A recent study was done at Weill Cornell Medical College to test the benefits of napping. The old tales of the afternoon siesta were substantiated to a great extent. Napping proved to increase scores when participants were tested fro cognitive ability. The results of the study were published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The subjects were divided into two groups and one had 45 minute naps and the other had two hour naps. They were tested in four different cognitive measures and three of the four tests indicated increased cognitive ability. A few points must be made. First there was no control group indicated, so was the increased ability based on a general population or pre-study baselines? Also the number of test subjects (N= 22) was very low. Just high enough to be counted as valid. Plus the study has not yet been duplicated, so that means something.

The subjects were aged 50 – 83 and was designed to see if the increased sleep time would be beneficial to a group known to sleep less at night. On average older folks get two hours less sleep per night and are more likely to wake more often for a variety of reasons (or for none at all.)

I have found that taking 3mg of melatonin each evening helps me to sleep through the night (with the added benefit or more dreaming – meaning more REM state.)Whether or not the study is proved out over time or not, I like the idea of napping and am quick to embrace any evidence that supports a chance for a power nap (or two.)

This also supports the seven and a half to eight hours sleep per night is optimal theory, as the addition of the nap to the night time snooze added up to meet that.

Who doesn’t like a comfy bed more than once a day? Whether it’s supported by science or not doesn’t matter to me. I hope someone does a study on drinking red wine in a jacuzzi soon.

Weill Cornell Medical College

If you look around a typical grocery store you might notice the abundance of variety and choices, but if you look more closely you will realize that most of the “choices” are brought to you by a handful of companies that have a stranglehold on food. Six beef producers bring us about 90% of all the beef that is produced in the United States. Instead of over a thousand processing facilities we are down to a handful that mass produce the beef that arrives at a typical store.

What this means is that anything you are eating isn’t local, has been produced in mass production, factory-like settings which treat the animals like commodities and aren’t too concerned with health issues. FDA inspections have dropped from thousands per year in the 1970′s to hundreds per year in the 2000′s, so don’t expect protection from the government. They don’t really care because most of the people in positions of power came from the food industry and are looking out for the interests of the big business of food, not the health of consumers.

Add to that mess the artificial products that most American’s eat on a regular basis. Look at the ingredients of the processed foods you are buying and you will realize that you need a degree in chemistry to figure what the hell is in the food you are putting in your mouth. The old saying that you are what you eat is totally true, so do you really want to eat that?

Even as far back as Hippocrates (the Father of Modern Medicine) it was known that the best way to stay healthy was to feed your body well. Modern medicine is consumed with treating symptoms not trying to cure illnesses. We can avoid illness by feeding our bodies what they need, and that is not the chemical concoctions that fill the majority of most supermarkets.

Getting to the topic of the benefits of organic foods; they are numerous. First, eating organic should be all about eating local. Local foods are fresher and closer to the source. This means they contain more vitamins and are likely to taste much better. Better yet is food that you grow yourself, but that could be a whole other article (and website.) I am not going to try to represent myself as someone who has expertise in that area, so if you are interested in growing your own organic foods, search the web.

If you can find local farms and participate in the co-op. I have found numerous farms in the Charleston, South Carolina area, and know that they are all over the place. Most have programs that distribute food to drop off points and the variety is pretty amazing. Other options include finding grocery stores specializing in organic foods.

These markets are more expensive, but the health benefits are both short and long term. Eating fresher food has less chance of contamination and it is more nutritionally sound. Avoiding processed foods with their long list of chemicals brings you back to the place that the human body is adapted for. I am now advocating less beef, for sure, less meat altogether, but still having it as part of your diet. By simply keeping your plant-based organic intake at 50% or more of your diet you will see a difference in your well being.

A recent far reaching study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health urges moderation in red meat consumption. The study looks at the interaction of red meat and health.

Intersection of Red Meat and Health

It isn’t news that red meat may not be the most healthy choice of all, but this study definitely puts the case to rest. It is one of the most extensive studies I have read about in terms of both sheer numbers and time chronicled. 121,000 men and women were followed for an average of 24 years. (To put this in perspective, when I did my thesis my case study had only 98 students and that was considered far and above the needed number of participants.)

The study defined a portion of red meat as being 3 ounces and found “Every extra daily serving of unprocessed red meat (steak, hamburger, pork, etc.) increased the risk of dying prematurely by 13%”

They also studied processed red meats such as bacon, (gasp) sausage, hot dogs and the like, increased the risk by 20% for each additional serving. I’ve posted many times about reducing consumption of processed foods, so this doesn’t surprise me much.

A month ago (Feb. 2012) a Japanese study looked at 24,000 men and women over an average of 16 years and showed no connection between consumption of 3 ounces per day of red meat and dying prematurely.

So in my mind it all comes down to a reduction in the amount of red meat you consume, not eliminating red meat altogether (although that’s not a bad idea.) Three ounces is not a lot of meat, so if you decide to go with red meat only twice a week and have a reasonable portion you should be in good shape.

Good news in another study was that another Harvard study showed no linkage between unprocessed red meats and heart disease and diabetes, but did find linkages between processed red meats. Yet another hint to stay away from those as much as possible or even eliminating them from your diet.

A word on the verbiage. The percentages listed above were determined by “relative risk of dying” which means they compared the death rate of those consuming the least amount of red meat with those consuming more. This relative risk was shown to increase with the increased consumption of red meat in all its forms.

Now it’s time to throw some burgers on the grill. Hey, I am not standing on some ivory tower writing this. We all have to live our lives and make the choices on our own guided by our research and the media we choose. Choose to live a life in moderation but with occasional excess and you can have the best of all worlds without taking too much risk with your health.

Cheers!

Rob

As always I welcome your questions and comments and remind you this is not medical advice, just my two cents derived from credible peer reviewed research.

Info from the Harvard Study

For a while there people were trying to talk me out of caffeine and specifically coffee, but studies are showing that there are some definite health benefits of coffee consumption.

Britt Coffee, when only the best will do.

All I can say is thank goodness, because I love me some coffee in the morning, and truth be told, also throughout the day.

In the past coffee was erroneously linked to ulcers, heart conditions and even high blood pressure, but studies are showing that two or three cups per day is generally pretty good for you. We are talking about standard size eight ounce cups, not the monster coffee cups that you see a lot of places, although some studies have not noted negative impact even with larger amounts of coffee. (honestly 8 ounces is a tease isn’t it?)

To start out with drinking coffee has been associated lower levels of depression among women. It also lowers possibility of prostate cancer in men and lowering risk of stroke for both sexes. Go Coffee! Wooo Yeah!

There are also possibilities of positive impact on Parkinson’s Disease and diabetes. Studies are being conducted even as I type this. The outlook is also good for reducing certain other types of cancer besides the prostate.

Caffeine is the most popular and widely used drug in the world and most of us get our caffeine through coffee. The average eight ounce cup gives you 100 milligrams of caffeine and the majority of that is coursing through your system for about 45 minutes. Some quantity stays with you for up to 8 to 10 hours, but most of it is history within an hour. (so we refill our tanks repeatedly through the day to get our “fix”)

The average cup also gives you 7mg of magnesium which is only about 2% of the recommended daily allowance, if you buy into the government recommendations. In addition to that you get about 116 mg of potassium, .5 mg of niacin and 6.2 mg of choline.

All in all, these pieces can, at least, put coffee drinkers minds at ease. Coffee may not be the miracle anti-oxidant of the ages, but at least it is relatively healthy and it’s no longer considered a sin to drink it..

Yes, that is a big title to live up to, The Best Exercise Routine in the World. But it is true. I have the universal answer and it may surprise you.

It doesn't matter what you do to work it, Just work it.

Are you thinking I am going to say walking? Or Running? How about weight lifting? Pilates? Yoga? Sweating to the Oldies maybe?

You are correct. It is different for each and every one of us, and the real answer is “The one that you do consistently that doesn’t negatively impact your health.”  Ding ding ding!

You win the prize. And the prize today is a longer healthier life. The truth is that strength training and cardio vascular training are both very important, but unless you have consistency you are not getting the most out of your routine.

So pick something that you like that will continue to be a regular part of your life.

We all know that January is the busiest time for gyms. People make resolutions that “this will be the year” and you run out to join the gym and start out with enthusiasm and determination, and it lasts a few weeks most times because it becomes a chore. If the gym isn’t right next door it turns into a commuting issue. If they don’t have certain equipment, excuses kick in. But you can kick back by just finding an activity you like and doing it.

If you like swimming find a pool, lake or ocean and make it regularly part of the routine. For many folks a walk around the neighborhood can be a social activity with a group of friends. Friends with benefits, in this case the benefits being better cardio health and potentially weight loss and toning of your legs. Add a lightweight dumb bell and some arm action and maybe tighten up your arms as well.

Liking what you do and making it really routine is going to have long lasting benefits. Today Deb and I did a loop around our development as a brisk pace. That sort of thing is social, enjoyable and will pay off in the long run.

Do what you like and keep at it. That is the best exercise routine in the world for you.

When I was a wee lad my parents used to get the Reader’s Digest delivered to the house. Or maybe I just dreamed that and I only read it at the dentist’s office. Either way my favorite feature was always “Laughter is the best medicine” section where people would send in jokes. Why is this in a blog about health and wellness?

It’s because I truly believe that your mental state has a great deal to do with your health. You create your reality, to quote a phrase, and part of that is through doing and seeing things you enjoy. This is one of the reasons that I recommend and enjoy watching comedies instead of horror flicks. How do you feel at the end of a horror flick? Maybe adrenaline rushing through your veins and you enjoy being scared, but it doesn’t make you happy really. That rush of adrenaline is what you are after there, but the brutality does carry forward with you in your thoughts. That’s why often people have nightmares after seeing such movies. That’s not good. The nastiness has invaded your mental state and that is not good.

The Pythons today

Being upbeat and positive impacts your health in the opposite way. Seeing a movie that makes you laugh doesn’t bring you nightmares. I am pleased to hear that Monty Python is getting back together to make another movie. I’ve always been a fan of their silliness. But it is a smart silliness. They aren’t making fart jokes (much) but more poking fun at institutions and mores.

Bringing laughter into lives is one reason that I do improv comedy as well. Performing and having folks laugh at what you do brings such a feeling of goodness. Laughter is contagious and that is something I hope you all catch. Now go off and watch a youtube video of a baby laughing and join in. You won’t be able to stop yourself from smiling, so you might as well give in and laugh along. It’s good for you!

There is no questioning the need to add resistance training to your workout regimen, but what at home exercises can you do without investing a lot of money in equipment? You might be surprised at what you can do with a few simple things you have around your house.

To start with we need to define “resistance training.” Resistance training is anything that you do which challenges your muscles in some sort of lifting capacity. Resistance training can be done with weights, like dumb bells, kettle balls or barbells and plates, but it can also be done with body weight. Body weight resistance training is the least expensive way to go and can include such exercises at sit-ups and push ups. Since those are pretty self explanatory we won’t go into them here. The first piece of  training we will talk about is using a chair to add variety to your workout.

Chair Exercises

A plain kitchen chair, with arms, is practically a piece of workout equipment. If you stand in front of it, like you are about to sit down, you can hold the arms and do a tricep dip. Use you legs to support as much or as little of your body weight as feels comfortable and then use your triceps (the back of your upper arm) to slowly lower yourself. Once your butt is almost touching the seat of the chair, stop and reverse direction until your arms are straight. Do three sets of 6 to 10 reps, giving yourself two minutes in between sets. As your triceps get stronger you can begin to engage your leg muscles less and less. Working your triceps will help tighten your upper arm and reduce that “bingo wings” effect.

Anytime you work a muscle (or muscles) you also want to work the opposite muscle. So in this case the opposite muscle from the tricep is the bicep. To work the bicep without buying any weights you can simply use a can of soup for resistance. (Okay, you could use a can of vegetables if you want.) Doing a bicep curl is as easy as holding that can in your hand with your arm fully extended and then bring the can up to your shoulder bending at the elbow, of course. Again, doing three sets of 6 to ten reps, resting two minutes between sets. If a can doesn’t provide enough resistance you can use a quart, half gallon or gallon of water. A gallon of liquid equals about eight pounds.

The next chair exercise is the squat. This is very similar in appearance to the tricep dip we did earlier, except you aren’t using your arms to take any of the weight. You can, however use them on the arms of the chair to help balance yourself. A squat is exactly as you think it would be bending your legs and mimic the movement of sitting down. Do not actually rest your buttocks on the seat of the chair, but hover over it for a moment and then straighten up again. To add weight to this exercise you can hold soup cans in each hand, or even jugs of water if your legs can handle that. Squats work both the front and backs of your upper legs (Quadriceps and hamstrings.)

To work your lower legs (calves) you can stand behind the chair and lightly hold onto the back with your hands. Raise yourself up like you are standing on your toes and then lower yourself again. As with the squats you may find you need to add some weight to this exercise. Again, you can hold cans or jugs of water to add that resistance.

Finally for your legs, you can walk up and down stairs. (if you live in a rancher I don’t have an alternative for you. You may have to visit a local mall to walk stairs there.) Walking up and down stairs is a great workout and actually incorporates some cardio vascular training as well. As with any change in physical activity check with your doctor to make sure you are physically up to the task.

No more excuses now. These at home exercises are easy and can be done in a few minutes. They don’t need to be done all at the same time, so they can be squeezed in whenever you have a bit of time.

Magnesium-L-Threonate and Brain function, which I originally wrote two years ago has been a very popular post garnering many comments and questions, so I felt justified in giving this update for those interested.

Two years ago it was undergoing testing in humans to help with brain function and it was felt that taking magnesium supplements alone would not give the added benefits that the L-Threonate would render. L-Threonate is added to aid in bioavailability, which means the magnesium actually gets into your bloodstream and is usable by your body. In 2010, when I wrote my earlier article,  you could only get the powder and not get the supplement in capsule form. That has changed and there are now a number of places to get the supplement.

One that has come up from a number of readers is Sabre Sciences. They have what they call iMagT.  Cerebral Health also sells a version of Magnesium L threonate. A third source is Swenson Vitamins. I am not vouching for these manufacturers, just passing on the information. I am looking into another company right now called Life Extensions, which seems to be pretty legit. More on that as I learn about them. And here’s a link from Amazon.. Neuro-Mag™ Magnesium L-Threonate, 90 vegetarian capsules

But for people who want to stay sharp (as I mentioned in the original article)  there is also the definite “use it or lose it” school of thought. I am totally in this group as well. My mom is 83 now and still very sharp. She does daily crosswords, word search and is a voracious reader. She recently bought  a netbook and is now surfing the web and learning more all the time. Her long and short term memory seems to be as sharp as ever to me. Way to go Mom!

One cool thing about the internet is that you never know what you are going to stumble across. It might be something as mind numbing as Awkward Family Photos (don’t go there if you don’t want to laugh and get distracted) but it can also provide something as cool as Lumosity, which is a brain training website I’ve become somewhat addicted to. Addicted in a good way. The games there (some are free and some cost a couple bucks) are fun and are specific to exercising your brain.

I read an interesting article in the latest AARP Bulletin that said that walking is the “only exercise you will ever need.” Well, it’s free and somewhat easy (depending on your physical state) but I wouldn’t say it is the only exercise you will ever need.

However, it is a fairly easy way to start to exercise. For people who are intimidated by gyms or classes (or even buying a treadmill) walking provides a low level of cardiovascular training. If you follow government guidelines, they recommend getting 30 minutes of exercise several times a week. Walking can do that for you.

But, you do need resistance training as well. Resistance training (lifting weights) will build up your bones, making them stronger, plus obviously will increase your strength. Many complaints from “older folks” have to do with not being able to do the things they used to… This comes from a combination of weight gain, loss of general flexibility and loss of strength.

By alternating moderate strength training, walking and stretching, you can address some of those issues. By moderate strength training, I mean getting a pair of dumb bells of a low weight – maybe only six, ten or twelve pounds and working out with them three times a week. Doing simple exercises can make a huge difference in how you feel.

Get on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday weight training schedule and throw in Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday “dates” with your walking shoes. Walking can be a social event as well since there are many walking clubs around the country. Checkout Meetup.com to find some folks to join, or start your own clique.

The important thing is to start doing something, and to be consistent with it.

Gavin Gear

The following post is written by guest blogger Gavin Gear. Gavin is the inventor and creator of ManukaGuard Nutralize, a product to treat heartburn. He created the product after developing serious health issues as a result of his acid reflux disease, stage 4, pre-cancerous. Nutralize healed the damaged esophagus and resolved the acid reflux. He is currently symptom free. Mr. Gear was a science teacher in New Zealand prior to moving to the US in 1975.

HEARTBURN SYMPTOMS

These are a few of the common symptoms of frequent heartburn:

• heartburn feels like a burning or pain in the chest just below or behind the breast bone.
• heartburn can cause coughing or wheezing or a sore throat.
• heartburn feels like Chest Pain that can get worse when you’re lying down. ( not to be confused with the pain caused by a heart attack – if pain persists, consult a medical professional )

HEARTBURN TRIGGERS

Heartburn is a burning or pain in the chest general caused by one of many triggers:

• Drinking tea, soda, coffee, and other carbonated or caffeinated beverages can cause heartburn
• Going to bed or laying down too soon after eating can cause heartburn
• Drinking alcohol is a well recognized cause of heartburn
• Smoking cigarettes can cause heartburn
• Eating fatty or spicy foods or over eating can cause heartburn
• Eating certain fruits and vegetables like citrus, tomatoes, and onions
• Eating chocolate or mints can cause heartburn
• Stress. Heartburn can occur when you are upset.
• Overweight
• Pregnancy can cause heartburn

Can heartburn be cured? Healthy choices like a good diet and regular exercise and weight loss can help you avoid the symptoms of heartburn.

Options

How to Treat Heartburn

Most of the over the counter heartburn remedies come with “Use limits”, “Dose limits” and “Harmful Side Effect Warnings”; are effective as long as you keep taking the product. When you stop taking the product, the symptoms usually return, often with a rebound effect.

Natural Heartburn Remedy made with Medical Grade Manuka Honey

ManukaGuard Nutralize is an all natural product, made with all natural ingredients, 91% of which are organic grown and comes with no “Use limits”, “Dose limits”, or “Harmful Side Effect Warnings”, works quickly, in just seconds to relieve heartburn symptoms. Nutralize does not need to be taken as a preventative; take only when you have symptoms.

Click image to visit ManukaGuard.com

Nutralize treats heartburn

Nutralize treats tough heartburn

Nutralize is a natural remedy for heartburn

Note: The All Health Network is not endorsing this product, nor getting any financial reward for posting this information. We merely present alternatives for conventional therapy in an effort to inform our blog readers of possibilities. The link to the ManukaGuard website is not an affiliate link. We welcome any questions or comments on all our blog posts and attempt to always disseminate useful information and get to the truth on health and fitness.

ManukaGuard.com