Monthly Archives: November 2009

Phosphorus Levels May Predict Heart Disease

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Even a slight elevation was linked to coronary artery calcification in study

 

(HealthDay News) — Elevated blood levels of phosphorus are associated with a higher risk of heart disease, U.S. researchers say.

They studied the link between phosphorus levels and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in nearly 900 healthy adults in the Spokane Heart Study, a long-term investigation of heart disease risk factors. CAC is an early sign of hardening of the arteries.

At the start of the study, 28 percent of participants had CAC. After six years of follow-up, another 33 percent had developed CAC, and the level of CAC increased among those who already had the condition.  Read more…

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5 Ways to Snap Yourself Back into a Good Mood

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Bad Mood Buster

via livewell360.com

We all have those moments. You know, where Captain Cranky Pants sneaks up behind us, and wedding sacks (Borat reference) us from behind, taking us from what was a great mood, to a mood of just plain blah or worse.

No matter the reason – whether it stemmed from something that someone else said or did, something we did, or even just our imagination running away with us – we HAVE the power to change how we feel. We can stop the train of thoughts that are blatantly causing us to feel worse and worse and flip them into an upward slope of feeling better and better.

Whether you are aware of it or not, our thoughts have a snowball effect. If we start thinking negative thoughts, it will only lead to more of the same – more negative thoughts. Unless we consciously choose to redirect what we are thinking about, we will just continue to cycle in those blah-icky-gloomy feelings.

The trick is first realizing what is happening. Awareness is a powerful powerful tool that many times we forget we have. We go on and on throughout our day, without realizing we actually have control over what we are thinking.

By stopping and becoming aware of what we are thinking, we are allowing ourselves to take that step outside of the picture long enough to observe what’s going on so that we can change it. You know the old saying, you can’t fix what you don’t know is broken. Well this is the prime example.

Here Are 5 Tricks That I Use to Put Myself in a Great Mood

1. I close my eyes, take a deep breathe, and think of 3 things in my life that I am grateful for.

I know this sounds cliché and silly, but the moment we shift our attention from something that we think is bad, to something we see as good, it automatically begins to shift our mood. When I think of these things that I am grateful for, I make sure to take time to see them in my mind, whether it is a person, place, or thing, I spend a few moments visualizing it until I notice the difference in how I feel. Try this and pay attention to your feelings, it’s almost like you can feel the shift in your chest as you move from the gloomy thoughts to the happy thoughts. The only way I can describe it is when I begin to focus on the things I am grateful for, I feel like I light up like a Christmas tree.

2. I ask myself, how does this serve me?

Sometimes I will even take #1 an step further and pull out a sheet of paper and start writing a list of reasons why whatever it is that was bringing me down, is actually a gift because it is allowing me an opportunity for growth or to learn some great lesson. Again, this trick is sooo under-rated because when we can see the good in any situation, and appreciate that it is helping us in some way to become stronger, smarter, or better equipped, then it no longer has the negative feelings attached to it. Every seemingly bad situation has the power to make our life better if we allow it, and that is the key.

3. I turn on a feel good song.

Good music is an amazing thing, so turn on a good song, and sing along, OUT LOUD, dance, move your feet… who cares who is looking, just do what feels good. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood after jamming out to your favorite feel good song. Don’t’ believe me? Try it. I dare you…

4. Get in a kick butt workout.

Yes, some days it’s tough to get inspired to get to the gym, but once you get moving, you feel pretty good, right? And then when you are finished, the endorphins are flowing, and you just feel great. The bad mood has completely vanished! Poof!

For faster results, combine #3 and #4.

5. Give to someone, unconditionally.

Whether it is with your time, your love, your attention, or your money, when you give open-heartedly to another human being it sparks something inside that turns on the happy switch. It really ties into #1 above, because when you give something to someone, with no strings attached, expecting nothing in return, you can’t help but feel gratitude for life itself and all the small things we so often take for granted.

Final Thoughts

Those are my go-to methods for busting a bad mood before it even starts. It’s really not rocket science, but these are the things that seem so simple, yet we just don’t do them. I challenge you to take a handful of these tips and make them part of your daily routine.

The more you take time for the simple feel-good pleasures in life, the more you will notice that life will automatically bring you more of the same. Happiness becomes.. EASY! And just a normal part of who you are. Can you believe it? What an amazing thought. That alone puts me in a good mood.

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Yummy Wrap

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Veggie and Goat Cheese Wrap

The Almost Gourmet Quickie Veggie Wrap

This is my quickie go-to lunch many days. It comes together in just a few short minutes if you have all of your veggies washed and prepped ahead of time. I like to slice my veggies while I am assembling the wrap, but you could certainly slice them in advance if you are crunched for time, or even make the wrap ahead of time, and store it in plastic wrap. It is extremely filling and nutritious. I also adjust the amount of veggies by my hunger level – adding more if I am starving or less if I am not incredibly hungry.

If you want to add more protein, you can absolutely add some chicken/turkey breast, salmon, tuna, etc.

Ingredients

  • Half of a gigantic whole wheat tortilla
  • 1 tbsp of garlic and chive chevre (goat cheese)
  • Cucumbers, sliced in long thin strips
  • Red, green, orange, and yellow peppers sliced in long thin strips
  • Carrots, sliced in long thin strips
  • Beets, sliced in long thin strips
  • Green onion, chopped
  • Handful of sprouts
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Lay tortilla out on a flat surface.
  2. Spread goat cheese evenly across tortilla.
  3. Pile on the veggies. I typically organize them from heaviest items on the bottom to lightest on the top, to make it easier to handle.
  4. Finish with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
  5. Close wrap and secure with a toothpick if needed.
  6. Serve.

veggie-wrap-1

veggie-wrap-2

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New Study Finds Tai Chi Can Help to Decrease Knee Osteoarthritis Pain

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Knee X-ray

Knee X-ray

People that are at least 65 years of age or older with knee osteoarthritis (OA), that practice Tai Chi, improve their physical performance and experience a decrease pain, according to a new Tufts University School of Medicine study. Osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis that produces an erosion of joint cartilage. Chiropractors help a large number people who suffer with OA in a number of regions of the body, including the knee joints. Knee pain and disability is one of the most prevalent conditions of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal complaints. In fact, an extraordinary 4.3 million individuals in the U.S. over 60 years of age have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it conjectures that half of the men and women in America may suffer from symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. Knee osteoarthritis results in pain, mobility limitations, dysfunction and disability, and a diminished quality of life.

You may be asking why so many people develop OA. Excessive stress over time is a major element in the majority of musculoskeletal conditions that develop as we age. That is why as people age they are more at risk for developing OA in their joints, including the knees. Abnormal mechanics of the knee, poor gait, compensatory foot mechanics as an offset of foot pain, and overload of the knee joint all create excessive stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint develop. As an adjunct to chiropractic treatment, chiropractors wholeheartedly endorse natural, drug-free practices, such as Tai Chi (Chuan), that can mitigate knee pain. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements that create mental relaxation, as well as increased balance, an increase in strength, and more flexibility.

Though in good health otherwise, the 40 men and women with confirmed OA that were selected for the Tufts study were, on average, 65 years of age and overweight. Individuals were selected at random to participate in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.

Tai Chi practice involves the type of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is compatible with contemporary exercise recommendations for osteoarthritis. Furthermore, researchers found that the “mental aspect” of Tai Chi promoted a sense of well-being, life contentment, and impressions of health that aided the participants in dealing differently with chronic pain. Significantly, the group practicing Tai Chi displayed a substantial decrease in knee pain compared with those in the control group.

Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

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Look at Your Nails!

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Health Tip: Nails Can Reveal Your Health
A doctor should examine them carefully

– Diana Kohnle

 

(HealthDay News) — It’s important to pay attention to changes in your nails, as they can indicate an underlying health problem.

The American Academy of Dermatology says the condition of your nails could indicate possible:

  • Liver disease, which may be characterized by whitening of the nails.
  • Kidney disease, if half of each nail is pink and the other half white.
  • Heart condition, if the nail beds are red.
  • Lung disease, which could be characterized by thick, yellow nails that grow slowly.
  • Anemia, if nail beds are pale.
  • Diabetes, if nails have a yellow tint that look blush at the base.

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Lose More Weight!

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Living With Less TV, More Sweat Boosts Weight Loss
Home environment plays role in effort to drop pounds, experts say

 

(HealthDay News) — If you want to lose weight, exercise and diet are crucial. But a new study says other factors appear to play a role, too — including the number of TVs in your house and the presence of exercise equipment.

“The home environment really came out as a stronger factor than we would have anticipated,” Suzanne Phelan, assistant professor of kinesiology at California Polytechnic State University and lead author of the new study, said in a news release.

Phelan and colleagues looked at the results of surveys of 167 people who lost a big chunk of their body weight — at least 10 percent — and managed to keep the pounds at bay for five or more years. The researchers compared this group to two other groups of people who were overweight or obese.

The researchers investigated what set the weight-losers apart from the others, and published their findings in the October issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine. Read more…

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The Beautiful Grape

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Red-Grape Compound May Improve Diabetes
But so far resveratrol works only as an injection into the brain of mice, study finds

By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter

 (HealthDay News) — New research provides further insight into how a health-boosting compound found in red grapes may help the body fend off type 2 diabetes.

But scientists have only seen the effect in mice who received injections in the brain, and no evidence has emerged that consuming red wine or other products made with grapes will alleviate the blood sugar disease.

The findings do tell scientists about how the compound known as resveratrol works on the brain, said senior study author Roberto Coppari.

If scientists know that the brain is a "major player," then drug companies working on related research "will focus on a drug that will penetrate the brain," said Coppari, an assistant professor of internal medicine at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Scientists have been excited about resveratrol, which is found in red grapes, red wine, pomegranates and some other foods, appears to extend the life spans of mice, even those fed a high-fat diet. Resveratrol appears to mimic the effects of severely restricting food intake, which helps a wide variety of animals live longer, Coppari said. Read more…

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Diabetes News

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Americans Get Failing Grade on Diabetes Awareness
Survey finds abundant myths about debilitating disease

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) — Though someone is diagnosed with diabetes every 20 seconds, many Americans lack basic knowledge about the potentially life-threatening disease, according to a new survey from the American Diabetes Association.

Diabetes is responsible for more deaths each year in the United States than breast cancer and AIDS combined, but just 42 percent of those surveyed knew that diabetes could be so deadly.

"There's a real lack of awareness of the seriousness of the disease," said Sue McLaughlin, president of Health Care and Education for the diabetes association. To combat that, the organization has launched a new campaign called Stop Diabetes to encourage people with diabetes to share their stories. The effort aims to increase awareness of the disease, fight the social stigma sometimes associated with it and get more people involved in the fight against diabetes.

Those who have the disease often say the lack of awareness can feel like a lack of support.

"Living with diabetes every day is a struggle, and people don't always understand what you go through every day," said Malika Bey of Pittsburgh. Bey was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during two pregnancies, and then with type 2 diabetes after her last pregnancy.

"It would help if family members were more supportive," she said. "You know, I can't eat everything I want to eat, and at a party, nobody thinks about something simple, like getting diet drinks."

McLaughlin said a common myth is that sugar and overeating cause diabetes. But, that's not true for either type of diabetes. Diet isn't a factor at all in type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly attacks the islet cells in the pancreas, destroying the body's ability to produce insulin. And, though type 2 diabetes is more common in people who are overweight, genetics and other unknown factors — not just diet — can be contributors. Even some thin people have type 2 diabetes. Read more…

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