Skinny Fat

This may seem like a contradiction, but there are a load of skinny fat women among, and many more aspiring to look this way. First off I will say that I hate the word skinny! Somehow women seem to correlate skinny with happiness and health, but really these women are not healthy. I hear it all the time though, "I want to be skinny," or "I wish I was skinny." Not "I want to be healthy and live a long-functioning life." Look at these pictures, who would honestly pick to look like Tori or Nicole in this picture over Gabrielle Reece and Halle Berry? The first two I would put into the skinny fat category. What is skinny fat, you ask? Skinny fat is appearing to be thin (in clothes and what not, wearing tiny sizes), but really their body fat is not within the healthy range and they have hardly any muscle tissue and carry more fat than their frames should. Women become so fixated on the scale, thinking constantly of their goal weight, or getting to that certain size (I don't understand what happens when they reach this though, are they happier, healthier or a better person?). On BMI testing they may fall within the healthy range, but really this is a bull shit test that doesn't tell us much of anything. People are built different ways and can't be expected to all fit within a box. What needs to be done? Body fat composition (calipers, hydrostatic

Alzheimer's

We'll continue on with our aging week, by discussing a condition that many fear, Alzheimer's. What a terrible condition. People with advanced Alzheimer's need help bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, eating and other activities. Those in the final stages lose the ability to communicate, aren't able to recognize loved ones and become bed bound and reliant on 24/7 care, in addition, their inability to move makes them more susceptible to infections like pneumonia. Alzheimer's is ultimately fatal. Who wants to end their life (or have a loved one die) like this, or who wants to have someone take care of them in this condition. It is a very real problem and there is no treatment for it! There are an estimated 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease (with 1 in 8 people over 65 having the disease). Every second someone in America develops Alzheimer's and that is believed to drop to 33 seconds by mid-century. It is becoming a real issue in the country, so we need to start to look at what we can do now to decrease our risk. We'll look at the disease and some preventative measures you can take, because changing your lifestyle can decrease risk! Your brain has 100 billion nerve cells, connected at synapses that transfers information. With Alzheimer's transformations at the synapse start to fail, the number of synapses declines, and eventually cells die. The disease affects different people in different ways. It usually starts, though, having difficulty remembering new information (because disruption of brain cells usually starts in regions of involved in forming new memories). Damage spreads and more symptoms arise:

The Okinawans: The Key to Longevity

The fountain of youth or immortality have been dramatized and desired  by people all over. Are these realistic dreams? I think not, but what about the idea of aging successfully. To live a long, healthy (disease free) life. Sounds nice, doesn't it? Today most of us fear the risk of heart disease, stroke, or cancer (or occurrence) of these diseases, who live beyond the century marker. The Japanese (especially women) have the highest life expectancy in the world. We're going to look at the Okinawa, who have a well documented plethora of centenarians. They have more people over 100 years old per 100,000 population anywhere in the world. They have the lowest rates for cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Women in Okinawa have the highest age expectancy of all age groups. Some studies, suggest genetics as part of this (up to 1/3) because siblings of centenarians tend to live longer as well, but I would say that environment and lifestyle are the key factors. I firmly believe if Americans changed their lifestyles (especially eating habits) occurrences of these diseases would dramatically decrease, because we use genetic predisposition as an excuse for a lack of health and disease. So what accounts for the Okinawa's phenomenal ages? First off not only are they older, but their quality of life is high. They're lean (the average BMI is 18-22) and energetic, with less diseases. Reasons for most of their benefits are attributed to good diet, high levels of physical activity, moderate alcohol use, no smoking, and positive attitudes. What do they eat? A key point to make first, is that they eat less calories (say compared to the average American). They practice Hara Hachi Bu, where they eat until they are 80% full (rather than overstuffing themselves with ridiculous portion sizes). Eating less calories produces less free radicals. Free radicals are generated by metabolizing food into energy (which damages molecules like tissues and DNA). They increase the risk of chronic diseases. So eating less calories will increase life span. So where are they getting their calories? Okinawans eat vegetables in abundance (dark leafy greens and seaweed are just some forms). They also eat fruits, although, not nearly that much, compared to the amount of vegetables they consume. Protein sources? Fish of course, they are part of the island (surrounded by water) of Japan. This provides them with those oh-so essential omega-3 fatty acids (important for such things as cognition and inflammation), plus their vegetables are providing them with an array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In addition to being low in calories, their diet is low in glycemic load (less sugar, so that they're not spiking their insulin levels and causing inflammation). Physical activity? Okinawas aren't hitting the gym daily or killing themselves on treadmills; they get enough through everyday activities. This includes walking and gardening; slow aerobic activities (check out past blogs such as "Walking, Better than Running"). Other forms of exercise may include some kinds of soft martial arts, but once again they're not just going through the motions and doing it to 'get fit' like its a chore. It connects organically to their spiritual beliefs. They believe health and longevity are achieved by nurturing you ki (life energy) and by balancing life in tune with how nature intended. This fits right into their reduced stress (it's my personal belief that stress does not exist, but we create it in our minds, therefore we only have stress because we believe it) and increased moods. Tested Okinawans proved to be generally unstressed and maintained a positive outlook on life (great coping skills, in addition to a deep sense of spirituality, meaning and purpose). This has actually been correlated to their reduced risk of dementia. The Okinawans have some truly outstanding health facts. Studies individuals, not only have lower heart disease rates, but low cholesterol, low homocysteine levels (amino acid that causes damage to arterial walls, usually associated with those with low folate (leafy greens) and vitamins B6 and B12 intake), and clean, healthy arteries. Another chronic disease form-cancer, they have great figures (especially hormone-dependent forms. They have 80% less risk of breast and prostate cancers, and 50% less risk of ovarian and colon cancers. What else effects aging? Bone health- how about things like replacement hips and osteoporosis. Picture all those elderly you see shuffling around because picking up their feet increases the risk of falling, which increases their risks of snapping one of their frail and brittle bones! Okinawans have less risk of bone fractures and their bone density decreases at a slower rate. Why? Their high calcium consumption through diet, high activity levels, and of course vitamin D (we've discussed this before too, the sun is your friend so Go Outside!) Hormonally they're superior too! They have more natural DHEA, testosterone, and estrogen than Americas of the same age (which contributes to their successful aging too).  Higher levels of testosterone (which is important to both males and females) helps maintain muscle mass, which naturally decreases with age, but rapid loss can lead to sarcopenia (which many elderly Americans suffer). Muscles are important for not only movement, but posture and keeping you up right. DHEA is an indicator of biological aging, so the Okinawans higher levels, mean that they age slower than Americans and others. Higher levels of estrogen (once again important to both sexes) protects against osteoporosis and heart disease. Speaking of estrogen, though, Okinawan women tend to experience menopause naturally and have less complications (hot flashes, hip fractures, or coronary heart disease). Doesn't this all seem like part of a true American dream? Not only to live a long life, but a quality life. Imagine aging with your loved ones disease-free and functioning with full cognition. The Okinawans just further support all I've been reading and preaching. It's so simple: eat whole foods (load up on your veggies and omega-3 rich foods), move (you don't have to run miles a day, just get out and enjoy the sun with your family), and have a positive out look (don't create stress in your life). It doesn't have to be difficult, just take a page form the Okinawan's ways.

Fabulous Flora

Since Friday we'll be talking about animals guts and such, I thought we'd cover the human gut. There are between 300 and 1000 different kinds of bacteria (or flora) that live in the gut. Most people think of bacteria as bad, but these flora play an important part of human health. Let's look at some of the functions of bacteria. Through a fermentation process called saccharolytic fermentation they turn carbs into short chain fatty acids (SCFA). This produces acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. All of these provide a useful energy source and help to absorb minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, and iron). Acetic acid is used by the muscles. Propionic assists in ATP production. Butyric acid provides energy to gut cells. This fermentation process lowers pH in the colon, which prevents proliferation of harmful bacteria.  Bacteria have also been associated with helping prevent allergies (those with allergies tend to be lacking in a certain bacteria strand). All of this is developed at birth. Flora isn't something your born with, it starts to develop right after birth (by the age of two flora is the same as an adult). It helps with immune function as well by fighting harmful bacteria, but leaving alone healthy bacteria. Foods (such as fiber, fruits, and vegetable skins) encourage growth of flora. Also eating a wide variety of foods and experimenting (not just eating raw but cooking in different styles) will help to expose you to more bacteria and gut flora.

Sleep and School

I've talked about the benefits of adequate sleep before, but proper sleep is even more important for kids. Kids are growing and developing and they need sleep to restore hormones. Their brains are growing until they're about 21 and a lot of their development occurs while sleeping. A lack of sleep can lead to loss of up to 2 years maturation (so basically a 6th grader who is only as mature as a 4th grader). They have a hard time recollecting things they've learned because their neurons lose plasticity, and become incapable of forming new synaptic connections to encode the memory. Their prefontal cortex are affected, which orchestrates thoughts to fulfill a goal, predict outcomes, and perceive consequences. Sleeping restores information learned during the day for efficient long term learning. This basically explains why sleep is more important than that late night cram session (especially I think for college students- constantly pulling all-nighters to study). Staying up and studying for that test is actually digressive from what you want and you don't store the information past that test (you're not retaining the information). For younger kids though the issue tends to be staying up with all the wonderful technological inventions of the last few decades. Kids watch and average of three hours a day, and usually veg out in front of the tv or computer screens before bed. Besides staying up later, the light from the screens actually keeps them up longer and promotes restless sleep. The light delays the drop in core body temperature and melatonin production, so that sleep is harder to come by. Twenty-five percent of kids have some kind of sleep problem (from restlessness to actual disorders); while 40% of adolescents have significant sleep complaints. What are the repercussions of reduced sleep? Sleep deprivation can cause: memory deficits, impaired performance and alertness; while loss of REM (intense sleep cycle) can result in increased irritability (and people wonder why teenagers are so groggy and moody), anxiety and depression, decreased socialization, reduced concentration (which leads to poor school performance), and decreased ability to handle complex tasks and be creative. In addition kids are growing and sleep is vital to growth hormone production and restoration. What can be done? We'll start with the most dramatic: schools could start half an hour later. This gives kids more time to sleep, plus studies show that performance is better in the afternoon (actually over 50% of kids said they aren't fully alert until after 3 PM and 20% of high schoolers sleep in class). One study showed that afternoon reading instruction produced greater reading scores, compared to morning instruction (this is important to note for tests like the SAT and ACT, which tests in the morning, so wouldn't it make sense to test in the afternoon?). Schools that have moved class times have seen better performances and focus, plus the kids tended to eat a better breakfast and were less tense at home. For most though, getting our school system to change class time isn't going to happen soon, so what can you do now to help? For a starter get the electronics out of the bedroom and reduce usage time before bed. Get kids on a regular sleep time. This includes the weekend. Having a regular sleep schedule has shown to produce greater hours of actual sleep time (less restless and able to fall asleep better). Childhood is an important part of development and sleep is vital for this development. Help your kids get more sleep so that they'll have better concentraion and restored hormones!

Benefits of Travel

I probably should have covered this earlier in the summer, because most are returning back to school and summer is ending, but really travel is for anytime and not everybody is hindered by school. In Women's Health I read that new experiences can lead to greater happiness. A study at San Francisco State University assessed that spending money on new experiences (not even as big as travel, but restaurant meals, and concert tickets) instead of on possessions led to greater happiness. Assistant professor Ryan Howell said, "Experience provide memory capital. We don't tend to get bored of happy memories like we do material objects." Think about that, it is so true. We accumulate all this STUFF but quickly get bored of it or something nicer or newer comes along and we lose interest in what we have. Clothes go in and out of style, but traveling and memories are always there. So instead of treating yourself to a shopping spree or indulgence, why not expand yourself and plan a trip. It doesn't have to be world travel (it could mean going to a different city nearby or a day spa or just anything simple to break up the monotony of your day. This article led me to further look into the possible aspects of traveling. Most are common sense, but we don't think about them or see travel as something essential. When I read Change Your Brain Change Body it recommended travel to new lands to keep the brain learning and working at optimal efficiency. Let's look at some additional benefits.

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  Reduce stress: Decreases burnout at work.
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  Avoid Monotony: Provides a break from the norm and can ignite you with new energy. It prevents your mind and body from stagnating.
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  Get outdoors: Gets you away from the office and out in the sun and it's wonderful benefits (vitamin D)
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  Be more active: No matter what kind of travel, you're usually do more than you usually do.
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  Attitude adjustment: having something to look forward to can break up the monotony of the day.
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  Meet People: socializing is an important aspect of health and you learn about other cultures and different people as well.
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  Create memorable experiences: Traveling leaves you feeling more fulfilled and later on in life you won't be regretting all the things you never do. Do it now and not on your death bed.
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  Reconnect with your partner: if you travel with your significant other it allows for quality time without the chaos of everyday life and responsibilities.
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  Clear head: travel can put your life in a clear perspective and allow you to determine what is really important in life.
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  Euphoria: both post and pre-vacation you experience a high and excitement for the coming journey.
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  Greater productivity: we've all heard of countries in Europe, who have more vacation time, and report greater work productivity.

What to do? Get away- where doesn't really matter. Break up the monotony and experience new things!

Green Eating

Most people today seem to be in support of the Green movement, or at least are conscience of it. Most try to recycle and such, but do we think of ways to eat green? Today I'll look at some ways for greener eating habits. Following these guidelines will decrease landfills, pesticide use, overfishing and consumption of fossil fuels, improve welfare of worker, encourage humane treatment of livestock, and reduce toxic chemicals at home. I found this list and decided to incorporate the ones I found most useful:

1. Boil once, cook twice: reuse boiling water to poach shrimp
2. Fill your freezer: empty freezers use more energy
3. Make a bison burger: ironically a rise in consumption need has helped the bison population from 1,00 in the late 1800's to 450,000 today.
4. Ask your farmer questions: are your products certified organic? Do you use organic practices? Do you use non-synthetic pesticides?
5. Don't open that door: opening the oven loses 25-50 degrees every time.
6. Buy a side of beef: purchase grass-fed beef straight from the farmer. You'll support local farmers with an interest in taking care of the environment. But it also requires no fossil fuel for transport and regrowth of the grazed grass removes cabon monoxide from the air.
7. Cook more ofter: Avoid packaging and preservatives from processed foods.
8. Roast a whole chicken: less processing and less packaging= less waste. Use the bones to make your own stock.
9. Become a human food processor: less electricity.

10. Eat wild Alaskan salmon-takes care salmon stocks in a truly sustainable way. Also wild is purer and contains more omega-3's.
11. Savor Sardines: give tuna a break, try sardines. They aren't in danger of being overfished and they have lower mercury levels than tuna.
12. Get a scoop: bulk in bin sections (nuts) free of excessive packaging and minimally processed (less manipulated by fossil fuels).
13. Plant heirloom vegetable garden: non-hybrid traditional vegetables that have not been genetically modified.
14. Be your own barista: save on budget and landfill waste. Buy fair-trade organic, use French press coffee maker, and a portable mug.
15. Treasure your trash: recycle take-out containers.
16. Make stock: whatever vegetables you have leftover.
17. Join a CSA: Community Supported Agriculture. Get boxes of fresh fruits, veggies, meat, and eggs from a local farms delivered to your pickup location.

18. Text 30644 and enter FISH, then name the fish you want to buy. Receive a text telling you if the variety is good for you and the world.
19. Veg out: requires less energy and water to grow and produce no greenhouse gases.
20. Turn off the light: when you leave the kitchen!
21. Clean green: cut landfill production by 2/3 by putting vegetable scraps in a composter.
22. Eat grass-fed beef: cows are meant to graze on grass. This solves waste-management problem and improve the fertility of the soil.
23. Eat sustainable shrimp: farm raised shrimp are pumped with artificial feed and antibiotics and raised in ponds that pollute the water.
24. Eat sustainable sushi: seafoodwatch.org
25. Become a locavore: eat only food grown or produced near home. This supports the community and lowers your carbon footprint.
26. Bike to the market.
27. Support local green restaurant: find neighboorhood restaurants, butchers, and markets that serve fresh, sustainable organic food (eatwellguide.org).
28. Go bento: stainless steel lunch box.
29. Use your diswasher: when full and organized it is more water efficient.
30. Bag it: any old bag will do.
31. Take the leftovers

32. Pack your own lunch: reduce consumption of take-out and processed foods.

Cold Water Therapy

I find this topic quite interesting after I read about it on Primal Blueprint's blog. It stated that cold water therapy could introduce the body to natural stresses, which could have health benefits. Most of us are a little turned off by the idea of a cold shower, right? We look forward to those long hot showers, and hate it when we have to shower last, when all the hot water is gone. Is it bad to endure a cold shower once in awhile though? What are the benefits to a nice cold shower? First we'll look at it from an exercise point of view and the positive effects of taking a cold shower after a tough workout. Firstly, it constricts blood vessels and flushes out waste (like lactic acid, which is what's causing you to be sore after a workout). It can also slow down the physiological processes and reduce the swelling and tissue breakdown. The rewarming after a cold shower increases circulation, which improves healing after a workout. Other benefits: cleans the circulatory system, flushes organs out and provides a new blood supply, reduces blood pressure of internal organs, contracts muscles to eliminate toxins, strengthens the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, strengthens mucous membranes, and reduces pain by releases endorphins. Not only does it have all of these physical benefits, but emotionally as well! Cold water can be emotionally uplifting and prepare you for new experiences. One source I read said that cold water wipes away negative energy, which I found interesting (if you believe in that kind of thing). This correlated to ocean swimming which is said to do the same, which is why beach cultures tend to be considered more laid back (just an interesting side note that I enjoyed). Studies on cold water therapy has shown promise for chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic heart failure, and some cancers. What should you do to get benefits? There was no conclusive evidence of which works best, but it appears that habituation seems to be effective. Basically incorporate some cold showers into your routine. Start with shorter ones or work with feet first and then full body. Spice things up every once in awhile by adding full immersion in cold water, like jumping in a cold spring or something. Just have fun, start out slowly or just jump in!

Taking Care of Others, Wearing on Our Health?

One of my clients gave me an article about the care giving boomerang, and since Tuesday's are spiritual/body blogs I thought it would be appropriate to discuss what I learned in this article. Because people are living longer, people are now going through a second care giving stage (first with their children and then with their parents). Fifties should be a high point in one's life. The kids are grown, so you don't have to balance that with a job. Life should be about pursuing lost dreams and living, but unfortunately this is a time when many have to step into the role of caregiver. Almost 50 million Americans care for an adult who was once independent. The average caregiver is a 48-year old woman with at least one kid still at home and has a job. Care giving can be exhausting, averaging for five years. Most feel that it is an obligation, it's not something that anyone signs up to do. Worst of all is the stress (which leads to other health problems) and as a wellness facility we are concerned with overall health. Caregivers can feel exhausted but can't sleep (which we know the risk associated with a lack of sleep) which leads to chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels. Long term caregivers put themselves at high risk for all kinds of health issues. They have higher risks for: sleep deprivation, immune-system deficiency, depression, chronic anxiety, loss of concentration, and premature death. Not only do they suffer physically, but psychologically as well (feeling under appreciated for their dedication causing some of the worst damage). Eventually it gets to the point where they become to stressed and can't care give anymore and their parent (or whomever they taking care of) end up in a nursing home and then they feel more guilt for not being able to take care of them. What should people do then if they find themselves in a care giving position but they don't want to suffer all the health risks. If you can plan ahead and discuss with family and siblings ahead of time so that you are not alone. Another options are to join a support group.  Try and take at least an hour a day to do something you enjoy, every few weeks or months take longer. Taking care of people you love is important, but so is your health, so plan and take time to yourself to remain in wellness.

Are we only capable of 150 friends?

Tuesdays are dedicated to what some may not consider a part of wellness, but brain and emotional health are all a part of wellness. Today's blog was inspired by an article I read about humans having a pre-determined limited social number. This especially seems more relevant today with social networks (Facebook and Twitter), where people have hundreds or even thousands of friends. It seems that humans may be limited in their social relations, in that we can only know so many humans and have them relate to us. So what is this so called number? Oxford professor of evolutionary anthropology Robin Dunbar has determined that humans max social group is around 150. After much study and comparison, he came to the conclusion that the larger the neocortex in the brain, the larger social number. He compared and came up with numbers for 62 primates, humans had the largest number because we have the largest neocortex. He surveyed neolithic villages and tribe sizes, Hutterite settlement splitting size, and Roman army units; all of which seemed to function best at about 150. He does state though that in order for this to occur  42% needed to be devoted to social grooming. Which makes you question because humans don't really groom, but he goes on to explain that humans developed talking as a cheap version of grooming (so is it practical and do we really function at 150? Probably not). Further more it claims we can maintain an intimate circle of about 12! How is this number relative today in our society, where we have social networking sites and loads of friends, we all know that friends are important for social health?  In studies they conclude that although technology has advanced, our mental capacity hasn't. Looking at those with hundreds (or even thousands of friends) of friends, those people really only relate to about the same number of people as though with less friends. Which completely makes sense, how easy is it to just click add friend, not even paying attention to whether you actually know them? I'm guilty of having friends that I don't know or having people on my networks that I don't know or follow. Companies working at 150 mark have shown success, any more than that and the balance is teetered. It's interesting to learn that we could be hard-wired for a set number of friends.

Meditation

This may seem like an odd subject for me to cover, but meditation can be an important part of health. We've discussed how there is more to health than just the physical. Wellness is about psychological health as well. How can you consider yourself healthy, when you're stressed out all the time. We've already discussed (Play article) how in today's society we're constantly on the go and stressed (look to Thursday and I'll discuss cortisol). Taking just a few minutes (that's all it takes) a day can help. Meditation is apart of the lifestyle pyramid that I include in my program booklets and I have it posted on my walls.
Most think of meditation as a religious practice or part of yoga. Meditation can be used in several ways though. You could use meditation for Enlightenment, to increase compassion, spiritual guidance, greater focus, creativity, self-awareness, or for a relaxed/peaceful mind. One study showed that those who meditated more had less distress and lower levels of interleukin 6, which is an indicator of cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, and some cancers. An article I read on compassion meditation (empathy for those around us) may reduce inflammation and emotional stress. So not only are these studies showing that meditation is emotionally beneficial, but physically as well. Work by Dr. James Austin has shown through functional MRI's that Zen meditation can rewire the circuitry of the brain. In addition meditation plays a role in metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure.
So with mediation you can get all these health benefits, but also feel more relaxed (reduce excess cortisol). How do you meditate? You can try yoga or you can simply sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes and breathe, repeating a word phrase for around twenty minutes. Just keep repeating the same phrase over and over, if a thought comes just let it pass and keep repeating. If that doesn't work for you there all kinds of meditation out there, so find the one that works best for you. Try it in the evening though because it will be better for lowering cortisol and will put you in a restful state for sleep (which we've already discussed the importance of sleep). What's twenty minutes before you go to bed, for a more relaxed, healthier you?

Fun in the Sun: Vitamin D

What better time to talk about Vitamin D than from the beach! We've all heard it before "wear your sunscreen" and "tanning is bad" or "not too much sun exposure, you'll get skin cancer!" Are these exclamations accurate though? Does sunscreen really help me and prevent cancer? Today we'll look at this vital vitamin and see what truely needs to be done! I've been doing a lot of reading lately and it seems that all of the books have a similarity, in that they all talk about Vitamin D (The Paleo Diet, Hormonal Enhancement, and Primal Blueprint all talked about it), so let's get down to business and see what's really going on.
So what does vitamin D do? Sunlight provides 7-dehyrocholesterol to the skin, which then manufactures vitamin D. It then regulates calcium levels and phosphate in the bloodstream and promotes mineralization and growth of bones (with assistance from calcium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin K2 of course). It plays a major role in immune response, by activating T-cells for defense against infections and bacteria. Moderate sunlight (according to a Stanford University study) allows immune cells in the skin to activate vitamin D3, so that these T-cells can transfer to the outer layers of the skin. Not only is it important for bone density and the immune system, but it helps the heart pump better, lowers blood pressure, decreases inflammation, and helps reduce insulin resistance. Also of note is it's importance for healthy teeth and nails, eyesight, nutrient absorption (calcium and vitamins A and C), and prevention of diabetes and autoimmune diseases.
What about cancer though, aren't I going to get skin cancer from sun exposure? Actually sun exposure is protective of cancer! It helps prevent: lung, kidney, breast, endometrial, ovarian, prostate, colon, and skin cancers. Vitamin D prevents cancerous cells from dividing and it quickens the death of cancer cells! Most think that since the use of sunscreen, that skin cancer rates have decreased. This is false, skin cancer rates have actually gone up! Sunscreen block UVB rays and allow UVA rays in. This provides a false since of security, because the skin doesn't pinken, people often are overexposed to the sun (moderate sun is good, but overexposure and burns are troublesome).
Recommendations? I realize that sun exposure (especially here in the Midwest during the winter) is difficult sometimes. I would recommend getting adequate sunlight whenever it's possible. It's easy, free, and most of all fun. Just remember that you want to prevent overexposure (especially fair-skinned individuals). Ease into it, maybe 15 minutes a day. Remember that a tan is protective, but pinkiness is a warning, so if it's summer and you're going to be out longer, look for sunscreens that protect against UVA and UVB rays, or best of all cover up (white clothing is best). Darker skinned individuals need more sun exposure than fair-skinned, because it takes more sunlight for them to be able to absorb the proper amount of vitamin D. What about when it's winter, or I can't get outside. Supplement; 4000 IU is a good starting point, maybe have your levels checked before you begin any kind of supplimentation. A side note, though, to further back-up my belief in a grain-free, starchless, sugarless existence; grains actually decrease calcium absorption, so you need even more vitamin D. In closing get out and enjoy the sun when you can (in moderation) and when you can't then supplement; but now it's summer and a perfect time to be out with your family and maybe even play (see Sunday's article)!

Healthy Body, Healthy Brain

Where to start? The brain is one of the most (if not the most) complex, important organs in the human body; essentially it is the control center. Let’s begin by breaking down the brain into sections and responsibilities: prefrontal cortex (attention, judgment, planning, impulse control, follow-through and empathy), anterior cirgulate gyrus (shift attention and be flexible and adaptable to change), deep limbic system (emotional tone), basal ganglia (integrating thoughts, feelings and movements), temporal lobes (language, short-term memory, mood stability, and temper issues), parietal lobes (sensory processing and direction sense), occipital lobes (vision), and cerebellum (physical coordination, thought coordination, and processing speed). With all of these vital functions taking place in the brain, wouldn’t it be a good idea to take care of your brain? How can you do this?
*Stay hydrated! Your brain is 80% water, so this should be a no brainer. Even slight dehydration can increase stress hormone and do harm to the brain over time!
*Consuming antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies. Fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and reduce oxidative stress. Also Vitamin E and C and beta carotene decrease the production of free radicals.
*Calorie Restriction! Consuming fewer calories has been proven to control weight, which in turn reduces risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke (which are associated with obesity).
*Balanced diet protein, good fats, and carbohydrates. Eating protein at every meal balances blood sugar levels.
*Get enough sleep! We’ve talked about this before (sleep restores hormones) but lack of sleep can impair cognition function.
*Use it (same connotation “if you don’t use it you’ll lose it”). It’s amazing how the percentage of books that people read drops after school. Forty percent of college graduates don’t read after graduation. Seriously? Start out slow, try reading once a month and progress to once a week maybe (read what you like!).
*Reduce the stress in your life. We all know that stress is no good (increasing cortisol levels in the brain and such). Elevated stress levels can effect concentration and productivity.
*Don’t allow your brain to shrink! Toxic things like smoking, drug abuse, and alcoholism can shrink your brain!
*Fish oil (we’ve already discussed this one, but it is that important to overall wellness)! Fish oil is great for cognition, memory, and mood.
*Fat (not just fish oil, but all those other great fats like olive oil). Grey matter in the brain is 60% DHA. Grey matter forms cell membranes and helps cells to function. DHA is vital for brain synapses, which in studies has been shown to promote emotional balance and positive mood.
So what does all this mean? The brain is so important to life and taking care of your brain and giving it what it needs now, will be beneficial down the road (being unhealthy, like having diabetes increases risk for dementia later in life). Give your body what it needs and don’t deprive it! Fuel it with a diet loaded with antioxidant-rich foods and great-tasting protein; don’t skimp on the fat either (it’s good for you)! Get sleep and most of all take your fish oil. The formula is simple and will make life better in the future. Wouldn’t you rather grow old, able to fully function, enjoy life with your family and friends, remember your life and have full cognitive capabilities!

Sleep, the Underestimated Key to Health

We all know what they say "get at least eight hours of sleep." But why? We are all too busy rushing around and being social to retire early for the night. Then of course there's the mentality that a few hours missed isn't going to hurt anything, I'll sleep when I'm dead. Or maybe I'll nap later, but then our busy lives happen and we get caught up and don't nap. What have we done, with the invention of artificial light, to our natural sleep cycle?
We are controlled by a biological clock known as circadian rhythm. Locatedx in the brain in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), made of 20000 neurons in the hyhpothalamus, just above the optic nerve (light and temperature are both factors of circadian rhythm, and this proximity to the optic nerve explains the light factor). The SCN signals functions: body temperature, hormone secretion, urine production, and changes in blood pressure. Also part of this clock are seratonin and melatonin. Back before artificial light, naturally melatonin level would rise when it got darker and then seratonin levels would rise when the sun rose in the morning. We would wake naturally feeling refreshed. This production of melatonin is important because it releases vital hormones (like human growth hormone) to restore the body.
So what benefits are there to sleeping naturally and rising without an alarm clock (alarm clocks raise insulin levels and increases stress and can cause inflammation over time). Good things about plenty of sleep cycles is release of HGH, enhances memory and creative problem solving, helps you see the positive in your interactions, boost athletic performance (speed, accuracy, mood, and overall energy), active immune system, more resilient to daily stress, and successful aging. Not enough? From a dieter's point of view, lack of sleep increases hormones that signals hunger and decreases hormone to suppress hunger (basically if you sleep enough you'll be less hungry and inclined to indulge).
Negatives of sleep loss: long term memory and generation nerve cells impaired, increase dissatisfaction with primary relationships. Studies have shown that a single night of sleep loss can impair one's ability to deal with oxidative stress (so pulling an all nighter really is only doing harm since sleep helps you retain knowledge as well). Also studies show less sleep can increase mortality risk.
Bottom line is that sleep restores hormones and decreases inflammation. Advice for getting more sleep? Keep to a regular sleep schedule. Decrease activities like tv or computers before bed (blue light rays in these affect the release of melatonin ). Try and eliminate stress, which maybe the number one cause of sleep disorders. Exercise promotes deeper sleep cycles to replenish muscle tissue. Avoid substances, like alcohol, which can reduce sleep cycles. Lights out! From personal experience following your natural sleep cycles and wake feeling recharged and ready to face any challenges.