Fitness News
Fitness News
Sleep Health Tips
Importance of Sleep : Six reasons not to scrimp on sleep
Reprinted from Harvard Business Review:
A recent survey found that more people are sleeping less than six hours a night, and sleep difficulties visit 75% of us at least a few nights per week. A short-lived bout of insomnia is generally nothing to worry about. The bigger concern is chronic sleep loss, which can contribute to health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure, and a decrease in the immune system's power, reports the Harvard Women's Health Watch.
While more research is needed to explore the links between chronic sleep loss and health, it's safe to say that sleep is too important to shortchange.
The Harvard Women's Health Watch suggests six reasons to get enough sleep:
1. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who'd slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
2. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body's killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.
Think yourself healthy?
Optimism May Boost Immune System
Small study found that attitude seems to affect health.
March 25 (HealthDay News) -- An optimistic outlook might strenghten your body's ability to fight off infection, new research suggests.
The finding doesn't prove that looking on the sunny side leads to better health, but it does add to evidence of a link between attitude and disease by suggesting that "a single person -- with the same personality and genes -- has different immune function when he or she feels more or less optimistic," said study author Suzanne C. Segerstrom, a professor in the department of psychology at the University of Kentucky.
From 2001 to 2005, Segerstrom and a colleague gave surveys to 124 first-year law students. The students, the majority of whom were white (90 percent) and female (55 percent), answered questions about topics such as their levels of optimism about their success in school.
The participants also were given an injection of an antigen that makes the immune system react by creating a bump on the skin. A bigger bump means that the immune system reaction is stronger.
The researchers, who reported their findings in the March issue of Psychological Science, found that the immune response became more powerful in individual students as they became more optimistic over time, and lessened as they became more pessimistic.
But there's more to it. "When people felt more optimistic, they also felt more happy, attentive and joyous, and that accounted for some of the relationship between optimism and immunity," Segerstrom said.
In the big picture, the findings suggest that the effect of optimism on immunity may be limited, "as it leaves room for lots of other factors that contribute to fluctuations in immunity over time," she said.
James E. Maddux, a professor of psychology at George Mason University, said the findings are "another example of the power of optimism, of what used to be called positive thinking back in the 1950s and 1960s."
He added, "It's hard to make any firm conclusion from a single study, but it's one more piece of evidence that what we think actually matters, in some very important ways."
So what's going on in the body? If there is a link between attitude, emotions and health, how does it work? Dr. Hilary Tindle, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Research on Health Care, has several theories.
One is that "happier or more positive, hopeful people tend to live healthier," she said. And hopeful people may react in healthier ways to stress, helping them to recover more quickly.
Also, "more positive individuals are also more likely to adhere to medical therapy and advice, and therefore may be healthier on that basis," Tindle added.
In a study of women published last August, Tindle found that optimism appears to have an effect on the heart and longevity. "Optimistic women had more stable risk profiles, with less high blood pressure and diabetes. They didn't smoke as much and tended to exercise more. So their lower risk might just be associated with living healthier," she said.
Or, she noted, a woman's outlook on life might affect how she responds to stress. Pessimism and cynical hostility might lead to higher blood pressure, higher heart rate and other physical risk factors, Tindle reported.
Energy Foods - Simply
FOODS THAT BOOST ENERGY
By Kelly Bastone (Runners' World)
Runners would no sooner skip prerun carbs than dash out the door bare-foot. But when the miles are done, those same athletes might not think much at all about what they eat, as long as they get something. Injured runners logging time on the bike might even skip a meal altogether, in fear of gaining weight. Big mistake. Whether you're recovering from a tough tempo run or tendinitis, food delivers the nutrients your body needs to repair itself, making smart eating crucial to a strong body and a speedy recovery. "Recovery is just like fixing a house," says Cynthia Sass, R.D., a sports dietetics specialist in Tampa, Florida. "A crack in the foundation requires raw materials to patch things back together. In the body, those raw materials come from what we eat."
A combination of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals helps your body heal microtears from exercise and overused tendons and sprained ligaments. "Every part of the body is dependent on food for repair," says David Grotto, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. On a cellular level, those repairs are constant, sidelining injury or not. Over time, if cells don't get the nutrients they need, muscles and connective tissues can weaken, leaving them more susceptible to injury. "The decisions we make with our fork can set up roadblocks against future injuries," Grotto says. So along with stretching, and icing if you need it, these healing foods will help you get back on the road as quickly as possible.
Red Bell Pepper
Just one red bell pepper provides 380 percent of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C, a nutrient crucial for repairing connective tissues and cartilage. By contributing to the formation of collagen, an important protein used to build scar tissue, blood vessels, and even new bone cells, vitamin C facilitates the healing process. "Work in vitamin C throughout the day, every two or three hours or so," says Sass, for five daily servings. Runners-up: papaya, cantaloupe, oranges
Salmon
Salmon's nutritional benefits have been much touted for good reason. Fresh or canned, salmon delivers two powerful healing nutrients: protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Protein does more than rebuild muscle after a grueling run; it also repairs bones, ligaments, and tendons. "We tend to forget that healing really means building new cells," says Sass. "And your body needs protein to make those new cells." She recommends all runners eat protein at every meal; injured runners should aim for four to five servings a day, from low-fat sources like egg whites and lean turkey. Salmon, with two grams of essential fatty acids per four-ounce serving, is doubly valuable. "Omega-3s are significant anti-inflammatories," says Grotto. "Eating fish high in omega-3s or taking supplements is like throwing a big bucket of ice water on inflammation." Inflammation occurs when waste matter generated by the body's repair efforts builds up around the injury, inhibiting healing. Omega-3s help disperse that buildup, making them useful in addressing everything from sore muscles to stress fractures. Runners-up: mackerel, flaxseeds, walnuts. (more about Advanced Omega 1000).
Carrots
Eat carrots for a potent dose of vitamin A: a half-cup serving provides 340 percent of your Daily Value. This nutrient helps make white blood cells for fighting infection, "which is always a risk with injury," says Sass. You might not think infection is likely with tendinitis, but your body takes no chances and activates the immune system, which ups vitamin A demand. Vitamin A also helps repair postworkout microtears, so it's a valuable ally every day. Runners-up: sweet potatoes, dried apricots, spinach
Fortified Cereals
Zinc is an important healing agent, but foods highest in zinc, like red meats, often contain saturated fat, which aggravates inflammation. So when the body is taxed--from exertion or injury--runners should reach for fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, which can deliver as much as 100 percent of the Daily Value for zinc. By itself, zinc doesn't repair damaged tissue, but it assists the proteins and fats that do. "Just don't overdo it," cautions Sass. Too much of this potent mineral lowers HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and actually suppresses your immune system. Runners-up: shellfish, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds
Almonds
Just one ounce of almonds (roughly 20) contains more than 40 percent of your Daily Value of vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports the immune system by neutralizing free radicals. Almonds, like hazelnuts and sunflower seeds, also supply beneficial mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which are key building blocks for healthy cells. "Fat is a structural part of your body, so don't skimp on it, just eat the right kind," says Sass. "Almonds supply heart-healthy fats that promote healing without clogging arteries." Runners-up: nut butters, avocados, vegetable oils.
Fit Minds the Military Way!
Building Stress Tolerant Minds
ScienceDaily (Feb. 17, 2010) — A University of Pennsylvania-led study in which training was provided to a high-stress U.S. military group preparing for deployment to Iraq has demonstrated a positive link between mindfulness training, or MT, and improvements in mood and working memory. Mindfulness is the ability to be aware and attentive of the present moment without emotional reactivity or volatility.
The study found that the more time participants spent engaging in daily mindfulness exercises the better their mood and working memory, the cognitive term for complex thought, problem solving and cognitive control of emotions. The study also suggests that sufficient MT practice may protect against functional impairments associated with high-stress challenges that require a tremendous amount of cognitive control, self-awareness, situational awareness and emotional regulation.
To study the protective effects of mindfulness training on psychological health in individuals about to experience extreme stress, cognitive neuroscientist Amishi Jha of the Department of Psychology and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Penn and Elizabeth A. Stanley of Georgetown University provided mindfulness training for the first time to U.S. Marines before deployment. Jha and her research team investigated working memory capacity and affective experience in individuals participating in a training program developed and delivered by Stanley, a former U.S. Army officer and security-studies professor with extensive experience in mindfulness techniques.
The program, called Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT™), aims to cultivate greater psychological resilience or "mental armor" by bolstering mindfulness.
The program covered topics of central relevance to the Marines, such as integrating skills to manage stress reactions, increase their resilience to future stressors and improve their unit's mission effectiveness. Thus, the program blended mindfulness skills training with concrete applications for the operational environment and information and skills about stress, trauma and resilience in the body.
The program emphasized integrating mindfulness exercises, like focused attention on the breath and mindful movement, into pre-deployment training. These mindfulness skills were to regulate symptoms in the body and mind following an experience of extreme stress. The importance of regularly engaging in mindfulness exercises was also emphasized.
"Our findings suggest that, just as daily physical exercise leads to physical fitness, engaging in mindfulness exercises on a regular basis may improve mind-fitness," Jha said. "Working memory is an important feature of mind-fitness. Not only does it safeguard against distraction and emotional reactivity, but it also provides a mental workspace to ensure quick-and-considered decisions and action plans. Building mind-fitness with mindfulness training may help anyone who must maintain peak performance in the face of extremely stressful circumstances, from first responders, relief workers and trauma surgeons, to professional and Olympic athletes." (note from Youthing Essentials: and business professionals too!).
Study participants included two military cohorts of 48 male participants with a mean age of 25 recruited from a detachment of Marine reservists during the high-stress pre-deployment interval and provided MT to one group of 31, leaving 17 Marines in a second group without training as a control. The MT group attended an eight-week course and logged the amount of out-of-class time they spent practicing formal exercises. The effect of the course on working memory was evaluated using the Operation Span Task, whereas the impact on positive and negative affect was evaluated using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, or PANAS.
The Positive Affect scale reflects the extent to which a person feels enthusiastic, active and alert. The Negative Affect scale reflects unpleasant mood states, such as anger, disgust and fear. Working memory capacity degraded and negative mood increased over time in the control group. A similar pattern was observed in those who spent little time engaging in mindfulness exercises within the MMFT group. Yet, capacity increased and negative mood decreased in those with high practice time over the eight weeks.
The study findings are in line with prior research on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR, programs and suggest that MMFT may provide "psychological prophylaxis," or protection from cognitive and emotional disturbances, even among high-stress cohorts such as members of the military preparing for deployment. Given the high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental-health disturbances suffered by those returning from war, providing such training prior to deployment may buffer against potential lifelong psychological illness by bolstering working memory capacity.
In the several months prior to a deployment, service members receive intensive training on mission-critical operational skills, physical training and "stress-inoculation" training to habituate them to stressors they may experience during their impending mission. They also must psychologically prepare to leave loved ones and face potentially violent and unpredictable situations during their deployment.
Persistent and intensive demands, such as those experienced during high-stress intervals, have been shown to deplete working memory capacity and lead to cognitive failures and emotional disturbances. The research team hypothesized that MMFT may mitigate these deleterious effects by bolstering working memory capacity.
The study, published in the journal Emotion and also featured in the most recent edition of Joint Force Quarterly, the advisory journal for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was funded by the John W. Kluge Foundation and the Department of Defense.
Slim Risk of Death After Joint Replacement
Mortality risk highest within first 26 days after hip or knee surgery, study finds.
HealthDay News - Patients who undergo knee or hip replacement surgery have a slightly increased risk of death for only 26 days after the procedure, contends a study that challenges earlier findings.
"Previous studies suggesting that increased mortality exists for as long as 60 or 90 days post hip or knee replacement surgery may be wrong. We believe the risk is tied to a much shorter duration," study author Stein Atle Lie, a professor in the surgical sciences department at the University of Bergen in Norway, said in a news release.
The researchers analyzed data on 81,856 Australian and Norwegian patients who underwent total knee replacement and 106,254 patients who had total hip replacement. The risk of death for 26 days after surgery was 0.1 percent. After that, the increased risk of death was negligible.
Male patients and those older than 70 had the highest risk of death within 26 days after knee or hip replacement, according to the study published in the January issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
"We conducted this study to help people contemplating hip or knee replacement. As with all surgeries, there is some increased risk of postoperative mortality. However, we were pleased to find the mortality rate is so minimal -- less than 1 percent -- following hip and knee replacements," Lie said.
If You're Healthy, So is Your Business
Good health is a Business Tool - New Year Resolutions!
By Azita Arvani
With the new year approaching, managing your health has probably been added to your list of resolutions. As an entrepreneur, you can be working any time of the day or night. You try hard to squeeze in a workout when you can. But when crunch time comes, it's easy to lose track of time and your fitness regimen.
With the best of intentions, you plan to do your workout first thing in the morning. But a business priority comes up that moves it to the afternoon. The afternoon hours slip by because of another high-priority task. And before you know it, the evening has come and gone, and you haven't had a workout.
When entrepreneurial tasks call to you from every corner of your business, your hours blend into one another and days go by with little attention to your fitness goals. Wouldn't it be nice if you had some way of tracking your fitness activities and goals so you could stay on top of them? Chances are you use web analytics for your website. Why not use analytics to track your health and fitness?
Everything that can be measured can be managed. Here are some simple and fun ways to track your health and wellness activities. Once you see the data, you can honestly assess how well you are doing. And you'll be motivated to make improvements.
Nike+ iPod/iPhone Sport Kit ($29): This kit includes a sensor and an iPod adapter. The sensor goes into your running shoe. Nike sells Nike+ shoes that have a pocket especially designed for this sensor. People have used the sensors on non-Nike+ shoes as well. The adapter connects to your iPod Nano. IPhone 3GS and iPod Touch do not need the adapter. If you are into running, this kit is a good, simple way of tracking your runs and challenging your friends. You can upload your data to nikeplus.com to create a journal of your runs and start training for future runs.
Fit Bit is a tracking device that monitors your fitness and sleep. The device has a motion sensor similar to Nintendo Wii that can pick up your motions in three dimensions. It claims to measure various aspects of your activities, including intensity, duration, steps taken and calories burned. In addition, it can track the quality of your sleep: how much you slept and how many times you woke up during the night. The device comes with a base station that will wirelessly and automatically upload your data if you are within 15 feet of it. It sells for $99. The company started taking orders at the end of last year but has had problems with fulfillment. We hear the product is shipping now, but the company has a backlog.
Run Keeper: This is a great iPhone app that keeps track of your activity and creates a workout history. You can also share your activities with others. It works off the iPhone GPS. You have to start and stop it manually, and it provides stats for your run and a handful of other activities. The basic version is free, and the Run Keeper Pro sells for $9.99.
Zeo is a sleep-monitoring system that works off your brain waves. It consists of a headband and a bedside display that looks like an alarm clock. You wear the headband to bed. It has three sensors that monitor your brain waves and send the data to the bedside display. The bedside display has an SD card that you take out and plug into a PC or a Mac to upload the data to the Zeo website. Zeo has online tools that allow you to analyze your sleep and create charts and journals. The base model goes for $249. A bundle that includes guided coaching goes for $349.
Bodybugg is an armband that claims to track calories burned. The armband has four sensors that measure motion, heat flux, sweat and skin temperature. You also can get a digital display that looks like a sports watch that connects wirelessly with the armband and shows your data real time. You would upload the data from the armband to your computer and to Bodybugg's website. You can also manually enter your food intake. The online system can analyze your calorie intake and output. Bodybugg is only available through 24 Hour Fitness and Apex Fitness.
Virgin Health Miles: This is a service offered by gyms or employers. If your gym or your company offers this service, you join by first buying a pedometer, called Go Zone. The pedometer tracks your walking/running activity. You upload your data to the Health Zone website. There's also a kiosk, called Health Zone, that can track your weight, blood pressure and body fat. There are two subscription services. The basic version is free, and the premium version costs $9.99 a month. For additional motivation, you get Health Miles as you increase your fitness level and reach your goals. A similar service, ICount, is available from WalkStyles.
Many other devices and applications can help you stay in shape and manage your health. For mobile devices alone: iPhone has more than 2,400 mobile health and fitness apps. Android Market has about 320, and Blackberry World has a little more than 100.
Gotcha's: Simplicity and practicality are key to making these work. You have to figure out which apps or devices fit your lifestyle. For example, the Zoe device is interesting, but wearing a headband at night might be best if you're alone. With any device, you have to realize that you need to carry it with you.
Bottom line: Monitoring your activity is a great way to get started on managing your health and fitness. With so many options on the market, you can find one that meets your needs. Managing your health can be as precise, data-intensive and results-oriented as managing your business.
Sleep and Skin Tone
Sleep like a baby — and wake up feeling younger
Your skin is hard at work repairing itself while you slumber (Prevention Magazine)
There's a reason it's called beauty sleep: Cell turnover is eight times faster at night, studies show.
Nighttime is the right time to take years off your face. "Hormonal changes boost blood flow to the skin, brightening it overnight," says Melvin Elson, MD, a clinical professor of dermatology at Vanderbilt School of Nursing. Skin temps are higher, too, so age-fighting potions seep deeper for better results. And even though you're resting, your skin is hard at work. Studies show that cell turnover is 8 times faster at night, softening wrinkles.
On the flip side, as anyone who's pulled an all-nighter can attest, the consequences — pasty-looking skin and dark circles — aren't pretty. "Even worse, not getting the recommended 8 hours increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which may slow collagen production, promoting wrinkles," says Jyotsna Sahni, MD, a sleep medicine doctor at Canyon Ranch in Tucson. To maximize your beauty sleep, follow this routine nightly to wake up with the complexion of your dreams.
Wash your face! Removing make-up, oil, and other impurities helps keep pores tight and skin blemish free. Anti-aging treatments can also penetrate deeper on a clean surface. For dry skin, look for a creamy cleanser; for acne-prone or oily skin, a gel formula. If your skin is sensitive, wait 10 minutes after cleansing before applying anti-agers.
Rejuvenate with a retinoid
These Vitamin-A derivatives are key to youthful-looking skin. "But because exposure to sunlight can deactivate their potency, it's best to apply retinoids at night," says Patricia Farris, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine. Start by using an OTC retinol-containing cream or lotion every other night until skin becomes acclimated to the side effects. Try Neutrogena Tone Correcting Concentrated Serum Night from Ageless Intensives ($22; drugstores) or La Roche-Posay Biomedic Retinol Cream 15 ($52; drugstores). For more improvement, try Rx Renova, atralin, or Refissa, a newly available retinoid in a moisturizing base.
1. Sleep on your back
Lying on your stomach or on the same side every night can etch permanent sleep lines into your skin, says Patricia Farris, MD. If you can't adjust, switch to a satin pillowcase; the silky texture prevents crinkles.
2. Raise your head
Stack a few pillows beneath your head to avoid puffy eyes. "If you keep your head above your heart, fluid won't accumulate in your face," says Farris.
3. Invest in a humidifier
Dry, hot air sucks moisture from skin. A humidifier puts water in the air, for soft and supple skin.
4. Get deeper slumber
Use the bedroom for sleep and sex only — doing so trains your mind to associate your bed with getting Zzzs. Avoid caffeine and exercise for 3 to 5 hours before bedtime, and limit alcohol at night; each can keep you from solid slumber. Make sure your room is dark and cool (the ideal temp for sleep is 65°F). To transition into sleep mode, don't watch TV or go online for an hour before turning in.
Dot undereyes with Vitamin K cream
In a 2003 study by Elson, women who applied an undereye cream containing vitamin K and retinol every night for 12 weeks saw their dark circles improve 33%. Like retinol, vitamin K is sensitive to ultraviolet light and should be used only at night. BONUS: The retinol helps ease crow's feet.
Apply a mega-moisturizer
Due to a nighttime increase in temperature and water loss, extra hydration is a must, says Jenny Kim, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine and dermatology at the UCLA School of Medicine. For best results, look for a cream with the superhydrators hyaluronic acid or glycerin, which attract water to skin. The extra dose of softening also makes wrinkles less noticeable in the morning.
By Patricia Curtis / Prevention Magazine
Walking Fast - Good for you!
Slow walkers more likely to die of heart disease
I walk fast - everywhere I go and every day! And today I find out that there is a health benefit for all that 'rushing.' Here's a news article from Reuters today and republished by CNN.
NEW YORK - Slow walking may not only mean getting to your destination later, according to a new study by French scientists: Older people who walk slowly are almost three times more likely to die of heart disease and related causes than older people who walk faster.
"The main message for the general population is that maintaining fitness at older age may have important consequences and help preserve life and (muscle) function," one of the study's authors, Dr. Alexis Elbaz, director of research at the Paris-based medical research institute Inserm, told Reuters Health by email.
He said the study, which appeared in the journal BMJ, also suggests that a test of walking speed might be used to test the health of elderly patients.
Previous studies had linked slow walking speed with increased risk of death over a given period, as well as with falls and other bad health outcomes, but hadn't shown whether it was heart disease or another cause that accounted for that higher risk.
The five-year study, part of Inserm's ongoing Three City Study, involved more than 3,200 relatively fit men and women, 65 to 85 years of age, living in three French cities. At the start of the study in 1999, the scientists used questionnaires and face-to-face interviews to assess the health of each participant. They then clocked the participants' speeds as they walked down a corridor as fast as possible without running.
Over the next five years, 209 of the participants died — 99 from cancer, 59 from heart disease, and 53 from infectious diseases and other causes — for an overall death rate of almost 7 percent. The death rate among the slowest-walking one-third of participants — those men who walked at the equivalent of about 3.4 miles per hour or slower and women who walked at about 3 miles per hour or slower — was 44 percent higher than that among the two-thirds of participants who had walked faster.
Death from heart attack, stroke, and related causes was 2.9 times more common among the slowest one-third of participants than among the participants who had walked faster.
The increase in death from heart disease was seen in both men and women and was unrelated to the ages of participants or how physically active they were.
More Articles...
Page 1 of 2
« StartPrev12NextEnd »
Sleep Health Tips
Importance of Sleep : Six reasons not to scrimp on sleep
Reprinted from Harvard Business Review:
A recent survey found that more people are sleeping less than six hours a night, and sleep difficulties visit 75% of us at least a few nights per week. A short-lived bout of insomnia is generally nothing to worry about. The bigger concern is chronic sleep loss, which can contribute to health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure, and a decrease in the immune system's power, reports the Harvard Women's Health Watch.
While more research is needed to explore the links between chronic sleep loss and health, it's safe to say that sleep is too important to shortchange.
The Harvard Women's Health Watch suggests six reasons to get enough sleep:
1. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who'd slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
2. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body's killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.
Think yourself healthy?
Optimism May Boost Immune System
Small study found that attitude seems to affect health.
March 25 (HealthDay News) -- An optimistic outlook might strenghten your body's ability to fight off infection, new research suggests.
The finding doesn't prove that looking on the sunny side leads to better health, but it does add to evidence of a link between attitude and disease by suggesting that "a single person -- with the same personality and genes -- has different immune function when he or she feels more or less optimistic," said study author Suzanne C. Segerstrom, a professor in the department of psychology at the University of Kentucky.
From 2001 to 2005, Segerstrom and a colleague gave surveys to 124 first-year law students. The students, the majority of whom were white (90 percent) and female (55 percent), answered questions about topics such as their levels of optimism about their success in school.
The participants also were given an injection of an antigen that makes the immune system react by creating a bump on the skin. A bigger bump means that the immune system reaction is stronger.
The researchers, who reported their findings in the March issue of Psychological Science, found that the immune response became more powerful in individual students as they became more optimistic over time, and lessened as they became more pessimistic.
But there's more to it. "When people felt more optimistic, they also felt more happy, attentive and joyous, and that accounted for some of the relationship between optimism and immunity," Segerstrom said.
In the big picture, the findings suggest that the effect of optimism on immunity may be limited, "as it leaves room for lots of other factors that contribute to fluctuations in immunity over time," she said.
James E. Maddux, a professor of psychology at George Mason University, said the findings are "another example of the power of optimism, of what used to be called positive thinking back in the 1950s and 1960s."
He added, "It's hard to make any firm conclusion from a single study, but it's one more piece of evidence that what we think actually matters, in some very important ways."
So what's going on in the body? If there is a link between attitude, emotions and health, how does it work? Dr. Hilary Tindle, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Research on Health Care, has several theories.
One is that "happier or more positive, hopeful people tend to live healthier," she said. And hopeful people may react in healthier ways to stress, helping them to recover more quickly.
Also, "more positive individuals are also more likely to adhere to medical therapy and advice, and therefore may be healthier on that basis," Tindle added.
In a study of women published last August, Tindle found that optimism appears to have an effect on the heart and longevity. "Optimistic women had more stable risk profiles, with less high blood pressure and diabetes. They didn't smoke as much and tended to exercise more. So their lower risk might just be associated with living healthier," she said.
Or, she noted, a woman's outlook on life might affect how she responds to stress. Pessimism and cynical hostility might lead to higher blood pressure, higher heart rate and other physical risk factors, Tindle reported.
Energy Foods - Simply
FOODS THAT BOOST ENERGY
By Kelly Bastone (Runners' World)
Runners would no sooner skip prerun carbs than dash out the door bare-foot. But when the miles are done, those same athletes might not think much at all about what they eat, as long as they get something. Injured runners logging time on the bike might even skip a meal altogether, in fear of gaining weight. Big mistake. Whether you're recovering from a tough tempo run or tendinitis, food delivers the nutrients your body needs to repair itself, making smart eating crucial to a strong body and a speedy recovery. "Recovery is just like fixing a house," says Cynthia Sass, R.D., a sports dietetics specialist in Tampa, Florida. "A crack in the foundation requires raw materials to patch things back together. In the body, those raw materials come from what we eat."
A combination of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals helps your body heal microtears from exercise and overused tendons and sprained ligaments. "Every part of the body is dependent on food for repair," says David Grotto, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. On a cellular level, those repairs are constant, sidelining injury or not. Over time, if cells don't get the nutrients they need, muscles and connective tissues can weaken, leaving them more susceptible to injury. "The decisions we make with our fork can set up roadblocks against future injuries," Grotto says. So along with stretching, and icing if you need it, these healing foods will help you get back on the road as quickly as possible.
Red Bell Pepper
Just one red bell pepper provides 380 percent of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C, a nutrient crucial for repairing connective tissues and cartilage. By contributing to the formation of collagen, an important protein used to build scar tissue, blood vessels, and even new bone cells, vitamin C facilitates the healing process. "Work in vitamin C throughout the day, every two or three hours or so," says Sass, for five daily servings. Runners-up: papaya, cantaloupe, oranges
Salmon
Salmon's nutritional benefits have been much touted for good reason. Fresh or canned, salmon delivers two powerful healing nutrients: protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Protein does more than rebuild muscle after a grueling run; it also repairs bones, ligaments, and tendons. "We tend to forget that healing really means building new cells," says Sass. "And your body needs protein to make those new cells." She recommends all runners eat protein at every meal; injured runners should aim for four to five servings a day, from low-fat sources like egg whites and lean turkey. Salmon, with two grams of essential fatty acids per four-ounce serving, is doubly valuable. "Omega-3s are significant anti-inflammatories," says Grotto. "Eating fish high in omega-3s or taking supplements is like throwing a big bucket of ice water on inflammation." Inflammation occurs when waste matter generated by the body's repair efforts builds up around the injury, inhibiting healing. Omega-3s help disperse that buildup, making them useful in addressing everything from sore muscles to stress fractures. Runners-up: mackerel, flaxseeds, walnuts. (more about Advanced Omega 1000).
Carrots
Eat carrots for a potent dose of vitamin A: a half-cup serving provides 340 percent of your Daily Value. This nutrient helps make white blood cells for fighting infection, "which is always a risk with injury," says Sass. You might not think infection is likely with tendinitis, but your body takes no chances and activates the immune system, which ups vitamin A demand. Vitamin A also helps repair postworkout microtears, so it's a valuable ally every day. Runners-up: sweet potatoes, dried apricots, spinach
Fortified Cereals
Zinc is an important healing agent, but foods highest in zinc, like red meats, often contain saturated fat, which aggravates inflammation. So when the body is taxed--from exertion or injury--runners should reach for fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, which can deliver as much as 100 percent of the Daily Value for zinc. By itself, zinc doesn't repair damaged tissue, but it assists the proteins and fats that do. "Just don't overdo it," cautions Sass. Too much of this potent mineral lowers HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and actually suppresses your immune system. Runners-up: shellfish, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds
Almonds
Just one ounce of almonds (roughly 20) contains more than 40 percent of your Daily Value of vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports the immune system by neutralizing free radicals. Almonds, like hazelnuts and sunflower seeds, also supply beneficial mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which are key building blocks for healthy cells. "Fat is a structural part of your body, so don't skimp on it, just eat the right kind," says Sass. "Almonds supply heart-healthy fats that promote healing without clogging arteries." Runners-up: nut butters, avocados, vegetable oils.
Fit Minds the Military Way!
Building Stress Tolerant Minds
ScienceDaily (Feb. 17, 2010) — A University of Pennsylvania-led study in which training was provided to a high-stress U.S. military group preparing for deployment to Iraq has demonstrated a positive link between mindfulness training, or MT, and improvements in mood and working memory. Mindfulness is the ability to be aware and attentive of the present moment without emotional reactivity or volatility.
The study found that the more time participants spent engaging in daily mindfulness exercises the better their mood and working memory, the cognitive term for complex thought, problem solving and cognitive control of emotions. The study also suggests that sufficient MT practice may protect against functional impairments associated with high-stress challenges that require a tremendous amount of cognitive control, self-awareness, situational awareness and emotional regulation.
To study the protective effects of mindfulness training on psychological health in individuals about to experience extreme stress, cognitive neuroscientist Amishi Jha of the Department of Psychology and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Penn and Elizabeth A. Stanley of Georgetown University provided mindfulness training for the first time to U.S. Marines before deployment. Jha and her research team investigated working memory capacity and affective experience in individuals participating in a training program developed and delivered by Stanley, a former U.S. Army officer and security-studies professor with extensive experience in mindfulness techniques.
The program, called Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT™), aims to cultivate greater psychological resilience or "mental armor" by bolstering mindfulness.
The program covered topics of central relevance to the Marines, such as integrating skills to manage stress reactions, increase their resilience to future stressors and improve their unit's mission effectiveness. Thus, the program blended mindfulness skills training with concrete applications for the operational environment and information and skills about stress, trauma and resilience in the body.
The program emphasized integrating mindfulness exercises, like focused attention on the breath and mindful movement, into pre-deployment training. These mindfulness skills were to regulate symptoms in the body and mind following an experience of extreme stress. The importance of regularly engaging in mindfulness exercises was also emphasized.
"Our findings suggest that, just as daily physical exercise leads to physical fitness, engaging in mindfulness exercises on a regular basis may improve mind-fitness," Jha said. "Working memory is an important feature of mind-fitness. Not only does it safeguard against distraction and emotional reactivity, but it also provides a mental workspace to ensure quick-and-considered decisions and action plans. Building mind-fitness with mindfulness training may help anyone who must maintain peak performance in the face of extremely stressful circumstances, from first responders, relief workers and trauma surgeons, to professional and Olympic athletes." (note from Youthing Essentials: and business professionals too!).
Study participants included two military cohorts of 48 male participants with a mean age of 25 recruited from a detachment of Marine reservists during the high-stress pre-deployment interval and provided MT to one group of 31, leaving 17 Marines in a second group without training as a control. The MT group attended an eight-week course and logged the amount of out-of-class time they spent practicing formal exercises. The effect of the course on working memory was evaluated using the Operation Span Task, whereas the impact on positive and negative affect was evaluated using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, or PANAS.
The Positive Affect scale reflects the extent to which a person feels enthusiastic, active and alert. The Negative Affect scale reflects unpleasant mood states, such as anger, disgust and fear. Working memory capacity degraded and negative mood increased over time in the control group. A similar pattern was observed in those who spent little time engaging in mindfulness exercises within the MMFT group. Yet, capacity increased and negative mood decreased in those with high practice time over the eight weeks.
The study findings are in line with prior research on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR, programs and suggest that MMFT may provide "psychological prophylaxis," or protection from cognitive and emotional disturbances, even among high-stress cohorts such as members of the military preparing for deployment. Given the high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental-health disturbances suffered by those returning from war, providing such training prior to deployment may buffer against potential lifelong psychological illness by bolstering working memory capacity.
In the several months prior to a deployment, service members receive intensive training on mission-critical operational skills, physical training and "stress-inoculation" training to habituate them to stressors they may experience during their impending mission. They also must psychologically prepare to leave loved ones and face potentially violent and unpredictable situations during their deployment.
Persistent and intensive demands, such as those experienced during high-stress intervals, have been shown to deplete working memory capacity and lead to cognitive failures and emotional disturbances. The research team hypothesized that MMFT may mitigate these deleterious effects by bolstering working memory capacity.
The study, published in the journal Emotion and also featured in the most recent edition of Joint Force Quarterly, the advisory journal for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was funded by the John W. Kluge Foundation and the Department of Defense.
Slim Risk of Death After Joint Replacement
Mortality risk highest within first 26 days after hip or knee surgery, study finds.
HealthDay News - Patients who undergo knee or hip replacement surgery have a slightly increased risk of death for only 26 days after the procedure, contends a study that challenges earlier findings.
"Previous studies suggesting that increased mortality exists for as long as 60 or 90 days post hip or knee replacement surgery may be wrong. We believe the risk is tied to a much shorter duration," study author Stein Atle Lie, a professor in the surgical sciences department at the University of Bergen in Norway, said in a news release.
The researchers analyzed data on 81,856 Australian and Norwegian patients who underwent total knee replacement and 106,254 patients who had total hip replacement. The risk of death for 26 days after surgery was 0.1 percent. After that, the increased risk of death was negligible.
Male patients and those older than 70 had the highest risk of death within 26 days after knee or hip replacement, according to the study published in the January issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
"We conducted this study to help people contemplating hip or knee replacement. As with all surgeries, there is some increased risk of postoperative mortality. However, we were pleased to find the mortality rate is so minimal -- less than 1 percent -- following hip and knee replacements," Lie said.
If You're Healthy, So is Your Business
Good health is a Business Tool - New Year Resolutions!
By Azita Arvani
With the new year approaching, managing your health has probably been added to your list of resolutions. As an entrepreneur, you can be working any time of the day or night. You try hard to squeeze in a workout when you can. But when crunch time comes, it's easy to lose track of time and your fitness regimen.
With the best of intentions, you plan to do your workout first thing in the morning. But a business priority comes up that moves it to the afternoon. The afternoon hours slip by because of another high-priority task. And before you know it, the evening has come and gone, and you haven't had a workout.
When entrepreneurial tasks call to you from every corner of your business, your hours blend into one another and days go by with little attention to your fitness goals. Wouldn't it be nice if you had some way of tracking your fitness activities and goals so you could stay on top of them? Chances are you use web analytics for your website. Why not use analytics to track your health and fitness?
Everything that can be measured can be managed. Here are some simple and fun ways to track your health and wellness activities. Once you see the data, you can honestly assess how well you are doing. And you'll be motivated to make improvements.
Nike+ iPod/iPhone Sport Kit ($29): This kit includes a sensor and an iPod adapter. The sensor goes into your running shoe. Nike sells Nike+ shoes that have a pocket especially designed for this sensor. People have used the sensors on non-Nike+ shoes as well. The adapter connects to your iPod Nano. IPhone 3GS and iPod Touch do not need the adapter. If you are into running, this kit is a good, simple way of tracking your runs and challenging your friends. You can upload your data to nikeplus.com to create a journal of your runs and start training for future runs.
Fit Bit is a tracking device that monitors your fitness and sleep. The device has a motion sensor similar to Nintendo Wii that can pick up your motions in three dimensions. It claims to measure various aspects of your activities, including intensity, duration, steps taken and calories burned. In addition, it can track the quality of your sleep: how much you slept and how many times you woke up during the night. The device comes with a base station that will wirelessly and automatically upload your data if you are within 15 feet of it. It sells for $99. The company started taking orders at the end of last year but has had problems with fulfillment. We hear the product is shipping now, but the company has a backlog.
Run Keeper: This is a great iPhone app that keeps track of your activity and creates a workout history. You can also share your activities with others. It works off the iPhone GPS. You have to start and stop it manually, and it provides stats for your run and a handful of other activities. The basic version is free, and the Run Keeper Pro sells for $9.99.
Zeo is a sleep-monitoring system that works off your brain waves. It consists of a headband and a bedside display that looks like an alarm clock. You wear the headband to bed. It has three sensors that monitor your brain waves and send the data to the bedside display. The bedside display has an SD card that you take out and plug into a PC or a Mac to upload the data to the Zeo website. Zeo has online tools that allow you to analyze your sleep and create charts and journals. The base model goes for $249. A bundle that includes guided coaching goes for $349.
Bodybugg is an armband that claims to track calories burned. The armband has four sensors that measure motion, heat flux, sweat and skin temperature. You also can get a digital display that looks like a sports watch that connects wirelessly with the armband and shows your data real time. You would upload the data from the armband to your computer and to Bodybugg's website. You can also manually enter your food intake. The online system can analyze your calorie intake and output. Bodybugg is only available through 24 Hour Fitness and Apex Fitness.
Virgin Health Miles: This is a service offered by gyms or employers. If your gym or your company offers this service, you join by first buying a pedometer, called Go Zone. The pedometer tracks your walking/running activity. You upload your data to the Health Zone website. There's also a kiosk, called Health Zone, that can track your weight, blood pressure and body fat. There are two subscription services. The basic version is free, and the premium version costs $9.99 a month. For additional motivation, you get Health Miles as you increase your fitness level and reach your goals. A similar service, ICount, is available from WalkStyles.
Many other devices and applications can help you stay in shape and manage your health. For mobile devices alone: iPhone has more than 2,400 mobile health and fitness apps. Android Market has about 320, and Blackberry World has a little more than 100.
Gotcha's: Simplicity and practicality are key to making these work. You have to figure out which apps or devices fit your lifestyle. For example, the Zoe device is interesting, but wearing a headband at night might be best if you're alone. With any device, you have to realize that you need to carry it with you.
Bottom line: Monitoring your activity is a great way to get started on managing your health and fitness. With so many options on the market, you can find one that meets your needs. Managing your health can be as precise, data-intensive and results-oriented as managing your business.
Sleep and Skin Tone
Sleep like a baby — and wake up feeling younger
Your skin is hard at work repairing itself while you slumber (Prevention Magazine)
There's a reason it's called beauty sleep: Cell turnover is eight times faster at night, studies show.
Nighttime is the right time to take years off your face. "Hormonal changes boost blood flow to the skin, brightening it overnight," says Melvin Elson, MD, a clinical professor of dermatology at Vanderbilt School of Nursing. Skin temps are higher, too, so age-fighting potions seep deeper for better results. And even though you're resting, your skin is hard at work. Studies show that cell turnover is 8 times faster at night, softening wrinkles.
On the flip side, as anyone who's pulled an all-nighter can attest, the consequences — pasty-looking skin and dark circles — aren't pretty. "Even worse, not getting the recommended 8 hours increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which may slow collagen production, promoting wrinkles," says Jyotsna Sahni, MD, a sleep medicine doctor at Canyon Ranch in Tucson. To maximize your beauty sleep, follow this routine nightly to wake up with the complexion of your dreams.
Wash your face! Removing make-up, oil, and other impurities helps keep pores tight and skin blemish free. Anti-aging treatments can also penetrate deeper on a clean surface. For dry skin, look for a creamy cleanser; for acne-prone or oily skin, a gel formula. If your skin is sensitive, wait 10 minutes after cleansing before applying anti-agers.
Rejuvenate with a retinoid
These Vitamin-A derivatives are key to youthful-looking skin. "But because exposure to sunlight can deactivate their potency, it's best to apply retinoids at night," says Patricia Farris, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine. Start by using an OTC retinol-containing cream or lotion every other night until skin becomes acclimated to the side effects. Try Neutrogena Tone Correcting Concentrated Serum Night from Ageless Intensives ($22; drugstores) or La Roche-Posay Biomedic Retinol Cream 15 ($52; drugstores). For more improvement, try Rx Renova, atralin, or Refissa, a newly available retinoid in a moisturizing base.
1. Sleep on your back
Lying on your stomach or on the same side every night can etch permanent sleep lines into your skin, says Patricia Farris, MD. If you can't adjust, switch to a satin pillowcase; the silky texture prevents crinkles.
2. Raise your head
Stack a few pillows beneath your head to avoid puffy eyes. "If you keep your head above your heart, fluid won't accumulate in your face," says Farris.
3. Invest in a humidifier
Dry, hot air sucks moisture from skin. A humidifier puts water in the air, for soft and supple skin.
4. Get deeper slumber
Use the bedroom for sleep and sex only — doing so trains your mind to associate your bed with getting Zzzs. Avoid caffeine and exercise for 3 to 5 hours before bedtime, and limit alcohol at night; each can keep you from solid slumber. Make sure your room is dark and cool (the ideal temp for sleep is 65°F). To transition into sleep mode, don't watch TV or go online for an hour before turning in.
Dot undereyes with Vitamin K cream
In a 2003 study by Elson, women who applied an undereye cream containing vitamin K and retinol every night for 12 weeks saw their dark circles improve 33%. Like retinol, vitamin K is sensitive to ultraviolet light and should be used only at night. BONUS: The retinol helps ease crow's feet.
Apply a mega-moisturizer
Due to a nighttime increase in temperature and water loss, extra hydration is a must, says Jenny Kim, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine and dermatology at the UCLA School of Medicine. For best results, look for a cream with the superhydrators hyaluronic acid or glycerin, which attract water to skin. The extra dose of softening also makes wrinkles less noticeable in the morning.
By Patricia Curtis / Prevention Magazine
Walking Fast - Good for you!
Slow walkers more likely to die of heart disease
I walk fast - everywhere I go and every day! And today I find out that there is a health benefit for all that 'rushing.' Here's a news article from Reuters today and republished by CNN.
NEW YORK - Slow walking may not only mean getting to your destination later, according to a new study by French scientists: Older people who walk slowly are almost three times more likely to die of heart disease and related causes than older people who walk faster.
"The main message for the general population is that maintaining fitness at older age may have important consequences and help preserve life and (muscle) function," one of the study's authors, Dr. Alexis Elbaz, director of research at the Paris-based medical research institute Inserm, told Reuters Health by email.
He said the study, which appeared in the journal BMJ, also suggests that a test of walking speed might be used to test the health of elderly patients.
Previous studies had linked slow walking speed with increased risk of death over a given period, as well as with falls and other bad health outcomes, but hadn't shown whether it was heart disease or another cause that accounted for that higher risk.
The five-year study, part of Inserm's ongoing Three City Study, involved more than 3,200 relatively fit men and women, 65 to 85 years of age, living in three French cities. At the start of the study in 1999, the scientists used questionnaires and face-to-face interviews to assess the health of each participant. They then clocked the participants' speeds as they walked down a corridor as fast as possible without running.
Over the next five years, 209 of the participants died — 99 from cancer, 59 from heart disease, and 53 from infectious diseases and other causes — for an overall death rate of almost 7 percent. The death rate among the slowest-walking one-third of participants — those men who walked at the equivalent of about 3.4 miles per hour or slower and women who walked at about 3 miles per hour or slower — was 44 percent higher than that among the two-thirds of participants who had walked faster.
Death from heart attack, stroke, and related causes was 2.9 times more common among the slowest one-third of participants than among the participants who had walked faster.
The increase in death from heart disease was seen in both men and women and was unrelated to the ages of participants or how physically active they were.
More Articles...
Page 1 of 2
« StartPrev12NextEnd »| Show Cart | |
|
Your Cart is currently empty.
|
