your doctor and discuss this potentially life-threatening disease.

prostate cancer, biopsy, DNA

prostate cancer, biopsy, DNA

This article brings up one point that has proponents and opponents on opposite sides once again. Does it matter how foods are grown or made?

From the article:

“A few small studies have shown that some organic foods contain higher nutrient levels than conventional ones. For example, a recent study showed that organic ketchup had 57 percent more of the antioxidant lycopene than regular ketchup. But the wholesale claim that organics are more nutritious than conventional is ahead of the science. “More research is needed before it can be stated that organic foods provide more nutritional value,” says Connie Diekman, M.Ed., R.D., director of university nutrition at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri.”

Also, pro-organics aren’t left out of the debate:

“Organic advocates counter that chemicals used in conventional farming spread far beyond the fields where they are applied and have unintended consequences. “Synthetic pesticides have been linked to developmental and neurological problems,” Benbrook says. “Organics eliminate synthetic pesticides and the damage they do to farmers, land, and drinking water.”

what do you think?

Organic food, chemicals

Organic food, chemicals