Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A Mother's Interaction Determines Child's Behavior





http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080623102530.htm

A recent study shows a not-so-surprising result. The way a mother interacts with her baby determines the later behavior of the child. Infants who were more intellectually stimulated were at low risk of childhood behavioral problems.

The study shows how the first year of an infant's life is crucial and can predict the next 13 years.

Monday, June 23, 2008

How to prevent a stroke

A stroke is when blood stops flowing to the brain from a blood clot or a narrowing of an artery, thus resulting in a lack of oxygen to the brain and dying brain cells. Such an attack on the brain can have dire consequences.


If you have sudden numbness, confusion, dizziness or an intensely severe headache, you may be having a mini-stroke, and you need to see a Dr. immediately.
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Some preventable things you can do:

  • maintain normal blood pressure
  • quit smoking
  • treat heart disease if needed
  • treat diabetes if needed

For further info: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/preventing_stroke.htm

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

You are what you eat


Today's Reuters reports on an amazing study led by Dr. Dean Ornish, head of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, Sausalito, California.

Ornish is known as a guru who praises healthy lifestyle changes. In his study, after 3 months of a major lifestyle change that included exercise, a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables combined with meditation, patients with low-risk prostrate cancer were able to alter 500 genes in their bodies.
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The amazing part is not that genes were altered, but that the disease-preventing genes increased (48 genes turned on), while the disease-promoting ones decreased (453 turned off).
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We have the power to change our bodies within 3 months. Amazing!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Sarcasm is healthy

I'm so sarcastic, so I must be really healthy. Ha ha.
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This title is a bit misleading. Recent research shows that patients who have certain brain disabilities are unable to perceive sarcasm.
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To perceive sarcasm consists of reading the social context. The right parahippocampal gyrus is the part of the brain that detects sarcasm, while the right frontal lobe is where humor is detected on the MRI.
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So when people start being unable to perceive sarcasm it can be a sign of impending dementia.
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Read the interesting article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/health/research/03sarc.html?ex=1228622400&en=03e580d3852b34b7&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=HL-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M047-ROS-0608-HDR&WT.mc_ev=click&mkt=HL-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M047-ROS-0608-HDR

Monday, June 9, 2008

Healthy Relationships


Having a loving relationship with another person is wonderful for your health. But sometimes a long partnership can reach an impasse - an impasse that almost seems insolvable.
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Marriage therapist Michele Weiner Davis believes there are steps one can take to save a troubled relationship. Her advice is not only good for dying out marriages, but is also effective in how to live a healthy empowered life.
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Her website and public forum is enlightening:

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Use it or lose it


A recent study from Stanford shows that 60 minutes per week of vigorous exercise wards off disabilities in seniors.
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It makes sense; the more that we move about, increasing our circulation and our blood flow to important organs, we will be that much healthier. There doesn't seem to be a healthy outcome with a sedentary lifestyle, even though it seems like a popular lifestyle choice.
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It would be good to see school programs focusing on life long habits of exercising rather than on the competitiveness of winning a game. American school phys-ed classes tend to focus on athletic students who can win games. This needs to change. Non-athletic students should feel safe in learning about exercise, rather than feeling shamed for their lack of prowess. Perhaps Yoga can become a school staple.
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Exercise should become a life long habit for everyone. For details about the study: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080603185228.htm

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Golf is good


Great news for golfers. A recent study from Sweden shows that playing golf is such a healthy pursuit that it even will help you live longer.
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Tuesday, June 3, 2008

don't dwell on painful thoughts


Recent research about collective trauma such as a school shooting shows that not expressing one's feelings was healthier than letting it all out. This is contrary to what many have believed for a long time - that it's best to talk out your pain.
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However, maybe dwelling on pain strengthens its negative feelings in the circuitry of the brain.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080601092206.htm

Monday, June 2, 2008

What's your biological age?



It seems like everyone is concerned with aging these days, from the personal to the political.
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For example, the Japanese government is worried that Japan's rapidly aging population will not include enough of an abled-body workforce. While the celebrity pages dish up images of liposuctioned and surgically manipulated fleshpots.
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Isn't age just a number? Some people age quicker than others.
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If you want to see what your biological age is, which is determined by your level of health and fitness and is not determined by the date you were born, go to www.realage.com and take their real age test.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Mediterranean diet stops diabetes

A Spanish study released May 30 claims a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in animal products may prevent you from getting Type 2 Diabetes.
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Yummy, Greek salad. Eating healthy foods can also be so satisfying.
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Read here for more details:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/05/30/mediterranean-diet-may-ward-off-type-2-diabetes.html