September 7th, 2011 — 5:10am
It's well known that daily exercise can keep body weight down, prevent illness and promote high levels of energy throughout the day. Now, researchers have uncovered a mechanism by which exercise promotes strong bones.
A team of scientists at McMaster University's Department of Kinesiology conducted a study revealing that exercise encourages naturally occurring mesenchymal stem cells in bone marrow to become bone, rather than fat.
The cells are influenced by factors like physical activity, turning into either bone mass or fat, depending on their environment.
Authors of the study said that the more marrow, the more blood stem cells are produced by the body, which promotes the production of healthy blood to boost the immune system. When an individual lacks exercise, bone marrow fills with fat and can potentially cause anemia due to a lack of fresh blood.
"The interesting thing was that a modest exercise program was able to significantly increase blood cells in the marrow and in circulation," said lead researcher Gianni Parise. "What we're suggesting is that exercise is a potent stimulus – enough of a stimulus to actually trigger a switch in these mesenchymal stem cells."
Staying healthy with the seasons can be a difficult endeavor. However, these findings suggest that simple exercise can promote wellness in multiple parts of the body and mind. Choose a form of physical activity that is enjoyable to you, like bike-riding, swimming, yoga, running or even nature walks.
Mind-body-spirit fitness is also important to keep in mind. Addressing all three aspects of your being will lead you to become a well-rounded individual who can reach goals, achieve success and live a fulfilled, happy life.
Comment » | Staying Healthy
August 12th, 2011 — 10:09am
Many individuals add cinnamon, herbs and pepper to their meals in order to make them taste better, but new research indicates that the contents of your spice cupboard may also be heart healthy.
In a study, a team of scientists at Penn State found that adding certain antioxidant-rich herbs and spices to a meal may reduce the negative effects of fat in the body.
"Normally, when you eat a high-fat meal, you end up with high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood," said lead author Sheila West. "If this happens too frequently, or if triglyceride levels are raised too much, your risk of heart disease is increased. We found that adding spices to a high-fat meal reduced triglyceride response by about 30 percent, compared to a similar meal with no spices added."
In order to test the effects that the flavorings had on blood fat levels, researchers fed one group of volunteers a meal of chicken curry, herb bread and a cinnamon biscuit. Another subset of participants was given similar food, but without spices. Researchers used rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, cloves, garlic powder and paprika in the spiced meals.
Aside from the healthy effects that the flavorful additions had on triglyceride levels, they also appeared to cause a 13 percent increase in antioxidant activity in the blood and a 20 percent decrease in insulin response.
Results of this study suggest that staying healthy with nutrition may be as easy as adding a dash of spice to your food. Such inspirational tips for living can make a big difference in a person's efforts toward fulfillment, especially dieting success.
Comment » | Staying Healthy
August 4th, 2011 — 9:41am
Many Americans have jobs where they sit at a desk for eight to 10 hours daily, only to spend 30 minutes at the gym before heading home to spend the rest of the evening in front of the television. These people might think they are meeting their daily exercise requirements, but they would be wrong.
University of Missouri researchers recently found that 25 percent of U.S. residents are sedentary, and three-quarters are exercising, but not enough to prevent chronic disease.
"If people can add some regular movement into their routines throughout the day, they will feel better and be less susceptible to health problems. In the long term, they may not see big changes in the mirror, but they will prevent further weight gain," said researcher John Thyfault.
The authors of the study said that it is recommended that individuals take 10,000 steps each day. If that seems overwhelming, think of it as taking 500 to 1,000 steps each hour. This may be attained by taking short breaks at work to walk around the block or opting for the stairs instead of the elevator.
Other tips for staying healthy include avoiding excess fat, sugar, salt and substances like alcohol and tobacco. Enhancing your mind body spirit alignment can also be achieved by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Author, philosopher and flutist Ilchi Lee says that optimal health is the key to success in life. Additionally, mental, physical and spiritual wellness are all interconnected, meaning that a deficit in one can lead to an imbalance in the other.
In addition to staying active and limiting the intake of harmful substances, individuals may want to consider techniques like meditation and yoga to help strengthen their minds.
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Comment » | Staying Healthy
February 24th, 2011 — 5:37am
While there will always be a place for traditional Western medicine in treating major injuries and illnesses, other types of holistic approaches to wellness can unlock the human potential for healing and help individuals avoid the need for care in the future.
Judy Griffin, a certified holistic health coach based out of Rockville Center, New York, recently wrote in the Rockville Center Patch that holistic methods to not seek to usurp the position of standard care. Rather, the two approaches take very different paths toward healing.
"Conventional medicine tends to compartmentalize disease whereas holistic medicine asserts that it is all connected, and advocates for an innovative approach using a variety of healing modalities to uniquely meet the needs of each individual patient," she wrote.
Griffin added that rather than seeking to treat specific symptoms, holistic medicine tries to attack the underlying causes of illness, thereby completely resolving the condition.
These views echo those of Ilchi Lee, the author and philosopher who believes that spiritual healing should methods should take an all-encompassing approach to illness.
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Comment » | Brain Education, Ilchi Lee Spiritual Healing, Mind-Body-Spirit, Personal Change, Staying Healthy
August 18th, 2009 — 9:00pm
1. Maintain healthier brain waves.
Studies have shown that there is great benefit in learning how to lower your brain waves from the highly alert beta waves to the more relaxed alpha or theta waves. Traditionally, this has been achieved through biofeedback or meditation. However, biofeedback requires expensive equipment, and meditation requires highly focused training. In Brain Wave Vibration, on the other hand, lowered brain waves can be accomplished extraordinarily easily. Through simple repetition and movement, the brain waves are instantly calmed and stabilized.
2. Manage your stress.
During Brain Wave Vibration, you will experience a deep sense of relaxation. This is a very important benefit, since most of us are in a continual state of stress. Constant stress is hugely debilitating for the body, and physical and psychological diseases can eventually result. During practice, your parasympathetic nervous system is given a chance to bring your body back to a state of healthy equilibrium.
Comments Off | Staying Healthy
September 19th, 2008 — 9:37am
If you want to be happy, stop waiting for others to make you happy.
Just decide to be happy. If your life seems too dreary, smile anyway.
This may seem like Pollyanna, pie-in-the-sky nonsense at first, but it is very much rooted in the physiological reality of your brain.
Also, smiling is contagious. Very few people can resist urge to smile back when you smile at them.
As wonderful as a smile is, laughter is even better.
The old saying “Laughter is the best medicine” is literally true.
Laughter boosts the immune system and reduces the stress response, and thus is excellent for brain health.
Furthermore, good attitude and lots of positive social interaction seem to reduce the risk of dementia and other aging-related brain disorder.
A happy brain, it seems, is a healthy brain.
3 comments » | Brain Education, Personal Change, Staying Healthy
