7 Ways to slash Cancer Risk

Some of the same again but it always bears repeating, exercise, limit salt, limit alcohol, eat well and if you are over weight, lower your weight. Same ole, same ole, but it works!! Read on...

7 Ways to Slash Cancer Risk | Care2 Healthy & Green Living

Would you change your lifestyle if you could slash your risk of getting cancer by a third or even half? That’s the challenge posed by a huge new report just released by The American Institute for Cancer Research that pulls together and analyzes the most comprehensive data on cancer prevention yet.

Okay, I admit it, you’re not going to like some of this advice, and neither are your family members. I know I don’t. Give up salami, one of my favorite lunch options? Yikes. And alcohol? As native Californians who grew up going wine tasting in the Napa Valley whenever possible, my siblings would be really sad if family dinners were no longer accompanied by a bottle of good zinfandel or pinot. And what’s a burrito without a cold beer and lime to go with it?

But this evidence is so compelling that I think all of us in Cancer World are going to have to look twice at some of our lifestyle choices and may feel newly motivated to make changes, or nag at our loved ones to do so. Imagine, by following these guidelines, we could prevent:

* More than 45 percent of colon cancer cases
(Translation: 49,000 people would not get colon cancer)
* 38 percent of breast cancer cases
(Translation: 70,000 people would not get breast cancer)
* One third of all the most common cancers

This report is a big deal because the experts who compiled it looked at every major study and based their recommendations on hard evidence of what really works to reduce cancer risk. “This is the practical application of five years of work sorting through what the science really says,” said panel member Steve Zeisel, MD, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

7 Ways to Slash Your Risk of Getting Cancer

1. Be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day. As well as helping prevent weight gain, research shows that activity itself helps prevent cancer by keeping hormone levels healthy, which is important because having high levels of some hormones can increase cancer risk.
2. Lower your weight to the lower end of the body-mass index for your height. Even more important, banish belly fat, which acts like a ‘hormone pump’ releasing estrogen into the bloodstream as well as raising levels of other hormones. This is strongly linked to colon cancer and probably to cancers of the pancreas and endometrium (lining of the uterus), as well as breast cancer, particularly in postmenopausal women.
3. Avoid sugary drinks and high-calorie foods. Cutting out foods made from white flour and sugar, such as candy, pastries, and other baked goods that aren’t whole grain, is one of the fastest ways to lose weight, and is also healthier for blood sugar balance.
4. Eat more fruits and vegetables. This one’s been pretty thoroughly covered in a previous post on anti-cancer foods.
5. Eat less red meat and little or no processed meat. Experts say there’s no longer any doubt that eating beef, pork, and other red meats raises the risk of colorectal cancer. Red meat contains heme iron and other substances that damage the colon lining, making way for tumor growth. Processed meat is even worse. When meat is preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or by the addition of preservatives, cancer-causing substances (carcinogens) are formed that damage cells in the body, leading to cancer. While studies show we can eat up to 18 ounces a week of red meat without raising cancer risk, research shows that cancer risk starts to increase with any portion of processed meat.
6. Limit alcohol to two drinks a day for men, 1 for women — but none is best of all. Unfortunately for all those of us who like a drink now and then, there’s convincing evidence that alcohol increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and colon. This one got hit with a double-whammy of evidence this week; the National Cancer Institute alsoreported the results of a huge study detailing the risks of alcohol for women. Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, cancer blogger for the American Cancer Society, spelled it out inblack and white : “there is no level of alcohol consumption that could be called safe.” Scientists are still researching how alcohol causes cancer. One theory is that alcohol can directly damage DNA, increasing our risk of cancer. Research shows that alcohol is particularly harmful when combined with smoking.
7. Limit salt intake. Salt and salt-preserved foods are linked to stomach and other digestive cancers; limit salt to 2400 milligrams to be safe.

One last thing; this report did not even address smoking, because experts consider that such a no-brainer at this point. Smokers increase their chances of getting almost all kinds of cancer every time they light up. So the only recommendation is, don’t.

Technorati Tags: reduce cancer risl, healthy lifestyle, colon cancer, breast cancer

ADHD Myth Mostly Based on Nonsense

As a teacher in a school system, too often I heard and saw children being told there children have ADHD by teachers! Parents believed them and they took them to the doctor, only to be prescribed medication!!! Often, those children would then come to my classroom and I would always tell the parents to take them off the drugs. Most parents were VERY relieved and the children were much happier and healthier. Of course, they were allowed to move around in my room. They did not have to just sit and listen to the teacher or stay in their desks doing tedious work! Engaging children and allowing normal behavior works way better than drugs! Also, discipline means to teach, not to drug! Read on...

ADHD myth mostly based on nonsense : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

by Charles Davenport Jr.

There is something profoundly unseemly, if not criminal, about diagnosing normal behavior as a disease and using medication to eliminate the offending conduct. The practice is particularly egregious when the offenders, "the diseased," are children. But this is precisely what physicians and mental health professionals are doing to millions of healthy American kids.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 10 percent of children between the ages of 4 and 17 in North Carolina have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Nationwide, the figure for that age group is 4.4 million, of which 2.5 million are medicated to treat the alleged disorder.

But ADHD is not a disease. Virtually all children display behaviors that could be perceived as "symptoms" of the disorder. (Those symptoms include hyperactivity, inattentiveness, forgetfulness, impulsivity and disorganization.) ADHD is a myth that serves as an "out" for teachers and parents who would rather not have to deal with unruly children. Why discipline Little Johnny when he could simply be medicated to conform to behavioral standards?

An ADHD diagnosis is not only simple to obtain, but it also allows parents to evade responsibility for their child's rogue behavior. A spoiled brat diagnosed with a "disease" is no longer a spoiled brat, and most conveniently, no one is responsible for his conduct.

A new book penned by Dr. Bose Ravenel and John Rosemond, "The Diseasing of America's Children: Exposing the ADHD Fiasco and Empowering Parents to Take Back Control," exposes ADHD as a myth created and perpetuated by pediatricians, mental health professions and pharmaceutical companies. ADHD, the authors write, is "a fiction" from which these vested interests benefit.

Ravenel, a pediatrician in High Point, and Rosemond, a family psychologist and acclaimed parenting expert in Gastonia, present an eloquent and trenchant case against ADHD. Their claims, contrary to those asserted by "the ADHD Establishment," are supported by rigorous studies and compatible with common sense. Ravenel and Rosemond pull no punches in debunking the "science" behind ADHD: "No ADHD genes have been discovered, no ADHD gene transmission theories have been proven, no ADHD biochemical imbalance has been quantified, and no specific ADHD brain condition has been identified."

Parents willing to do independent research can quickly verify the claims of Ravenel and Rosemond.

The largest ADHD-affiliated organization is called Children and Adults with ADHD, or CHADD (www.CHADD.org). Its Web site, too, is a valuable source of information -- or propaganda, depending on your perspective. CHADD admits that, other than "scientific consensus," there is little evidence behind the causes or diagnosis of ADHD. But this is not persuasive. After all, there used to be consensus that the world is flat, and only a few decades ago, that we are heading into another Ice Age.

The ADHD Establishment endorses a "disease model" of behavioral problems, despite a lack of science in support of that position. Far more likely, and buttressed by overwhelming evidence, is the "developmental model" advanced by Rosen and Ravenel. Their argument, in short, is that the misbehavior of children is caused by a lack of parental discipline, the modern child's excessive indulgence of electronic media and nutritional deficiencies.

Among the Amish, a diagnosis of ADHD is almost unheard of. Not coincidentally, Amish parents raise their children with traditional disciplinary methods -- as opposed to "time out" -- and their kids do not waste innumerable hours watching television and playing video games. (According to Rosen and Ravenel, the average American child has watched 5,000 hours of television when he reports to kindergarten.) Electronic media has contributed mightily to the short attention spans that cripple the learning ability of children.

Another sacred cow summarily slaughtered by Rosen and Ravenel is self-esteem, an overrated virtue that leads to counterproductive parenting and educational decisions. Parents and teachers worry that disciplining or correcting a child could diminish his self-esteem. According to several studies, however, excessive self-regard can lead to contempt for others. The authors remind us that gang members and prison inmates have extraordinarily high self-esteem.

Parents of children diagnosed with ADHD should take the time to research the possibility of other causes behind their child's behavioral issues. In some cases, there could be legitimate, biological problems, such as a hearing deficiency; in others, parents may discover the root of the problem by simply gazing into a mirror.

Charles Davenport Jr. (daisha99@msn.com) is a freelance columnist who appears alternate Sundays in the News & Record.

Technorati Tags: ADHD, ADD, hyperactivity, discipline, normal behavior

5 Gas-Station Dangers

I know this is not really a natural remedy but it certainly will save your life. I felt it was so important for people to know that I had to post it. Read on....

5 Gas-Station Dangers | Care2 Healthy & Green Living

By Allison Ford, DivineCaroline

In what may be one of Hollywood’s most truly tragic death scenes, three really, really ridiculously good-looking male models meet a fiery end at a gas station. The trio is innocently cavorting and spraying each other with gasoline when one of them has the unfortunate urge to light a cigarette and … KABOOM.

Freak gasoline-fight accidents aside, fires, especially those caused by static electricity, are a serious safety concern at service stations. The potent mixture of gasoline, diesel, and other volatile chemicals on the premises—just waiting to be ignited by an errant spark—makes these seemingly boring businesses potential powder kegs. To reduce the chances of reenacting your own version of Zoolander, follow these simple tips for safe pumping.

1. Don’t get back in your car.
Many drivers make the mistake of getting back into their cars to wait for the pump to finish. In fact, drivers who get in and out of their cars are responsible for about 50 percent of filling-station static fires, according to the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI). As the driver slides across the seat, she is more likely to build up static electricity on her body. Once she touches the gas pump, a spark could ignite spilled gasoline or its vapors. Interestingly, women trigger about 80 percent of static fires. Some experts believe this is because of women’s increased propensity for getting back into their cars to tend to children or to look for a purse or wallet. It could also simply be that women, more than men, prefer not to wait outside when the weather’s bad. Cold weather is especially conducive to static electricity, so cold-weather drivers (men and women alike) should be extra careful to wait outside their cars while pumping gas. If you must get back into your car while refueling, be sure to touch a piece of metal (such as the car’s door frame) when you get out; this will safely discharge any static buildup you may have accumulated before you touch the gas nozzle.

2. Turn the engine off while refueling.
While a car is idling, the engine parts are still rubbing together. The alternator is running, spark plugs are firing, and the electrical system is working, as are a host of other components that generate either heat or sparks. Gasoline or its vapors could ignite if exposed to any of these moving parts. Most states have laws requiring drivers to turn off their cars before refueling, but the practice is also common sense.

3. Don’t smoke.
Even a model idiot like Derek Zoolander knew this one; still, the sight of someone enjoying a quick cigarette as his car refuels is an all-too-common one. Just don’t do it.

4. Try to avoid spills.
Spilling gas may not seem like much of an inconvenience beyond a few wasted pennies, but every drop of gas on the ground makes it more likely that a fire will start. Never prop open a gas pump if it’s not already fitted for automatic filling, and never overfill or top off the gas tank. Once you’ve stopped refueling, leave the nozzle in place in the tank for a few moments to allow any gas in the line to flow back. The less gas on the ground, the less chance of a fire igniting.

5. Let go of the cell phone.
A few years ago, a popular email cautioned that using a cell phone near a gas station could potentially trigger an explosion. The allegation, perfect for breathless news coverage and hysterical email forwards, was that the phone’s signal was capable of igniting gas vapors in its immediate vicinity. Fortunately, you can consider this one less thing to worry about, because there has never been a single substantiated case of a cell phone causing a gas-station fire. Even though many news outlets were taken in by the claim, and many gas-station owners even put “no cell phone use” stickers on their pumps, the warning has been downgraded to a mere urban legend. It has been thoroughly debunked by everyone from PEI, Snopes.com, colleges such as Purdue University and the University of Oklahoma, and even the Discovery Channel’s MythBusters (twice). In the instances when fires have broken out around people who happened to be using cell phones at gas stations, the real culprit has turned out to be static electricity from another source. Although it is technically possible for a phone to discharge static, the actual likelihood of it is so small that you should feel comfortable answering your phone if it rings while you’re at a gas station—just don’t slide across the seat to grab it.

PEI still recommends not using any electronic device during fueling, but only because such devices promote distraction.

Gas stations are such a part of our daily routine that it’s easy to dismiss safety concerns. However, it’s worth taking a few extra moments to adopt these precautions. Despite advances in automobile and engine technologies, they are still necessary. Static fires at gas stations are relatively rare—help keep them that way by practicing these simple safety tips each time you visit.

Technorati Tags: gas station dangers, General Health, On The Go, Transportation, Travel, driving, fuel, gas, gas station

What Nasties Are In Your Cosmetics?

Yikes! Again! Toxic chemicals in our cosmetics. Get the lead out! Sign the petition!

Do You Know What Nasties Are In Your Cosmetics? | Care2 Healthy & Green Living

Annie Leonard does it again with a new, powerful animated short. This time her target is the cosmetics industry. She examines the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in our everyday personal care products, from lipstick to baby shampoo. She describes bathrooms all over America that are minefields of chemical nasties, most of which have links to asthma, learning disabilities, birth defects, and cancer.

We may think that the products we buy in the drugstore are safe, particularly the ones for kids with reassuring words on the label like gentle, natural, pure, dermatologists approved. But when you read the fine print it’s a different story.

Leonard says that when she spoke with scientists and did the research she “got so mad about this I joined with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to make [this] new video.”

The video concludes with a call for viewers to support legislation aimed at ensuring the safety of cosmetics and personal care products, asking us to tell our representatives in Congress to support the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 which will strengthen FDA oversight and regulation of the cosmetics industry. Also, sign this petition to ban all lead from cosmetics. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/536/490/732

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-story-of-cosmetics-with-annie-leonard-video.html

Technorati Tags: chemicals in cosmetics, lead in cosmetics, cosmetics, asthma, birth defects, learning disabilities, petition

20 Ways to Add More to Your Life

Dr. Frank Lipman wrote a wonderful article about what he has learned about living a better, healthier life. I love it! Simple, straightforward and insightful. Read on....

20 Ways to Add More to Your Life | Care2 Healthy & Green Living

As I get older and hopefully wiser with every year, certain insights become clearer. Here are some of them gleaned from the wisdom I have gained from 30 years of marriage, having a 22-year-old daughter, 30 years of practicing medicine and being a perpetual student of life.

1. More Real Food, Less “Food-like Substances”
2. More Fruit and Vegetables, Less Sugar, Wheat and Corn
3. More Organic, Less Toxic
4. More Chewing, Less Eating
5. More Water, Less Soda
6. More Recycling, Less Waste
7. More Walking, Less Driving
8. More Exercising, Less Watching TV
9. More Outdoors, Less Indoors
10. More Sleep, Less Worry
11. More Calm, Less Chaos
12. More Being, Less Doing
13. More Consciousness, Less Ignorance
14. More Smiles, Less Anger
15. More Love, Less Hatred
16. More Play, Less Serious
17. More Letting Go, Less Holding On
18. More Forgiving, Less Blaming
19. More Generosity, Less Greed
20. More Ubuntu, Less Me!

Technorati Tags: eating for health, healthy living, inspiration, resolutions, health & wellness

Brown Rice or White?? That is the question!

I have always liked white rice but I know it is not that good for me. For the past 2 years if I eat rice, I now eat brown. Brown rice has so many qualities. Eat up!

Diabetes Risk Increased by White Rice and Reduced by Brown | Care2 Healthy & Green Living

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health completed a study in which they found eating five servings of white rice per week was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Eating two or more servings of brown rice was associated with a lower risk of the disease. They also found replacing 50 grams of white rice with the same amount of brown rice, (one third of a daily serving) could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 16%. Replacing the same amount of white rice with whole wheat or barley was associated with a 36% reduced risk.

Qi Sun was one of the lead researchers. She remarked about the study, “Rice consumption in the U.S. has dramatically increased in recent decades. We believe replacing white rice and other refined grains with whole grains, including brown rice, would help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.”

Fiber content, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals, are found in higher amounts in brown rice. Also it often does not generate as large an increase in blood sugar levels after a meal, as does white rice.

Qi Sun and Frank Hu examined white and brown rice consumption in relation to type 2 diabetes risk in 157,463 women and 39,765 men. In their study they discovered brown rice consumption was not associated with ethnicity. The connection was to a health-conscious diet and lifestyle.

Hu said of their study, “From a public health point of view, whole grains, rather than refined carbohydrates, such as white rice, should be recommended as the primary source of carbohydrates for the U.S. population.”

Diabetes Insider reported that almost 70% of rice consumed in the U.S. and the UK is white rice.

5 Top Top to Protect Your Brain

My mom has dementia and I do not want it if I can help it!! I try to exercise it as much as I can. The supplements that interest me are Ginkgo and tumeric!

5 Top Tips to Protect Your Brain | Care2 Healthy & Green Living

New studies show the heart and brain are connected by more than just poetry and puns. Indeed, researchers say high levels of heart-busting cholesterol might also make brain cells more prone to brain-busting dementia.

My family tree is riddled with heart disease. Growing up I listened to my father and aunts swap hospital stories and cardiologists’ phone numbers over buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Eventually, their conversations about stents and statins gave me a ticking-time-bomb mentality about my own heart. I don’t deserve to be labeled a hypochondriac, but I did see my doctor roll her eyes the last time I asked her to double check my cholesterol. She assured me I’m one of her healthiest clients. Aside from swearing off meat, I feast on organic fruits and veggies, lope around the neighborhood with my dog, and twist myself into yoga poses that make my relatives wince.

But as the years tick by, I’ve worried that protecting my heart is only half the battle. When I’ve blanked on the name of a street or the title of a favorite book, I’ve wondered if I should expend more energy preserving my gray matter. After all, 30 years from now what satisfaction will I glean from a healthy low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the “bad” cholesterol) score if I don’t remember to care? But a spate of new studies has eased my anxiety and added new resolve to my heart-healthy habits. According to the experts, the efforts I’m making to protect my heart now may be the brain boost I’m after in the future.

In fact, new studies show a healthy heart actually may be one of the best-kept secrets to preventing dementia. And holding onto one’s wits is no small feat. Roughly 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia. By 2050, the Alzheimer’s Association expects that number to potentially quadruple to 16 million. Aging baby boomers are only partially to blame for the senility glut. Added to the equation are the effects that rising tides of heart disease and diabetes will have. Truth be told, the more scientists discover about the roots of dementia, the more they are shifting their focus from the brain to the heart.

What affects the heart also affects the brain

The recipe for heart health rattles off the tongue as easily as the Pledge of Allegiance: fill your plate with fruits and vegetables, get plenty of exercise and steer clear of artery-clogging evils such as trans fats. But while Americans are conditioned to strive for clean arteries, we rarely apply the same logic to the blood vessels in our brains. Yet, both heart and brain rely on healthy circulation.

Indeed, the brain is a voracious consumer of the body’s blood and oxygen supply. Of the blood flow from the heart, roughly 20 percent goes straight to the head. Although a tissue-paper thin barrier protects the brain from direct contact with blood (a safeguard against potentially harm-ful toxins), nutrients easily pass through the blood-brain barrier. Circulation is what connects heart disease to dementia, says Decker Weiss, ND, a naturopathic physician at the Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix. “The same things that help the heart to beat help the brain to work.”

Factors that impede blood flow to the heart, such as high cholesterol, also slow blood flow to the brain. “When you’re looking at heart disease and dementia, what you really have is micro and macro circulation issues,” Weiss says. In other words, what damages large arteries like those in the heart also affects the tiny ones such as those found in the brain–only sooner because of their size. As examples he points to arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), hypertension and diabetes. “They are all systemic diseases,” he says. “The smallest blood vessels are affected first, including those in the brain.”

Experts know that vascular disease, such as stroke and diabetes, ups a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease. But the exact relationship between the two problems is murky. Vascular disease and Alzheimer’s clearly overlap, according to Kenneth Langa, MD, PhD, a dementia expert at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. “Tantalizing research says these two things are not just coexisting but that the vascular risks actually cause Alzheimer’s,” he says.

Recent long-term, observational studies support the idea that heart disease in middle age spells trouble for the brain. Rachel Whitmer, PhD, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., studies the connections between midlife risk factors for heart disease and dementia. For one of her most recent studies, published last January in the journal Neurology, Whitmer and colleagues traced the medical records of nearly 9,000 seniors (all Kaiser patients) from present day back to “midlife,” when the patients were between the ages of 40 and 44. They compared who had heart disease risk factors at middle age with who’d been diagnosed with dementia. What they found supports the heart-brain connection.

Each one of the four heart-disease risk factors the researchers charted carried a significant risk of dementia. Participants with hypertension had a 24 percent increase in risk, smokers a 26 percent increase, those with high cholesterol a 42 percent increase and diabetes a 46 percent increase. “I was surprised by the strength of these findings and the fact that we found an effect for all four risk factors,” Whitmer says, “given the fact that all the patients were members of a health maintenance organization and probably received corresponding treatments.”

Likewise, Langa notes a connection between high cholesterol at midlife and an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s published in a review study last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The two defining characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease are amyloid plaques, (protein fragments that clump outside the brain’s nerve cells) and neurofibrillary tangles (twisted strands of a different protein inside brain cells). Langa believes high cholesterol leads to the buildup of the protein that eventually becomes amyloid plaque.

“Early evidence shows that too much cholesterol causes changes in how brain cells process this protein,” he says. “High levels of cholesterol might make brain cells more prone to Alzheimer’s.”

Langa says his research armed him with new tools to coerce his heart-disease patients into eating right and exercising. “For some people, the idea that brain health is connected to heart health is a radical idea,” he says. During office visits, he tells his patients to do what their mothers and doctors have been telling them forever–watch their diet and stay active. “It’s not rocket science,” he says. “The key is to remember you’re getting two bangs for the buck. You’ll not only prevent a heart attack, but also keep your mind sharp as you age.” While Langa’s advice is a good starting place, consider acting on one or more of the following tips to avoid a future brain drain.

Five steps to keep your wits

1. Take B vitamins
All vitamins help keep the body running like a well-oiled machine, but your brain, in particular, benefits from Bs. New research highlights the importance of B vitamins in protecting seniors from stroke and dementia, two main causes of disability in the elderly. Specifically, B vitamins can help quench homocysteine, an amino acid that damages blood vessels. In 2002, a study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association found people with moderately high levels of homocysteine had a more than fivefold increased risk of stroke and a threefold increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease compared to those with low levels of the substance in their blood.

Vitamin B3 (niacin) also has been linked to brain health. Researchers at the Chicago-based Rush Institute for Healthy Aging found in 2004 that seniors with flagging levels of niacin were more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s than those with niacin to spare. Although researchers have yet to pinpoint what’s going on, they suspect that B vitamins protect and nurture dendritic growth, a key component of the nervous system and brain health. “You’ve got to get in the habit of taking B vitamins every day,” Weiss says.

2. Try ginkgo
Extracted from the ancient ginkgo tree, ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is considered the best of all brain-boosting supplements on the shelf. Studies of people with Alzheimer’s disease show that ginkgo enhances blood flow to the brain and ameliorates memory recall. It also adds tone and spring to aging blood vessels. In addition, ginkgo is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. “Ginkgo will be one of the most valuable herbs for the next 100 years,” Weiss says.

For minor memory loss associated with aging, take 40 to 60 mg of ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) three times a day. For Alzheimer’s disease, up each dose to 80 to 120 mg three times per day. Ginkgo is generally safe for long-term use; however, the extract does thin the blood and can clash with some medications, especially blood thinners. So if you take prescription drugs, consult with your doctor before tossing ginkgo into the mix and make sure not to take it before a surgery.

3. Watch inflammation
Inflammation comes to the rescue when the body is hurt or ill, but the immune system’s Dr. Jekyll can morph into Mr. Hyde if the inflammation switch gets stuck in the “on” position.

Chronic inflammation, whether from an irritated bowel, inflamed gums or autoimmune disease, weakens arteries in both the heart and the head. Making the arteries more vulnerable to rupture, the damage opens the doorway to heart attack and stroke. The key to prevention is keeping an eye on the early warning signs. “Inflammation is cumulative. It may end up in the blood vessels, but that’s not where it starts,” Weiss says. “If you have inflamed joints, gums or gastrointestinal tract, your whole body is loaded, and the immune system will hype up heart disease progression.”

The good news is you can combat inflammation naturally by bulking up on specific foods, herbs and supplements. Start with omega-3-rich fish. People who eat two servings a week of coldwater fatty fish, such as mackerel, wild salmon and tuna, cut their risk of heart attack, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, according to dozens of scientific studies. If you aren’t a fish fan, consider taking fish oil supplements ( between 1,000 and 2,000 mg daily). Other supplements to help douse the fire include turmeric (400 to 600 mg three times per day) and ginger (500 to 1,000 mg twice per day).

If you’re still concerned about inflammation, ask your doctor to test your C-reactive protein levels (CRP for short). A blood marker for inflammation, levels of CRP creep up as inflammation heats up. Although the CRP test is not yet considered standard fare, its use is becoming more mainstream. Two studies in the January 2005 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine indicate CRP may be as important as cholesterol in establishing cardiovascular risk. The CRP test is most useful for people with a moderate heart disease risk whose cholesterol levels are seemingly normal. As more doctors subscribe to the importance of uncovering inflammation, CRP tests may rival cholesterol tests as a diagnostic tool.

Another test to consider is one that measures levels of white blood cells (WBC). After studying the link between high levels of WBC and heart disease in the 72,000 participants of the Women’s Health Initiative, authors of a study published in the March issue of Archives of Internal Medicine concluded that unusually high levels of WBCs may be useful for detecting heart disease in otherwise healthy-looking people. (Food allergies, especially to wheat, gluten and dairy, also create inflammation in the body over time; so does over reliance on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics.)

4. Exercise your brain
You know exercise ensures muscular brawn, but it’s easy to forget the brain’s need for heavy lifting. The importance of performing mental gymnastics was first foretold by a 2002 study published in JAMA. For the research on mental acuity and aging, scientists at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center recruited 801 Catholic nuns, priests and brothers from around the United States. All were at least 65 years old, and none had a clinical diagnosis of dementia. The seniors completed a survey designed to measure, among other things, how much time they devoted to seven different activities, ranging from watching television to playing card games. Over the next 4.5 years, the scientists periodically evaluated the seniors’ brainpower for signs of slippage. During the study, more than 111 participants were diagnosed with shades of Alzheimer’s. When researchers compared those struck by the disease with their activity level, they found that those who flexed their mental muscles the most were 47 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who taxed their brains the least. Weiss wasn’t surprised by the results. “In the brain, there is a big, big difference between watching television and reading a book,” he says. “Your brain makes new neurons when you process information. I see lots of older folks who are readers stay sharp while those who watch TV melt into the couch.”

5. Get diabetes under control
If you have diabetes, you have extra incentive to pamper your brain. Diabetes puts people at a higher risk of dementia. Experts know that diabetes is damaging to blood vessels, but they are just beginning to understand the relationship to dementia. A groundbreaking study published last March in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease confirmed not only that the brain makes insulin but also that people who die from Alzheimer’s disease lack insulin in key areas of their brains. “Some people think of Alzheimer’s disease as diabetes of the brain,” Whitmer says. “More and more evidence shows that insulin plays a direct role in the neurodegeneration seen with Alzheimer’s.”

If there’s a final analysis to be made here, it might be that while eating right, exercising and taking vitamins and supplements might not be, as Weiss says, a rocket-science Rx for heart and brain health, it’s one each of us can follow with relatively little pain in exchange for considerable long-term gain.


By Catherine Guthrie, Natural Solutions

Technorati Tags: Alzheimer's, Diet & Nutrition, Eating for Health, General Health, Health & Wellness, Healthy Mind,

Are Whole Eggs or Egg Whites Better for You?

My husband has 2-3 eggs every morning. We had a friend staying with us and she told him he should not be eating them as they are bad for you. I googled it and told him, that 2 every day are fine. Then I received this in my email and it is very informative. So much so, that I am going to start having eggs every morning!!

Are whole eggs or egg whites better for you? Egg protein, good cholesterol, healthy fat

Are Whole Eggs or Egg Whites Better for You?

by Mike Geary

I was on a weekend trip with some friends recently and one of my friends was cooking breakfast for the whole group. I went over to see what he was cooking and saw he was getting ready to make a big batch of eggs.

Well, to my shock and horror, I noticed that he was cracking the eggs open and screening the egg whites into a bowl and throwing out the egg yolks. I asked him why the heck he was throwing out the egg yolks, and he replied something like this...

"because I thought the egg yolks were terrible for you...that's where all the nasty fat and cholesterol is".

And I replied, "you mean that's where all of the nutrition is!"

This is a perfect example of how confused most people are about nutrition. In a world full of misinformation about nutrition, somehow most people now mistakenly think that the egg yolk is the worst part of the egg, when in fact, the YOLK IS THE HEALTHIEST PART OF THE EGG!

By throwing out the yolk and only eating egg whites, you're essentially throwing out the most nutrient dense, antioxidant-rich, vitamin and mineral loaded portion of the egg. The yolks contain so many B-vitamins, trace minerals, vitamin A, folate, choline, lutein, and other powerful nutrients... it's not even worth trying to list them all.

In fact, the egg whites are almost devoid of nutrition compared to the yolks.

Even the protein in egg whites isn't as powerful without the yolks to balance out the amino acid profile and make the protein more bio-available. Not to even mention that the egg yolks from free range chickens are loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids (EFAs).

And now the common objection I get all the time when I say that the yolks are the most nutritious part of the egg...

"But I heard that whole eggs will skyrocket my cholesterol through the roof"

No, this is FALSE!

First of all, when you eat a food that contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down-regulates it's internal production of cholesterol to balance things out.

On the other hand, if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more since cholesterol has dozens of important vital functions in the body.

healthy whole eggsAnd here's where it gets even more interesting...

There have been plenty of studies lately that indicate that eating whole eggs actually raises your good HDL cholesterol to a higher degree than LDL cholesterol, thereby improving your overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.

And 3rd... high cholesterol is NOT a disease! Heart disease is a disease...but high cholesterol is NOT. Cholesterol is actually a VERY important substance in your body and has vitally important functions... it is DEAD WRONG to try to "lower your cholesterol" just because of pharmaceutical companies propaganda that everyone on the planet should be on statin drugs.

If you're interested in this topic, you can read the following article about why trying to attack cholesterol is a mistake, and what the REAL deadly risk factors actually are... Cholesterol Myths

In addition, the yolks contain the antioxidant lutein as well as other antioxidants which can help protect you from inflammation within your body (the REAL culprit in heart disease, not dietary cholesterol!), giving yet another reason why the yolks are actually GOOD for you, and not detrimental.

To help bring even more proof that whole eggs are better for you than egg whites, I recently read a University of Connecticut study that showed that a group of men in the study that ate 3 eggs per day for 12 weeks while on a reduced carb, higher fat diet increased their HDL good cholesterol by 20%, while their LDL bad cholesterol stayed the same during the study. However, the group that ate egg substitutes (egg whites) saw no change in either and did not see the improvement in good cholesterol (remember that higher HDL levels are associated with lower risk of heart disease) that the whole egg eaters did.

So I hope we've established that whole eggs are not some evil food that will wreck your body... instead whole eggs are FAR superior to egg whites.

But what about the extra calories in the yolks?

This is actually a non-issue and here's why... even though egg yolks contain more calories than just eating the egg whites, the yolks have such a high micro-nutrient density in those calories, that it increases your overall nutrient density per calorie you consume. Essentially, what this does is help to regulate your appetite for the remainder of the day, so you end up eating less calories overall. In addition, the healthy fats in the egg yolks help to maintain a good level of fat-burning hormones in your body.

Overall, this means that the extra fats (healthy fats) and calories from the yolk are so nutrient-dense that they actually HELP you to burn off body fat!

Also, your normal supermarket eggs coming from mass factory farming just don't compare nutritionally with organic free range eggs from healthy chickens that are allowed to roam freely and eat a more natural diet. Your typical cheap grocery store eggs will have lower nutrient levels and a higher omega-6 level and lower omega-3 level. On the other hand, the cage-free organic eggs from healthier chickens allowed to eat more natural feed and roam freely will have much higher vitamin and mineral levels and a more balanced healthier omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio.

I recently compared eggs I bought at the grocery store with a batch of eggs I got at a farm stand where the chickens were free roaming and healthy.

Most people don't realize that there's a major difference because they've never bought real eggs from healthy chickens... The eggs from the grocery store had pale yellow yolks and thin weak shells. On the other hand, the healthier free range eggs from the local farm had strong thick shells and deep orange colored yolks indicating much higher nutrition levels and carotenoids... and just a healthier egg in general.

This is due to the fact that a free-roaming hen allowed to roam on plenty of land will eat a variety of greens, insects, worms, etc transferring MUCH higher levels of nutrients to the eggs compared to an unhealthy hen that is trapped inside a dark factory farm hen house in horrible conditions and fed nothing but piles of corn and soy. It's a DRASTIC difference in the nutrition that you get from the egg.

So next time a health or fitness professional tells you that egg whites are superior (because of their "fat-phobic" mentality towards dietary fats), you can quietly ignore their advice knowing that you now understand the REAL deal about egg yolks.

And can we all please STOP with this sillyness about eating an omelete with 4-5 egg whites and only 1 egg yolk... If you want real taste and real health benefits, we'd all be better off eating ALL of our eggs with the yolks.

After all, do you REALLY think that our ancestors thousands of years ago threw out the yolks and only ate the egg whites? NOT A CHANCE! They intuitively knew that all of the nutrition was found in the yolks. But our modern society has been brainwashed with misinformation about fats and cholesterol.

Another interesting study about eggs...

I read a study recently that compared groups of people that ate egg breakfasts vs groups of people that ate cereal or bagel-based breakfasts. The results of the study showed that the egg eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel eaters gained weight.

It was hypothesized that the egg eaters actually ate less calories during the remainder of the day because their appetite was more satisfied compared to the cereal/bagel eaters who would have been more prone to wild blood sugar swings and food cravings.

Oh, one last thing I almost forgot... I personally eat 4 whole eggs almost every day with breakfast, and I maintain single-digit bodyfat most of the year.

Enjoy your eggs and get a leaner body!

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