Skip to content

Control Your Blood Pressure With Yoga

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Could yoga, a mind-body practice that brings together stretching exercises, controlled breathing and relaxation also be an effective, easy to learn treatment for high blood pressure? A study presented at the 28th Annual Scientific Meeting found that yoga can help bring down blood pressure readings. High blood pressure (the “silent” killer) is a part of life for an estimated one billion people the world over, with almost one in three U.S. adults having the disease. Normal blood pressure readings are considered below 120/80.

Those who have mild high blood pressure might do well to consider alternatives to lifelong treatments with medications, and yoga is one such option. There are many styles, forms and different intensities, and people can benefit from any one of these. When it comes to yoga and blood pressure, Dr. Debbie Cohen of the University of Pennsylvania and a team has evaluated the effect yoga alone or yoga and diet had on these numbers for a group of 58 subjects, both men and women aged 38 to 62 years old.

The study subjects were broken into three groups, one was a supervised diet/weight loss and walking program, a second was a yoga practice in a studio two to three times a week for 24 weeks, and the third was a combination program made up of yoga and dietary intervention. The team saw that those who did yoga in a studio two or three times a week experienced a statistically significant drop in blood pressure, better than the diet only group. The diet only group did see a drop in blood pressure, but it was smaller than those in the yoga group.

The yoga group saw an average drop of three points for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings, while the diet only group saw a drop of one point in both readings. Surprisingly those who followed the combination plan didn’t see a greater drop in blood pressure reading compared to those who were part of the yoga only group.

Continues below…

*Highly Recommended*

Fact: Poor Sleep Increases The Risk of Death/ Disease

Ever lain awake at night and counted the hours till dawn? Isn’t frustrating to be in bed and be unable to sleep?

With around 18 million prescriptions written every year for expensive sleeping pills…

…it’s clear that there’s a national epidemic.

So, what do doctors do when they can’t sleep?

Here’s the answer.

Learn how a retired M.D. Laney Chouest from New Orleans broke his 5-year addiction to Ambien, and now sleeps peacefully without medication.

Also, discover how a Licensed Psychologist, Sharon Stein McNamara, Ed.D.fromMinnesota broke her insomnia cycle.

Click through today to discover the 7 mistakes that are killing your sleep, and how overcome them…
*Disclosure: compensated affiliate*

Control Your Blood Pressure With Yoga Continued…

Beyond helping with blood pressure, yoga is also known to ease stress and improve
the function of your heart, probably due to the relaxation and mindfulness that’s
such a part of this practice. Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine
(BUSM) have found that yoga might be superior to other forms of exercise because
of its positive impact on both mood and anxiety. It’s the first study to show
such an association.

Using other lifestyle modifications, with regular yoga practice, could have a very good effect on those who are coping with high blood pressure. It’s important to understand that blood pressure treatment needs to be specific to the patient, what works for some is not good for others. The best treatments take into account your body mass index and other lifestyle factors according to work from State University of New York’s Downstate Medical Center.

One example of treatment challenges comes from obese patients who respond best to diuretic drugs as a treatment for hypertension, but these medications shouldn’t be used for the non obese who have high blood pressure. Calcium channel blockers, by contrast, work for either thin or fat people.

To your good health,

Share This

Filed in Blood Pressure, Exercise, Heart Disease | Comments (0)

Seven Ways To Keep A Strong Healthy Back.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Slouching might be the “in” thing on red carpets, a popular posture for cool teens or overburdened older people, but it’s also one of many reasons that almost 80% of Americans will deal with spinal problems at some time in their lives. The thing is, most people can cure or prevent back pain. It’s never too early, or too late, to get started.

We don’t always think about the spine as a part of the central nervous system that also includes the brain and the millions of nerves (the peripheral nervous system) that send messages to the brain to control the functions of our bodies. If you have a spine that’s not healthy, this impacts the entire system and cause health issues like pain, numbness, weakness in the arms and legs, breathing problems, digestion issues and impaired control of the bowel and bladder.

Here are 7 things you can do to keep your spine healthy.

1. Stop slouching, just as mom always told you. Start paying attention to how you naturally stand and you’ll find yourself slouching more than you thought. Good posture is vital for a healthy spine and is considered keeping your ears aligned with your shoulders and the shoulder blades retracted. In the right alignment spinal stress is eased. Good posture has other health and wellness benefits according to researchers from San Francisco State University who found a link between poor posture and mood disorders like depression. Others believe poor posture could be associated with issues like weight gain, heartburn, migraines, anxiety and even respiratory issues.

2. Deep belly breathing can really help with posture. Do this by putting your hands on your abdomen and feeling your stomach area move as you inhale/exhale. Do this as often during the day as you can to improve your posture and the health of your spine itself. The deep belly breathing helps the spinal nerves move in the spinal channels, easing pain and providing a sense of genuine well being.

3. Targeted exercises can strengthen you at the core says the American College of Sports Medicine. Only 10 minutes a day is what you need to do these simple, spine-strengthening activities. Neck stretches can help with cervical spine; lift weights to improve posture and yoga poses open the chest and stretch the spine. Push-ups are another great exercise for the spine and muscles that help with posture.

4. What you eat impacts your spine, so follow a healthy, balanced diet that includes lean proteins, healthy fats and lots of fresh fruits and veggies. By doing this you have the best chance at a lean body with toned muscles able to support the spine. You can supplement your diet with multivitamins and B-complex and omega-3s as these have all been shown to help ease pain in the nerves of the spine.

Continues below…

*Highly Recommended*

FREE Top Rated simple weight loss tips…

Doctor approved methods to eliminate UNSIGHTLY FAT and shed pounds within Days….

Don’t Delay… Take Action Now to finally get the body you want

CLICKHERE NOW…to see the top rated products and Shed Fat in days

Seven Ways To Keep A Strong Healthy Back. Continued…

5. Spend some time in the sun each day. The sun can have a great effect on the body, spine included. Sunlight energizes the entire body, waking it up and encouraging you to stand tall. What’s more, sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D, needed for strong, healthy bones and that includes the spinal column. You need 10 to 20 minutes in the sun each day to get enough.

6. Pay attention to your sleep as studies suggest that not getting enough sleep is linked to higher neck and back problems. You need to try and get between six and eight hours a night, and sleep in a position that lets the spin relax. The ideal sleeping position is on your side, as this puts the lowest amount of pressure on the spine.

7. Try meditation as this can restore alertness, help improve mood, increase productivity and even prolong your life. Of course there are also positive effects on your spine and posture as those who meditate tend to focus on the core of the body, automatically straightening their spines as part of the process.

To your good health,

Share This

Filed in Back Pain | Comments (0)

Cancer Prevention : All The Latest Research

Monday, June 17, 2013

Cancer is a viciously clever disease; a disease that draws lots of research interest as medicine struggles to find ways to conquer it. At a briefing for journalists held in advance of the 49th annual The American Society of Clinical Oncology conference, highlights of some of the most promising studies have been released early.

First up is work on exercise and cancer that finds workouts might just be the newest weapon in the war against the disease. Recent research has found that being in good shape may be an effective way to prevent cancer, as well as improving survival rates for patients after they get that life-altering diagnosis.

The study on exercise was conducted out of the University of Vermont and involved more than 17,000 male subjects who were followed for almost 20 years. The men who exercised the most were 68% less likely to have lung cancer, 38% less likely to have colorectal cancers than the men who were the least active. For those who were diagnosed with either of these two cancers, exercising helped bring down the death risk by 14% for each increase in fitness level.

Next, there is research on immunotherapy, medications that train your own immune system to both recognize and kill cancer. It’s a promising idea that one of these studies previewed before the meeting found that a new antibody, MPDL3280A, was able to shrink tumors in 21% of the patients taking part in the study, all victims of melanoma, lung or kidney cancer. The drug was well tolerated at all doses, and adverse reactions were infrequent.

There are also results from a first phase clinical trial of MPDL3280A that sought to establish safety and dosing guidelines. Now that this drug has been found to be safe and well tolerated, the next step is a much larger trail with lots more people. The early results on MPDL3280A are promising, so watch for more news.

The second study on immunotherapy treatment found that the combination of two drugs, FDA approved Yervoy and yet to be FDA approved Nivolumab may help shrink the size of melanoma tumors. More than half the participants in the study saw their tumors shrink by more than 50% in the first 12 weeks of treatment. That’s just incredible. Until Yervoy got FDA approval two years ago, those who had melanoma had no treatment options.

After years of little success in immunotherapy, there are now two studies that show some promise according to the president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Dr. Sandra Swain. These two therapies are bringing very rapid, profound and lasting shrinkage of tumors, and this hasn’t been seen before with other immunotherapies that have been studied. Very exciting.

Continues below…

*Highly Recommended*

Announcing: Doctor Approved Store Cupboard Remedies that Really Work…

Do you buy over the counter drugs?

Stop right now and don’t waste any more money.

Did you know that you can easily treat illness without side effects, using only natural herbs, vitamins and nutrients?

Charles Silverman N.D. Certified Naturopathic and Herbalist Doctor has taken his 18 years research and experience and condensed it into a home remedy encyclopeida of the most powerful, and more importantly proven, home remedies.

You can eliminate the Flu virus, boost your immune system, and recover faster from colds using these doctor-approved home remedies…

As well as sleep better, look younger and treat any skin problem with your own skin care home remedies and recipes.

Click through now to discover the “hidden” kitchen cupboard cures – proven by clinical trials.
*Disclosure: compensated affiliate*

Cancer Prevention : All The Latest Research Continued…

The final three studies discussed at the briefing focused on existing cancer
therapies in an effort to evaluate which were proving the most effective. A study
from Washington University in St. Louis found that a 25% stronger radiation dose
for a type of lung cancer known as non small cell lung cancer was in fact more
dangerous to the patient, and less effective in treating the cancer itself. Doctors
expected using a higher dose would mean better outcomes, so this was a surprise.

Another study evaluated the effectiveness of post surgery chemotherapy and radiation for those who had seminoma, a common form of testicular cancer, versus follow up monitoring. This work involved 1,800 patients who had stage 1 seminoma living in Denmark where the protocol calls for regular visits, CT scans, X-rays and blood testing, not chemo or radiation as used in may U.S. treatment centers. What’s interesting is that more than 80% of the patients didn’t relapse after surgery, which eliminated the need for chemo or radiation. In those who did relapse, follow up treatment brought a 99.5% survival rate. Watching is safe.

The final study examined if patients who had a certain form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma should undergo regular CT scans to watch for relapse. The research saw that most relapses weren’t detected by the scans, but by patient complains of symptoms, a routine physical or blood testing. So doctors can spare patients the cost and extra radiation of follow up CT scans.

To your good health,

Share This

Filed in Cancer, Exercise | Comments (0)

Foods That Contribute To Craving

Friday, June 14, 2013

Science is coming to support the idea that someone can be addicted to foods – especially the ones that taste good. Loaded with sugar, fat and salt, eating these foods triggers feel good chemicals in the brain, and fuels the need to eat again. The reward signals from eating overpower signals of fullness or satisfaction, and so the person keeps eating. Just like addictive drugs, some people even develop a tolerance for food, and have to eat more and more, only to see that food satisfies them less and less.

There’s been interesting work to bring science a better understanding about sugar, a substance that acts on our bodies like a drug, rather than a food.

In the 100 years between 1909 and 1999, per person sugar consumption nearly doubled in the United States. People went from taking in about 80 pounds of added sweeteners a year to a massive 152 pounds by 1999, 64 pounds of which was high fructose corn syrup that’s a good portion of sodas and processed foods. Artificial sweeteners also played a part in that rise. The numbers for 2012 tell us that the average American took in over 20 pounds of artificial sweeteners that year.

But sweeteners are only part of the story when it comes to food addiction. What people don’t realize is that flour has the same affect on blood sugar that sweeteners do. Refined flour and cereal products, heavily marketed since the 1960s, have seen an increase in consumption every ten years. In the year 2000, the average American took in 146 pounds of flour and cereal, up from 113 pounds in 1967. Eating a piece of white bread is the equal of eating five teaspoons of sugar; two slices the equal of the sugar in a can of soda.

By the end of the 20th century, Americans had the highest consumption of sweeteners and flour per year of any country in the world. The trouble is that many of the foods we used to avoid fat (low-fat, no-fat foods) are made up of sweeteners and flours. These cause a big surge in insulin, adversely affecting the blood sugar of a large population of unsuspecting people. This may also be driving, in part, the obesity epidemic, as these foods leave us hungry again in hours, sending us back for more.

Wheat and dairy can have morphine like effects on the brain, and research has shown that wheat derived exorphines bind to the opiate receptors in the brain. Dairy contains caseomorphins, while wheat and other gluten grains naturally have gluteomorphins. For some people, these opiate producing food choices can become addictive.

Continues below…

*Highly Recommended*

The Healthy Back Institute’s Back Pain Relief Journal

Jesse Cannone, co-founder of The Healthy Back Institute, has helped over 50,000 “lost cause” back pain sufferers finally get lasting pain relief. Now, he proclaims…

For 15 years their step-by-step system has helped over 50,000 people who’ve suffered from scoliosis … herniated discs … sciatica … arthritis of the spine … spinal stenosis … lower back pain … upper back pain and more…

It only takes a few minutes per day.

Click through to read their free report here today…
*Disclosure: compensated affiliate*

Foods That Contribute To Craving Continued…

What’s more, our satiety mechanisms can be overridden by flavor enhancers, artificial colors and additives to food, as well as enticing combinations of foods with sweeteners, flours, dairy and unhealthy fats that are tempting beyond reason.

These foods can actually change the chemistry of your brain, bringing on cravings and also driving the compulsion to overeat. Some people go through severe withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating these foods. Doubt this… see how you feel after denying yourself one of these foods, just how are you feeling in a few hours. Chances are you’ll be cranky, foggy and a bit on the shaky side.

The food industry has indeed found a recipe for success, adding wheat to every imaginable processed food… things you might expect like breakfast cereals and granola bars; to things you can’t understand such as canned tomato soup, powdered instant soups, taco seasoning, licorice. The companies have gotten the message – develop and market products that have the most addictive substances as these great tasting foods can make a company lots of money while feeding a nation’s raving addiction.

To your good health,

Share This

Filed in Eating Habits, General Health, Nutrition | Comments (0)

Social Interactions Ease Breast Cancer Symptoms

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Here’s important information for those dealing with breast cancer, and the people who care about them. Research appearing in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment finds that patients who have lots of friends and social relationships tend to cope better with the pain and the other uncomfortable, awkward symptoms of this disease better than those who are more isolated.

Breast cancer is often found in women after menopause, but it can strike younger women, and surprisingly each year 1,700 U.S. men are diagnosed with breast cancer. This form of cancer accounts for 16% of all female cancers, 22.9% of the invasive cancers diagnosed in women. The treatment of disease, while destroying cancer cells can also have impacts on healthy cells and bring side effects – loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, weakness/fatigue, mouth sores, bleeding, diarrhea, hair loss, weight gain, early menopause, lowered ability to fight infections.

The study included 3,139 females diagnosed with breast cancer. The participants were asked about their social networks, number of friends, the support they got from relatives, as well as their ties with community or other social groups. The team saw that those patients who had more contact with friends or family were in a better place to deal with their symptoms. Apart from the moral support, and chance to have fun, relax, be distracted from sickness for a bit, the social interactions were also supportive, able to ease the troubling physical symptoms of this disease.

Those patients who had the largest social networks or personal relationships reported the best overall quality of life during their treatment. Women who had little social interaction were more apt to report a low quality of life. Positive social interaction in particular was linked to the best quality of life. Emotional well being in the subjects was improved too.

This work, the first study of its kind to look at the effects of social interaction in cancer patients and was led by Candyce H. Kroenke, ScD, MPH, a staff scientist with the Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research, who points out that the study provides research backed evidence that social support helps ease physical symptoms of this destructive disease. These support mechanisms matter; there are real benefits to having friends, staying socially active, even when you don’t feel well.

What’s more, those patients who had help around the house were better able to cope with their symptoms. Those who didn’t get tangible support were 2.74% more likely to report a poorer quality of life than those who did get this kind of help. Someone who helps with light cooking, cleaning, errands and such is able to take the burden of these duties off the patient, so she can rest and recover, without feeling like things are going wrong without her involvement.

Continues below…

*Highly Recommended*

FREE Top Rated simple weight loss tips…

Doctor approved methods to eliminate UNSIGHTLY FAT and shed pounds within Days….

Don’t Delay… Take Action Now to finally get the body you want

CLICKHERE NOW…to see the top rated products and Shed Fat in days

Social Interactions Ease Breast Cancer Symptoms Continued…

If this first study isn’t enough to convince you of the importance of social interactions to a patient, an earlier work published in Cancer Prevention Research found that the social environment of a patient may play an important part in the biology of disease, including breast cancers. What’s more, social support can lead to very big differences in health outcomes.

As women are facing and beating breast cancer, it’s important that quality of life be considered, and addressed by all health care professionals. Whatever we can do to make this better is surely worth it.

To your good health,

Share This

Filed in Cancer, Womens Health | Comments (0)

Soy/Tomato Combo Prevent Prostate Cancer

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Here’s the latest on preventing prostate cancer. While this form of cancer is the most common form of disease in men, it is nearly 100% treatable when diagnosed and addressed in the early stages. Oncologists will tell you, preventing cancer is always better than fighting the disease once its taken hold.

Earlier work in this area had found that prostate cancer rates are lower in nations where soy is a regular part of the diet. In fact the soy isoflavones serum and prostate levels in lab mice are very similar to Asian men who eat a serving (or two) of soy a day. Researchers from the University of Illinois are now reporting that two foods – soy and tomato – may actually prevent this cancer in mice when eaten in combination. The study was done on genetically engineered lab mice, bred to develop a rapidly progressing, aggressive form of prostate cancer.

From the age of 4 to 18 weeks, the subject mice were divided into four groups – one got 10% whole tomato powder as part of the diet, another got 2% soy germ, a third got the tomato combined with soy germ and the fourth served as the control group, getting just standard lab mouse food. This time frame was meant to reflect an early and lifelong exposure to the bioactive compounds and elements in the foods studied.

The mice fed tomato and soy germ were found to have no cancerous lesions in their prostate when the study ended, compared to ALL the mice in the control group who had no soy or tomato. Study lead John Erdman, a professor of food science and nutrition from the University of Illinois and colleagues found that eating tomato, soy and the combination of the two all significantly brought down prostate cancer incidence, but the combination gave the best results. Only 45% of the mice fed both foods ended up with this disease, compared to 61% in the tomato only group, 66% in the soy germ group.

Continues below…

*Highly Recommended*

3 critical reasons you have cellulite…

Joey Atlas, a Women’s Body Enhancement Specialist is sharing his 4 step method to reducing cellulite.

No creams, vibrating machines, pill or special underwear…

Cellulite is not all about bad genetics… Learn subtle moves to wipe-out nasty dimples & bumps quickly.

Take a look at what women across 193 different countries have learnt makes the difference.

Click through now and discover how Joey can help…
*Disclosure: compensated affiliate*

Soy/Tomato Combo Prevent Prostate Cancer Continued…

But before you go out and stock up on tasty tomatoes, there’s another rather large study from 2009 conducted by experts at the National Cancer Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that found that lycopene, the antioxidant so abundant in tomatoes, is not what prevents prostate cancer. Even though earlier studies had suggested a diet full of lycopene would provide protection against prostate cancer, this study didn’t follow that line. The work appeared in the May 2007 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The findings were a disappointment, as the researchers were hoping for a simple, affordable way to bring down risks of prostate cancer.

Erdman suggests that perhaps the brunt of nutritional focus be on the soy germ, as it has a very different isoflavones profile than the rest of the soybean. Soy germ is very high in isoflavones, daidzein and glycitein, but low in genistein, the substance that usually gets most of the attention. In fact, the soy product used in the research was low in genistein, but still had plenty of power when it came to preventing cancer.

While you wait for more work to clarify the picture to stay healthy and cancer free, continue making healthy eating choices, exercising regularly and following up with your doctor.

To your good health,

Share This

Filed in Cancer, Mens Health, Nutrition | Comments (0)

Prolong Life With Sun Exposure

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Did you ever think you’d hear experts urging you to get out in the sun? There’s a new study from the University of Edinburgh that suggests exposing our skin to natural sunlight might help not only bring down blood pressure, but also cut the risk of having a dangerous heart attack or debilitating stroke. Perhaps even prolong life. With heart disease being the leading cause of death in both men and women, you can see why there is much research interest in finding ways to keep people free of such life altering diseases.

The latest study found that when the skin is exposed to the rays of the sun, a compound (nitric oxide) is released in the blood vessels of the body, and this helps bring down blood pressure naturally. Lowered blood pressure would improve your health overall since the benefits of reducing blood pressure far outweigh the risks of developing skin cancer. The chemical produced is entirely separate from the body’s production of vitamin D, widely known as the “sunshine” vitamin. Until recently, vitamin D was the only benefit thought to come from being out in the sun.

While serious, skin cancer is not responsible for nearly the number of deaths as high blood pressure that is known to up your risk for either heart attack or stroke. For the study, the team examined the blood pressure of 24 participants, all volunteers, who sat under tanning lamps for two, 20-minute sessions. In one session the subjects were exposed to both the UV rays and the heat of the lamp, in the other session the UV rays were blocked so that only the heat was felt by the subjects.

Blood pressure dropped a lot for one hour following the exposure to UV rays, but not after the sessions of heat only. This shows that the UV rays of the sun actually bring the health benefits to the body. Interesting that the subjects’ vitamin D levels were not affected by either trial. This might suggest that supplements of vitamin D alone won’t be able to make up for a lack of sunlight in terms of health.

Continues below…

*Highly Recommended*

Announcing: Doctor Approved Store Cupboard Remedies that Really Work…

Do you buy over the counter drugs?

Stop right now and don’t waste any more money.

Did you know that you can easily treat illness without side effects, using only natural herbs, vitamins and nutrients?

Charles Silverman N.D. Certified Naturopathic and Herbalist Doctor has taken his 18 years research and experience and condensed it into a home remedy encyclopeida of the most powerful, and more importantly proven, home remedies.

You can eliminate the Flu virus, boost your immune system, and recover faster from colds using these doctor-approved home remedies…

As well as sleep better, look younger and treat any skin problem with your own skin care home remedies and recipes.

Click through now to discover the “hidden” kitchen cupboard cures – proven by clinical trials.
*Disclosure: compensated affiliate*

Prolong Life With Sun Exposure Continued…

Going forward, the researchers plan to look at the risks of heart disease and skin cancer in those who have gotten different amounts of exposure to the sun. If this confirms that sunlight cuts the death rate from all causes, experts might need to re-think their advice on exposure to the sun.

Today, despite our modern medical advances, heart attack and stroke continue to affect far too many lives. The American Heart Association insists the weak link in the prompt treatment of heart attack or stroke is patient delay in getting care. This means only a minority of patients get the optimally timed treatment that’s available to all. Experts warn that if you (or someone with you) is experiencing symptoms, don’t wait more than five minutes to get help. Treatment for a heart attack or stroke should ideally begin one hour after symptoms appear, so you see time is of the essence.

The study will be presented in Edinburgh at the largest gathering of experts in skin, known as the International Investigative Dermatology conference.

To your good health,

Share This

Filed in Cancer, Heart Disease, Lifestyle, Longevity | Comments (0)

Reduce Risk Of Heart Disease With A Dog

Monday, June 10, 2013

Pets really do enrich our lives, in more ways than you ever thought. According to a statement by the American Heart Association, having a pet, especially a dog, may bring down your risk of heart disease. The formal statement appears in the journal Circulation and comes after experts looked at earlier research on the impact of pets on people.

In fact, according to the research review, owning a pet is associated with a decrease in heart disease risk factors and better survival for patients, plus…

” Lower blood pressure

” Reduced cholesterol levels

” Lower incidence of obesity

” A beneficial impact on your response to stress

Of course these findings are not reason enough to go out and adopt a dog if you have good reason not to. But if you are a current pet owner, it’s nice to know that your beloved furry friend is doing something for you that neither of you realized.

In one study that included over 5,200 subjects, those who had dogs did more walking and physical activity than those who didn’t have a dog. Dog owners were found to have a 54% higher chance of getting the amount of physical activity recommended by experts. A study from 2011 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that young dog owners are more active.

And, in a direct challenge to cats, a 2007 report in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that having a dog improves both your physical and mental health more than having a cat. Cats everywhere will simply flick their tails at the very idea, but in the review of research, Dr. Wells saw that owning a dog appeared to keep people from getting sick, helped them recover more quickly when they did and even give early warning of conditions like cancer, seizures and hypoglycemia. Dogs are also well recognized for the therapeutic role they play for those who are disabled or in hospitals.

Continues below…

*Highly Recommended*

3 critical reasons you have cellulite…

Joey Atlas, a Women’s Body Enhancement Specialist is sharing his 4 step method to reducing cellulite.

No creams, vibrating machines, pill or special underwear…

Cellulite is not all about bad genetics… Learn subtle moves to wipe-out nasty dimples & bumps quickly.

Take a look at what women across 193 different countries have learnt makes the difference.

Click through now and discover how Joey can help…
*Disclosure: compensated affiliate*

Reduce Risk Of Heart Disease With A Dog Continued…

By their very nature, dogs are a more active pet than cats, and this may be why they are so helpful to the heart. Talking the dog for a walk, playing ball or just being out in the fresh air are all good for you. It also may be that healthier people are the ones that end up having pets; they feel up to the challenge of ownership and care – meaning the pet has nothing to do with the better heart health.

The experts caution that it’s still unclear if the act of adopting a pet leads to a reduction in heart risk for those who already have disease. More work needs to be done, so in the meantime follow your treatment plan and continue working on the things we do know help keep your heart healthy. Eat a diet full of fruits, veggies and whole grains while avoiding salt and saturated fats, exercise regularly (30 minutes/day on most days), don’t smoke and do what you can to control other health conditions, like diabetes, high cholesterol of high blood pressure that may be part of your individual health picture.

To your good health,

Share This

Filed in Heart Disease | Comments (0)

Daytime Sleepiness And Alertness Tied To Diet

Friday, June 7, 2013

You might think that what you eat and how you sleep are related, but there’s little research that’s explored the connection between the two. Most experts agree that those who get between 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night experience better health and feelings of well being than those who get less, but no one, until now, has asked the question about diet and daytime alertness/sleepiness, or how what we eat might affect nighttime sleep.

A new bit of research is suggesting that alertness or sleepiness during the day may be related to what type of food you eat. The more fat consumption in the diet was linked to increased daytime sleepiness, while higher carb intake was linked to better alertness. Protein consumption had no relationship to sleepiness or alertness. The findings were not related to gender, age, body mass index, total calorie intake during the day and the total amount of sleep the subjects were getting.

When it comes to daytime alertness, taking in more fat has an acute adverse impact on alertness of those who are otherwise healthy and not obese according to study lead investigator Alexandros Vgontzas, MD, a professor of psychiatry at Penn State’s College of Medicine. The subjects in the study were 31 healthy non-obese adults who ranged in age from 18 to 65 years old and were normal sleepers, free of sleep apnea, who agreed to spend four nights in a row in a sleep lab. Meals were provided five times so the researchers could look at dietary habits. On the last day, sleepiness was measured using the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT).

The authors point out that earlier work in this area found that what’s in the diet affects subjective measures of daytime sleepiness. This study adds to what we know by demonstrating the same association between what subjects’ ate but using objective measures of sleepiness. Eating a diet with lots of fat does appear to impact alertness and this can have consequences not only for your own functioning and relationships, but the safety of others when you drive of if you operate dangerous machinery.

Continues below…

*Highly Recommended*

Are Your Genetics Keeping You Fat? (1 tip to change fast)

Ever heard the excuse “I’m overweight because of my genetics”?

Are several members of your family overweight and you just figured, you were stuck that way too? Well, I have great news. Recent studies reveal that being overweight has NOTHING to do with genetics and EVERYTHING to do with your lifestyle.

BUT, if you make the wrong choices… well, you know how that ends.

Click through to find out how Dr Charles can make a difference for you in just 3 to 10 days.

click here to learn the 1 thing that makes a difference…
*Disclosure: compensated affiliate*

Daytime Sleepiness And Alertness Tied To Diet Continued…

What you eat can also impact your sleep. Another recent study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, finds what you eat impacts how you sleep during the night. Those in the study who consumed the most calories were also more likely to be “short” sleepers. If you eat a lot of calories at 10:00 at night, your body will likely start putting out insulin in the middle of the night, and this can disrupt the sleep cycle. You’ll want to, where possible, eat earlier and try to eat fewer calories and you’re less likely to have disrupted sleep.

Both studies point to the importance of an overall healthy diet, with a good variety of foods, limited “junk” food being best for ensuring the healthiest sleep patterns. Being sleep deprived is dangerous and destructive, but the good news is that there are effective treatments for sleep problems. The first step is to talk to your doctor and discuss your symptoms.

The study on daytime sleepiness was published in online the journal SLEEP, and the findings are scheduled to be presented at SLEEP 2013 in Baltimore, Md.

To your good health,

Share This

Filed in Nutrition, Sleep | Comments (0)

Improve Your Health With Social Connections

Thursday, June 6, 2013

No real surprise here. Though sometimes emotions seem as hard to control (or predict) as the weather, researchers are learning a lot about emotions and their power over the body. What’s more, the effect of upbeat, positive feelings might just be quite beneficial to the body. Those who feel these emotions may end up with better health because they also tend to make more social connections according to research that appears in the journal of the Association for Psychological Science titled Psychological Science.

The study was led by Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Bethany Kok, Ph.D. from Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. To understand the effects on the body of up-regulating positive emotions, the team zeroed in on vagal tone, an indication of how the vagus nerve is working. This nerve helps to manage heart rate, and is also a very central part of your social engagement system.

Those who have high vagal tone tend to be better at regulating emotions and the team speculated having higher vagal tone might cause people to feel more positive emotions, which boost positive social connections. Having more connections that are social will in turn, raise vagal tone, improving health and setting off a sort of “upward spiral”.

To prove their hypothesis, Fredrickson, Kok and the team conducted a longitudinal field test where half the participants were randomly assigned to attend a 6-week loving and kindness meditation course where they learned how to cultivate positive feelings toward themselves and others. These were feelings like love, compassion and goodwill. The subjects were asked to practice the technique at home, but how often was totally under their control. The control group stayed on the waiting list for the course.

Each day, for 61 days in a row, subjects in both groups reported their “meditation, prayer or solo spiritual actions”, their emotional experiences and their interactions with others within the last 24 hours. The vagal tone was measured two times, once at the start of the study and once at the end.

Continues below…

*Highly Recommended*

The Healthy Back Institute’s Back Pain Relief Journal

Jesse Cannone, co-founder of The Healthy Back Institute, has helped over 50,000 “lost cause” back pain sufferers finally get lasting pain relief. Now, he proclaims…

For 15 years their step-by-step system has helped over 50,000 people who’ve suffered from scoliosis … herniated discs … sciatica … arthritis of the spine … spinal stenosis … lower back pain … upper back pain and more…

It only takes a few minutes per day.

Click through to read their free report here today…
*Disclosure: compensated affiliate*

Improve Your Health With Social Connections Continued…

The data offers clear evidence supporting the idea of an “upward spiral”, the perceived social connections acted as the link between positive feelings and overall health. Those who took the course and had higher vagal tone to start showed steeper increases in positive emotions over the study period. As the positive emotions went up, so did the reported social connections. As social connections went up so did vagal tone. By contrast, those on the wait list showed no change in vagal tone during the study period.

So it seems that it’s possible to self generate positive feelings that are also able to make you physically healthier. Those little connections you make with people, talking in the checkout line, sharing stories on the bus and such appear able to drive positive feelings and impact health in a good way. In time, researchers may find that positive emotions are as essential to keeping us healthy as eating right and exercising regularly. In the meantime, look for ways to be more positive, to engage more socially, in your own life and you’ll likely feel better for it.

To your good health,

Share This

Filed in Environmental Issues, General Health | Comments (0)
Close
E-mail It