Post #2: Deep Ancestry

What is DNA? A molecule that allows us to travel very far back into the past - this history book we carry around like a gift from a long line of ancestors.  A continuous sequence of code with four building blocks, contained in nearly every cell in your body.  So much information is contained in our DNA inside one cell that if stretched end to end, if would be nearly six feet long.  DNA stands for Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid.  It is composed of what looks like two ribbons that are connected by pairs of 4 different nucleotides.  Their names are not terribly important, but the order which they sequence help to determine your skin color, your height, your likelihood of getting diabetes or becoming an alcoholic.  Together in various sequences, the nucleotides create our genes and fully together, our genome.
When you have children, you copy your DNA and pass it onto them.  This is why your offspring resemble you more closely than they do other people.  However the mix of 2 peoples DNA can sometimes create mistakes, called mutations.  These mutations provide generations of people, variation.  Early scientists even went as far as classifying humans into separate categories.  It is thought that the human races had once been united, but over time, with migration and mutations they had evolved separately to produce the diversity we see today.
The ability to distinguish our DNA did not exist until recently.  Now genetic scientists can determine if you are part of a family tree dating back centuries.  Genetic scientists have began mapping the world and charting the migration of various peoples and DNA.

Deep Ancestry Post #1

Well, I've started a new book!  (Actually I read a very good novel last week by a local author. B.K. Nault.  The book is titled Kelidescope.  WARNING, once you start this book, you won't want to put it down!)

The new book I will be posting about is titled, "Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genograpic Project" Written by, Spencer Wells. Published by, National Geographic 2007.
As described on the back cover,
....an accessible introduction into genetic anthropology, the study of human history using genetic evidence.
....deciphering the text we each carry in our genes, we can now trace in extraordinary detail when and how our ancestors moved to inhabit all corners of the globe.

Chapter 1 sets the stage by exposing our diversity as humans.  There are 192 nations of the world and many more languages.  Now start combining those nationalities and you get a very complex mix.  For many centuries, most people stayed in a relatively small part of the world, often not even leaving the small town or village they resided in, marrying and having a family in that same small town.  Then the largest mass migration in human history tool place between 1840 and 1920 when nearly 40 million people (more than double the U.S. population in 1840) moved from Europe to the United States.  Today nearly half of all Americans have ancestors that passed through the main immigration facility on Ellis Island in New York Harbor.  Most Americans are deeply curious about their roots dating back to before their ancestors arrived in America.  Genealogy, the list of our ancestors and descendants, is the second most popular hobby after gardening, and the second most visited category of web sites.

Next we will look at our DNA which carries the story of our ancestors.  Until next week, Stay Active, Physically and Mentally!!

Walk this Way!

This week's post was taken from one of the periodicals I enjoy reading, the Nutrition Action Health Letter, June/July 2015.  The cover story, titled, "Walk this Way, Please: 7 Reasons to Lace Up Your Sneakers."
 1. Build a Bigger, Sharper Brain.
      Walking effects the brains of adults, especially adults in their 60's, 70's and 80's.  Studies consistently show older adults who walk more, 2 mile a day, have a significantly lower rate of developing Alzheimer's Disease and other dementia.

2. Live Longer.
     Adults who are more physically active in their later years live longer.  However, not just going for a daily walk, doing household chores, gardening, etc...All help increases our overall health and longevity.

3. Ease your Aching Joints.
    Mobility is really key as we age, when you lose your mobility, you lose your independence and things can go downhill pretty quickly.  Studies have shown, most people can decrease joint pains, caused from osteoarthritis, by 30 percent.  

4. Improve your Mood.
    Walking for exercise can help people who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate depression as much as drugs or psychotherapy sessions.  Since 2010, the American Psychiatric Association guidelines have recognized that exercise can be a valuable treatment option for mild depression.  However, "Exercise as a treatment is largely ignored by Psychiatrists and primary care physicians in the United States."

5. Lower Your Risk of Cancer.
    There is consistent evidence that physical activity can reduce the risk of Breast, Colo-rectal and Endometrial Cancers.  Even if someone hasn't been physically active before in their lives, they can still reduce their risk of those cancers by starting a walking program.

6. Strengthen Your Heart
    Regular physical activity, like walking, reduces your risk of Heart Attack, Stroke, A-Fib and COPD.

7. Dodge Diabetes
    Exercise is very effective at improving Insulin sensitivity in the muscles and regulating your blood sugar levels.

There you have it.  Walking...Its not like we didn't already know its good for us!

The Great Cholesterol Myth Post #12

We are at the last chapter of our book: The Great Cholesterol Myth
Chapter 9: Putting it All Together - A Simple and Easy Blue Print for a Healthy Heart and Life.

1. Ask your doctor for the following test. which are more important than the standard test for cholesterol:

• LDL particle size 
• Hs-CRP
• Fibrogen
• Serum Ferritin (Iron) 
• Lp (A) 
• Homocysteine
• Interlevilin - 6
• Coroary Calcium Scan

2. Eat these foods: 

• Wild Salmon
• Berries and cherries
• Vegetables
• Nuts
• Beans
• Dark Chocolate
• Garlic and Turmeric
• Pomegranate Juice, Green Tea, Red Wine
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3. Eliminate these foods: 

• Sugar
• Soda
• Processed Carbs
• Trans Fats
• Processed Meats
• Vegetable Oils

4. Make lifestyle changes to reduce stress: 

• Meditate or practice deep breathing
• Express your emotions
• Play
• Cultivate intimacy and pleasure
• And most of all....ENJOY YOUR LIFE!!

Cholesterol Post #11

Question & Answer

Is cholesterol a good predictor of heart disease?

Researchers in Japan examined all of the studies that claimed a relationship of cholesterol to life expectancy.  They excluded all studies done before 1995 and any that had fewer than 500 subjects.  Nine studies met the criteria, but four had incomplete data.  They analyzed the remaining five studies, which together involved more than 150,000 people followed for about five years.  The researchers placed everyone in one of four groups depending on their cholesterol levels:
Less than 160 mg/dL
160-199 mg/dL
200-239 mg/dL
Higher than 240 mg/dL

The same groups created by the American Heart Association

Which group do you think would have the worst possible outcome?

In scientific terms, the risk from dying from any cause whatsoever was highest in the group with the lowest cholesterol, and get this, the group with the highest cholesterol had the lowest risk of dying.  That is the total opposite of what we've been told.

Cholesterol Myth Post #10

Lets Talk Supplements

Co Enzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like substance found throughout the body and made in every cell.  Among the many important things it does, CoQ10, helps create energy from fuel (food), just as a spark plug creates energy from fuel (gasoline).  The heart is one of the two organs where the most CoQ10 is concentrated (the other being the liver).  The heart never sleeps. It beats more than one hundred thousand times a day, and is one if the most metabolically active tissues of the body.  So it is very dependent on the energy-generating power of CoQ10.

Our body creates CoQ10 but we create less as we age, making it all the more important to supplement.  As mentioned earlier, Statin Drugs significantly deplete CoQ10 levels.  This is very important!  If you are on a statin drug, you must supplement with CoQ10, the recommended amount is at lease 100mg twice a day.

Other important supplements for heart and blood health are:

• L-carnitine helps with angina, 2 grams daily
• D-Ribose, 5 grams daily for strenuous exercisers and 10-15 grams daily for those with heart disease or peripheral vascular disease. 
• Magnesium helps control coronary artery calcium levels which prevents "hardening of arteries" 400-1000mg per day
• Niacin (B3), helps reduce the really bad LDL cholesterol molecules. 100mg a day at lease. 
• Fish Oil Omega 3 - EPA and DHA are best, combined get at lease 1000 mg a day.

Cholesterol Myth Post #9

We are winding down our synopsis of the book, "The Great Cholesterol Myth," only a few posts remain.

Let's take a look at the class of drugs used to lower our blood cholesterol levels, called Statin Drugs.

What you should know:

• The benefit of Statin Drugs have been widely exaggerated. 
• Statin Drugs deplete the co-enzyme Q10, an important nutrient for the heart.  
• Depletion of Co-Q10 can cause muscle pain, weakness and fatigue.  
• The brain depends on cholesterol to function optimally and help stimulate thinking and memory.  
• Statin Drugs lead to a reduction in sex hormones and can cause sexual dysfunction.  
• Statin Drugs may be associated with a higher risk for cancer and diabetes.
• A comprehensive study by the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, showed that a majority of doctors dismiss complaints of side effects from Statins and do not report them to "MEDWATCH" the FDA's system for reporting any undesirable experiences associated with the use of medical products or drugs.  In other works, side effects are grossly under reported.  

The Cholesterol Myth Post #8

The case against Canola Oil:
The success of canola oil and its reputation as the healthiest of oils is a triumph of marketing over science.  Canola Oil is typically extracted and refined using very high heat and petroleum solvents (such as Hexane). Then it undergoes a process of refining, degumming, bleaching and because it stinks, deodorization using even more chemicals.  The only kind of canola oil that could be ok is organic, cold pressed, unrefined, which hardly anyone uses.
Dr. Fred Pescatore, M.D., a best selling author and former director of the Atkins Health Center, and somewhat of a cooking expert, had this to say about Canola Oil, "I would never use that stuff."  If you would like to read more about the dark side of canola oil, check out the report by lipid biochemist Mary Enig and Sally Fallon.  Widely available on-line, its called, "The Great Con-ola."

Cholesterol Post #7

Chapter 5: The Truth About Fat: It's not what you think

You can't talk about cholesterol without also talking about fat.  Lets clear up some misconceptions about fat- What is it? What it does? What it doesn't Do? and Why it matters in the first place?

What exactly is fat anyway?
Fat is the collective shorthand name given to any big collection of smaller units called fatty acids.  You can think of "Fat" and "Fatty Acids" as analogous to paper money and a bunch of coins.  The dollar bill is the "Fat" and the coins are the "Fatty Acids".  Just as the dollar bill can comprise different combinations of coins - one hundred pennies, four quarters, ten dimes, twenty nickles and so forth - a "Fat" comprises different combinations of fatty acids.  There are more fatty acids in a big fat blob of butter than in just a spoonful, just as there are more coins in $5 than there are in $1.  All fat on Earth is composed of fatty acids, whether a spoonful of butter, a tub of lard, or a tablespoon of fish oil.  The only difference is they are a different mix of fatty acids (i.e. nickels, dimes quarters, etc.)

There are three families of fatty acids: Saturated, Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated.  Then there is the "Trans Fats", a kind of "Franken Fat."  Suffice to say, the overall mix of fats and the breakdown of the various fatty acid combinations is very complex.  Lets skip to the less boring information.  Saturated Fats are primarily found in animal foods, such as eggs, butter, cheese and meats.  A few saturated fats are from plant oils such at coconut and palm oil.  These fats are not the big contributors of heart disease.  Ok, there is no shortage of studies pointing to an association between increased saturated fat intake and cardiovascular risk, but there are a few things you should know about these studies.  It is true that saturated fat intake can raise cholesterol levels, but it raises the good cholesterol, not the bad.  Next week we will look at Vegetable Oils and Canola Oils.

Cholesterol Myth Post #6

Hello All!  Sorry for the gap in postings, my office manager was on vacation for the last three weeks, and she is the one who actually types up my posts.

We are continuing our investigation of the harmful effects of sugar in our diet.

The way in which sugar damages the heart can be directly related to insulin resistance.  Ordinary table sugar, known technically as sucrose, is actually composed of equal parts glucose and fructose, two sugars that are anything but metabolically equal.  Glucose can be used by any cell in the body.  Fructose, on the other hand, is metabolic poison.  Moreover, high-fructose corn syrup, that's used in virtually every processed food, is 55% fructose and 45% glucose, even worse, but not much.  Whether you get fructose from regular sugar or from high fructose corn syrup it makes little difference, they are both bad.  Fructose is the major cause of fat accumulation in the liver which in turn causes insulin resistance.  Remember, insulin resistance causes high blood pressure and moves you towards diabetes and heart disease.  Oh it also makes it easier for your body to store fat and harder to burn fat, what a vicious cycle.

Cholesterol Myth Post #5

Ok, let's get to what is true about fat and sugar.  First, although some studies have shown that low-fat diets do reduce overall cholesterol, many have shown nothing of the sort.  When you replace fat in the diet with carbohydrates, which is exactly what low-fat diets do, you wind up with high blood triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol, a Double Whammy!  Not only do you raise one important independent risk factor for heart disease, triglycerides, at the same lower one protective measure (HDL cholesterol), but you also change the all important ratio if triglycerides to HDL cholesterol in the worst way possible.  A higher triglycerides number and a lower HDL cholesterol number means a higher ratio of triglycerides to HDL. You want a low ratio to prevent heart disease.  A low-fat, high carbohydrate diet makes the ration higher.  Hypertension, high levels of triglycerides, and a high ratio of triglycerides to HDL are all better predictors of heart disease than cholesterol.  Sugar, or more specifically fructose, raises every single one of these measures.

Fat raises LDL cholesterol, but it raises the big, fluffy, harmless particles and lowers the nasty little LDL's that actually do cause heart disease.  Sugar, in contrast, has the opposite effect, increasing the number of really bad LDL molecules and decreasing the number of harmless ones.  On top of that, high levels of sugar and insulin damage those nasty little LDL particles, making them more likely to start the process of inflammation.

Remember that inflammation, not cholesterol, is at the "Heart" of Heart Disease and the metabolic effects of sugar are highly inflammatory to your artery walls.

Next: What's so bad about a little sugar?

Cholesterol Myth Post #4

We are now in chapter 4 of 9 of the book, "The Great Cholesterol Myth", this chapter is titled; Sugar: the Real Demon in the Diet.  For those of you who like to cut right to the chase, here is this chapter's take-home point:  Sugar is a far greater danger to your hear than fat ever was.  In fact, after a closer look at sugar and ifs effects on our body, you will understand the link between heart disease, obesity, and hypertension.   It is SUGAR, that's the culprit in the American Diet, not fat.

The Hormonal Effect of Food
Our journey starts with one simple premise: Hormones control almost every metabolic event that goes on in your body and YOU control some of the most critical hormones through your lifestyle, with food, stress, and your activity levels.  Food may be the most powerful "Drug" you ever encounter because it causes dramatic changes in your hormones.  Over the years many mainstream dietitians and doctors preached to overweight people at risk of heart disease to simply reduce calories and saturated fats.  But all calories are not created equal.  Some foods significantly boost levels of a hormone that stores fat, while other foods do not, even when the calories are the same.  Not coincidentally, that fat-storing hormone also has some serious consequences for the heart.  The name of that fat-storing hormone?  INSULIN. Among insulin's duties is to store excess sugar (glucose) in cells.  Its sister hormone, glucagon, is responsible for opening up the cells and releasing stored glucose.  Together their main job is to maintain blood sugar levels (insulin).

Both insulin and glucagon are essential to health.  Without insulin, blood sugar would sky rocket and the result would be coma and death, a diabetics nightmare.  However, without glucagon, blood sugar would plummet and the result would be brain dysfunction, coma and death.  Interestly, insulin is the only hormone responsible for preventing blood sugar from rising too high, there are several other hormones that prevent it from going too low.  You could say that insulin is so powerful that it takes five other hormones just to counter balance its effect.

To see how insulin is supposed to work in the body, lets take a look at a metabolism that hasn't been "screwed up" yet by years of bad diet and sedentary living.  A kid comes home from school and eats an apple.  His blood sugar goes up slightly, as it always does when you eat food.  The pancreas secrets a little shot of insulin and the insulin goes to work rounding up the excess sugar in the kids blood stream and escorting it over to the muscle cells.  Which is dandy because this boy is now going to go out to play, or ride a bike, or do some other physical activity for which those muscle cells require fuel.  So far, so good.  The muscle cells welcome the extra sugar, which they use for fuel.  The blood sugar levels drop back down to normal and even go down a little bit because the muscles are eating it up.  Now the boy comes in for dinner.

Lets look at what most of us adults do. We wake up late, stress hormones coursing through our bodies.  (These stress hormones are an important factor in heart disease, more on that later).  These stress hormones signal the brain to fuel up for an emergency.  You grab a Starbucks sweetened latte and a "low fat" bran muffin.  Your blood sugar takes off like a rocket.  The pancreas says "uh-oh there is sugar all over the place" and produces a bucketful of insulin to take the sugar to your muscles.  Except the muscles aren't having it. "What do we need all of this sugar for?" they ask.  This guy then sits at a desk all day for work and when he goes home, he sits on the couch.  So the muscle cells resist the effects of insulin.  Insulin now has no choice, it takes the sugar to your fat cells.  Excess sugar and high insulin levels have serious consequences, especially on the arteries, heart, and blood pressure.

Next week: The insulin - cholesterol connection!  

Cholesterol Myth Post #3

Lets review some important facts:

• Cholesterol is the parent molecule for sex hormones (Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone) as well as Vitamin D and Bile Acids needed for digestion.  
• The only time cholesterol is a problem is if its oxidized (free radical damaged)
• Damaged, oxidized cholesterol sticks to the lining of the arteries (called Endothelium), and begins the process of inflammation.  
• The cause of true heart disease is inflammation.
• Inflammation is initiated by damage from free radicals, causing oxidation of cholesterol. 
• Free radicals develop as a result of various chemicals, such as, heavy metals like Mercury, Insecticides, Radiation, Toxins in our water, air and food supply. Not to mention if you smoke, your body gets a myriad of toxic chemicals.  
• Once inflammation of the arterial wall is started, your body's response is to send various white blood cells which eventually lead to the condition of plaque (fibrous scar tissue) 
• Remember sugar; well oxidation is only one of the conditions that cause inflammation.  Next we talk about how your body deals with sugar.  

So if cholesterol isn't the cause of heart disease, what is?

The answer is: Inflammation
The first thing you need to know about inflammation is this: It comes in two flavors.
You're probably familiar with one if them, but its the one you're less familiar with that's at the core of heart disease.
Let me explain.
Almost all of us have experience with acute inflammation. It happens every time you bang your knee, get a splinter in your finger, feel your aching back, shoulder or a rash on your skin, that's acute inflammation.
The other flavor of inflammation is:  Chronic Inflammation.
Acute Inflammation hurts, Chronic Inflammation kills.
Chronic Inflammation is much like high blood pressure, it has no obvious symptoms yet it is a significant component of virtually every single degenerative condition, including Alzheimer's, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, cancer, chronic liver and kidney diseases, and most especially heart disease.  So how exactly does inflammation happen and more importantly, what can we do about it?

One of the prime initiators of inflammation is oxidation.   If you've ever seen rust on metal, that is oxidation.  You're also familiar with oxidation if you've ever left apple slices out on the counter, exposed to air.  They turn brown: that's oxidative damage.  Going back to high school chemistry, electrons travel in pairs and orbit around atoms.  Every so often one of these electrons gets "loose."  The unpaired electron is known as a "Free Radical."  Free radicals "hit" on existing, stable pairs of electrons thousands of times a day, trying to find another electron to pair/bond with and meanwhile, inflicting enormous damage upon your cells and DNA, causing oxidative damage.

The free radicals that come from oxygen are the most deadly and damaging.  But there is help! Antioxidants are a class of substances, including certain vitamins, minerals, and many plant chemicals that help neutralize free radicals, soaking them up like little sponges, thus limiting the damage they can do to your body.

Tune in next week for more exciting info!

Like Us and Learn Series #2: The Great Cholesterol Myth

The main study linking high fat diets, cholesterol levels and heart disease was done by Dr. Ancel Keys, 60 years ago.  Known as the Seven Countries Study, Dr. Keys manipulated data taken from 22 countries and chose a selected 7 counties to prove his theory and further his own career.  At the time, Dr. Keys was a member of the Nutrition Advisory Committee of the American Heart Association and he managed to get his theories officially incorporated into the 1961 american Heart Disease dietary guidelines.

The battle for the diet of the American public was fought between the beef industry and the grain industry, big money was at stake.  The Fat Cat Ranchers were portrayed as peddling unhealthy, "High Fat, Artery-Clogging Foods" while the grain farmers were seen as the "good guys" on the side of science for the well being of the American people.  High Carb, Low Fat diets became the new mantra.

Think its a coincidence that the obesity and diabetic epidemics went into overdrive around the same time that we started pushing Lo-Fat, High Carb diets as an alternative to those containing more fat and protein.  Now, people think the Atkins Diet, which is a Low Carb, High Protein diet is a new idea.

The single dietary factor that has the strongest association with coronary heart disease is NOT fat, it is SUGAR!

"Spark" Post: Final Installment

How Does Exercise Keep You Healthier
1). It strengthens the cardiovascular system.
2). It regulates fuel by controlling our insulin levels.
3). It reduces obesity. Exercise burns calories and reduces appetite
4). It controls our Cortisol levels and reduces stress.
5). It lifts your mood and boosts motivation.
6). It strengthens your immune system. Regular exercise lowers your risk of getting cancer and illnesses.
7). It strengthens your bones and fights osteoporosis. In the U.S., more women die each year from a hip fracture than breast cancer.
8). It fosters Neuroplasticity.  That is, exercise strengthens and creates new connections in the brain.

"If you are not busy living, your body will be busy dying."

The next book Dr. Myren will be reviewing is called "The Great Cholesterol Myth" by, Jonny Bowden, PH.D., C.N.S. and Stephen Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C.

"Spark" Post #13: Dementia

There are different types of dementia.  The most common form, by far, is Alzheimer's Disease.  According to a 2000 census, about 4.5 million American's have Alzheimer's and that number is expected to triple, to more than 13.2 million as baby boomers enter old age.
The next most common form is Parkinson's Disease.  This disease effects the area of the brain that controls smooth muscle movement of the body, thus the classic tremors of Parkinson's.
Our biggest risk for Dementia is the set of genes we are born with, but our lifestyle and environment can either trigger or suppress those risks.
Two interesting studies have shown that you can significantly lower your risk of dementia with regular exercise, higher education and continued learning.

"Spark" Post #12: Aging and Cognitive Decline

It shows up in the little things first.  As the connections in the brain breakdown, you have a harder time calling to mind people and places you've known.  Everybody experiences this at some point,  but it is frustrating when this occurs.  This happens to most of us as we age, but the extent of this cognitive impairment can vary dramatically from person to person.  If this condition is left unchecked, it can become Dementia.  The good news, regular exercise not only keeps the brain from "rotting", but it also reverses the cell deterioration associated with aging, thus slowing cognitive decline.  A study of senior citizens found walking only 90 minutes a week significantly improves overall health and mental function.

Spark Post #11

Pregnancy and Exercise

No myth about women's health has existed for so long as the belief that women should stop exercising during pregnancy.  In 2002 the American College of OB/GYN's began recommending at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise for pregnant and postpartum mothers.  This was largely to counter the health risks such as high blood pressure, and pre-eclampsia that can develop during pregnancy.  Since, some very interesting studies have found significant effects of exercise on the unborn fetus and infant.  For instance, newborns of exercising mothers are more neurologically developed than newborns from sedentary mothers.  The idea that exercising while you are pregnant might have an impact on your baby's brain and cognitive development should be a powerful motivation to stay active, 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily.

Like us and Learn "Spark" Post #10

Chapter 8 discusses hormonal changes and the impact on women's brain health.  We know hormones have a powerful influence on our brains, as well as on our feelings, behaviors and personality traits.  Throughout our lives, hormone levels remain fairly steady in men, but in women, they fluctuate like clockwork.  Exercise is particularly important for women because it tones down the negative consequences of hormonal changes.  Overall, exercise balances the system, on a monthly basis as well as during pregnancy and menopause.  The average woman has 400-500 menstrual cycles in her lifetime, each lasting 4-7 days.  If you add them all up, it comes to more than 9 years.  It is estimated that 75% of women experience premenstrual distress, physical and/or emotional also known as P.M.S., pre-menstrual syndrome.  There are about 150 various symptoms possible with P.M.S.  One study of more than 1800 women found that at least half of them use exercise to alleviate the symptoms of P.M.S. In addition to reporting less pain, the women who exercised scored better on evaluations of concentration, mood and erratic behavior.

"Spark" Post #9

Experts estimate that just over 4% of American adults, 13 million people, have ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).  Scientists have proven that ADHD stems from a biological irregularity in the brain.  The manifestation of symptoms associated with ADHD in children, especially boys, can be disruptive to the family unit.  Finding an activity that challenges the body and brain can have a very positive impact on behavior control.
Studies have found that boys diagnosed with ADHD, between the ages of 8-11, that participated in Martial Arts, twice a week improved their behavior and performance on a number of measures, most notable, self control and in school work.

"Spark" Post #8

Depression is due to a physical change in the brain.  Certain areas of the brain shrink and stop functioning, which effects learning, attention, energy and motivation.  Some neuroscientists call this the Hibernation Effect. One of the significant studies to correlate the benefits of exercise and depression found that  for every 50 minutes of weekly exercise there is a 50% drop in the odds of being depressed.  Human beings are social animals, so to fight depression, it is best to choose and exercise with others to make connections.  Also being outside helps to further stimulate the senses.

Spark: Post #7

According to the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States and Canada.  About 17% of American adults experience depression costing over 26 BILLION dollars each year.  Every 17 minutes in the Unites States someone commits suicide.  There are different kinds of depression and the full range of emotional reactions that can manifest.  There is no blood test for depression nor is there a fail proof psychological test.  Of course, hormonal imbalances can be detected in some people, but not the majority of those with depression.  Many studies, around the world, have looked at the correlation of exercise and depression, and all of them came to the same conclusion: Those who exercise, 2-3 times per week, experience significantly less depression.

"Spark" Post #6

The fact that aerobic exercise works immediately to fend off the state of anxiety has been well established for many, many years.  Here is how it works:
1). It distracts your mind
2). It reduces muscle tension
3). It increases body hormones that nourish the brain
4). The brain associates increased heart and breathing rates as a good thing.
5). The brain establishes electrical circuits around the established anxiety pathways
6). It builds confidence
7). It "sets you free" by getting outside and exercising you break the cycle of feeling trapped, held down and restricted.

Spark Post: #5

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, and whom the Hippocratic Oath was named and recited by all medical doctors, had a simple health theory.  That health and emotions came from the heart, and that is where treatment should start for maladies of mood.  Of course, Hippocrates lived 2400 years ago and could not have known that a naturally occurring hormone is produced in the heart.  During exercise, increased heart rate releases this hormone, called Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP), into the blood stream.  Once in the brain it blunts stress and anxiety and helps to regulate mood.

Spark Post #4:

Studies have shown, both stress and inactivity play big roles in the development of many autoimmune diseases and conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.  The more stress you have the more your body needs you to move to keep your brain happy!  The office or work place, is often the primary source of stress for a lot of people, and a good place to look for the benefits of exercise.  Employees who regularly exercise are shown to be more productive and have less absenteeism.

Spark Post #3:

Studies have shown that people with Parkinson's Disease that are encouraged to exercise, on a stationary bike, can reduce the effect of the disease. In the brain, the mild stress of exercise fortifies the infrastructure of our nerve cells by activating genes to produce certain proteins that protect the cells against damage and disease, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Dementia.

"Spark" Post #2

The mind is so powerful that we can set off the "stress" response just by imagining ourselves in a threatening situation.  Thus, activating our "Flight or Fight" response.  This prepares our body for movement.  Physical activity is the natural way to prevent the negative consequences of stress.  The body's response to chronic stress causes an increase in the release of the hormone "Cortisol." This hormone directs the body to create and store fat reserves, especially around the abdomen.  We need to move in order to prevent that storage from happening.

Like Us and Learn Part One

Good Day and Happy New Year to all of you, I wish you health, happiness and prosperity for the new year.  One of my New Year Resolutions, yes I made some, is to "blog" and communicate through social media more regularly.  

One of the activities I enjoy is reading.  History and historical fiction are my favorites but I also enjoy reading about new advances in Health Science from diet and nutrition, exercise, rehabilitation to surgery.  I thought this year you and your circle of friends might enjoy and gain insight from the blogs I post, commenting and relaying info from the current literature I am reading.  

The first book is; Spark: The revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, by John J. Ratey M.D. Dr. Ratey is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.  He has authored/co-authored many books on neuroscience and the brain.  His Book, "Spark" has excellent reviews and is frequently referenced in today's Health  Literature.  

As I read, I will be sharing my thoughts on topics within the book: 

Exercise elevates "Miracle-Gro" type chemicals in the brain.  One study found people learn 20% faster following exercise.  Exercise improves learning on 3 levels: 

1. It optimizes your mind-set to improve alertness and attention. 

2. It encourages nerve cells to bind together. 

3. It spurs development of new nerve cells.  

During vigorous exercise, learning is decreases then sharply increases shortly after.  

How much exercise do I need to improve my brain function?  GOOD QUESTION!

Jogging/fast walking 30 minutes, three times per week for twelve weeks is a good start.  The brain also needs to be challenged with various physical activities to continue to grow.  So mix it up!  

Stay tuned to see what next week brings!!