Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Exercise boosts satisfaction with life
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Had a bad day? Extending your normal exercise routine by a few minutes may be the solution, according to Penn State researchers, who found that peoples satisfaction with life was higher on days when they exercised more than usual.
"We found that peoples satisfaction with life was directly impacted by their daily physical activity," said Jaclyn Maher, graduate student in kinesiology. "The findings reinforce the idea that physical activity is a health behavior with important consequences for daily well-being and should be considered when developing national policies to enhance satisfaction with life."
The team examined the influence of physical activity on satisfaction with life among emerging adults ages 18 to 25 years because this populations sense of well-being appears to worsen more quickly than at any other time during adulthood.
"Emerging adults are going through a lot of changes; they are leaving home for the first time and attending college or starting jobs," said Maher. "As a result, their satisfaction with life can plummet. We decided to focus on emerging adults because they stand to benefit the most from strategies to enhance satisfaction with life."
The researchers recruited two groups of college students at Penn State. The first group, consisting of 190 individuals, entered information into a diary every day for eight days. The second group, consisting of 63 individuals, entered information into a secure website every day for 14 days. Both groups answered questions aimed at determining participants satisfaction with life, physical activity and self-esteem. The personalities of all participants in the first group were assessed at the outset of the study using the Big Five Inventory short form.
For the second group (the 63 individuals who filled out questionnaires online for 14 days), the researchers wanted to further investigate whether physical activity was indeed, the cause of participants increased satisfaction with life rather than some other factor such as mental health, fatigue, or Body Mass Index.
"Shifts in depression, anxiety and stress would be expected to influence a persons satisfaction with life at any given point in time," said David Conroy, professor of kinesiology. "In addition, fatigue can be a barrier to engaging in physical activity, and a high Body Mass Index associated with being overweight may cause a person to be less satisfied in a variety of ways."
By controlling for these variables, the researchers were able to determine that the amount of physical activity a person undertakes in a particular day directly influences his or her satisfaction with life. Specifically, the team found that by exercising just a little more than usual a person can significantly improve his or her satisfaction with life.
The results appeared online this week in the journal Health Psychology.
"Based on these findings, we recommend that people exercise a little longer or a little harder than usual as a way to boost satisfaction with life," said Conroy.
Exercise Extends Life Assists Weight Loss
(Article first published as Exercise Assists Weight Loss Goals, Increases Life Span on Technorati.)
The health of Americans has been slowly declining for the past half century, due in part to the dramatic rise in processed junk foods which comprise the bulk of our diet, and a general lack of physical activity. Many children and young adults will find they are part of the first generation to live shorter lives when compared to their parents.
Medical researchers have made great strides over the last 10 years discovering how detrimental a poor diet and lack of exercise can be to our health, and regularly promote a well balanced, reduced calorie diet and regular physical activity.
This advice is underscored by the results of a large study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology which showed that moderate physical activity reduces all causes of death by as much as 24%, and assists in promoting healthy weight loss goals.
Moderate Exercise 5 Days a Week
The results of this study are important because they demonstrate that people can begin exercise at any age and begin to realize the life-extension benefits. Weight loss is another critical consideration, as regular exercise improves blood sugar and insulin response which leads to the release of body fat.
This study showed that exercising 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week provides almost the same benefit as those who exercised an hour each day, every day of the week. The bottom line is to get moving, regardless of your age. Our muscles have evolved to be active, and when we’re sedentary, the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes increase by as much as 50%. U.S. News and World Report details the 5 essential benefits of exercise to your health.
1. Reverses the Effects of Stress
Medical researchers have made great strides over the last 10 years discovering how detrimental a poor diet and lack of exercise can be to our health, and regularly promote a well balanced, reduced calorie diet and regular physical activity.
This advice is underscored by the results of a large study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology which showed that moderate physical activity reduces all causes of death by as much as 24%, and assists in promoting healthy weight loss goals.
Moderate Exercise 5 Days a Week
This study showed that exercising 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week provides almost the same benefit as those who exercised an hour each day, every day of the week. The bottom line is to get moving, regardless of your age. Our muscles have evolved to be active, and when we’re sedentary, the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes increase by as much as 50%. U.S. News and World Report details the 5 essential benefits of exercise to your health.
1. Reverses the Effects of Stress
2. Lifts Depression
Burning 350 calories by exercising 3 days a week has been shown to alleviate the symptoms of depression as well as an antidepressant. Exercise can stimulate the growth of neurons in the brain, and restores connections between brain cells. Antidepressants are dangerous drugs with a host of potential side effects. Exercise will help you to feel better about yourself which helps you stick with your healthy eating plan.
3. Exercise Improves Learning
Physical activity increases the release of brain chemicals called growth factors which improves the communication between cells. Not only does regular exercise improve muscle tone, it also challenges the brain, possibly helping to prevent devastating diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
4. Improves Self-Esteem and Body Image
Exercise naturally tones and conditions your muscles and improves the processing of sugar for use as energy instead of fat storage. Nothing will power you toward your weight loss goal better than looking in the mirror at your newly sculpted body.
5. Leaves You with a Natural High
People who exercise regularly, especially with short-burst interval training, experience a euphoric feeling which only comes from physical activity. Run, bike, jog, walk or swim intensely for 30 to 40 seconds, then slow down for 5 minutes and repeat. This has been shown to leave you feeling great, and is the optimal form of exercise to deliver weight loss results.
Regular physical activity is a necessary compliment to a healthy, carbohydrate restricted diet. Exercise stimulates the production of chemical messengers which help to lift mood and fight depression, and provides critical support to metabolic functions. Most importantly, just a little exercise each day will reduce risk of disease, lengthen your life and lead to natural, permanent weight loss.
Real Life Farmville 2013
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Its that time again, folks... Spring time is here! Warming weather, flowers blooming, happy people everywhere... But one of my favorite parts about the Spring is starting my vegetable garden. This will be my fourth year having a garden. Ive learned a lot from my mistakes over the past three years, and Im ready for this year to be the best yet! Anything worth doing is worth doing badly, thats what I always say. No one is good in the beginning, just do it. Just do something.
So Real-Life Farmville 2013 is underway, and Id like to share with you what Ive got going. Ive been buying my seeds from Seed Savers Exchange every year. Theyve got tons of unique, heirloom varieties of vegetables, and theyll send you an amazing catalog showing you everything they offer... highly recommended. I like trying different stuff since my uncle, who shares the garden with me, always grows the common veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, and summer squash. Im a little more adventurous.
First up is the herbs... this is a new addition this year.
Got this little guy as an Easter gift in one of those easy-grow pots. It came with blocks of dry soil, all I had to do was add water and plant the seeds and watch it grow. Cant wait to use this stuff in my kitchen!
For the rest, I got 4 soil-filled flats from my family farm, Botticello Farms. Ive been putting them outside every day and taking them in every night to avoid the cold weather, and theyve been doing very well on that regimen. Its only been a week and a half and theyre looking good already!
Lets start with the kale, as this has been my most successful crop over the years.
Kale never fails. Thats what Ive learned. It always grows and its very resilient; it can be out in below-freezing temperatures, no problem. It will also grow all summer long and give you a constant supply of leaves. Good stuff.
Next up... this is my baby... a little yellow grape tomato called blondkopfchen.
Ive had these the past 3 years and Ive saved the seeds every year, so I take pride in these little guys. This is my third generation, and I just cant wait til mid-August when theyre ready to be picked. Theyre like red grape tomatoes, but with a little extra sweetness. Sweetness.
Next up Ive got some rainbow chard, a new one this year.
We did plain old Swiss chard last year, but I thought Id try a more colorful variety. Its looking strong so far. Cant wait to try these, chard is great in my morning omelets!
Next! An heirloom variety of tomatoes called Black Sea Man.
Ugly looking? Yes. But they look super delicious and yummy.
Then we have some onions.
These are Ailsa Craig onions, which is supposedly an heirloom variety, although they look pretty much just like normal yellow onions.
And finally weve got 3 different types of lettuce... Grandpa Admires, Rossa di Trento, and Oak Leaf.
This will be my first time trying to grow lettuce, and Ive got about 72 of these little guys so hopefully it works out! Ill be putting those in the ground very soon.
Welp, thats it for my garden this year. Super excited to be able to use this stuff in my kitchen, theres truly nothing like garden-fresh veggies!
Anybody out there starting a garden this year? Tell me all about it in the comments!
So Real-Life Farmville 2013 is underway, and Id like to share with you what Ive got going. Ive been buying my seeds from Seed Savers Exchange every year. Theyve got tons of unique, heirloom varieties of vegetables, and theyll send you an amazing catalog showing you everything they offer... highly recommended. I like trying different stuff since my uncle, who shares the garden with me, always grows the common veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, and summer squash. Im a little more adventurous.
First up is the herbs... this is a new addition this year.
 |
| Herbs: Parsley, Cilantro, Dill |
Got this little guy as an Easter gift in one of those easy-grow pots. It came with blocks of dry soil, all I had to do was add water and plant the seeds and watch it grow. Cant wait to use this stuff in my kitchen!
For the rest, I got 4 soil-filled flats from my family farm, Botticello Farms. Ive been putting them outside every day and taking them in every night to avoid the cold weather, and theyve been doing very well on that regimen. Its only been a week and a half and theyre looking good already!
Lets start with the kale, as this has been my most successful crop over the years.
 |
| Now |
 |
| Later |
Next up... this is my baby... a little yellow grape tomato called blondkopfchen.
 |
| Now |
 |
| Later |
Ive had these the past 3 years and Ive saved the seeds every year, so I take pride in these little guys. This is my third generation, and I just cant wait til mid-August when theyre ready to be picked. Theyre like red grape tomatoes, but with a little extra sweetness. Sweetness.
Next up Ive got some rainbow chard, a new one this year.
 |
| Now |
 |
| Later |
We did plain old Swiss chard last year, but I thought Id try a more colorful variety. Its looking strong so far. Cant wait to try these, chard is great in my morning omelets!
Next! An heirloom variety of tomatoes called Black Sea Man.
 |
| Now |
 |
| Later |
Then we have some onions.
 |
| Now |
 |
| Later |
And finally weve got 3 different types of lettuce... Grandpa Admires, Rossa di Trento, and Oak Leaf.
 |
| Now. They all look the same at this point. |
 |
| Later. Grandpas. |
 |
| Later. Oak Leaf. |
 |
| Later. Rossa. |
Welp, thats it for my garden this year. Super excited to be able to use this stuff in my kitchen, theres truly nothing like garden-fresh veggies!
Anybody out there starting a garden this year? Tell me all about it in the comments!
Treat The Depression Extend Life
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
When depression occurs along with diabetes, it can hasten death. If you treat the depression, can you forestall that earlier death?Thats what researchers publishing in this months issue of Diabetes Care asked. They analyzed data on 584 participants of the PROSPECT Trial (Prevention of Suicide in Primary Care Elderly: Collaborative Trial) and found:
"Older depressed primary care patients with diabetes in practices implementing depression care management were less likely to die over the course of a 5-year interval than depressed patients with diabetes in usual-care practices."The risk for death was reduced by about 50% over a 5-year period for patients with diabetes whose depression was being treated.
The authors concluded:
"These results should propel the development and dissemination of models of care that better integrate depression management for individuals with diabetes."
Diabetes, Depression, and Death; A randomized controlled trial of a depression treatment program for older adults based in primary care (PROSPECT)
High Cholesterol Longer Life
The issue of cholesterol is complex, to say the least. You might not realize it from watching cholesterol-lowering drug commercials, or even from talking to your doctor. But there is way more to the story than simply keeping your cholesterol low. This will probably be a frequent topic on my blog, as there are so many aspects of it to be explored, but for today Id like to focus on total cholesterol.
Check out this very eye-opening paper. Its an outstanding review of some of the more intriguing cholesterol research, and one of the few papers that Ive actually found difficult to put down. I seriously couldnt stop reading it. And it blew my mind.
According to several studies, older adults with higher cholesterol live the longest. In fact, groups with the lowest cholesterol levels typically have the highest morbidity rate. Heres the breakdown from a couple of these studies... Dr. Harlan Krumholz found in 1994 that old people with low cholesterol were twice as likely to die from coronary heart disease than those with high cholesterol. Another study of 92 women aged 60 or over found that those with a total cholesterol level of about 270 mg/dl lived the longest. Those with the highest cholesterol, over 300 mg/dl, were only 1.8 times more likely to die, while the lowest cholesterol group, 154 mg/dl, was 5.4 times more likely to die.
Interesting stuff huh? That review paper discusses 20 studies just like these, where blood cholesterol levels were either not associated with cardiovascular disease or all-cause death, or there was an inverse relationship. This quote from the paper sums up the situation quite nicely...
"It is true that high t-C is a risk factor for coronary heart disease, but mainly in young and middle-aged men. If high t-C or LDL-C were the most important cause of cardiovascular disease, it should be a risk factor in both sexes, in all populations, and in all age groups. But in many populations, including women, Canadian and Russian men, Maoris, patients with diabetes, and patients with the nephrotic syndrome; the association between t-C and mortality is absent or inverse; or increasing t-C is associated with low coronary and total mortality. Most strikingly, in most cohort studies of old people, high LDL-C or t-C does not predict coronary heart disease or all-cause mortality; in several of these studies the association between t-C and mortality was inverse, or high t-C was associated with longevity. These associations have mostly been considered as a minor aberration from the LDL-receptor hypothesis, although by far the highest mortality and the greatest part of all cardiovascular disease are seen in old people."
In case youre having trouble with the terminology, t-C just means total cholesterol, LDL-C means LDL cholesterol. A couple of key points here... if cholesterol is the cause of heart disease, then shouldnt it be a risk factor for everybody, regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity? It should. But its not. While cholesterol levels can be somewhat predictive of ones risk of heart disease, cholesterol doesnt cause the problem. The second bolded quote is very key as well. Studies done in older adults, like these ones showing that those with high cholesterol have less risk of cardiovascular disease, should not be taken as an aberration. By far the highest risk group is adults over 60, so if the conventional wisdom doesnt hold true for them, it doesnt hold true at all. These studies should indicate that our current thinking about cholesterol is highly flawed. Cholesterol simply cannot be the cause of heart disease when it is so notoriously unreliable as a predictor of heart disease in the most at-risk populations. Its that simple.
Check out this very eye-opening paper. Its an outstanding review of some of the more intriguing cholesterol research, and one of the few papers that Ive actually found difficult to put down. I seriously couldnt stop reading it. And it blew my mind.
According to several studies, older adults with higher cholesterol live the longest. In fact, groups with the lowest cholesterol levels typically have the highest morbidity rate. Heres the breakdown from a couple of these studies... Dr. Harlan Krumholz found in 1994 that old people with low cholesterol were twice as likely to die from coronary heart disease than those with high cholesterol. Another study of 92 women aged 60 or over found that those with a total cholesterol level of about 270 mg/dl lived the longest. Those with the highest cholesterol, over 300 mg/dl, were only 1.8 times more likely to die, while the lowest cholesterol group, 154 mg/dl, was 5.4 times more likely to die.
Interesting stuff huh? That review paper discusses 20 studies just like these, where blood cholesterol levels were either not associated with cardiovascular disease or all-cause death, or there was an inverse relationship. This quote from the paper sums up the situation quite nicely...
"It is true that high t-C is a risk factor for coronary heart disease, but mainly in young and middle-aged men. If high t-C or LDL-C were the most important cause of cardiovascular disease, it should be a risk factor in both sexes, in all populations, and in all age groups. But in many populations, including women, Canadian and Russian men, Maoris, patients with diabetes, and patients with the nephrotic syndrome; the association between t-C and mortality is absent or inverse; or increasing t-C is associated with low coronary and total mortality. Most strikingly, in most cohort studies of old people, high LDL-C or t-C does not predict coronary heart disease or all-cause mortality; in several of these studies the association between t-C and mortality was inverse, or high t-C was associated with longevity. These associations have mostly been considered as a minor aberration from the LDL-receptor hypothesis, although by far the highest mortality and the greatest part of all cardiovascular disease are seen in old people."
In case youre having trouble with the terminology, t-C just means total cholesterol, LDL-C means LDL cholesterol. A couple of key points here... if cholesterol is the cause of heart disease, then shouldnt it be a risk factor for everybody, regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity? It should. But its not. While cholesterol levels can be somewhat predictive of ones risk of heart disease, cholesterol doesnt cause the problem. The second bolded quote is very key as well. Studies done in older adults, like these ones showing that those with high cholesterol have less risk of cardiovascular disease, should not be taken as an aberration. By far the highest risk group is adults over 60, so if the conventional wisdom doesnt hold true for them, it doesnt hold true at all. These studies should indicate that our current thinking about cholesterol is highly flawed. Cholesterol simply cannot be the cause of heart disease when it is so notoriously unreliable as a predictor of heart disease in the most at-risk populations. Its that simple.
Dental Care Good Teeth Good Gums Good Life
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Toothpastes
With the number and types of toothpastes on the market, the best strategy for selecting among these products may be to simply ask your dental hygienist or dentist what the greatest concerns are for your mouth and which product he or she recommends.
After consulting with your dentist or hygienist about your oral healths greatest needs, look for products within that category (for example, within the tartar control brands or within the desensitizing toothpaste brands) that have received the American Dental Associations (ADA) Seal of Acceptance. The ADAs Seal of Acceptance means that the product has met ADA criteria for safety and effectiveness and that packaging and advertising claims are scientifically supported. Some manufacturers choose not to seek the ADAs Seal of Acceptance. Although these products may be safe and effective, these products performance have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ADA.
Always pick a toothpaste that contains fluoride. Fluoride toothpastes have been shown to prevent cavities. One word of caution: The American Dental Association recommends that children over 2 years of age and adults use a fluoride toothpaste displaying the ADA Seal of Acceptance. They also recommend the use of fluoride mouthrinses, but not for children under 6 years of age because they may swallow the rinse.
Finally, some degree of personal perence comes into play. Choose the toothpaste that tastes and feels best. Gel or paste, wintergreen or spearmint, all work alike. If you find that certain ingredients are irritating to your teeth, cheeks or lips, or if your teeth have become more sensitive, or if your mouth is irritated after brushing, try changing toothpastes. If the problem continues, see your dentist.
Toothbrushes
One of the main things to look for in toothbrushes is the bristles. Most dentists recommend soft bristles, especially for those individuals that have sensitive teeth or gums. Both adults and children should use a toothbrush that has soft bristles. Toothbrushes with harder bristles are not more effective at removing plaque or stains.
Be sure to select a toothbrush head size that can easily fit into the mouth and is capable of brushing one to two teeth at a time. With this in mind, be sure to select a toothbrush with a very small head for a very young child or infant.
If you are unsure of what features to look for or the best bristle head design for cleaning your teeths unique contours and alignment, be sure to ask your dentist or hygienist for assistance.
Toothbrushes should be replaced about every three months or earlier if the bristles begin to look worn or frayed (bristles that fan out or spread is a sign that it is time to get a new toothbrush).
Manual Vs. Powered Toothbrushes
Is there any advantage to using a powered (electric or sonic) toothbrush compared with a manual toothbrush? Not necessarily. The key to good oral hygiene is correct and effective use of a toothbrush rather than simply an issue of powered vs. manual operation. However, one of the main advantages of powered toothbrushes is they make it easier to brush correctly. Other advantages of powered toothbrushes include:
* Brushing becomes easier for people with medical conditions that limit manual dexterity (such as arthritis), or who are elderly or physically handicapped, or have oral conditions (such as misaligned teeth or teeth with uneven surfaces) that make thorough cleaning of all tooth surfaces difficult.
* They make it easier to clean teeth with braces and other orthodontic appliances.
* People may enjoy cleaning their teeth more since use of a powered toothbrush might be considered "fun" or "different" and theore brush more frequently as a result. Others might be motivated to brush longer or correctly because of the money spent on purchasing the toothbrush.
* They remove more plaque and reduce your risks of gingivitis better than manual toothbrushes. At least one study has shown that the long-term (4 to 6 months) use of powered toothbrushes produce significant reductions in the amount of dental plaque on the teeth -- and theore improves the oral health -- of patients with periodontal disease.
* They minimize or eliminate tooth staining. The scrubbing effect of powered toothbrushes may be superior to manual toothbrushes in possibly reducing or even totally removing surface stains on teeth.
How Do I Choose a Powered Toothbrush?
Like all dental products, you have a number of choices to choose from when it comes to powered toothbrushes. Here are some key points about each style of powered toothbrushes.
* Sonic toothbrushes generate between 30,000 and 40,000 brush strokes per minute (compared with about 300 per minute with manual tooth brushing). The bristles in the toothbrush rotate in the dentist recommended back-and-forth motion. In addition, the patented cleaning action of the brush directs fluid between teeth and below the gum line to gently remove plaque (only sonic toothbrushes can make this claim).
* Electric toothbrushes generate between 3,000 and 7,500 brush strokes per minute. Although individual designs differ, the bristles in the brush head are typically either set in a circular format that rotates (the entire head rotates in unison) or individual tufts of bristles within the brush head spin independently. Some electric toothbrushes have both a rotating as well as a pulsating motion to help remove plaque and reduce gingivitis.
Water Piks
Water piks, otherwise known as water irrigating devices, are usually unnecessary for most people. Individuals who can benefit the most from these devices are those with braces or other orthodontic appliances who need help removing food between teeth and within the appliance it self. It is important to keep in mind that these devices do not remove plaque; only tooth brushing with toothpaste and flossing can do that.
Mouthwashes and Rinses
Mouthwashes do more than simply freshen your breath. In combination with brushing and flossing, the ADA says that bacteria-fighting mouth rinses can reduce bacteria in dental plaque and thus help prevent gum disease. Fluoride mouth rinses help reduce and prevent tooth decay. These products may also contain alcohol and are not appropriate for children under 6 years of age because they can swallow the rinse. Ask your dentist or hygienist to recommend the type of rinse that would be best for you.
With the number and types of toothpastes on the market, the best strategy for selecting among these products may be to simply ask your dental hygienist or dentist what the greatest concerns are for your mouth and which product he or she recommends.
After consulting with your dentist or hygienist about your oral healths greatest needs, look for products within that category (for example, within the tartar control brands or within the desensitizing toothpaste brands) that have received the American Dental Associations (ADA) Seal of Acceptance. The ADAs Seal of Acceptance means that the product has met ADA criteria for safety and effectiveness and that packaging and advertising claims are scientifically supported. Some manufacturers choose not to seek the ADAs Seal of Acceptance. Although these products may be safe and effective, these products performance have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ADA.
Always pick a toothpaste that contains fluoride. Fluoride toothpastes have been shown to prevent cavities. One word of caution: The American Dental Association recommends that children over 2 years of age and adults use a fluoride toothpaste displaying the ADA Seal of Acceptance. They also recommend the use of fluoride mouthrinses, but not for children under 6 years of age because they may swallow the rinse.
Finally, some degree of personal perence comes into play. Choose the toothpaste that tastes and feels best. Gel or paste, wintergreen or spearmint, all work alike. If you find that certain ingredients are irritating to your teeth, cheeks or lips, or if your teeth have become more sensitive, or if your mouth is irritated after brushing, try changing toothpastes. If the problem continues, see your dentist.
Toothbrushes
One of the main things to look for in toothbrushes is the bristles. Most dentists recommend soft bristles, especially for those individuals that have sensitive teeth or gums. Both adults and children should use a toothbrush that has soft bristles. Toothbrushes with harder bristles are not more effective at removing plaque or stains.
Be sure to select a toothbrush head size that can easily fit into the mouth and is capable of brushing one to two teeth at a time. With this in mind, be sure to select a toothbrush with a very small head for a very young child or infant.
If you are unsure of what features to look for or the best bristle head design for cleaning your teeths unique contours and alignment, be sure to ask your dentist or hygienist for assistance.
Toothbrushes should be replaced about every three months or earlier if the bristles begin to look worn or frayed (bristles that fan out or spread is a sign that it is time to get a new toothbrush).
Manual Vs. Powered Toothbrushes
Is there any advantage to using a powered (electric or sonic) toothbrush compared with a manual toothbrush? Not necessarily. The key to good oral hygiene is correct and effective use of a toothbrush rather than simply an issue of powered vs. manual operation. However, one of the main advantages of powered toothbrushes is they make it easier to brush correctly. Other advantages of powered toothbrushes include:
* Brushing becomes easier for people with medical conditions that limit manual dexterity (such as arthritis), or who are elderly or physically handicapped, or have oral conditions (such as misaligned teeth or teeth with uneven surfaces) that make thorough cleaning of all tooth surfaces difficult.
* They make it easier to clean teeth with braces and other orthodontic appliances.
* People may enjoy cleaning their teeth more since use of a powered toothbrush might be considered "fun" or "different" and theore brush more frequently as a result. Others might be motivated to brush longer or correctly because of the money spent on purchasing the toothbrush.
* They remove more plaque and reduce your risks of gingivitis better than manual toothbrushes. At least one study has shown that the long-term (4 to 6 months) use of powered toothbrushes produce significant reductions in the amount of dental plaque on the teeth -- and theore improves the oral health -- of patients with periodontal disease.
* They minimize or eliminate tooth staining. The scrubbing effect of powered toothbrushes may be superior to manual toothbrushes in possibly reducing or even totally removing surface stains on teeth.
How Do I Choose a Powered Toothbrush?
Like all dental products, you have a number of choices to choose from when it comes to powered toothbrushes. Here are some key points about each style of powered toothbrushes.
* Sonic toothbrushes generate between 30,000 and 40,000 brush strokes per minute (compared with about 300 per minute with manual tooth brushing). The bristles in the toothbrush rotate in the dentist recommended back-and-forth motion. In addition, the patented cleaning action of the brush directs fluid between teeth and below the gum line to gently remove plaque (only sonic toothbrushes can make this claim).
* Electric toothbrushes generate between 3,000 and 7,500 brush strokes per minute. Although individual designs differ, the bristles in the brush head are typically either set in a circular format that rotates (the entire head rotates in unison) or individual tufts of bristles within the brush head spin independently. Some electric toothbrushes have both a rotating as well as a pulsating motion to help remove plaque and reduce gingivitis.
Water Piks
Water piks, otherwise known as water irrigating devices, are usually unnecessary for most people. Individuals who can benefit the most from these devices are those with braces or other orthodontic appliances who need help removing food between teeth and within the appliance it self. It is important to keep in mind that these devices do not remove plaque; only tooth brushing with toothpaste and flossing can do that.
Mouthwashes and Rinses
Mouthwashes do more than simply freshen your breath. In combination with brushing and flossing, the ADA says that bacteria-fighting mouth rinses can reduce bacteria in dental plaque and thus help prevent gum disease. Fluoride mouth rinses help reduce and prevent tooth decay. These products may also contain alcohol and are not appropriate for children under 6 years of age because they can swallow the rinse. Ask your dentist or hygienist to recommend the type of rinse that would be best for you.
Life is Not About How Beautiful I Am
Monday, March 24, 2014
I am old and learning a lot of things now that would have been nice to have known, before, but Im glad they are happening at all!! LOL
There is nothing wrong with being beautiful, unless it is the only pair of glasses you use to see yourself or others. If your self worth is based on your degree of beauty, or lack of it, dont look now, but you are missing the boat. Degrees are comparisons. One is more, the other is less. You are always going to be more beautiful than some, and less beautiful, than others. So what? This narrow and distorted focus is not what life is about.
There have been times when I felt beautiful, and times when I was convinced that I was absolutely unattractive, for this, or that, reason -- one of them being "fat." Cultural beauty is based on swim suit models, magazines, fashion, and makeup. Advertising. Someone elses manufactured opinion, used to get you to feel an emotion that results in their selling you a product. Flimsy, but extremely effective manipulation based on both "envy" and "belief."
"Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly is to the bone."
So why am I thinking about this? A friend shared a blog post about a young mother who wants to set a good example for her little daughters so she has started saying, "Im beautiful" in front of them in the hopes that they will say the same things about themselves. She does not believe what she is saying inside herself, but is grabbing at this straw in hopes that she can help her daughters to not go through what she went through.
She believes she is modeling the appropriate thing to them and is to be commended because she really wants to be a good Mom to her girls. I hope this works for her and her girls. I have a feeling it may backfire, though, because she is not telling them the truth about how she feels about herself. There was a clue in her writing that her little girls recognized her out-of-character behavior and falsehood. So rather than learning to say, "Im beautiful", they are learning that "making stuff up" is appropriate behavior.
Children often see some things more clearly than adults think they do. They reacted by looking at her strangely... and that was the clue that something went through their heads. They had a thought or made a decision about what they saw in their mother. I remember doing the same thing when I was very very young.
I can only speak from my own experience of having the view of myself that I was ugly, having often been told so by my older brothers -- and others. I believed them. Believing them means that I took their words about me and internalized them as if they were the truth. They became my own words about me. Their, "Yourre so ugly..." statements got transformed into very painful "Im so ugly...." statements inside myself. Im not blaming them. I truly believe that if they had really known how that affected me, they would not have done it. But children, and adults, can sometimes be very cruel. Those feelings still creep up from time to time, but, Im no longer concerned about them, because I have learned something better. I have learned the truth.
When I look at young women, young mothers, and see that they are entangled in a negative self image and worried that they might pass that on to their daughters, I want to reach out and say, "Dont do that," as if I could stop their worrying, somehow, and also help them and their little girls.
Heres an idea that I think might work better and I noticed it in the movie called "The Help": "You is kind, you is smart, you is important" -- and the little girl repeated back, "You is kind, you is smart, you is important."
I loved it because I had had something similar taught to me, only, much later in life, by God, who said to me, "You are loved, and you are worthwhile." I repeated the words back in personal form, "I am loved, and I am worthwhile" and my life changed.
We cannot make up a self image. We already have one. We also dont know who we are - until - we know who God is, and I very firmly believe that. Once I began to understand who God is, I began to have a more accurate understanding of who of I am. He changes me. We also cannot make up a self image for someone else, but we can certainly begin planting good things in the soil -- theirs and ours.
Even now, there is a man at church, who will sometimes shake my hand and say to me, "Youre a blessing" -- and guess what? For a while, I feel like a blessing!! For a moment, I am a blessing. We are all like that. We women seem to unconsciously think about ourselves, the way that others speak to us, about us. That is also why emotional abuse is so effective. If we listen to repeated positive, or negative, statements about us, we begin to believe there must be some truth in them whether there really is or not. So we need to be sure we are getting and believing accurate information about us and giving the same to our girls. And who better to get accurate information about us, than from God, our Creator? The God who knows us better than we do ourselves, and loves us, anyway.
That may be why there is so much relationship teaching in the church that "Women need love," and "Men need respect." Actually we all need both of these things, but a woman can go a long time on the knowledge that someone loves her. If I know that God loves me.... I dont actually crave to have someone else say that to me. I like it and enjoy it, but dont need it. I have Gods love and that is enough -- that is my self image: I am loved. The more I know God, the more I know myself. Dont get me wrong, I often forget and have to be reminded -- but that is the human condition. We are forgetful and need to be reminded. So, I remind myself as often as I realize I need it.
But, for this young mother to simply and suddenly start staying out loud, "Im beautiful," when she does not really believe it is true, will ring false inside herself, and also inside her children. If that young mother began to know, understand, and accept Gods love for her, her own self image would truly begin to change. Then she would no longer have to worry that she is passing on something bad to her daughters. Then, if she felt the need to say, "I am beautiful," because God loves her, which makes her beautiful, her words would ring true inside herself, and her children. I doubt she would need to say that, though, because the words, "I am loved" said inside herself, are so much more powerful -- because they are the truth.
I suggest that she needs to start planting the seeds of Gods love in her girls. I think she should be saying things like, "Jesus loves you, and you are beautiful, and intelligent," to her daughters at the appropriate times. (Not as a sort of mindless "mantra" but when the situation calls for it.) She should be saying, "You are loved, and you are worthwhile" to her girls when they need encouragement. I saw the young author say things about her daughters in her post that she needs to be telling them out loud.
If she models sincere honesty and kindness to them, and teaches them what God is like, they will admire her and want to copy her. If she tells them that they are beautiful and responsible, they will believe her and say they are beautiful and responsible to themselves. The best window of time for this is when they are very young -- but it will work at any age, really. If done when young, they wont have to grow through so much pain. They will have other pains, but not that one, which can be so debilitating.
Help them to be strong in Christ. Tell them, "Jesus loves you." Tell them, "I love you." Tell them "You are loved" and they will know they are beautiful, just as they are -- to the bone. Being beautiful means being loved by God. Nothing can replace that particular glow!!
Jesus loves you.
You are loved.
You are worthwhile.
You are beautiful and responsible.
You are kind.
You are smart.
You are important.
You are a good girl (or boy.)
You are a blessing!!
Praise the Lord!! God is good! God is holy! God is love! God is infinite!
If you really want to begin to know God better, ask Him to show you what you need to know about Him. He knows what you need and will show you.
For those who need some intellectual type spiritual inspiration I also recommend studying Volumes one and two of A.W. Tozers books: "The Attributes of God." You can find both of these titles at Amazon.com, and other places where Christian literature is sold.
Be back soon,
Marcia
Here is the blog post, in case you would like to read it for yourself, http://offbeatfamilies.com/2012/11/telling-daughters-im-beautiful
There is nothing wrong with being beautiful, unless it is the only pair of glasses you use to see yourself or others. If your self worth is based on your degree of beauty, or lack of it, dont look now, but you are missing the boat. Degrees are comparisons. One is more, the other is less. You are always going to be more beautiful than some, and less beautiful, than others. So what? This narrow and distorted focus is not what life is about.
There have been times when I felt beautiful, and times when I was convinced that I was absolutely unattractive, for this, or that, reason -- one of them being "fat." Cultural beauty is based on swim suit models, magazines, fashion, and makeup. Advertising. Someone elses manufactured opinion, used to get you to feel an emotion that results in their selling you a product. Flimsy, but extremely effective manipulation based on both "envy" and "belief."
"Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly is to the bone."
So why am I thinking about this? A friend shared a blog post about a young mother who wants to set a good example for her little daughters so she has started saying, "Im beautiful" in front of them in the hopes that they will say the same things about themselves. She does not believe what she is saying inside herself, but is grabbing at this straw in hopes that she can help her daughters to not go through what she went through.
She believes she is modeling the appropriate thing to them and is to be commended because she really wants to be a good Mom to her girls. I hope this works for her and her girls. I have a feeling it may backfire, though, because she is not telling them the truth about how she feels about herself. There was a clue in her writing that her little girls recognized her out-of-character behavior and falsehood. So rather than learning to say, "Im beautiful", they are learning that "making stuff up" is appropriate behavior.
Children often see some things more clearly than adults think they do. They reacted by looking at her strangely... and that was the clue that something went through their heads. They had a thought or made a decision about what they saw in their mother. I remember doing the same thing when I was very very young.
I can only speak from my own experience of having the view of myself that I was ugly, having often been told so by my older brothers -- and others. I believed them. Believing them means that I took their words about me and internalized them as if they were the truth. They became my own words about me. Their, "Yourre so ugly..." statements got transformed into very painful "Im so ugly...." statements inside myself. Im not blaming them. I truly believe that if they had really known how that affected me, they would not have done it. But children, and adults, can sometimes be very cruel. Those feelings still creep up from time to time, but, Im no longer concerned about them, because I have learned something better. I have learned the truth.
When I look at young women, young mothers, and see that they are entangled in a negative self image and worried that they might pass that on to their daughters, I want to reach out and say, "Dont do that," as if I could stop their worrying, somehow, and also help them and their little girls.
Heres an idea that I think might work better and I noticed it in the movie called "The Help": "You is kind, you is smart, you is important" -- and the little girl repeated back, "You is kind, you is smart, you is important."
I loved it because I had had something similar taught to me, only, much later in life, by God, who said to me, "You are loved, and you are worthwhile." I repeated the words back in personal form, "I am loved, and I am worthwhile" and my life changed.
We cannot make up a self image. We already have one. We also dont know who we are - until - we know who God is, and I very firmly believe that. Once I began to understand who God is, I began to have a more accurate understanding of who of I am. He changes me. We also cannot make up a self image for someone else, but we can certainly begin planting good things in the soil -- theirs and ours.
Even now, there is a man at church, who will sometimes shake my hand and say to me, "Youre a blessing" -- and guess what? For a while, I feel like a blessing!! For a moment, I am a blessing. We are all like that. We women seem to unconsciously think about ourselves, the way that others speak to us, about us. That is also why emotional abuse is so effective. If we listen to repeated positive, or negative, statements about us, we begin to believe there must be some truth in them whether there really is or not. So we need to be sure we are getting and believing accurate information about us and giving the same to our girls. And who better to get accurate information about us, than from God, our Creator? The God who knows us better than we do ourselves, and loves us, anyway.
That may be why there is so much relationship teaching in the church that "Women need love," and "Men need respect." Actually we all need both of these things, but a woman can go a long time on the knowledge that someone loves her. If I know that God loves me.... I dont actually crave to have someone else say that to me. I like it and enjoy it, but dont need it. I have Gods love and that is enough -- that is my self image: I am loved. The more I know God, the more I know myself. Dont get me wrong, I often forget and have to be reminded -- but that is the human condition. We are forgetful and need to be reminded. So, I remind myself as often as I realize I need it.
But, for this young mother to simply and suddenly start staying out loud, "Im beautiful," when she does not really believe it is true, will ring false inside herself, and also inside her children. If that young mother began to know, understand, and accept Gods love for her, her own self image would truly begin to change. Then she would no longer have to worry that she is passing on something bad to her daughters. Then, if she felt the need to say, "I am beautiful," because God loves her, which makes her beautiful, her words would ring true inside herself, and her children. I doubt she would need to say that, though, because the words, "I am loved" said inside herself, are so much more powerful -- because they are the truth.
I suggest that she needs to start planting the seeds of Gods love in her girls. I think she should be saying things like, "Jesus loves you, and you are beautiful, and intelligent," to her daughters at the appropriate times. (Not as a sort of mindless "mantra" but when the situation calls for it.) She should be saying, "You are loved, and you are worthwhile" to her girls when they need encouragement. I saw the young author say things about her daughters in her post that she needs to be telling them out loud.
If she models sincere honesty and kindness to them, and teaches them what God is like, they will admire her and want to copy her. If she tells them that they are beautiful and responsible, they will believe her and say they are beautiful and responsible to themselves. The best window of time for this is when they are very young -- but it will work at any age, really. If done when young, they wont have to grow through so much pain. They will have other pains, but not that one, which can be so debilitating.
Help them to be strong in Christ. Tell them, "Jesus loves you." Tell them, "I love you." Tell them "You are loved" and they will know they are beautiful, just as they are -- to the bone. Being beautiful means being loved by God. Nothing can replace that particular glow!!
Jesus loves you.
You are loved.
You are worthwhile.
You are beautiful and responsible.
You are kind.
You are smart.
You are important.
You are a good girl (or boy.)
You are a blessing!!
Praise the Lord!! God is good! God is holy! God is love! God is infinite!
If you really want to begin to know God better, ask Him to show you what you need to know about Him. He knows what you need and will show you.
For those who need some intellectual type spiritual inspiration I also recommend studying Volumes one and two of A.W. Tozers books: "The Attributes of God." You can find both of these titles at Amazon.com, and other places where Christian literature is sold.
Be back soon,
Marcia
Here is the blog post, in case you would like to read it for yourself, http://offbeatfamilies.com/2012/11/telling-daughters-im-beautiful
Obesity Leads to Premature Death Achieve Weight Loss Success for Life
Sunday, March 23, 2014
(Article first published as Prevent Obesity, Achieve Weight Loss Success for Life on Technorati.)
Obesity rates continue to increase at a staggering rate, increasing the risk of heart attack, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and many cancers. In fact, obesity has surpassed smoking as the leading preventable cause of death in America. A study presented to the International Congress on Obesity reveals an even more sobering statistic – men who enter adulthood obese face a twofold increased risk of dying prematurely.
This underscores the critical importance of maintaining a healthy weight through childhood and into our teen years, as fat which is stored during the developmental years has a direct impact on our risk of illness and longevity as we phase through adulthood. Fortunately, by adopting a healthy lifestyle and weight loss program, we can reverse the risks which lead to an early demise, and avoid becoming a grim statistic.
Phase 1: Educate Children from an Early Age
Information from this study makes it clear that the growing epidemic of overweight and obese children is leading to a shortened lifespan for our next generation. This problem is simply rooted in poor diet and lifestyle, as children are being raised with the notion that fast food through a drive thru window, sweetened beverages and sugary snacks make up a healthy diet.
The average family eats 4 or more times a week at a fast food restaurant, in many cases consuming more than twice the calories they should for a single meal. Couple this high calorie, low nutrition eating style with virtually no physical activity, and you have the recipe for a health disaster.
Children need to be educated on how to eat healthy and stay active in much the same way as they are taught to read. This class must be taught at home. A child’s mind is pliable, and adopting a diet of nutritionally balanced, reduced calorie meals prepared at home will become a life skill they’ll retain as they get older. Reserve dining out for special occasions only, allowing you to control meal ingredients and portion sizes. Limit television and video games while encouraging regular physical activity.
Phase 2: Use Motivation to Solidify Your New Lifestyle
In order to hit your ideal weight loss goal, you need to master the mechanics of proper weight management. The tools are provided by eating a nutritionally balanced, calorie restricted diet with no junk food and participating in a regular exercise regimen. Beyond the basics, you also need to reward yourself for your accomplishments, and this requires motivation, driven by the knowledge that you’re working to improve the quality and length of your life.
The best motivation is to track your progress. Keep a daily record of the foods you eat, caully recording portion sizes, total calories and weigh food when applicable. When you estimate portions, you set yourself up for failure. Finally, weight yourself using a digital scale no more than twice each week, keeping a log of how you’re proceeding toward your weight loss goal. Remember, the excess weight didn’t suddenly appear overnight, and losing those extra pounds will take some time and effort.
Weight loss can be a matter of increased lifespan for many overweight and obese people. Depending on the amount of weight you need to lose, and when in life those extra pounds appeared, you may be able to make a significant impact on how long you live. Diet and exercise are important components to achieve your weight loss goal, and harnessing your psyche provides the necessary motivation to experience enhanced quality of life for many years to come.
This underscores the critical importance of maintaining a healthy weight through childhood and into our teen years, as fat which is stored during the developmental years has a direct impact on our risk of illness and longevity as we phase through adulthood. Fortunately, by adopting a healthy lifestyle and weight loss program, we can reverse the risks which lead to an early demise, and avoid becoming a grim statistic.
Phase 1: Educate Children from an Early Age
The average family eats 4 or more times a week at a fast food restaurant, in many cases consuming more than twice the calories they should for a single meal. Couple this high calorie, low nutrition eating style with virtually no physical activity, and you have the recipe for a health disaster.
Children need to be educated on how to eat healthy and stay active in much the same way as they are taught to read. This class must be taught at home. A child’s mind is pliable, and adopting a diet of nutritionally balanced, reduced calorie meals prepared at home will become a life skill they’ll retain as they get older. Reserve dining out for special occasions only, allowing you to control meal ingredients and portion sizes. Limit television and video games while encouraging regular physical activity.
Phase 2: Use Motivation to Solidify Your New Lifestyle
The best motivation is to track your progress. Keep a daily record of the foods you eat, caully recording portion sizes, total calories and weigh food when applicable. When you estimate portions, you set yourself up for failure. Finally, weight yourself using a digital scale no more than twice each week, keeping a log of how you’re proceeding toward your weight loss goal. Remember, the excess weight didn’t suddenly appear overnight, and losing those extra pounds will take some time and effort.
Weight loss can be a matter of increased lifespan for many overweight and obese people. Depending on the amount of weight you need to lose, and when in life those extra pounds appeared, you may be able to make a significant impact on how long you live. Diet and exercise are important components to achieve your weight loss goal, and harnessing your psyche provides the necessary motivation to experience enhanced quality of life for many years to come.
Making Your Life Style Make a Difference in Your Life
Saturday, March 22, 2014
I have been inspired by the comments of a recent reader to get myself centered on my program again. Tricia and I have been sharing back and forth on the blog post just previous to this one and I must say that it really is nice to feel the power of partnership with her. It just seems so much richer to know that she is there, in the same boat that I am in, and we are not alone in our struggles. I desire for both of us to be successful. We share life-long weight problems, pre-diabetes, and the desire to make the kind of lifestyle changes that will help us rid ourselves of the diagnosis of "pre-diabetes." If you need to get back in the swing, please join us in stepping out on a ten-day getting started commitment.
My last official post was dated the day before Thanksgiving in November and I had plans to stay on track for Christmas and New Years, too... but somewhere things got foggy for me. Even my daily record has a few "missing days." But the past, is the past. I now must face forward and decide what my next step is.
The advice that I shared is the advice that I need. Here are the summary guidelines that I had come up with to get re-motivated and make a simple ten-day step in the right direction:
1. Read your book again for motivation.
2. Set a date to begin your change.
3. Prepare by removing what you dont need from your house
4. Prepare by providing what you do need for healthy eating
5. Do your plan for ten days
6. Then see where you are and decide what you will do for the next ten days.
1. Read your book again for motivation.
Many of us have been inspired by some book or program or idea that has helped us do the right stuff in the past, but we are no longer in that space right now. One way of getting back into that space of inspiration is to read the same book again. I did that a while back with the "Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program." I was also very inspired by the "30 Day Diabetes Cure" with which I started this blog. I also have been inspired by and gleaned a lot of good information from the vegan culture that is very active on the internet (Ive shared about all this before.)
If you know of a program that you were successful on, then go back, read it again, and begin to get your mind focused on the right stuff for you. Rekindle your passion. Get reacquainted with the guidelines you already know work for you. Allow yourself to be inspired.
2. Set a date to begin your change.
At some point, often while you are getting re-acquainted with the details, you will feel inspired to begin doing your program again. At that moment, set your date to begin doing the program. It is all well and good to read it... but you will only get results by doing it. Pick a date that is not too far away, but is far enough away that you can make the kinds of preparations that you need to make.
I know that when Ive been off my program for any length of time (be it weeks or be it years) it can seem overwhelming to even consider going back and doing it all again. It is "so much easier" to simply lolly-gag and continue stuffing all the standard stuff into my mouth while pretending that it does not make a difference what I eat. The point is, we begin to lie to ourselves. It is hard to admit that, but the addiction takes over and lulls me into "never-never land" -- you know -- the place where things never change?
Nothing can knock the block off the addiction lies like setting a date to begin. A starting date is concrete. It is a day on a calendar and no matter what your addiction says, that day will show up in your life. It is marching down the daily track in your direction. Your own personal day of reckoning will definitely arrive. If you can see it coming, that, all by itself, will motivate you to begin taking preparatory actions.
3. Prepare by removing what you dont need from your house
The most obvious first step is to get rid of all the stuff that you know you should not be eating, before your start date gets here. You will only make yourself sick if your method of getting rid of it is to eat it -- but this is your life and your choice. The better method of getting rid of stuff is to recognize it for what it is (toxic) and throw it into the trash. Do not leave even one spoonful of ice cream in your freezer. Simply wash it down the sink and toss the box out. You will be making space for the next step in the plan.
4. Prepare by providing what you do need for healthy eating
Using your program as a guideline, purchase the kinds of foods that you know will give your body health. Stock up on good healthy food. Some things will need to be divided into individual healthy meal portions and stored either in the freezer or the rigerator. These will be your new "convenience" foods.
In my case, that means that I need to purchase fresh raw vegetables and salad fixings. I also need to get good protein in the form of eggs, beef, pork, and chicken. Since I also have gout I need to be caul with animal protein (especially fish) but not extremely so. Ive been reading the book "Beating Gout" by Victor Konshin and have discovered that limiting animal proteins will only drop uric acid levels by two points at best, the rest must be done with medication. Ive been on the medication (Allopurinol) for about six months now and have not had a "flare" in quite some time. To me, this means that the guidelines Victor has given are working for me. Im going on Medicare on the first of March and when I get my new doctor (my old one does not take Medicare patients) and my new insurance, I will be having my uric acid levels checked to make sure Im on track.
I am going to be eating my food in the form that God gave it to me with my focus on raw vegetables and cooked meat. Im also toying with the idea of trying the "seventh-day cheat meal" as a standard procedure. I may use my next post, to describe that program in more detail. I have it written out for myself and may simply post it so others can see or use it also. It may be that I am not able to do that. I will find out, once and for all, if I can really do it. More on that another day.
5. Do your plan for ten days
I chose ten days because that is the time increment that was used in the "30 Day Diabetes Cure" and it really worked great for me. What I saw happening was that a ten-day span appeared to me to be a short do-able not-overwhelming time span. It was easy to think of doing something for only 10 days. The first challenge was to stop eating sugar of any kind, no sweets, and no sugar substitutes for 10 days. Then, once I accomplished that task, and saw how easy it really was, and how much better I felt, I simply continued.
Three days would not have been long enough to see the good results you would want. Three days is almost exactly the amount of time it takes to go through sugar withdrawals, so they are the hardest days to accomplish -- but since you have made a commitment, the first three days are done by having made the decision to do it. By day four, things begin to lighten up and you no longer even crave sugary items. From day four on, things get easier -- and they happen almost on their own. No will power is needed after day 4 because your body will no longer be pushing you. So... if you had only chosen to do the plan for three days, you would have shot yourself in the foot and not allowed the change to actually take affect in your body. You would never have gotten to "easy street." After youve lived the results for ten days, it would be insanity to go back -- but the choice is still yours.
6. Then see where you are and decide what you will do for the next ten days.
By the time you finish the first 10 days the second 10 days will look really easy to accomplish. The hard part is over and the only thing you need to do is keep doing what you are already doing. But you have the option. That option lets you be in charge of your own life. You decide what you will be doing next. And there it is: commitment -- and your "self" is fully engaged in the battle once again.
If you look at what has happened in your own life and you see a need to tweak something, now is your opportunity -- but do not let that interfere with your next step. Make any adjustments and then make your new commitment to continue on to bigger and better results.
Dont forget the "see where you are" part. On day 11 take stock and ask yourself some questions. Did your blood sugar numbers get better? (This also means that for the 10 days you did this, you kept track of your numbers.) Did you lose any weight? How do you feel? Where are your pain levels? I have found in the past that my pain levels seem to greatly diminish on day 6. I dont know if other people experience the same thing, but if you do, you need to make a note of your pain levels before and after that initial ten-day accomplishment.
When you answer the above questions, and any others that are pertinent to you and your situation, you will be looking at concrete evidence of your own success. Nothing motivates like success!! Use your success to continue moving you along in the right direction.
Heres to DOING!! Let me know how you are doing!!
Be back soon,
Marcia
My last official post was dated the day before Thanksgiving in November and I had plans to stay on track for Christmas and New Years, too... but somewhere things got foggy for me. Even my daily record has a few "missing days." But the past, is the past. I now must face forward and decide what my next step is.
The advice that I shared is the advice that I need. Here are the summary guidelines that I had come up with to get re-motivated and make a simple ten-day step in the right direction:
1. Read your book again for motivation.
2. Set a date to begin your change.
3. Prepare by removing what you dont need from your house
4. Prepare by providing what you do need for healthy eating
5. Do your plan for ten days
6. Then see where you are and decide what you will do for the next ten days.
1. Read your book again for motivation.
Many of us have been inspired by some book or program or idea that has helped us do the right stuff in the past, but we are no longer in that space right now. One way of getting back into that space of inspiration is to read the same book again. I did that a while back with the "Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program." I was also very inspired by the "30 Day Diabetes Cure" with which I started this blog. I also have been inspired by and gleaned a lot of good information from the vegan culture that is very active on the internet (Ive shared about all this before.)
If you know of a program that you were successful on, then go back, read it again, and begin to get your mind focused on the right stuff for you. Rekindle your passion. Get reacquainted with the guidelines you already know work for you. Allow yourself to be inspired.
2. Set a date to begin your change.
At some point, often while you are getting re-acquainted with the details, you will feel inspired to begin doing your program again. At that moment, set your date to begin doing the program. It is all well and good to read it... but you will only get results by doing it. Pick a date that is not too far away, but is far enough away that you can make the kinds of preparations that you need to make.
I know that when Ive been off my program for any length of time (be it weeks or be it years) it can seem overwhelming to even consider going back and doing it all again. It is "so much easier" to simply lolly-gag and continue stuffing all the standard stuff into my mouth while pretending that it does not make a difference what I eat. The point is, we begin to lie to ourselves. It is hard to admit that, but the addiction takes over and lulls me into "never-never land" -- you know -- the place where things never change?
Nothing can knock the block off the addiction lies like setting a date to begin. A starting date is concrete. It is a day on a calendar and no matter what your addiction says, that day will show up in your life. It is marching down the daily track in your direction. Your own personal day of reckoning will definitely arrive. If you can see it coming, that, all by itself, will motivate you to begin taking preparatory actions.
3. Prepare by removing what you dont need from your house
The most obvious first step is to get rid of all the stuff that you know you should not be eating, before your start date gets here. You will only make yourself sick if your method of getting rid of it is to eat it -- but this is your life and your choice. The better method of getting rid of stuff is to recognize it for what it is (toxic) and throw it into the trash. Do not leave even one spoonful of ice cream in your freezer. Simply wash it down the sink and toss the box out. You will be making space for the next step in the plan.
4. Prepare by providing what you do need for healthy eating
Using your program as a guideline, purchase the kinds of foods that you know will give your body health. Stock up on good healthy food. Some things will need to be divided into individual healthy meal portions and stored either in the freezer or the rigerator. These will be your new "convenience" foods.
In my case, that means that I need to purchase fresh raw vegetables and salad fixings. I also need to get good protein in the form of eggs, beef, pork, and chicken. Since I also have gout I need to be caul with animal protein (especially fish) but not extremely so. Ive been reading the book "Beating Gout" by Victor Konshin and have discovered that limiting animal proteins will only drop uric acid levels by two points at best, the rest must be done with medication. Ive been on the medication (Allopurinol) for about six months now and have not had a "flare" in quite some time. To me, this means that the guidelines Victor has given are working for me. Im going on Medicare on the first of March and when I get my new doctor (my old one does not take Medicare patients) and my new insurance, I will be having my uric acid levels checked to make sure Im on track.
I am going to be eating my food in the form that God gave it to me with my focus on raw vegetables and cooked meat. Im also toying with the idea of trying the "seventh-day cheat meal" as a standard procedure. I may use my next post, to describe that program in more detail. I have it written out for myself and may simply post it so others can see or use it also. It may be that I am not able to do that. I will find out, once and for all, if I can really do it. More on that another day.
5. Do your plan for ten days
I chose ten days because that is the time increment that was used in the "30 Day Diabetes Cure" and it really worked great for me. What I saw happening was that a ten-day span appeared to me to be a short do-able not-overwhelming time span. It was easy to think of doing something for only 10 days. The first challenge was to stop eating sugar of any kind, no sweets, and no sugar substitutes for 10 days. Then, once I accomplished that task, and saw how easy it really was, and how much better I felt, I simply continued.
Three days would not have been long enough to see the good results you would want. Three days is almost exactly the amount of time it takes to go through sugar withdrawals, so they are the hardest days to accomplish -- but since you have made a commitment, the first three days are done by having made the decision to do it. By day four, things begin to lighten up and you no longer even crave sugary items. From day four on, things get easier -- and they happen almost on their own. No will power is needed after day 4 because your body will no longer be pushing you. So... if you had only chosen to do the plan for three days, you would have shot yourself in the foot and not allowed the change to actually take affect in your body. You would never have gotten to "easy street." After youve lived the results for ten days, it would be insanity to go back -- but the choice is still yours.
6. Then see where you are and decide what you will do for the next ten days.
By the time you finish the first 10 days the second 10 days will look really easy to accomplish. The hard part is over and the only thing you need to do is keep doing what you are already doing. But you have the option. That option lets you be in charge of your own life. You decide what you will be doing next. And there it is: commitment -- and your "self" is fully engaged in the battle once again.
If you look at what has happened in your own life and you see a need to tweak something, now is your opportunity -- but do not let that interfere with your next step. Make any adjustments and then make your new commitment to continue on to bigger and better results.
Dont forget the "see where you are" part. On day 11 take stock and ask yourself some questions. Did your blood sugar numbers get better? (This also means that for the 10 days you did this, you kept track of your numbers.) Did you lose any weight? How do you feel? Where are your pain levels? I have found in the past that my pain levels seem to greatly diminish on day 6. I dont know if other people experience the same thing, but if you do, you need to make a note of your pain levels before and after that initial ten-day accomplishment.
When you answer the above questions, and any others that are pertinent to you and your situation, you will be looking at concrete evidence of your own success. Nothing motivates like success!! Use your success to continue moving you along in the right direction.
Heres to DOING!! Let me know how you are doing!!
Be back soon,
Marcia
Vitamin D Facts For Life
Friday, March 21, 2014
Vitamin D is regularly in the medical news headlines being credited as a treatment and preventive measure for diseases ranging from the common cold to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke and Alzheimers. Now we can add improved stamina and physical performance as we age.
By promoting muscle strength, bone growth and repair, Vitamin D has demonstrated the ability to delay age-related illnesses and improve the quality of life in aging adults. Vitamin D supports the healthy function of our cells at the genetic level and its essential that we maintain proper blood levels to ensure continued health and longevity.
Vitamin D Linked With Improved Physical Performance
As we age many of our bodys natural defense systems we have taken for granted all our life begin to weaken, leading to reduced physical performance and poor quality of life. Its estimated that as high as 90% of the senior population is deficient in Vitamin D, and those with the lowest blood levels are directly associated with the most loss of mobility and physical performance using tests of walking, balance, endurance and strength.
Conversely, those individuals with the highest blood levels of Vitamin D retained a much higher degree of physical mobility and muscle function, and suffered a reduced incidence from other significant health concerns. Even higher levels of Vitamin D, achieved only through targeted supplementation and blood testing will result in better outcomes for an aging population.
Vitamin D Prevents and Treats Heart Disease
Heart disease or atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death in the US. The risk of sudden death from a heart attack can by reduced by as much as a third by ensuring the highest level of Vitamin D through blood testing. Every cell in our body carries a Vitamin D receptor which is required to perform genetic replication. Insufficient levels in the blood means that all the cells are not being saturated with the vitamin and heart disease incidence increases dramatically.
Research shows that those people with the lowest levels of Vitamin D are 45% more likely to develop heart disease and 77% more likely to die from any cause. These studies suggest that Vitamin D may provide these significant health benefits due to its ability to reduce blood pressure, regulate blood sugar and control inflammation, all factors which contribute to heart disease.
Vitamin D Enhances Immune Function
A supercharged immune response is important in the defense against cancer. Everyday cancer cells develop in our body and are normally picked up by an alert immune system. As we age and Vitamin D levels drop, cancer cells escape detection, eventually developing into a tumor. By increasing blood levels of Vitamin D, our T cells are placed on high alert which has been shown to reduce the incidence of 17 different cancers by as much as 77%.
With mounting evidence about the health benefits of Vitamin D, there is still much confusion about how much is needed to maintain proper levels in the blood. Due to variations in body weight, sun exposure, dietary intake and genetic factors, every person will need to supplement independently based on the result of a simple blood test. Most normal weight adults should begin by supplementing with 5000 IU of Vitamin D per day for the first 90 days, and then have a 25OH(D) blood test to check levels. Experts believe that the optimal target range is 50 - 70 ng/ml. Adjust Vitamin D supplementation in 1000 IU increments to increase or decrease blood levels by 10 ng/ml.
Vitamin D has been shown to prevent and treat a wide range of diseases, and targeted supplementation is essential for every adult to prevent illness and extend a healthy life.
With mounting evidence about the health benefits of Vitamin D, there is still much confusion about how much is needed to maintain proper levels in the blood. Due to variations in body weight, sun exposure, dietary intake and genetic factors, every person will need to supplement independently based on the result of a simple blood test. Most normal weight adults should begin by supplementing with 5000 IU of Vitamin D per day for the first 90 days, and then have a 25OH(D) blood test to check levels. Experts believe that the optimal target range is 50 - 70 ng/ml. Adjust Vitamin D supplementation in 1000 IU increments to increase or decrease blood levels by 10 ng/ml.
Vitamin D has been shown to prevent and treat a wide range of diseases, and targeted supplementation is essential for every adult to prevent illness and extend a healthy life.
Life is Like a Coin
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, "Solitude of Self," Address before the U. S. Senate Committee on Woman Suffrage, February 20, 1892
The point I wish plainly to bring before you on this occasion is the individuality of each human soul-our Protestant idea. The right of individual conscience and judgement - our republican idea, individual citizenship. In discussing the rights of woman, we are to consider, first, what belongs to her as an individual, in a world of her own, the arbiter of her own destiny, an imaginary Robinson Crusoe with her woman Friday on a solitary island. Her rights under such circumstances are to use all her faculties for her own safety and happiness.
Secondly, if we consider her as a citizen, as a member of a great nation, she must have the same rights as all other members, according to the fundamental principles of our Government.
Thirdly, viewed as a woman, an equal factor in civilization, her rights and duties are still the same -- individual happiness and development.
Fourthly, it is only the incidental relations of life, such as mother, wife, sister, daughter, which may involve some special duties and training. In the usual discussion in regard to womans sphere, such men as Herbert Spencer, Frederick Harrison and Grant Allen uniformly subordinate her rights and duties as an individual, as a citizen, as a woman, to the necessities of these incidental relations, some of which a large class of women never assume.
In discussing the sphere of man we do not decide his rights as an individual, as a citizen, as a man, by his duties as a father, a husband, a brother, or a son, some of which he may never undertake. Moreover he would be better fitted for these very relations, and whatever special work he might choose to do to earn his bread, by the complete development of all his faculties as an individual. Just so with woman. The education which will fit her to discharge the duties in the largest sphere of human usefulness, will best fit her for whatever special work she may be compelled to do.
The isolation of every human soul and the necessity of self-dependence must give each individual the right to choose his own surroundings. The strongest reason for giving woman all the opportunities for higher education, for the full development of her faculties, her forces of mind and body; for giving her the most enlarged freedom of thought and action; a complete emancipation from all forms of bondage, of custom, dependence, superstition; from all the crippling influences of fear -- is the solitude and personal responsibility of her own individual life.
The strongest reason why we ask for woman a voice in the government under which she lives; in the religion she is asked to believe; equality in social life, where she is the chief factor; a place in the trades and professions, where she may earn her bread, is because of her birthright to self -sovereignty; because, as an individual, she must rely on herself.
To throw obstacles in the way of a complete education is like putting out the eyes ; to deny the rights of property is like cutting off the hands. To use political equality is to rob the ostracized of all self-respect, of credit in the market place, of recompense in the world of work, of a voice in choosing those who make and administer the law, a choice in the jury before whom they are tried, and in the judge who decides their punishment.
Shakespeares play of Titus and Andronicus contains a terrible satire on womans position in the nineteenth century - "Rude men seized the kings daughter, cut out her tongue, cut off her hands, and then bade her go call for water and wash her hands." What a picture of womans position! Robbed of her natural rights, handicapped by law and custom at every turn, yet compelled to fight her own battles, and in the emergencies of life to fall back on herself for protection . . . . .
How the little courtesies of life on the surface of society, deemed so important from man towards woman, fade into utter insignificance in view of the deeper tragedies in which she must play her part alone, where no human aid is possible!
Nothing strengthens the judgment and quickens the conscience like individual responsibility. Nothing adds such dignity to character as the recognition of ones self -sovereignty; the right to an equal place, everywhere conceded -- a place earned by personal merit, not an artificial attainment by inheritance, wealth, family, and position.
Conceding then that the responsibilities of life rest equally on man and woman, that their destiny is the same, they need the same preparation for time and eternity.
The talk of sheltering woman from the fierce storms of life is the sheerest mockery, for they beat on her from every point of the compass, just as they do on man, and with more fatal results, for he has been trained to protect himself, to resist, to conquer . . . . .
In music women speak again the language of Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, and are worthy interpreters of their great thoughts. The poetry and novels of the century are theirs, and they have touched the keynote of orm in religion, politics and social life. They fill the editors and professors chair, plead at the bar of justice, walk the wards of the hospital, speak from the pulpit and the platform. Such is the type of womanhood that an enlightened public sentiment welcomes to-day, and such the triumph of the facts of life over the false theories of the past.
Is it, then, consistent to hold the developed woman of this day within the same narrow political limits as the dame with the spinning wheel and knitting needle occupied in the past? No, no! Machinery has taken the labors of woman as well as man on its tireless shoulders; the loom and the spinning wheel are but dreams of the past; the pen, the brush, the easel, the chisel, have taken their places, while the hopes and ambitions of women are essentially changed.
We see reason sufficient in the outer conditions of human beings for individual liberty and development, but when we consider the self-dependence of every human soul, we see the need of courage, judgment and the exercise of every faculty of mind and body, strengthened and developed by use, in woman as well as man...
**************
I was completely moved when I read this. I had never heard of it before watching a documentary tonight on Netflix called simply: "Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony" made in 1999.
Admittedly it was rather long, but it showed me a side of my own mothers life and times that I had not much considered. My mother was born in 1910 which was ten years before women were allowed to vote for the very first time in the USA -- the home of the brave and the land of the free.
She was born before women were thought of as "citizens" in the full sense of the word, meaning, in my mind, free to choose her life style, to own property, to develop her beliefs, and take on the roles she will play in this, her individual life. Just as any man does. His life is his life and he lives it from beginning to end in his own body with his own soul. A woman does the same. We end up at the same place, just as we all began at the same place.
There are many things that influence or change or affect any persons life. Some are rich, some are not. Some are beautiful in appearance, some are not. Some have the support of a family to grow in... others do not. Any and all of these things shape us, and our decisions and our outlook. If we are not caul to seek out truth on our own, we might never find the source of life. Some people are fortunate enough to be guided into this and, of course, others are not. It is not really the past that forms a life, it is the present.
I do not have a good segue to get to the thing that I really want to say in relation to all of this except that when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ we will be there on our own. Male, female, black, white, young, old, talented, simple, strong, feeble... we will, each one of us, be there, just as we are here, just as we were born, and lived, and just as we died: individuals. The only thing of importance will be: "Whom did you love?"
You know how you can watch a movie or be talking to someone and suddenly something just really fills you with a new thought? This was like that for me. To see and get an inkling of what it was like before. Let me not take it for granted. If you are thinking that I am a "feminist" you would be making a wrong assumption. I dont want power over men... or anyone. I just want to be free. Just like you.
"Life is like a coin. You can spend it on anything you want, but you can only spend it once." I am grateful that those men voted to give women (me) the vote and the opportunity to own property. They untied my hands and set me free -- as free as anyone gets, I think. Im grateful that God touched their hearts and they saw that all of us are in this together. That is sometimes a lesson which is a long time in coming.
Book Life Without Bread
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Hi,
Still struggling with occasional high carb items. When I go through a time like that, one of the things I do to combat it, is to once again read a book that inspired me in the past. "Life Without Bread" by Christian B. Allan, PhD., and Wolfgang Lutz, M.D. is one of those books.
LWB was what I wanted to read again, but I had to search my book cases to find it. Once I did find it I curled up and started to read. I had wanted to read this one because I remembered it as having a big impact on me when I first read it. That and Dr Atkins is where I got a lot of the information concerning low carb eating that I have believed for quite some time.
I found it interesting that in the first few pages it talked about things that I think I only skimmed over in my first reading so long ago. It made even better sense this second time through, because Im more educated on the subject matter now. As I read I could see where the vegetarian community had really influenced me in a particular direction -- that of the raw veggies -- but this book is not about the raw veggies -- it is about the protein, I think.
It is written with both a more "scientific" format, and also an "anecdotal" form, too, which makes it a more lively read. It first focuses on people from the past who researched and reported on the fact that a low carb/high protein eating plan brings about health in people.
(If you would like to examine or purchase LWB it can be found at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Life-Without-Bread-Low-Carbohydrate-Diet/dp/0658001701/=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330030311&sr=1-1 )
In fact, the number of pages that Ive covered so far is about what you can read online at Amazon. I remember the only thing I did not like about their program is how they count their carbs. You have to do two calculations to keep things on track. The two doctors believe that a limit of 72 carbs per day will help a person lose weight and heal them of some of the modern chronic diseases (like both obesity and diabetes), including cancer. They divide the 72 by 6 which gives you 6 "BU" (bread units). You can choose to simply remember that 12 usable carbs is a unit or you can use their BU plan. It is all the same in the end. I per the simpler approach which is one calculation rather than two. I have a hard time dividing and doing math in my head. On paper, Im fine, but not so much without it.
They cover protein, fats, and carbohydrates as individual subjects.
Here are three statements from the first few pages that I found impactful:
1. "Saturated fatty acids are more resistant to oxidation"... (eating) "saturated fat alone can resist oxidation. Saturated fat does not require a secondary molecule, such as an antioxidant, to eliminate the negative effect of oxidation."
That alone is a mind blower because that is not the standard take in the media, as you well know!! These two doctors say that eating saturated animal fat guards against oxidation in the human body. Ive known for a while that saturated fat is good for you but I dont think about it specifically very often. This brings it all back home again.
2. "There are a few known carbohydrates that help eliminate toxins from the body"... "Every carbohydrate your body needs can be made from either protein or fat"... "low-carbohydrate nutrition is very healthy and is the proper nutrition for humans."
That explains how the ancient Eskimos could survive on animal protein with very very few carbs and lived free from heart attacks and diabetes and all the other chronic diseases of civilization (with the exception, I believe, of arthritis).
3. "To repeat this important point, when you eat any carbohydrate you are essentially eating sugar."
Carbohydrates are from the plant family: fruit, vegetables, and grains. Sugar comes from beets or cane plants. Bread is a starchy food made from flour whether finely ground or whole (wheat or other grains) -- also think about "corn starch." Starchy carbs are also potatoes, yams, and sweet potatoes. Weve come to understand that these things turn to sugar very fast inside us. It is easy to understand that there is sugar in most fruits because we can taste it. Fruit juice is just "sugar faster."
But the thing we dont think much about is that we get sugar from vegetables, too. All carbohydrates turn to sugar inside us. If the veggies are cooked it happens faster. If they are raw, it happens more slowly -- thus, to my thinking, eating them raw is better for our blood sugar.
We usually think of vegetables as our source of vitamins and minerals and that is true. I have actually tried, at various times in my life, and in this blog, to eat only vegetables, or to eat only protein. I do better with a mix of them. Ive noticed that it is the protein that fills me up, but it is the vegetables that keep me balanced.
If Im eating the right mix (which Im beginning to believe may be 50/50) then I dont need antacids for my stomach. When Im eating only one side of the plate for a period of time, then I begin to crave things such as starches and sugars. I do sometimes have a protein meal and sometimes I have a veggie meal -- but I get out of whack if I try to do either one repeatedly for more than a few meals.
I had thought that 80/20 in favor of the veggies was more healthy, but Im beginning to think the 50/50 mix might be better. Maybe that will help me stay on track, too.
Going on with my reading.
Be back soon,
Marcia
Still struggling with occasional high carb items. When I go through a time like that, one of the things I do to combat it, is to once again read a book that inspired me in the past. "Life Without Bread" by Christian B. Allan, PhD., and Wolfgang Lutz, M.D. is one of those books.
LWB was what I wanted to read again, but I had to search my book cases to find it. Once I did find it I curled up and started to read. I had wanted to read this one because I remembered it as having a big impact on me when I first read it. That and Dr Atkins is where I got a lot of the information concerning low carb eating that I have believed for quite some time.
I found it interesting that in the first few pages it talked about things that I think I only skimmed over in my first reading so long ago. It made even better sense this second time through, because Im more educated on the subject matter now. As I read I could see where the vegetarian community had really influenced me in a particular direction -- that of the raw veggies -- but this book is not about the raw veggies -- it is about the protein, I think.
It is written with both a more "scientific" format, and also an "anecdotal" form, too, which makes it a more lively read. It first focuses on people from the past who researched and reported on the fact that a low carb/high protein eating plan brings about health in people.
(If you would like to examine or purchase LWB it can be found at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Life-Without-Bread-Low-Carbohydrate-Diet/dp/0658001701/=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330030311&sr=1-1 )
In fact, the number of pages that Ive covered so far is about what you can read online at Amazon. I remember the only thing I did not like about their program is how they count their carbs. You have to do two calculations to keep things on track. The two doctors believe that a limit of 72 carbs per day will help a person lose weight and heal them of some of the modern chronic diseases (like both obesity and diabetes), including cancer. They divide the 72 by 6 which gives you 6 "BU" (bread units). You can choose to simply remember that 12 usable carbs is a unit or you can use their BU plan. It is all the same in the end. I per the simpler approach which is one calculation rather than two. I have a hard time dividing and doing math in my head. On paper, Im fine, but not so much without it.
They cover protein, fats, and carbohydrates as individual subjects.
Here are three statements from the first few pages that I found impactful:
1. "Saturated fatty acids are more resistant to oxidation"... (eating) "saturated fat alone can resist oxidation. Saturated fat does not require a secondary molecule, such as an antioxidant, to eliminate the negative effect of oxidation."
That alone is a mind blower because that is not the standard take in the media, as you well know!! These two doctors say that eating saturated animal fat guards against oxidation in the human body. Ive known for a while that saturated fat is good for you but I dont think about it specifically very often. This brings it all back home again.
2. "There are a few known carbohydrates that help eliminate toxins from the body"... "Every carbohydrate your body needs can be made from either protein or fat"... "low-carbohydrate nutrition is very healthy and is the proper nutrition for humans."
That explains how the ancient Eskimos could survive on animal protein with very very few carbs and lived free from heart attacks and diabetes and all the other chronic diseases of civilization (with the exception, I believe, of arthritis).
3. "To repeat this important point, when you eat any carbohydrate you are essentially eating sugar."
Carbohydrates are from the plant family: fruit, vegetables, and grains. Sugar comes from beets or cane plants. Bread is a starchy food made from flour whether finely ground or whole (wheat or other grains) -- also think about "corn starch." Starchy carbs are also potatoes, yams, and sweet potatoes. Weve come to understand that these things turn to sugar very fast inside us. It is easy to understand that there is sugar in most fruits because we can taste it. Fruit juice is just "sugar faster."
But the thing we dont think much about is that we get sugar from vegetables, too. All carbohydrates turn to sugar inside us. If the veggies are cooked it happens faster. If they are raw, it happens more slowly -- thus, to my thinking, eating them raw is better for our blood sugar.
We usually think of vegetables as our source of vitamins and minerals and that is true. I have actually tried, at various times in my life, and in this blog, to eat only vegetables, or to eat only protein. I do better with a mix of them. Ive noticed that it is the protein that fills me up, but it is the vegetables that keep me balanced.
If Im eating the right mix (which Im beginning to believe may be 50/50) then I dont need antacids for my stomach. When Im eating only one side of the plate for a period of time, then I begin to crave things such as starches and sugars. I do sometimes have a protein meal and sometimes I have a veggie meal -- but I get out of whack if I try to do either one repeatedly for more than a few meals.
I had thought that 80/20 in favor of the veggies was more healthy, but Im beginning to think the 50/50 mix might be better. Maybe that will help me stay on track, too.
Going on with my reading.
Be back soon,
Marcia
Prevent Foot Pain youll sail through life with comfortable pain free feet
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Foot pain isnt normal. Here are six ways to prevent it.
1. Pay Attention to Hygiene and Pedicures
Feet are easy to ignore, especially in cooler months when theyre often in closed-toe shoes or boots. But a little attention can go a long way toward comfort, Frisch says.Make sure you cut toenails straight across" to avoid ingrown nails, Frisch says.
Moisturize dry skin on the foot when its cracked to keep feet comfortable, Frisch says, and to help ward off infections when bacteria enter through cracked skin.
"If you go to a pedicurist, be sure the shop is clean and take your own tools," Frisch says. Pedicure tools are widely sold at beauty supply stores and at some nail salons.
2. Be Alert to Age-Related Changes
Expect your foot to change as the years go by, Frisch says. Although the timing varies from person to person, changes in the 40s and 50s are typical, he says."With age, we lose some of our fat pads [on the bottom of the foot] and cushioning," Frisch says. That might mean wearing sturdier shoes, he says.
Arthritic changes can set in, Frisch says. The toes may bend or contract more, and the nails may be thicker, making you more prone to ingrown toenails.
Be alert for problems such as hammertoes, in which the middle joint bends down and the toes begin to look deformed; or for bunions, bony bumps at the base of the big toe that can be painful. These conditions may appear or worsen with age.
"Foot size can change as you get older," Frisch says. Generally feet get longer and wider as the tendons loosen, he says. Dont be surprised if your shoe size changes, and be sure to get feet measured when you buy shoes.
3. Wear Shoes That Fit -- and Match Your Activity
Sizing for shoes has become less standardized, Frisch says. That means you may be a size 7 in one shoe and a smaller or larger size in another.
"Measure your feet every time you get shoes," Frisch says. Buy shoes at the end of the day, because your feet tend to swell as the day progresses.If you are buying athletic shoes for walking, running, or other workouts, buy the appropriate shoe for the activity, Ross says. Walking shoes, for instance, have different features than do running shoes.
Next, pick the shoe thats best for any foot problem you have. For instance, if you are an overpronator -- your feet roll inward too much -- you should consider motion control shoes, Ross says.
If you read the marketing information that accompanies athletic shoes, Ross says, you can educate yourself about features the shoe has that you may need.
4. Give Your Arches the Support They Deserve
Foot specialists talk about the importance of proper arch support, but how can you tell, besides eyeballing your foot and guessing whether your arch is flat, high, or normal?You can ask your foot doctor to take a look, or you can evaluate your arches at home, Frisch says.
Take a brown paper bag, wet your foot, and put your foot [down] on it," Frisch says. "If you see just [mostly] the heel and the toes and a big gap, you have a high arch."
If you see a wide footprint, all filled in, your foot is probably flat, and needs more support than other types of arches.
"A flat foot needs the most [support]," Frisch says. If yours is flat, you might consider over-the-counter orthotic arch supports, he says. If those dont keep your feet comfortable, ask a foot doctor about custom orthotics, Frisch says. Theyre made to fit just your foot, and sometimes give better results.
5. Reconsider the Stilettos and Flip-Flops continued...
Ross, too, concedes that very occasional high heel wear is probably OK, but only up to a two-inch heel.Why not a higher heel? "It may look great and sexy, but its very hard on the feet," Frisch says. The higher the heel, the more pressure it put on the balls of the feet. Wearing high heels also becomes more uncomfortable with age, he says, because of foot changes such as loss of the fatty pads on the bottom of the feet.
If you notice friction points, areas that become irritated when you wear high-heeled shoes, put a bandage on ahead of time to cut down on the friction, Frisch suggests. Often, the friction point is the pinkie toe, especially in closed-toe shoes, or the heel, he says.Flip-flops are another point of contention with foot specialists. Skip the flip-flops," Ross says. Thats especially true, he says, if you overpronate. "Your feet will roll in even more," if you have a flip-flop habit. "There is no protection, there is no support, there is no stability."
When pressed, Ross says occasional flip-flop wear may be OK for dedicated lovers of the shoe style -- but only if you are not doing a lot of walking."
For those who cant give up their flip-flops, Frisch suggests considering the flip-flop styles with built-in arch support. Manufacturers note the arch support feature prominently.
6. Pick Your Baoot Moments
But its easier to have an accident when baoot," Frisch says. You can easily step on something, especially outdoors, or stub your toe on furniture indoors.
People with healthier, pain-free feet are safer going baoot than people with foot problems, Ross says. If your foot still has an adequate fat pad and no calluses, its OK sometimes, he says. But if you have foot problems to begin with, he advises against going baoot.
Consider the environment when deciding whether to go baoot, Ross says. In a health club, for instance, you may be risking a fungal infection if you shed shoes and socks.
Regular physical activity in later life boosts likelihood of healthy aging up to sevenfold
Monday, February 24, 2014
Helps stave off major ill health and dementia even for those getting started relatively late
Its never too late to get physically active, with even those starting relatively late in life reaping significant health benefits, finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Four years of sustained regular physical activity boosted the likelihood of healthy ageing sevenfold compared with consistent inactivity, the findings show.
The researchers tracked the health of almost 3500 people, whose average age was 64, for more than eight years. All were participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, which involves a nationally representative sample of the household population of England, born on or before 29 February 1952.
The researchers wanted to quantify the impact of physical activity on the risk of developing long term conditions, depression, and dementia, and on the likelihood of "healthy ageing."
This is usually taken to mean not only an absence of major disease and disability, but also good mental health, the preservation of cognitive abilities, and the ability to maintain social connections/activities.
Theres a growing body of evidence to suggest that regular physical activity is essential for the maintenance of good health, while across the developed world, inactivity is ranked alongside smoking, excess drinking, and obesity as a leading cause of reduced life expectancy.
Participants described the frequency and intensity of regular physical activity they did in 2002-3, and then every subsequent two years until 2010-11.
Their responses were categorised as: inactive (no moderate or vigorous activity on a weekly basis); moderately active (at least once a week); and vigorously active (at least once a week).
Any changes in frequency and intensity were noted at the two yearly monitoring sessions: always inactive; became inactive; became active; always active.
Serious ill health, such as heart disease/stroke, diabetes, emphysema, or Alzheimers disease, was confirmed by medical records.
Cognitive abilities and mental health were assessed using a battery of validated tests, while disability was measured according to participants responses to questions about the ease with which they were able to carry out routine activities of daily living, and an objective test of walking speed.
Nearly one in 10 of the sample became active and 70% remained active. The rest remained inactive or became inactive.
At the end of the monitoring period almost four out of 10 had developed a long term condition; almost one in five was depressed; a third had some level of disability; and one in five was cognitively impaired.
But one in five was defined as a healthy ager. And there was a direct link to the likelihood of healthy ageing and the amount of exercise taken.
Those who had regularly indulged in moderate or vigorous physical activity at least once a week were three to four times more likely to be healthy agers than those who had remained inactive, after taking account of other influential factors.
Those who became physically active also reaped benefits, compared with those who did nothing. They were more than three times as likely to be healthy agers.
And those who sustained regular physical activity over the entire period were seven times as likely to be healthy agers as those who had consistently remained inactive.
"This study supports public health initiatives designed to engage older adults in physical activity, even those who are of advanced age," conclude the authors.
Healthy Tips To Extend Your Life
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Many people mistakenly believe that the process of aging is normal and inevitable. Forward thinking researchers now believe the process of aging is a disease process which can be thwarted through dietary calorie restriction. While genetics does play a role in the aging process, we can modify the effects through lifestyle modification and ensure our senior years are healthy, vibrant and disease free.
Processed Foods Lead to Disease
Cutting edge scientists are beginning to believe that the human body has a normal life span of nearly 120 years. Presently life expectancy is around 80 years, with many living their latter years in declining health. By adopting a diet consisting in large part of processed and ined foods and avoiding exercise, we are actually taking years away from our biological potential. Eating foods which have been stripped of nutrition for years and decades causes our cellular metabolism to decline. The body can amazingly compensate for a period of time, but eventually it will take its toll. Further, we live in an environment which continually subjects us to increasing pollutants, electro-magnetic radiation and a host of synthesized chemicals which we absorb from cleaning and beauty products. We rely on pharmaceuticals to keep us healthy, but in most cases these drugs only add to the assault placed on our body.
Calorie Restriction Proven to Extend Life
Research which began back in the 1930s has demonstrated that a dietary lifestyle known as caloric restriction can extend healthy lifespan in mammals, and indications are that it does the same in humans. By reducing the amount of calories consumed by 25% we cause the body to revert to a starvation survival mode, where our evolutionary ancestors would have been able to survive a famine when food was scarce. We dont have that problem today, but our genetics are still wired to react to calorie reduction by setting in place a very complex chain of molecular reactions which put the brakes on heart disease, cancer proliferation, dementia, and many of the diseases we associate with aging. A simple 25% reduction in calories and the associated weight loss over a period of two years has been shown to directly lead to a reduction in arterial plaque and heart disease risk.Monitor Blood Sugar to Avoid Diabetes
We typically dont think about what happens at the cellular level and in our blood every time we eat a meal. The body is a very efficient machine, breaking down every food item into the vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats which are made available for energy and metabolism. The Standard American Diet (SAD) of highly ined carbohydrates and trans fats floods the blood with these breakdown products, overwhelming our capacity to mop up the excess glucose and lipids which hit the blood. This is known as post-prandial disorder, and when allowed to continue meal after meal directly leads to disease which will shorten our life. High post meal blood sugar is one of the most damaging and controllable conditions.By regularly using a simple and inexpensive blood glucose meter, we can monitor and regulate the blood glucose surges after meals. Check your blood sugar readings one and two hours after eating, and ensure that the readings are not over 140 mg/dl and 120 mg/dl respectively. Extensive data indicates that extended blood glucose readings over 140 mg/dl lead to death of the pancreatic beta cells which produce insulin, and once gone they do not regenerate. Eventually this leads to diabetes and dramatically increased risk of heart disease and many cancers.
Elevated Blood Pressure Doubles Risk of Heart Attack
Blood pressure has been called the silent killer for a very good reason. Elevated readings as small as 20 (mm Hg) over the optimal reading of 115/75 are associated with a doubled risk of heart attack. Many people of all ages are walking around with elevated blood pressure which act as a ticking bomb waiting to explode in their arteries. Higher pressure in the arteries causes small cracks of the inner lining of the vessels which the body expediently fills with a foamy substance called plaque. This creates an increased burden for the heart and results in higher blood pressure. Interestingly, a recent study found that lowering blood pressure by commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals did not equate to lowered risk of future disease. Following a natural, non-ined diet with adequate exercise and stress reduction works far better than any drug at reducing and virtually eliminating heart disease risk.It is possible to avoid many of the common ailments which claim the lives of so many Americans and extend your natural life cycle by following several critical modification tips. Calorie Restriction, Blood Glucose and Blood Pressure Monitoring are key lifestyle tenants which when started early enough, have been proven to maximize the limits of your healthy later years. While we dont know exactly how long the average human life can be extended by using these techniques, we do know that living a disease free existence is a significant benefit.
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