Archive for November, 2009
More Foot Power, Less Car Pollution Best for Health
Posted by: | CommentsWalking and cycling plus low-emission vehicles may reduce future disease burden, researchers say
(HealthDay News) — Encouraging city dwellers to walk and bicycle instead of using cars would offer much greater public health benefits than increased used of low-emission vehicles, U.K. researchers have found.
The study compared the projected health effects in 2030 of alternative urban land transport scenarios for London, England, and Delhi, India: business-as-usual (no greenhouse gas reduction policies); motor vehicles with lower carbon emissions; increased walking and cycling (active travel) plus less motor vehicle traffic; and a combination of increased walking/cycling and low-emission vehicles.
In both cities, reductions in carbon dioxide emissions achieved through increased active travel and less use of motor vehicles offered much greater health benefits than increased use of low-emission vehicles. The benefit was over 40 times greater in London and over seven times greater in Delhi. The greatest health benefits would be achieved by combining active travel and increased use of low-emission vehicles, according to the report published online Nov. 27 in The Lancet. Read more…
Your Cameron Park Chiropractor: "No Pain, No Gain?" Not When It Comes to Getting Older
Posted by: | CommentsIt probably goes without saying that as we age our body feels and acts differently than it used to when we were younger. It just doesn’t seem fair that as our mind appears to improve and become more “inventive,” our body seems to become less “cooperative.” We’re stiff when we get out of bed; certain activities during the day make us sore at night; and, if we’re not truly careful, even a movement as simple as turning too hastily or bending over to pick up a dropped pencil, can send our back or some other muscle group into spasm. But, our body doesn’t need to go from bad to worse because there is natural treatment for us, “boomers,” that can not only slow down the aging process of the body, but help us to avoid some of those problems altogether.
For instance, arthritis. To be sure, barring pharmaceuticals, allopathic medicine fails to take care of this age-related affliction. What is the basis for such a limited approach? The answer is that most medical doctors focus only on the symptoms of arthritis. Chiropractic management, on the other hand, not only is beneficial in relieving the pain of arthritis, naturally, without drugs, but it addresses the origin of the affliction and corrects it. Chiropractors, like your Cameron Park Chiropractor, have been treating men and women suffering from pain caused by arthritis, and other age-related challenges, for over a hundred years.
Repetitive stresses, years of poor gait and incorrect posture, and lack of beneficial movement cause wear of certain joints over time and create the arthritic changes the body experiences as you get older. chiropractic adjustments restore motion back into your joints and ease any vertebral misalignments that may be causing irritation and restriction. In addition to causing arthritic changes in the spine and increasing pain, did you know that misaligned vertebra can also reduce your resistance and immunity? It’s true, and this might be one of the reasons why it may seem to you that as you age you experience more health issues and that it frequently takes longer for you to feel better again. According to studies done on older individuals, those who received regular chiropractic care stayed healthier. In fact, you could say that, as you get older, chiropractic adjustments are good for what ails you!
When it comes to the health of the musculoskeletal system, chiropractors are highly knowledgeable whether it’s the small, growing frame of an infant or the full-grown body of an aging adult. Your chiropractor is experienced in working with the aging process of the body and has exceptional observational and diagnostic skills that aid in detecting spinal misalignments and joint degeneration. In fact, a chiropractic examination can often reveal some age-related changes before they’ve begun to create noticeable pain. Moreover, your Cameron Park Chiropractor can check your posture and analyze your gait to ascertain if there are any faulty patterns that could generate more arthritic changes in the future.
So, if you have been feeling your age lately, but you’d like to feel a whole lot better, make an appointment with your Cameron Park Chiropractor today!
Bypass Food Reactions – Learn How to Read Food Labels
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If you are a regular food label reader, did you know that even the most diligent scanning can still result in food reactions? If you have problems with gluten or dairy, those supposed gluten-free and dairy-free foods still may have some type of enzyme or chemical derived from the very types of food you are trying to circumvent. Because of this issue, the FDA is devising a number of standardized definitions for the description of foods so that you will be able to tell what each ingredient is.
Food labeling is necessary to comply with the law. Any major food allergy triggers must be clearly displayed on the packaging if it contains any ingredient or derivative of the ingredient. While the foods may not contain the actual allergic ingredient, if the food is made in the same manufacturing plant as another product that does create food products with those allergens, there is a possibility of cross contamination. The food labels must clearly state this scenario as well. For instance, cookies may have a food label saying they contain no nuts but other cookies in the factory may be baked with nuts and so the label must indicate the possibility.
How to read food labels
It is smart to read food labels, but you must be more aware of the variety of ways ingredients can be described, especially if they are derivatives of foods you are allergic to. Here are some important aspects to keep an eye out for:
Even if it is a product you have purchased for years, read the food packaging. Sometimes, food manufacturers change the production process or modify ingredients without any type of warning. It is important, therefore, to always read food labels, even for those “tried and true” go-to safe products.
Please note that food labels that proclaim it is free of something like “dairy-free” are not always accurate. These proclamations are not regulated by the government and therefore these food products could still have minute amounts of the supposedly absent ingredient. For example, powdered creamers for drinks sometimes mention they are dairy-free but there is usually a powdered form of some type of milk derivative.
Keep an eye out for food packaging that says something like “may contain” on its label. This possible claim covers manufacturers in the event of a consumer has an allergic reaction but it can be quite a nuisance for you when shopping for safe foods. This “may contain” phrase basically means that your supposedly safe food product could have been contaminated by an allergen. Any manufacturer that uses nuts for some products but not for others uses this proclamation quite a bit.
Some food labels are a bit nebulous. Is it safe to take a chance on a food product with “may contain” on the label? Is there any way to avoid these foods altogether? When food allergies are mild, you can probably chance it and be ok. However, if you have a life threatening allergy or one that makes you completely miserable, it can be tough to shop for food. This ambiguous food labeling is the very thing the FDA is trying to remedy.
The best thing to do is avoid anything suspect and purchase only fresh foods that have not seen the inside of a factory. Look to internet grocers that cater to people with severe allergies and only market safely manufactured foods. health food stores are good options to shop in. However, the only way to be absolutely certain about your food is to read food labels diligently.
Baby Boomers May Prove More Disabled Than Their Elders
Posted by: | CommentsWave of disabilities could overburden health-care system, researchers fear
(HealthDay News) — Baby boomers in the United States may enter their 60s with far more physical disabilities than previous generations, which could spell trouble for an already overburdened health-care system.
That’s the finding of University of California, Los Angeles researchers who analyzed data from the 1988 and 1999 National health and nutrition Examination Surveys to identify changes in disability trends among older adults.
The study authors looked at four areas of disability: basic daily living activities, such as walking from room to room and getting in and out of bed; instrumental activities, such as doing household chores or preparing meals; mobility, including walking one-quarter mile or climbing 10 steps without stopping for rest; and functional limitations, such as stooping, crouching or kneeling.
Between 1988 and 1999, disability among people in their 60s increased between 40 percent and 70 percent in all areas except functional limitations. The increases were considerably higher among non-white and overweight people. During that same time, there were no significant changes among people aged 70 to 79. Among those 80 and over, there was a decrease in functional limitations. Read more…
Healthy Recipes Can Ward Off Headaches
Posted by: | CommentsGood Sleepers More Likely to Eat Right
Posted by: | CommentsAdequate shuteye is linked to healthier food choices in study
(HealthDay News) — Getting enough sleep can help you make healthier food choices, researchers say.
The new study included 542 male motor freight workers, who often work long hours and have irregular shifts. The average age of the participants was 49, and 83 percent were white.
The researchers from the sleep medicine division at Harvard Medical School found that adequate sleep was a strong predictor of healthy food choices, while work experiences were not significant predictors. The findings suggest that adequate sleep mediates the effects of the workplace on healthy food choices.
“Sleep duration and sleep quality are contributing factors to increasing chronic disease trends, in that insufficient sleep duration and sleep disruption have been linked to weight gain, diabetes and early mortality in the long term,” the study authors wrote. “Our findings suggest that sleep adequacy, by enhancing [healthy] dietary choices, is one means by which workplace factors may influence chronic disease risk.”
The study was published online Nov. 4 in the American Journal of Public Health.
5 Ways to Snap Yourself Back into a Good Mood
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via livewell360.com
We all have those moments. You know, where Captain Cranky Pants sneaks up behind us, and wedding sacks (Borat reference) us from behind, taking us from what was a great mood, to a mood of just plain blah or worse.
No matter the reason – whether it stemmed from something that someone else said or did, something we did, or even just our imagination running away with us – we HAVE the power to change how we feel. We can stop the train of thoughts that are blatantly causing us to feel worse and worse and flip them into an upward slope of feeling better and better.
Whether you are aware of it or not, our thoughts have a snowball effect. If we start thinking negative thoughts, it will only lead to more of the same – more negative thoughts. Unless we consciously choose to redirect what we are thinking about, we will just continue to cycle in those blah-icky-gloomy feelings.
The trick is first realizing what is happening. Awareness is a powerful powerful tool that many times we forget we have. We go on and on throughout our day, without realizing we actually have control over what we are thinking.
By stopping and becoming aware of what we are thinking, we are allowing ourselves to take that step outside of the picture long enough to observe what’s going on so that we can change it. You know the old saying, you can’t fix what you don’t know is broken. Well this is the prime example.
Here Are 5 Tricks That I Use to Put Myself in a Great Mood
1. I close my eyes, take a deep breathe, and think of 3 things in my life that I am grateful for.
I know this sounds cliché and silly, but the moment we shift our attention from something that we think is bad, to something we see as good, it automatically begins to shift our mood. When I think of these things that I am grateful for, I make sure to take time to see them in my mind, whether it is a person, place, or thing, I spend a few moments visualizing it until I notice the difference in how I feel. Try this and pay attention to your feelings, it’s almost like you can feel the shift in your chest as you move from the gloomy thoughts to the happy thoughts. The only way I can describe it is when I begin to focus on the things I am grateful for, I feel like I light up like a Christmas tree.
2. I ask myself, how does this serve me?
Sometimes I will even take #1 an step further and pull out a sheet of paper and start writing a list of reasons why whatever it is that was bringing me down, is actually a gift because it is allowing me an opportunity for growth or to learn some great lesson. Again, this trick is sooo under-rated because when we can see the good in any situation, and appreciate that it is helping us in some way to become stronger, smarter, or better equipped, then it no longer has the negative feelings attached to it. Every seemingly bad situation has the power to make our life better if we allow it, and that is the key.
3. I turn on a feel good song.
Good music is an amazing thing, so turn on a good song, and sing along, OUT LOUD, dance, move your feet… who cares who is looking, just do what feels good. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood after jamming out to your favorite feel good song. Don’t’ believe me? Try it. I dare you…
4. Get in a kick butt workout.
Yes, some days it’s tough to get inspired to get to the gym, but once you get moving, you feel pretty good, right? And then when you are finished, the endorphins are flowing, and you just feel great. The bad mood has completely vanished! Poof!
For faster results, combine #3 and #4.
5. Give to someone, unconditionally.
Whether it is with your time, your love, your attention, or your money, when you give open-heartedly to another human being it sparks something inside that turns on the happy switch. It really ties into #1 above, because when you give something to someone, with no strings attached, expecting nothing in return, you can’t help but feel gratitude for life itself and all the small things we so often take for granted.
Final Thoughts
Those are my go-to methods for busting a bad mood before it even starts. It’s really not rocket science, but these are the things that seem so simple, yet we just don’t do them. I challenge you to take a handful of these tips and make them part of your daily routine.
The more you take time for the simple feel-good pleasures in life, the more you will notice that life will automatically bring you more of the same. Happiness becomes.. EASY! And just a normal part of who you are. Can you believe it? What an amazing thought. That alone puts me in a good mood.
Knee X-ray
You may be asking why so many adults develop OA. Excessive stress over the years is a major element in the majority of musculoskeletal problems that develop as we get older. That is why as people age they are more likely to develop OA in their joints, including the knees. Incorrect mechanics of the knee, poor gait, compensatory foot mechanics as an offset of foot pain, and overload of the knee joint all create inordinate stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint occur. Most chiropractors advocate such natural, drug-free practices as Tai Chi, in combination with their chiropractic management. A traditional style of Chinese martial arts,Tai Chi features slow, rhythmic movements that generate mental relaxation, as well as improved balance, an augmentation of strength, and improved flexibility.
Though in good health otherwise, the 40 adults with confirmed OA that were selected for the Tufts study were on an average 65 years of age and overweight. Patients were selected at random to participate in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.
Tai Chi practice involves the variety of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is consistent with current exercise protocols for osteoarthritis. Furthermore, researchers noted that the “mental aspect” of Tai Chi stimulated a sense of well-being, life enjoyments, and personal concepts of health that assisted the participants in dealing differently with chronic pain. Compared with the control group, the group practicing Tai Chi displayed a considerable decrease in knee pain.
Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Look at Your Nails!
Posted by: | CommentsHealth Tip: Nails Can Reveal Your Health
A doctor should examine them carefully
– Diana Kohnle
(healthDay News) — It’s important to pay attention to changes in your nails, as they can indicate an underlying health problem.
The American Academy of Dermatology says the condition of your nails could indicate possible:
- Liver disease, which may be characterized by whitening of the nails.
- Kidney disease, if half of each nail is pink and the other half white.
- Heart condition, if the nail beds are red.
- Lung disease, which could be characterized by thick, yellow nails that grow slowly.
- Anemia, if nail beds are pale.
- Diabetes, if nails have a yellow tint that look blush at the base.
The Beautiful Grape
Posted by: | Comments Red-Grape Compound May Improve Diabetes
But so far resveratrol works only as an injection into the brain of mice, study finds
By Randy Dotinga
healthDay Reporter
(HealthDay News) — New research provides further insight into how a health-boosting compound found in red grapes may help the body fend off type 2 diabetes.
But scientists have only seen the effect in mice who received injections in the brain, and no evidence has emerged that consuming red wine or other products made with grapes will alleviate the blood sugar disease.
The findings do tell scientists about how the compound known as resveratrol works on the brain, said senior study author Roberto Coppari.
If scientists know that the brain is a "major player," then drug companies working on related research "will focus on a drug that will penetrate the brain," said Coppari, an assistant professor of internal medicine at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Scientists have been excited about resveratrol, which is found in red grapes, red wine, pomegranates and some other foods, appears to extend the life spans of mice, even those fed a high-fat diet. Resveratrol appears to mimic the effects of severely restricting food intake, which helps a wide variety of animals live longer, Coppari said. Read more…
