Good news!!

Want your child to be smarter?  Get them moving!!  A recent study found that kids who were better at utilizing the oxygen they breathe (THE measure of fitness), had better developed parts of the brain that control memory and spacial relations (the hippocampus) -- 12% larger than unfit children.

Perhaps we are cutting funding to physical education classes prematurely.  Perhaps we should think about how much time kids get in front of the TV.  Perhaps they should be outside running around -- building up their fitness levels so they can grow the brains they need to do well in life.

Thought for the Day....

As a people, we have become obsessed with Health. There is something fundamentally, radically unhealthy about all this. We do not seem to be seeking more exuberance in living as much as staving off failure, putting off dying. We have lost all confidence in the human body. ~Lewis Thomas, The Medusa and the Snail, 1979


Live your life exuberantly today!  Carpe Diem!!

Sports drinks do not mean health drinks

Okay, this is a pretty big no brainer if you take time to think about it.  There has been a ton of research recently about perceptions of food based on the context it is presented to the consumer.  (Think "anything at Subway must be healthy because Jerod lost a bunch of weight and it's slogan is "Eat Fresh") -- so not necessarily true!

This next study talks about sugar-sweetened sports drinks, who's drinking them, and how much they are drinking.  Many times, kids are presented with these drinks as "Healthy Options" to soda because they are related to sport -- again, not necessarily true. 

Sports drinks do have large value in certain situations -- those who have lost salt and water (whether athlete or senior citizen) can benefit from the replacement factor sports drinks offer.  But if the kids are just drinking them instead of water when their shleppin' around school, then need to know it's the wrong tool for the job.

Tight Blood Pressure Control

I always find it interesting when a study comes out saying that there isn't a real difference between tight regulation (though pharmacological means) and improved long-term outcomes of the disease the tighter control is meant to help.

This study is a case in point.  It looks at the incidence of adverse cardiovascular outcomes during the follow up period.  It determines that those with BP kept under 130 mm Hg systolic pressure did not decrease their chances of dying in the follow-up period more than those with a BP kept between the 140-130 mm Hg level.

Usually, the extra control comes from adding another BP medication.  But my question has always been, is that extra med doing any good?  And, is that extra med doing more harm, since it is another non-food item the body has to metabolize and get out of the system.

I am not advocating you go off your BP meds right now -- but I think it at least bears some thought and perhaps some thoughtful discussion with your health care provider.  Like so many other things -- sometimes more is not better...it is just more.

Is more communication better?

I have been reading (a lot) lately about the web and how it increases connectedness and communication between individuals -- with the result of becoming more productive and inspired.  That idea excites me!  I want to be more productive and inspired!!

Here is a downside (and an important one at that) from a new study out of  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute about increased communication:  If there are delays in feedback -- the longer the delays between nodes (people or groups communicating), the faster the overall coordination of the group will deteriorate -- all the way down to zero.

And another important thing to note, the study authors say:

..."But, after a point, you also need to know when to "shut up," Korniss explained. After a certain period of poor communication, he said, no matter how fast or accurate you attempt to make your future communication, all communication is counterproductive."

For more information click here and here.

Back pain?

Back pain is a huge source of lost work days in the US and sufferers are getting younger and younger.  Several physical therapist I know that specialize in the spine say they are seeing 16 and 17 year olds' with backs more like 50 and 60 year olds' due to sitting and playing videos games so much.

I'm preachin' to the choir when I tell you that if you are suffering back pain -- exercise is the last thing you want to do.  However -- it just may be the key for pain reduction according to a study from the University of Alberta.

Those who exercised 4 days per week had  28 per cent less pain and 36 per cent less disability but those working out 2-3 days didn't have those same significant results. 

So don't let your pain slow you down -- the slow down might just keep you in more pain!

Do you want to be part of the solution ???

Jamie Oliver has thrown out a challenge to the world -- How can we engage our kids to like/LOVE fresh, real, whole foods -----




Do you have a great idea?  Do you need some good ideas for your own home?  Help the world or let the world help you....click here!

Email Apnea

Definition: temporary absence or suspension of breathing, or shallow breathing, while doing e-mail

Holding your breath causes a number of physical responses in the body, as researcher and author Linda Stone points out in her article on email apnea.

Just pay attention as you open your email today and see if you are holding your breath -- thereby increasing your  blood pressure (which no one needs these days) and increase our stress and muscle tension.  The first step on the path to a healthier you is to breathe!

Percentage of Adults who eat 2 or more fruits per day --

Only 32.1% of adults in Michigan eat 2 or more fruits per day!  Want to see how other states compare?  Click here for a cool, interactive map!

Thought for the Day....

He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors.  ~Chinese Proverb

An interesting risk factor for Heart Disease

Loneliness.

We are social creatures by nature.  When I was a kid, I heard about a study where a baby monkey would rather spend its time on a wire frame covered by a soft blanket than on a bare wire frame with a bottle attached to it.  I have heard that some people in nursing homes die from lack of human touch.

In this study, researchers have linked loneliness to higher blood pressure, lower sleep quality, and dementia to name just a few.  The really great news though?

The most effective treatment for loneliness is working on how people view themselves and others.  It's not all about finding 4000 hobbies that keep you in the presents of people 24/7 (which is good because I could never survive that much socialization!)

It is about learning to recognize the negative thoughts we let float around in our head and then reframe them into something more neutral.  This is the same sort of intervension that is sometimes used for people with depression.  Loneliness is more about how a person perceives their interactions with others because it downgrades the quality of the interactions they do get.

The mind really does effect the body -- treat the loneliness and the physical body gets healthier.

Corn sugar?

Did you all see the articles or hear the reports about the Corn Refiners Board asking the Federal government for permission to change the name of high fructose corn syrup to corn sugar???  Doesn't corn sugar sound more wholesome?  After all, corn is good for you.  And sugar (although we know we eat too much of it) is still natural, right?  That must mean that corn sugar is wholesome, too!??

Here's the deal, America: 

We eat too much sugar....period.

And in much the same way what we decide to wear is determined by what happens at fashion week in New York, what we chose to eat is determined by food politics.  Big ag growers, small farmers banning together to create Eat Local campaigns, what and how celebrities are choosing to eat....We are being marketed to -- all the time.

Pay attention to the name changes -- it means the food is trying to shed an image (think prunes turning into dried plums a few years back).  Maybe there is nothing wrong with starting to call high fructose corn syrup corn sugar -- but it doesn't make it "more natural" or "more healthy" than it was before.

Kids and body image

Alright....  The kids are back to school and the control parents seemingly had during the summer about who their kids were seeing and interacting with is now completely gone.  According to the news, our kids are back in school with bullies, drug seekers, kids having pre-teen sex, and just about all the bad influence  nightmares a parent could have.  We also know that adolescences is a hard time for kids to adjust to their growing, changing bodies -- especially for girls.

I have some good news and I have some bad news.  The good news is there are ways a parent can help kids make it through this age without developing many of the body image issues that plague our society.  The bad news is the help that is out there seems not very helpful when faced with the enormity and lifelong consequences for our beloved kids.

A leading psychologist gives the advice that we should help our kids fight the tendency to gain weight as a means of helping them with body image issues.  The advice seems logical in the "well, duh!" kind of way.

But is that helping them deal with the real issue of liking who they are -- or are we merely keeping them in parameters that help them not become what they (or we) fear?  Yes, I want kids to get more time playing and moving -- that is a healthy choice for all of us.  But rather than weight, should we be teaching our children to focus on the choices that really matter in life?  Like putting effort into their school work, working hard on the debate/soccer/yearbook activities they are involved in?  And then helping them gain an appreciation for how much easier they can participate in debate/soccer/yearbook/etc when their bodies are healthy and well-fueled?  Their (and our) lives are made better by a body that has been well cared for  -- and with some teaching, those choices can seem obvious and easily made.  And then, perhaps, body image wouldn't be such a big deal.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810025239.htm

Pro-Ana???

This weekend, I learned something I didn't know.  I guess it shouldn't surprise me but there are sites on the Internet that help and support people to stay anorexic and bulimic.  There are forums, information, and support for those struggling to stay super-sickly thin.

I guess it shows the power of the Internet that no matter who you are or what is important to you, you can connect with like-minded people. 

I struggled with writing this post -- on one hand, you don't have to talk to me for more than 8 minutes before you will probably get the sense that I am extremely passionate about empowering people for greater health.  Pro-Ana and Pro-Mia (pro-bulimia) sites, although empowering to their members, are not empowering them for greater health.  I don't really want to raise awareness of these sites for the people seeking them -- but... they aren't really my readers anyway, right?

So, Readers, the point of me blogging this news to you is that this is something to be aware of.  If you have adolescent kids (boys are at risk too), it bears checking out some of these sites so you can become aware of the language and kinds of support they offer -- if those phrases start popping up in your child's speech, it may be a sign that professional help is needed sooner than later.  Intervention sooner means healthier kids and fewer unproductive behaviors to relearn.

New thought on Stroke Rehab

Using a split belt treadmill, physical therapists can retrain the brain to walk in a more even gait.  The effects are only temporary but would more training on this new treadmill retrain the brain enough to make the brain rewiring permanent?

Click here to watch the video.

Burnout

Today at the Eating Coach blog, I talked about burnout (as it relates to chronic dieting).  Burnout it a pretty interesting topic because it takes over so much of the person's life and seems, at least sometimes, to be unrelated to objective measures of success (promotions, salary, success in relationships, etc.)

Especially now, as the economy is slow to come back and jobs are still precious, I am running across more people feeling trapped in their current jobs -- unable to move because they fear there is no place to move to.

On top of that, there is a relatively new study that says parental professional burnout is related to their adolescent children becoming burned out in school.  The study only cited the connection, it did not suggest a solution for the situation.  But I think it is worth the reminder (as a new school year starts) that we do bring our work home with us and if you are burning out, your kids are going to be picking up those feelings and learning those behaviors.  Just being aware of the connection might help break that cycle of burnout transference.

Teen sleep linked to food choices???

From ScienceDaily:

A study in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that teens who slept less than eight hours per weeknight ate higher proportions of fatty foods and snacks than adolescents who slept eight hours or more. The results suggest that short sleep duration may increase obesity risk by causing small changes in eating patterns that cumulatively alter energy balance, especially in girls.

My hope is that we won't just get stuck on the obesity issue here -- the extra weight is a symptom of unhealthy behaviors -- it is not an unhealthy behavior itself.

School is back in session and the sleep that some of our kids were getting in the summer while were went to work is a thing of the past.  But how are we going to educate our kids on the life-long importance of sleep as a recovery time for our bodies (not just a breaktime of lost productivity)?

My Paranoia might not be wholey unfounded???

All this summer I have faced the dilemma of just how necessary 30+ SPF really is.  I am extremely suspicious that it might just be the sunscreen that will do me in in the end (but of course then it wouldn't be skin cancer, right?)  And sure, I don't want tons of wrinkles and to look 147 years old -- but I live in Michigan!  With the exception of the few summer days when the planets perfectly align (I have a day off, the sun is out, it isn't too hot, hot, hot to be outside, and I am actually outside), most of my skin is covered up most of the time.

And without the sunlight hitting skin, bodies don't make Vitamin D.  Many of you know how important this vitamin is to calcium absorption (essential) but you may not know that our bodies are much more efficient at making Vitamin D we can actually use than it is absorbing the Vitamin D that comes from the drug store.

Strong bones are important -- really important!  But this study suggests that strong bones might just be the tip of the iceberg for what Vitamin D does. 

The researchers found 2,776 binding sites for the vitamin D receptor along the length of the genome. These were unusually concentrated near a number of genes associated with susceptibility to autoimmune conditions such as MS, Crohn's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (or 'lupus') and rheumatoid arthritis, and to cancers such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and colorectal cancer.

It's not a done deal -- these are merely associations right now, so don't run off to a nudest colony in the Bahama's and try to get your HSA to pay for it.  Just give it some thought and keep your eyes and ears open for further research.

Changing your community

The other day, I got into a big discussion with my class about whether I am an advocate of the smoking ban in restaurants and bars (which I am not!).  Now...I will tell you that I am not an advocate of smoking and I do not smoke. But  I feel it is my right as an American to have that choice -- both as a restaurant owner (where I would have the choice of opening a non-smoking or smoking restaurant) and as a patron (where I can choose what kind of environment I would like to eat my meal in). I do not think we need the government making these choices for us.

The flip side of that is others of our community have great influence over us.  If most of our community (macro or micro) do not smoke, there will be much greater pressure on us to choose not to smoke.  This is the avenue of change I like to participate in.

In their book Connected - the surprising power of our social networks and how they shape our lives, the authors give numerous examples of how the people around us influence our choices to give to charities, make healthier food choices, and to what extent we are active.  By the same token, we are influencing others by all of our choices as well.

Take a look at your behaviors.  Are there some you do not want to see duplicated in the world?  Are there changes you would like to see -- well, start living those changes!  You will make it easier for those you come into contact with to make those changes too.

It is fall.  A perfect time to step outside and go for a walk.  Put more veggies and fruits in your grocery basket (and then actually eat them).  Smile.  Laugh.  Share the positive behaviors in your life with your loved ones.  If you just do that, you will be changing the world!

What are we doing to our children???

I am sure most of you have heard that Type 2 Diabetes (what used to be called Adult Onset Diabetes) is on the rise in children.  (Type 2 is the one where the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin just wear out because they have had to deal with so much sugar).  So...with all of the sugar in the American diet, children are wearing out their pancreas at younger and younger ages.  That is bad enough...

However, a new study suggests children (kids ages 7-11 ... so really! we are talking about young kids) with poor blood sugar regulation have 4-5% less bone mass.  This is the age kids should be building bones!  How are they going to be able to avoid having hip and wrist fractures at 50, let alone 70, if they have weaker bones at 11.

This makes me want to cry and gets me MAD all at once!!!  We are choosing to let our children drink sodas (that contribute to the diabetes)!  We are not encouraging them to drink milk (to provide the calcium and vitamin D necessary to build strong bones)!!  We are not MAKING them go outside and run around (to stimulate bone formation AND to make their bodies more sensitive to insulin in the first place)!!  We are not doing these things for ourselves (not modeling the behavior) and we are not creating an environment where they have to participate in the decisions that will allow them to grow up healthy and strong!!

What is wrong with us?  Are you mad about this?  Are you doing something about it in your own home?  Are you setting a good example for the kids who wouldn't otherwise have one???

Medical Marijuana

Yesterday, Diane Rehm was discussing medical marijuana on her show.  I have heard of the compounds cannibaniods but didn't know there were a number of them.  I knew that THC was a component that would produce the "high" but didn't know there was another cannibanoid that would produce many of the healthful benefits (anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidant properties, etc) but didn't make the user high.

This "other" cannibanoid has been breed down in plant where the users and growing were looking to increase the amount of THC in the drug for recreational uses.  There are some grower now however, who are looking to increase the amounts of health producing cannibanoids while decreasing the amount of THC.

What would be the ramifications of this?  Take a listen here and you might get a new perspective! (there is a "listen" button just below the "Home" tab)

Exercising restores sensitivity of neurons that make one feel full

A very, very important study that is close to my heart!!

Exercising restores sensitivity of neurons that make one feel full