I have had two instances where people I knew had dental problems, and when those problems were resolved long term health problems disappeared. I have always been of the opinion that mouth health had a serious impact on health overall, and had circumstantial evidence, but no real proof. That proof has now emerged and not to my surprise is backed by years of cases similar to those I cited.

Better Oral Hygiene = Better Health

Specifically observed was a connection between oral health and heart health. This study was published in the International Journal of Cardiology, so if you are interested in more detail when you have concluded this brief article, visit their website. There are articles from the August 2008, and the November 2009 issues.

In layman’s terms (my terms) comparing two groups of patients one group who had suffered a heart attack, and a control group, found that those who did have the heart attack generally had poorer oral health. This isn’t to say that the poor oral health was the cause of the heart attacks, but probably was a contributing factor.

The linking cause is toxins resulting from either gingivitis or periodontitis Gingivitis is the milder of the two, being more of a gum infection, and periodontitis is a more advanced oral infection affecting the bones, often leading to tooth loss. The bacteria and plaque lead to the toxins which circulate around in the blood  stream. This basically tells us that not only the heart can be affected, but also the circulatory system and probably any other organs. Take a moment and think about whatever health issues you or those around you have at this time. Whether heart, lung, kidney, liver, skin, or whatever, do you think that you should take steps to help those organs function at their optimum? So many people today are quick to react to symptoms, rather than be proactive, but as the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And at the price of today’s over the counter and pharmaceutical ‘cures’ tooth paste and floss could be the bargain of the century.

In the two instances I personally witnessed, both men had a history of poor dental health and eventually had all their teeth removed and replaced with dentures. Afterwards, both reported (informally) that chronic pains and persistant illnesses were reduced, and that they generally recovered from illnesses more quickly. Again, that is curcumstancial, but I think those first hand stories are very compelling.

The moral of the story is take care of your mouth and teeth. Some estimates have up to thirty percent of Americans with some sort of dental disease, whether gingivitis or periodontitis, so brush and floss people. Everyday.

“Who wants to live forever” is the haunting echo from the theme song of “Highlander.” But some scientists are starting to try to figure out how we can live longer healthier lives. Doesn’t sound controversial does it? Yet it depends what the final goal, doesn’t it?

Time keeps ticking away...

There are many people who have started to look at old age as a disease that needs to be addressed. There is a certain amount of validity to that quest. What can we do to try to figure out what should be done and still stay within the bounds of morality and ethics?

Depending how you look at aging there are different sides to this dilemma. Do you see death as a point of passage to a better place or as a step in your path, or do you see it as a final aspect of a live (hopefully well lived)? If you see death as a doorway to heaven or a step in the route of reincarnation (just to give two examples) you probably wouldn’t want death to be conquered.

On the other hand if you look at life “rationally” without a thought to afterlife, you more than likely would like to see your natural lifespan extended to some degree. But even people in this camp have to see that if life is extended the population issue has to be a factor in this. How do we, as a race, control population with the consent of all. (Of all is seemingly impossible, in my opinion.)

Whatever group you put yourself into, I think that most people can agree that geriatric medicine should be concentrating on giving people good health throughout their lives. I would personally think that living a healthy, vigorous full life and then having a quick death is the best route. But what age do we aim for on the ‘long healthy life’ part?

If you look at websites like mprize.com it seems like they want to help people live a healthy life, while they are here, and to extend lifespan to some extent.  Their mission statement contains the phrase “enable humans to live longer, better, and wiser, by defeating age-related disease and suffering.” I think that is a noble sentiment and it deserves general support.

Wherever you stand on the issue of aging, odds are you want it to be a part of your life, and when you get to the point where you are concerned; quality of life is the largest part of that. Whether through science, exercise, diet or some combination of those, life can be better as we move through it, if we take the time to take care of ourselves.

Do you want to live a longer healthier life? Having a healthy diet and lifestyle is the first step.  <a href=”http://www.myidealdiet.com”>My Ideal Diet</a>
Feel free to drop me a line. I am always available to help. I only recommend things I have personally tested, so I can live in integrity and have full confidence in them

Don’t think you have enough time to stay in shape? You’d be surprised at what you can accomplish in a short period, if you believe the claims from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Of course it’s backed by studies and research, but some traditionalists still don’t buy into High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Make Cardio Quick and Effective

HIIT basically says that you can get the same amount of benefits by short bursts of exercise that people do by longer sessions. HIIT has been around for many years, but for some reason people generally haven’t heard much about it. My favorite method of HIIT is to get on a treadmill (or in nice weather outdoors) and change up the speeds. By Doing a few minutes of running alternating by a minute or two of slow jog, you get more benefits (cardiovascularly and caloric burn) than a constant pace.
The Norwegian study recommended four minute bursts of high intensity. This is not to say an all out sprint for four minutes (who could last that long anyway), but still running faster than you are comfortable. You should be out of breath at the end of four minutes, but not feeling like you are going to keel over. This could also be done in a swimming pool, or any other cardio vascular sort of medium. (treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, whatever)
I also do something very similar when I am doing the Seven Minute Workout. This is training with weights, but also getting cardiovascular training at the same time. Again, it’s intensity and quick (seven minutes) but not pushing yourself to the point of total failure. I’ve written about this before and again, traditionalists scoff, but how much time to people spend at the gym standing around and wasting time? A quick hard workout can give you more benefits than the traditional route.
So how much time do you have to turn your life around? If you can’t manage four or seven minutes a day to improve your health, I would say you are probably not going to have a high quality of life as you age. A simple commitment to take care of yourself can impact your life right away and have long reaching benefits. I always say that even if you don’t think you can manage it, and don’t really care about it for yourself, think about how it can impact those around you, and make this change. It’s important.

Why are old men sometimes grumpy? That grumpiness has been tied to low levels of testosterone. But why are NFL players and boxers grumpy? Interestingly enough concussions are linked to low levels of testosterone as well. Should impacted athletes be concerned?

Of course the older you get the more you start to question the reasoning behind aging. (At least most people that I talk to question it.) So to that end I have been doing a lot of research on life extension research. A recent article detailed a bit on resveratrol which has been promising and has no down side for men. For women there may be a very small chance of increasing occurrence of breast cancer, but the jury is still out on that and the percentage is very, very small.

This piece is not on resveratrol, but on testosterone, because I have just come across a bit of information on grumpy old men. (not the movie) Evidence points to the linkage of low testosterone with grumpiness and a lowered libido. The generation of testosterone is stimulated by FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) which is made in the pituitary gland.

A Shot to the Head

DSH production is impaired by impacts to the brain box (skull) and basically if you are hit hard enough and get concussions, this series causes lowered testosterone levels. I am currently reading “Eternity Soup” by Greg Critser, and he points out the number of grumpy younger men in football and boxing. Hmm, there certainly is a lot of attention being paid to the damage to the brains of players in the NFL. The attention isn’t to the lowered testosterone, but to severe damage to the brain – bruising has been noted on dissected brains of deceased players.

So will the information about lowered levels of testosterone reach the ears of NFL players, and will they be able to process the information in their bruised brains and can it get passed their grumpy demeanors? I am not saying that to be unkind, but if younger, less impacted players would be better off if they’d pay attention to this sort of information early in their careers. I believe the player’s union is investigating.

So can the players counter the lack of DSH production and supplement their testosterone levels? In older men the practice is somewhat controversial since there is some thought that we are toying with the human condition. (Some women are complaining about Viagra, I’m sure increased testosterone in older men wouldn’t be met with approval by them) But in younger men the supplementation might be a good solution.

By Robert Britt

I don’t dwell on the negative. I don’t dwell on the negative. Sometimes I have to bust loose and blow off steam though.

Top Ten

10. Too much water on the rocks in the sauna. (Usually by people who spend two minutes in there after pouring a half gallon on the rocks of a ‘dry sauna’)

9.Cell Phones – Ok, this isn’t just at the gym, but for goodness sake, do you really think you are putting an effort in on the treadmill if you have you phone glued to your ear and you are #8

8. Gabbing loudly. Wow. can you talk any louder, yet still glare at me because I am nosy about your conversation? I am trying not to listen. I am trying to concentrate and make the most of my time. These people are usually also #7’s

7. People hogging up equipment – Yes, they aren’t even using it, except as a leaning post. This is the bull session, as well.

Guys + These Shorts = Don't go there

6. The Beauty Contest. Are we here to lift or to prance about on a runway. If you have to spend an hour on your “look” before getting to the gym, perhaps that time would be better spent lifting weights?

5. The opposite of the beauty contest. Um, when a shirt is ripped so we can see nipples, or if your outfit would work for flashdance or your shorts expose your balls, um, think about an upgrade to this century. Also, and I have to say it, are we treated to seeing most of your underwear and your pants are on the ground and your crotch is at your knees, knock it off already.

4. Slamming the weights down at the end of your amazingly awesome set. Usually because you either want to brag about the amount of weight or it’s so darn heavy you can’t control it. Control is about form and function. Hello #3.

3. Improper form – Oh my gosh. use a little less weight and do the rep correctly. You’ll get more out of it, really!

2. The faces of excess – these folks are straining and struggling and their faces reflect every bit of it. I’ve seen tongues sticking out, jaws gaping open, eyes closed, eyes bugging out,etc. this is usually accompanied by the #1 pet peeve.

1. People who grunt excessively while they lift – I’m pretty sure this is to let everyone know how much weight  they are lifting incorrectly and with poor form

Stranger in a Strange Land

One of my favorite books of all times is Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. He was a genius and often is referred to as the father of science fiction. He and Isaac Asimov put so much more than sci-fi into their books and both were amazingly prolific writers. You can argue that some of their ideas on society and relationships or the role of government were too far out there. I might agree, but for plot characters and emotion, they were the shit.

I really didn’t plan on talking about the books or philosophies of the authors, but more on one point talked about briefly in “Stranger.” Mike Smith, the main character, was raised on Mars and was weak in Earth’s gravity. However he had amazing mind-body connection. After a few weak weeks on Earth he turned into an Adonis with muscles that would be the envy of any gym rat. When asked about how he developed those muscles he said “I thinked them.”

Literally with his mind, he knew he needed to be stronger and sub-consciously he directed his body to grow and be stronger. I don’t think this is far fetched. No, I don’t think we can just direct our bodies to be one way and overnight we are that way, but our mind has much more impact than we generally think.

Whether you want a better self image, improved self-esteem or a better shaped body, it all starts inside your mind. The first step is believing that change is happening, fleshing out a new picture in your mind and making yourself believe that it is coming to be.

If you truly take this belief into your heart, mind and soul, it will come to be. Maybe not overnight and maybe not in the manner you initally envisioned, but it will come to be. When you step in front of a mirror, you should hold that future image in your head along with the steps to attain it. Hold the vision true and steadfast.

Example of a vision attained, but not in the expected manner. I have been working online, doing my writing thing and trying various methods of making money, in the expectation that sooner or later my income would be sufficient online that I would not need a traditional job. In the past few weeks, out of the blue, from efforts made years or months ago, suddenly money is showing up in my mailbox and directly deposited into my bank account.

I won’t lie, it’s not enough to sustain my lifestyle, but it suddenly is a stream of income. Passive income. Work done once, pays for a long time. Beautiful and not expected, but envisioned. Hey, maybe one day my book royalties will take off too, you never know.

But getting back to “thinking your body” we just need to hold fast to what we want, keep the vision in our heads and take steps to make it so.

(for more on creating a vision board, one strategy for visualization, check out my youtube video on the subject)

It’s true. Stress kills people. High blood pressure, nervous breakdowns, tension, bills, car trouble, responsibilities, kids, relationships, headaches,  ACK! Stop. no more…. (this could be a long list. Let’s not go there)

So what can you do to relieve your stress? Think about why you are stressing out and really examine those things. Are they things that you can change? If they are, figure out how you can change them. What steps can you take to make the change? Are there small steps to start that ball rolling?

What if they aren’t things you can change? If there truly are no ways for you to change the stressful aspect of some thing, then figure out how to either put it out of your mind, or separate it from your life. Are you worried about 2012? Are you worried about climate change? 2012, forget about it. It’s coming and one way or the other it’ll be done. Climate change? Can you drive less, live greener, turn down the thermostat in cold weather, turn it up in warm weather? Little things can make huge differences, they truly can.

Still stressed? How about getting in a workout? Exercise releases endorphins and those make you feel better. Hey, just a half hour or so at the gym or running around a track and concentrating on breathing or form can help displace that stress at least for a little while. Wait, that sounds a bit like

Meditation. Yes, sitting still or running a mile. Either one can be a mind quieting time of meditation. When I run I get into a rhythm of breathing and thinking about my breathe and how long each inhale or exhale takes. Soon the cares of life are taking a backseat. Nice. These moments of quiet mind time can also be filled with

Positive affirmations and counting blessings. Yes, every day in every way things are gradually getting better. or I am so happy and lucky to have _________ in my life. That blank might be a spouse, a car, a roof over your head, food in your cupboard or whatever. Being thankful doesn’t have to mean a huge bank account or a 2010 Smart Car, it can be the smallest thing that you are really thankful for. Your son/daughter/wife/mother/father who loves and cares about you is more important than most things that people stress over every day. And while you are at it remember

Other people appreciate you and the things that you do. You are an integral part of this world and you can’t even begin to realize how the things you do affect people. It may be holding the door for a stranger, or flashing your headlights to warn another motorist of an accident or road conditions, but things you do make other people’s lives better.

Stress can be a tough thing, but you really need to kick back and think about the big picture and don’t sweat the small stuff. And remember it’s all small stuff really.

I have been concentrating a lot on supplements lately and diet, but there is more to life than those aspects (although diet and supplements are very important.)

Increase Brain Function

I was reading an interesting article on magnesium. More and more research is showing that most diets are not including enough magnesium to help with deteriorating brain function. Of more interest to some folks (especially older folks) is that you can actually increase the functionality of your brain with increased brain function.

A study done at MIT and Tsinghua University in Beijing was done to test the impact of magnesium on the learning abilities, working memory and short and long term memory in lab rats.  The study showed that people who got less than 400 mg of magnesium per day were more at risk for various diseases. Magnesium is generally found in green leafy veggies, yet another reason to eat them in mass quantities. But as people age they tend to get less and less of this mineral which has shown to help with memory and other brain functions. A fact I was unaware of is that half the population in industrialized nations don’t get enough magnesium. Who knew? Check your multi-mineral to make sure you are getting enough… Link to original article….

But for people who want to stay sharp into old age there is also the definite “use it or lose it” school of thought. I am totally in this group as well. My mom is 82 and still very sharp. She does daily crosswords, word search and is a voracious reader. Now the books she reads are sappy romance novels for the most part, but at least she’s using her brain. Her long and short term memory seems to be as sharp as ever to me. Way to go Mom! She even is using e-mail, which is something many folks over 60 are missing out on. Don’t know how I’d get by without the internet and I hope I never have to find out.

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.

What is resveratrol, really? Resveratrol is a phytoalexin, a class of antibiotic compounds produced as a part of a plant’s defense system against disease. Could swiping this defense system be used to fight disease in humans? Lots of folks wondered why the French people have low rates of heart disease — even though they have rich fatty diets — and their consumption of red wines started to be examined and voila, the resveratrol was found there. Could this be the answer to heart disease? Maybe, maybe not, but the research on resveratrol and the claims began there.

resveratrol molecule

I have been taking resveratrol for about three months now, and to be honest, I really can’t tell any difference. I hadn’t researched the supplement much, but had heard great things about it from various sources, and so I found a 100 mg cap and added that to my morning supplement pile. Recently a study has come out that anywhere from 50 to 250 mg daily is ‘recommended’ for best results, so I have upped my dosage. Although my 100mg was in the recommended range, I wanted to be in the mid to high range for optimum results, and some people have suggested 1000 mg per day, so I figured I would split the difference.

Probably I would opt for an even higher dosage, but whew, this is an expensive supplement. The current supply I have cost 20 dollars and I got 60 – 200mg caps. Not too bad, I guess, but with Deb and I both taking these daily 60 is only a 30 day supply, so obviously that adds up pretty quickly.

Now on to my pros and cons report on this.

Pros

A study done at Northumbria University consisted of a relatively low number of subjects (N=24) and had three groupings, one placebo group, one group taking 500mg daily and one group taking 1000 mg daily. The subjects in the latter two groups tested better cognitively than the group that took the placebo. Basically they could coudl process thoughts ‘better.’  The study is supposed to be released soon in a peer reviewed publication. Looking forward to that.

There are claims that resveratrol has anti-concer and anti-aging properties.A study done at Harvard Medical School showed that mice had extended lifespans (15% + longer)and actually became leaner. they also had healthier heart and liver functions, as well. Good news there.

For people who like studies done in other countries, a study done in Australia (through Kansas State University) showed  that resveratrol had therapeutic potential for cancer prevention and cardio protection. It also found that resveratrol may aid in the prevention of age-related disorders like neuro-degenerative diseases, inflammation, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

During laboratory trials using animals, there has been marked inhibition in the development of esophageal, intestinal, and breast cancer with oral administration of resveratrol.

Beyond a doubt resveratrol contains anti-oxidants which are all over today’s health headlines.

In the past year dozens of clinical trials have been done on human subjects and claims are pouring forth on the benefits of resveratrol. You can google resveratrol and get many sites to visit with all sorts of miraculous statements. Beware. Most of these ‘informational’ sites are trying to sell you, and directly link to the ‘best sources’ The links, of course, are affiliate links, so is the information unbiased? highly unlikely.

Cons

There haven’t been substantial testing done in human trials. Most of the testing done on the impact of resveratrol has been in lab situations, testing on rats and other animals. This being said, I haven’t heard of any negative impact in any humans, except perhaps for folks looking to get their resveratrol through red wine, in which case, the quantity of wine has been known to become as issue, not the resveratrol.

And the biggest con, some would believe, is that this is just the latest supplement fad to part you from your money. Granted there are many cases where this has been true, but I think resveratrol has too many backers from high levels of educational institutes and reputable labs.

Some pros and cons from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State

My Bottom Line – the pros far outweigh the cons. I will continue to take 200 to 400mg per day and I’ll let you know if I see benefits as time goes by.

—

update on the Every Other Day Diet, I am up to 8 pounds lost in just under two weeks. Yesterday I had a huge cheese steak and onion rings for lunch, yet still, I lose weight. Awesome.

I have, in the past, talked a bit about the Seven Minute Workout and the Every Other Day Diet, both of which I recommend without reserve. I have seen real muscle gains following the seven minute workout plan, and now, I can attest to the EODD.

Wine and Weight Loss? I'll take it.

And in advance I will say that this is very early preliminary results, so I can only get so excited, but there are three of us in the family following this, and we have lost 15.5 pounds. Not too bad for just over a week. And here’s the startling news: Deb has lost the most of all. She’s up to eight pounds now!

This may not seem like anything to astonishing, but normally, like the commercials you see on TV, men lose faster, and women don’t. So I’ve lost 5.5 and she’s lost 8. Caitlin, our 22 year old daughter has lost 4, so average that out, about 5 pounds lost per person, and we are eating well.

I have yet to be hungry on this ‘diet’ and the ‘meals’ are very easy. It is basically eating five times a day and totally staying away from processed foods, except we also can have up to three ‘all you can eat’ meals per week. I am a big fan of veggies and fruit anyway, so that just fits in with everything else I believe.

Another plus is that we can have a glass of red wine every night with our final meal (or while relaxing on the couch) That was one thing we had hoped to see, and although it’s not required, it is allowed and recommended. (getting that extra resveratrol doesn’t hurt)