For 20 years, social epidemiologist Jeff Levin, Ph.D., M.P.H., has been collecting data to see if there’s a link between faith and health. His conclusion, coming on a holy week for the nation’s Christians and Jews: “About 80 percent to 90 percent of these studies show there is something positive going on. We’re swimming in empirical evidence.” Among those documenting the case is Harold G. Koenig, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the Duke University Medical Center: “Our studies have shown those who benefit most are those who both attend religious services and practice personal belief at home such as reading religious literature and prayer,” he says. According to […]
There are many reasons why a couple may have difficulty in conceiving a child. Disease, drugs, heredity, lifestyle habits or even exposure to certain toxins can affect fertility. Among the most common culprits of diminished reproductive capacity are: Endometriosis — This condition affects a woman’s pelvic cavity, where tissue fragments from the innermost lining of the uterus (the endometrium) grow and function outside the uterus. They are one of the causes of painful menstruation and infertility. Endometriosis strikes up to 10 million American women and is a major cause of female infertility. These displaced pieces of tissue are not shed vaginally with normal menstrual blood, but instead accumulate inside […]
For Your Health’s Sake: Try a Little Tenderness You are concerned about your heart, so you don’t smoke, you eat a healthful diet and you exercise on a regular basis. Perhaps you should also lay off the negativity and controlling comments when you talk to your spouse. A 3-year study of older married couples conducted by psychologists from the University of Utah has shown a link between the quality of relationships and atherosclerosis, or the narrowing of the arteries that carry blood to the heart. In the study, researchers evaluated videotapes of dialogue between 150 married couples. (At least one member of each couple was beween 60 and […]
Aerobic exercise can increase women’s bone density, and it need not be a high-impact regimen to work, new research shows. In fact, experts’ recommendations for general health–walking for about 30 minutes a day, a few days a week–is enough to lend the bones a hand, George A. Kelley, of the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in Boston, told Reuters Health. In a review of 24 studies on aerobic exercise and bone mineral density in women, Kelley’s team found that, on average, regular exercisers saw about a 2% bone mass gain over non-exercisers. Whether the modest gain translates into a lower risk of the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis […]
Feb 2004 Walking Rivals Jogging for Heart Health Moderate walking prevents disease as well as more strenuouis exercise does says a new report. A large study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that women over 50 years who walked 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, reduced their risk of having a heart attack just as much as women who jogged, played tennis, or did aerobics for an equal amount of time. Each group cut their risk by a third, regardless of age or weight. It was noted, however, that a leisurely stroll won’t do. You need to walk at a moderate pace of 3 to […]
Getting babies to be active isn’t rocket science: Put a 3-month-old briefly on his tummy and watch him struggle to lift his head. Move an infant’s hands to play patty-cake. Provide crawlers with sturdy furniture to pull on and soon they’ll stand. But too many tots are confined for long periods in strollers, baby seats or playpens when they should be moving around, says the National Association for Sport and Physical Activity. Instead, babies, toddlers and preschoolers need simple but targeted daily activities that are crucial building blocks in learning to walk, run and eventually do all the other tasks the rest of us take for granted, the association says […]
The best diet is one that supplies our daily lifestyle requirements while supporting a healthy weight AND we can maintain it for the rest of our life. It seems like every month we hear about a new diet book released, a new scientific breakthrough or a new Guru expounding his theory on weight control and dieting to manage health and disease. WebMD provides us with a list of 107 diets, yes 107. How many of these have been successful. I can guess that the majority have noted successes at diet or disease management because in most if not all cases, people who resort to dieting, for any reason are more […]
A half hour’s stroll can give people with hardening of the arteries in their legs or arms a boost in protection from a heart attack or stroke, a study finds. “The findings overall are encouraging,” said Russell C. Pate, associate dean for research at the University of South Carolina’s School of Public Health. “This class of patient already has atherosclerotic disease. It’s important to do everything possible to slow or stop the progression of that disease.” The study found walking boosted levels of a natural clot-dissolving chemical called tissue plasminogen activator, known as TPA. The body makes TPA, and genetically engineered versions are used as drugs to treat heart […]
Fit Fights Stroke Risk Moderate, consistent exercise can significantly lower your risk of stroke. A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that people who are even moderately fit have a considerably lower risk of stroke than inactive people. In the study, researchers looked at data on 16,878 men aged 40 to 87 with no previous history of heart attack or stroke. The researchers classified the men as high-, medium- or low fitness based on results of a treadmill test. During an average of 10 years of follow up, 32 of the men died of strokes. The researchers determined that men in the […]
Maintaining or improving fitness can help you live longer, whether you lose weight or not, a new study concludes. The research included more than 14,000 middle-aged men. They were given treadmill tests to measure fitness at the start of the study and about 6 years later. Fitness was measured in metabolic equivalents (METs). In all, researchers kept track of the men for 11 years. In that time, men who became more fit had a 40% lower death rate from heart disease and from all causes than those who became less fit. Just staying at the same fitness level reduced death rates by 30%. Every 1-MET increase in fitness was […]
We all know that keeping physically active and exercising regularly are good for your health. Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week: Lowers blood pressure Decreases the risk of heart disease Helps prevent type 2 diabetes Reduces the risk of certain types of cancer Adds to bone strength Assists in weight control Regular exercise also improves your chances of living longer with more stamina. But how do you know if you are getting enough exercise? This is where fitness comes in. Defining Fitness We often use the term fit to describe someone who looks healthy and trim with muscular definition. But the more technical definition refers to […]
If you’ve paid even a nanosecond of attention, you know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That doesn’t mean you’re doing it right. A study of ninth-graders found that more than two-thirds of the students weren’t making the most of their financial and nutritional investments in the morning meal. In the study, which involved 567 high school freshmen in New Orleans, researchers analyzed tons of data to conclude that cereal is the most nutritious and cheapest breakfast food. But less than one-third of the students surveyed ate cereal. Most ate something else – bagels, bacon and eggs, sweet rolls – and 5 percent had fast-food breakfasts. Theresa […]
Eating a nutritious breakfast is a great way to jump-start the day, yet a tasty breakfast might not be finding its way onto your kitchen table. Rushed morning routines, trying to lose weight, and lack of appetite early in the morning are all reasons people skip breakfast. Nevertheless, mounting evidence supports the idea that breakfast may indeed be the most important meal of the day. Breakfast Benefits Studies examining eating habits suggest that the regular consumption of breakfast can: Reduce risk of obesity and high cholesterol Decrease insulin resistance (a condition that increases risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease) Improve performance on memory-related tasks Minimize impulsive snacking […]
Like the rest of your body, your brain needs exercise to keep fit. Most research on brain health can only show that certain behaviours are associated with beneficial results. In other words, it appears that people who do crossword puzzles have better memories. But scientists can’t prove that doing crossword puzzles is responsible. People who do puzzles might have better memories because of other habits or their genetics. Still, it’s worth doing all you can to stay clear-headed, incisive, clever and quick. Be a Social Butterfly Research shows that staying socially active helps maintain brain function. If you’re retired and spend time alone, consider a part-time job or volunteer at […]
Bowel movements are the result of the digestive/eliminative process. Think of it as a finished car coming off the production line. Inspecting it will show whether the process met the manufacturer’s specifications. Bowel health is not often enough talked about. One doctor, giving a lecture at age 91 was asked what was the secret of his health and strength. He said, “take care of your stomach for the first 40 years and your stomach will take care of you for the next 40 years. Dr. Bernard Jensen has a very good book on bowel health that everyone should read called “Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management”. In it he presents […]
Prevention, magazine, Mar. 1998, reminds us that eating the right foods helps keep the mind clear, quick and sharp and helps to fight off diseases. “Abstemiousness in diet is rewarded with mental and moral vigor.” CDF:126. Here is a list of eight (8) Laws that positively affect and improve the mind Law of Mental Exercise (also see Lifestyle blog on physical exercise) “It is a law of the mind that it will narrow or expand to the dimensions of the things with which it becomes familiar.”- Mind, Character, and Personality, Volume 1, page 101, Law of Beholding “It is a law of the mind that it gradually adapts itself […]
Patients suffering from bipolar disorder who underwent therapy to help them maintain a regular daily routine and cope with stress were able to avoid relapses over a two-year period, a study has found. The study, published in September’s Archives of General Psychiatry, examined a therapy developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Using what researchers dubbed interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, patients were taught how to keep to normal sleeping, eating and other daily routines. They also were shown how to anticipate and cope with stress just as a diabetic who would be taught, for example, how to cook and eat differently. “This is really a […]
Mice may be teaching us about the genetic basis of bipolar disorder. This mood disorder, which is often called by its older name, manic-depressive illness, is characterized by wide mood swings that range from high (manic) to low (depressed). Scientists, who published their research in the April 10 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), studied mice that have a variation or mutation in a gene called the Clock gene. The Clock gene helps regulate the body’s daily circadian rhythm — the ups and downs of biological functions that occur over a 24-hour period. Mice with this variant gene show signs similar to human mania. When […]
Last night, the tacos smothered in onions were great, but this morning your breath could fell a sumo wrestler. What to do? When your breath has been turned toxic by smelly foods — usually garlic, onions, or curry, but fish and cheese can do a number too — you need an air freshener for your mouth. And often: every 30 to 60 minutes until whatever it is has cleared out of your bloodstream, which sometimes can take up to 24 hours. Since brushing constantly is impossible, try countering offending foods with what’s likely to be handiest: other foods. 1. Lemons. Suck on a lemon wedge or nibble on the rind — […]
Heavy smoking in midlife more than doubles your odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a Kaiser Permanente study said Monday. The study is the first to examine the long-term consequences of heavy smoking on Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, says the study’s principal investigator, Rachel Whitmer, a research scientist with Kaiser Permanente in Oakland. Researchers evaluated the records of 21,123 men and women, who, starting in midlife, were followed for an average of 23 years. Of 5,367 study participants diagnosed with dementia later in life, 2,367 were smokers, and 261 were heavy smokers (more than two packs a day). Compared with non-smokers, those who had smoked two packs of cigarettes a day […]