Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Sleep?
Just one night of inadequate sleep can detrimentally trigger an increase (by as much as 60%) in brain activity related to anticipating negative emotional events.
UC Berkeley, October 2012

Health Alert: Stop Smoking!
Female smokers in the UK die 10 years earlier (on average) than non-smokers. However, women who stop smoking by age 30 are 97% less likely to suffer a smoking related, premature death.
The Lancet, October 2012

Diet: Grapes!
Grape consumption is linked to healthier diet habits and higher intake of nutrients. Individuals who consume products made with grapes also have higher intake of the following: dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Grape consumption is associated with higher vegetable, whole grain, seed, and nut intake, as well as a decreased intake of cholesterol, saturated fat, and total fat, compared with adults who did not consume grape products. Grapes can assist in lowering blood pressure, strengthen blood flow, and lower inflammation in men suffering from metabolic syndrome.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food, October 2012

Exercise: Yoga.
Yoga stretches all of the soft tissues of your body such as ligaments, tendons, and the fascia sheaths that surround your muscles. No matter your level of yoga, you most likely will see benefits in a very short period of time. Yoga participants had 35% improvement in flexibility after only 8 weeks.
American Council on Exercise, October 2012

Chiropractic: Why Wait?
The activities of every day living can cause micro-traumas to the musculoskeletal system. While these injuries may not result in pain, if left untreated they may lead to more serious problems such as back or neck pain (for example). Regular adjustments can help prevent these micro-traumas from becoming bigger problems in the future.

Wellness/Prevention: Keep Young Drivers Safe.
In May 2010, New Jersey implemented Kyleigh's Law, requiring all 16-20 year old drivers with a permit or intermediate license to display a reflective decal on the front and back license plates of vehicles they are operating. The decal is intended to help police officers enforce laws specific to younger drivers such as those related to night time driving and the number of permitted passengers. Since going into effect, Kyleigh's Law has decreased car accidents among 16-20 year old intermediate license holders by 9%. Tips for keeping your young driver safe: "[Start] them out in low-risk conditions. Keep the number of passengers to no more than one, limit nighttime driving to before 10 pm, always prohibit cell phone use while driving, and insist on seat belts for every occupant on every drive."
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, October 2012

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Hope For Lonely Seniors.
Lonely, older adults with higher levels of cortisol and c-reactive protein (CRP) in their blood are at greater risk for stress and inflammation related diseases (such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease). However, a new study has found that lonely senior citizens can decrease their cortisol and CRP levels by maintaining a positive outlook on life and by not blaming themselves for their problems.
Concordia University, October 2012

Health Alert: Fast-Tracked Drugs!
A recent study tracked a total of 434 new active substances (NASs) approved by Health Canada between 1995 and 2010. The NASs were then compared to see whether a difference in safety existed between those that had gone through Health Canada's standard 300-day review period vs. the 180-day priority process. Drugs streamed into Health Canada's accelerated review process are 15% more likely to be withdrawn from the market or to earn a serious safety warning.
Archives of Internal Medicine, October 2012

Diet: Happiness and Mental Health.
Happiness and mental health are highest among people who eat 7 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Mental wellbeing appeared to rise with the number of daily portions of fruit and vegetables people consumed. Wellbeing peaked at seven portions a day. In Britain today, a quarter of the population eat just one portion or no portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Only a tenth of the British population currently consume the magic number of seven or more daily portions.
Social Indicators Research, October 2012

Exercise: Just A Few Minutes.
Participants who peddled a stationary bike as hard as possible at the highest resistance for 30 seconds, followed by 4 minutes of peddling at slow speeds with little resistance (5 rounds), burned as many as 200 calories despite only vigorously exercising for 2.5 minutes. For many people who want to be in better shape, a large chunk of time spent in an effort to work out is an annoying turn-off. This new finding could make exercise reasonable for potential fitness buffs by squeezing intense efforts into a smaller time slot.
Integrative Biology of Exercise VI meeting, October 10-13, 2012

Chiropractic: Athletes Feel The Difference.
"Were it not for Chiropractic, I would not have won the gold medal."
~Dan O'Brien, Olympic Gold Medalist and 3x World Champion Decathlete

Wellness/Prevention: Cherries and Gout.
Eating cherries over a two-day period reduced the risk of gout attacks by 35%.

Arthritis & Rheumatism, October 2012

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Chew On This!
People who maintain the ability to chew are less likely to develop dementia. This study shows a link between having no teeth and losing cognitive function more rapidly. The action of chewing makes more blood flow to the brain. People with few or no teeth will chew less, resulting in less blood flow to the brain.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, October 2012

Health Alert: Younger Adults and Strokes?
Stroke is becoming more common in younger adults. The reason may be an increase in risk factors like diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol. Strokes among those under age 55 grew from around 13% in 1994 to 19% in 2005.
Neurology, October 2012

Diet: Omega-3 Intake & Young Adults.
For the first time, scientists have studied the effects of Omega-3 supplementation on young adults (ages 18-25). After 6 months of supplementation, subjects were able to improve their working memory (used for reason and comprehension) despite the belief that, at their age, they were operating at their cognitive best.
PLoS One, October 2012

Exercise: Take A Hike For Your Heart!
Going for a hike, a jog, or taking a brisk walk every day could reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke by 50%. Researchers found that people who jog or who walk briskly have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who lead more sedentary lives, or who walk at slower speeds.
British Heart Foundation, October 2012

Chiropractic: Pregnancy and Back Pain.
Approximately 60% of pregnant women suffer from back pain; however, only about 30% report symptoms to their prenatal provider and only 25% of providers recommend treatment. A review of 17 pregnant women who sought chiropractic care for back pain found 16 of 17 women demonstrated clinically important pain improvement within 4.5 days of seeking care, with no adverse side effects.
Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, January-February 2006

Wellness/Prevention: What Can I Do?
According to Leon Chaitow, ND, DO, "Even if conventional medicine tells you that your condition is incurable or that your only option is to live a life dependent on drugs with troublesome side effects, there is hope for improving or reversing your condition." There are many things we can do to stay healthy and overcome illness once we become ill. The benefits of an excellent diet, a strong exercise program, getting proper rest, and a strong mental attitude (which includes stress reduction) have been studied endlessly with positive results. Being healthy almost always improves your overall body function and decreases your risk of becoming ill.