Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

By: Lara Endreszl

Sometimes used as a tactic to show perspective, oftentimes used as an insult, the phrase “take a look inside yourself” is better served for the mind rather than with an actual mirror, but for someone searching for answers it is always a powerful solution. A relatively new idea, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), is exactly in line with the self-reflection hinted at in the above imperative statement.

As a process of focused awareness on the present, the practice of MBSR reserves judgment, allowing the patient to let go of the restrictions he or she constantly puts on themselves. By letting go of those restrictions, they are also able to deny access to other people and other outside sources that can alter his or her mood or attitude.

In 1979, a young doctor by the name of Jon Kabat-Zinn proposed a new alternative program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Kabat-Zinn called it the Stress Reduction Clinic in opposition to using the word “meditation” for fear of not being taken seriously enough. The program gained popularity and soon expanded, ending up being called The Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare and Society.

By fusing mindfulness, meditation, a mixture of martial arts and yoga, MBSR teaches you to work through your own demons such as stress, pain, illness, or emotional challenges that can plague your life, MBSR uses spirituality to create awareness. Patients going through the program are able to take hold of their own life using affirmations to ensure a positive outlook. With tens of thousands of patients having graduated from the MBSR program, there are now hundreds of hospitals across the United States that have enacted similar programs.

A sister-program to MBSR is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, or MBCT. As a sect of MBSR, MBCT deals with depression as a cognitive-based therapy connecting the ideas of thinking with the impact of feelings. MBCT focuses on recognizing moods of depression and helping to defer negative patterns of thought before depression overwhelms you.

According to multiple studies that researched the many benefits of MBSR, there was a lowered use of pain medications overall, a boost in self esteem and an increase of patient activity related to a revived zest for life. MBSR is an intensive 8-week program that trains the student to meditate according to mindfulness to achieve the awareness between mind and body one is searching for.

MBSR has been used to treat minor pains and chronic illnesses and new research is being done all the time. One study in particular set to end this year is sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and is being conducted at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. Professor and co-director Susan Folkman and her team are conducting a threefold rigorous study in order to show the effects of MBSR in patients with HIV diagnosed in an early stage. Hoping to slow the progression of HIV when patients need to start the antiretroviral treatment (ART)—the process of helping to stop or slow the disease—by using MBSR to decrease T-cells is their first goal. Secondly, the team of scientists will use MBSR to combat stress and biological stress arousal that could be affecting the immune functions. The third project is to test the immunity pathways and functions which are affected by MBSR and stress against HIV cell replication.

It seems that Dr. Kabat-Zinn was onto something in the 1970s when he came up with the idea for Mindful Based Stress Reduction and the trend has stuck. More than just meditation and yoga, MBSR has been shown to help many patients struggling to cope with outside forces because he or she is not at peace with what is inside. Who knows, the foundations of MBSR and the act of taking a look inside of you may just be the answer to hundreds of dollars worth of therapy sessions, acupuncture treatments, or the overused rubber stress ball.

art and health

Some Scary News..

Monday, April 27, 2009

By Michael Kahn

LONDON (Reuters) - Current flu vaccines will not stop a deadly virus spreading around the world but people who have had their annual shots may end up with milder symptoms, vaccine specialists said on Monday.

The flu virus has killed as many as 149 people in Mexico and has spread into the United States, Canada and Europe, prompting fears the new strain could mark the start of a pandemic.

So-called swine flu is a variant of the H1N1 form of the human influenza virus. Mutations of this strain have been circulating in the human population for years and the current seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against H1N1.

But tests show the H1N1 component of the current seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against the new strain although the jabs may still offer some benefit, experts say.

"There may well be some immunity to H1N1 at the population level that will provide a degree of protection," said Dr. John McConnell, editor of the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

While the virus has so far has killed no one outside Mexico, it spreads quickly between humans which makes health officials fear it could cause the flu pandemic that scientists say is long overdue.

Experts agree the process for making vaccines is clumsy and outdated, but new and more efficient technologies are still a few years away.

At least 20 companies make flu vaccines including Sanofi Pasteur, Australia's CSL Ltd, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Novartis AG, Baxter and nasal spray maker MedImmune, acquired by AstraZeneca Plc.

"Clearly if this virus evolves into a pandemic, the first wave will come and go before a vaccine can be produced," Karl Nicholson, a vaccine expert at Leicester University in Britain said in a telephone interview.

"There has been this realization we can't make a vaccine in time so we should be priming populations."

Another problem is many people do not get yearly flu vaccines because they live in poor countries or do not see it as a priority.

U.S. health officials recommend that 261 million Americans -- 85 percent of the population -- should be vaccinated against flu but a RAND Corp. study in December showed only about a third of those who should have did get the vaccine.

Other experts noted that because swine flu is only partly related to human strains, vaccines already in use will not be effective in producing antibodies that provide protection.

But there may be some benefit when it comes to white blood cells, which can shorten the period of infection, Ian Jones, a researcher at the University of Reading said.

"The most likely result is that a current vaccination would not stop you from being infected but might reduce the severity of the symptoms," he said.

Brushing Teeth May Prevent Heart Attacks, Study Finds

WASHINGTON - People with the germiest mouths are the most likely to have heart attacks, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.

A study that compared heart attack victims to healthy volunteers found the heart patients had higher numbers of bacteria in their mouths, the researchers said.

Their findings add to a growing body of evidence linking oral hygiene with overall health.

Oelisoa Andriankaja and colleagues at the University at Buffalo in New York were trying to find if any particular species of bacteria might be causing heart attacks.

Their tests on 386 men and women who had suffered heart attacks and 840 people free of heart trouble showed two types — Tannerella forsynthesis and Prevotella intermedia — were more common among the heart attack patients.

But more striking, the people who had the most bacteria of all types in their mouths were the most likely to have had heart attacks, they told a meeting of the International Association of Dental Research in Miami.

"The message here is that even though some specific periodontal pathogens have been found to be associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, the total bacterial pathogenic burden is more important than the type of bacteria," Andriankaja, now at the University of Puerto Rico, said in a statement.

"In other words, the total number of 'bugs' is more important than one single organism."

Doctors are not sure how bacteria may be linked with heart attacks but several studies have shown associations between gum disease and heart disease. Bacteria may set off general inflammation that in turn causes blood to clot.

Copyright 2009 Reuters. Click for restrictions.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29990146/

HealthDay: "Marathons Go the Distance on Heart Health

Today, I accidentally ran eight miles. Now, you might be questioning how an individual could achieve such an act. The truth is, I was inspired by an article I read this morning about a Taiwanese man who ran 52 marathons in 52 days, and decided to go for a long, stress-relieving run. Turns out I was a little too pumped keeping pace with the Bruce Springsteen set I was listening and I completely missed a mile marker on a one-way trail. Unfortunately, when I turned around, I ran straight into a wind and hail storm-- and there is nothing like rocking out to "Glory Days" with pellets of ice sailing toward your face when you're four miles deep in a wheat field with only one way home. P.S. Pullman: it's mid-April.
With that exciting anecdote, I returned to read this article from HealthDay related to the health benefits of running, and I felt a little more accomplished about said mistake. Perhaps it will inspire you to miss a mile marker or two.

FRIDAY, April 10 (HealthDay News) -- Long-distance runners are less likely than other people to develop metabolic syndrome, a group of health problems that include high blood pressure and high cholesterol and can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

U.S. researchers analyzed data from the National Runners' Health Study of more than 62,000 men and 45,000 women. They found that men who ran two or more marathons per year were 41 percent less likely to suffer from high blood pressure, 32 percent less likely to have high cholesterol, and 87 percent less likely to have diabetes than non-marathoners.

Men who ran only one marathon every two to five years were also significantly less likely to have these conditions than non-marathoners.

Study author Paul Williams found that the benefits of running marathons were largely independent of total number of miles run per year by participants. This indicates that isolated distance running bouts in preparation for marathons may have helped decrease the risk of disease. Even runners who didn't enter marathons, but did include longer runs as part of their usual exercise routines, were less likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.

The findings were published in the March issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

"All forms of regular exercise provide important health benefits. But these data suggest there may be heightened benefits for those who make the exceptional effort and commitment," Williams said in an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) news release.

However, he noted that people who regularly run marathons may be genetically predisposed to running long distances.

"Not everyone is going to run marathons, but most can probably exercise a lot more than they are currently. Those with heart conditions should consult their physician," Williams said.

Research shows that even modest sessions of regular exercise, such as walking half an hour a day, can improve health, sustain quality of life and boost longevity, according to the ACSM.

Step Outside to Recharge!

By Andrea Miller MSNBC.com

In our increasingly urbanized world, it turns out that a little green can go a long way toward improving our health, not just that of the planet.
That could mean something as simple as a walk in the park or just a tree viewed through a window. It's not necessarily the exercise that is the key. It's the refreshing contact with nature and its uncomplicated demands on us.
Here is how it works: Modern life — commuting, computing, paying taxes — can place a burden on our brains and bodies. In recent years, scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Landscape and Human Health Laboratory and elsewhere have compiled evidence that suggests that a connection to nature is vital to our psychological and physical health because it helps recharge our brains so that we're better able to cope with the stresses in life.
This ingrained dependence on our environment is like that of any other animal it seems, because like other organisms, we evolved to thrive in our natural surroundings, said Frances (Ming) Kuo, director of the laboratory. Kuo's colleague William Sullivan discussed this topic earlier this month at a symposium, "Exploring the Dynamic Relationship Between Health and the Environment," at the American Museum of Natural History here.
"It's out there in real life; people can see it," Kuo told LiveScience.
Urban shift
In 2007, it was estimated that more than half of the world's population lived in urban, rather than rural, areas for the first time in human history.
Urban environments, with their traffic and harried pace, are a constant drain on our mental resources because we have to work to pay attention to a myriad of stimuli.
Similarly, animals taken out of their natural habitats can start to degrade mentally and physically — parenting skills decline, aggression increases and playful activity stops. Some of these same symptoms can be seen in particularly stressed human populations.
Nature, on the other hand, is a little kinder to our craniums.
"In evolution, those of us who found it — nature — sort of inherently interesting probably were more likely to remember where the berries were" or where a specific threat was, Kuo explained. "And so the idea is that we're selected for being interested in relevant natural phenomena."
So thanks to evolution, we don't have to work to pay attention to nature — it, well, naturally interests us. Several studies conducted by Kuo and her colleagues show that exercising this easy interest in nature, even unconsciously, seems to improve our ability to pay attention and react to stressful situations.
Green vs. non-green
In a 2001 study detailed in the journal Environment and Behavior, Kuo and her colleagues surveyed parents of children aged 7 to 12 who had been diagnosed with an attention deficit disorder. They asked the parents to rate activities that seemed to alleviate their child's symptoms and which seemed to aggravate them.
They found the children functioned better after a "green" activity (i.e. one that likely took place in a natural setting, such as fishing or soccer) than a "non-green" one (such as watching TV or playing video games).
Kuo and her colleagues think the improvement stems from nature's ability to capture our attention involuntarily, giving the hard-working, overtaxed part of our brain used to voluntarily focus our attention on more demanding tasks a break, essentially allowing it to recharge.
A series of studies conducted by Kuo's lab in public housing around Chicago found similar results. The researchers interviewed a number of female residents of public housing projects. Each subject was randomly assigned to rooms that had views of trees or grass outside and ones that looked out on barren courtyards.
People living in public housing "have fatiguing lives, and not particularly rejuvenating home circumstances," Kuo said. "They're just much more likely to be at the end of their rope on any given day."
Through the interviews, the researchers found that residents whose apartments were exposed to green spaces reported fewer aggressive conflicts, including domestic violence, than those who that had no views of green spaces. They also procrastinated less on major goals, such as finding a job or a new home, and were less likely to think their problems were unsolvable.
Having our capacities for attention restored, "allows us to be our best selves, so we are able to inhibit impulses that we want to be able to inhibit; we can take the long view of things; we can think better," Kuo said.
These benefits can reach beyond an individual person to the community or even society, by strengthening community ties and helping disadvantaged populations better cope with and solve their problems.
"When you take the individual effects, and then you magnify it by the fact that people around you share that same environment, you can actually imagine that they're really, really significant effects," Kuo said.
For example, greener areas also had lower crime rates and more socializing between neighbors.
Where there are trees and other greenery outside buildings, "what you see is people are using the outdoor spaces more often, and as a consequence, they actually run into each other," Kuo said. And with more people using the spaces, there are more "eyes on the street," which could deter crime.
The green spaces are "kind of the seed around which strong neighborhoods grow," Kuo said.
Physical health
Access to green spaces can lead to improvements in physical health too, other studies have found.
One study of 80- to 85-year-olds conducted in Tokyo found that those with access to green space had a lower rate of mortality, even when socioeconomic status was taken into account.
Another study in the United Kingdom found that the health disparities normally seen between the wealthy and non-wealthy disappeared when access to green areas was factored in.
One study conducted in Indianapolis found that children in greener neighborhoods had a reduced risk of being overweight or obese.
"All their findings are kind of pointing in the same direction," Kuo said.
Kuo said that the connections between green spaces and health could be applied to daily life, both at the individual and community levels.
After a hard day at work, maybe do a little gardening before starting in on the taxes, or, if you're a student, play some soccer before studying for that test. (Kuo said that nature isn't the only thing that can help us rejuvenate in this way — reading a book for pleasure, listening to music or spending quiet time with friends and family can also help by easily engaging us while letting our brains rest.)
Cities and other communities can also use this information, and several already have.
Chicago recently undertook a $10 million tree-planting initiative — the largest in city history. They also used a large chunk of the federal funds for rehabbing the city on landscaping, which Kuo was told was done partly because of the findings of her studies.
Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York also have city greening initiatives running or in the works.
"So it seems like policy folks are paying attention," Kuo said.
But even with the benefits that Kuo and others have seen their studies, there still may be more links not yet discovered.
"We're finding all these ways in which the environment matters to us and affects, but I don't think we're done," she said.

Beer with Health Benefits?

Believe it or not... Just remember, moderation is key!!

Get Them While They're Hot: Antioxidants Expire

For those who swear by antioxidant-rich food and drink, two new studies show those health benefits can wane if the products are stored for too long a time.

The findings focus specifically on how well antioxidant activity holds up in commercially available green tea bags and olive oil when stored unopened and unexposed to light or moisture. And, in each case, the research revealed that steep drops in antioxidant activity take place within the first six months.

"The whole general concept driven by both of these studies is that if we want to maximize the nutritional value of the foods we eat, we really should buy only what we can use in a short period of time," observed Connie Diekman, a registered dietitian and director of nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis.

Diekman was not involved with either study, both of which are published in the March issue of the Journal of Food Science.

One study focused on the organic compounds found in green tea leaves that are known as catechins.

When consumed in tea, these antioxidant compounds are thought to have a bacterial and virus-fighting capacity, as well as the ability to inhibit cancer cell activity.

However, given that commercial green tea does not spoil and can be shelved for extended periods of time, Mendel Friedman and colleagues from the Albany, Calif.-based Western Regional Research Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture set out to explore the stability of catechins during long-term storage in homes, restaurants, commercial warehouses, and/or stores.

The team chose eight teas sold commercially in tea-bag form in the United States, Korea and Japan.

The tea bags were kept stored in their original packaging in dark rooms heated to 68 degrees Fahrenheit for one of five different lengths of time: one week, one month, two months, four months and six months. Undesirable moisture exposure was not a factor.

After each period, the teas were ground into powder and mixed with boiling water, before being cooled and analyzed.

"We found that among the teas we looked at there seems to be a progressive decrease in the amount of antioxidants as a function of time," lead author Friedman said.

The team found at least some drop-off in catechin antioxidant content early on in the storage process, and went on to observe that by the end of six months catechin concentrations had plummeted among all eight teas by an average of 32 percent -- a figure the authors characterized as "highly significant."

Specifically, the most prevalent form of catechin (EGCG) decreased by 28 percent after six months of storage, while the second most common catechin (ECG) dropped by 51 percent in the same timeframe.

Friedman described his work as preliminary, and expressed the hope that the findings would prompt more research into the storage-antioxidant question, given the large variety of teas on the market and the strong probability that not all teas would experience nutrient degradation in exactly the same way or pace.

For their part, the authors of the Italian olive oil study noted that to be considered "extra-virgin," olive oil must be sourced directly from olive tree fruit through a process confined solely to washing, decanting, filtration and high-speed mixing.

The final product is known to be rich in a specific blend of fatty acids and phenolic compounds, the latter acting as antioxidants. Consuming olive oil has long been considered beneficial with respect to lowering the risk for heart disease, stroke and several kinds of cancer.

To explore the durability of antioxidants found in extra-virgin olive oil, Antonella Baiano and colleagues at the University of Foggia in Italy looked at several varieties of the oil that had been produced within 24 hours of having been plucked as olives from two groves located in the Apulia region of Italy.

After analyzing the oils during both production and packaging, Baianos team found that antioxidant activity remained unchanged throughout the first three months of storage. However, by the six-month mark, most of the oils had lost about 40 percent of their antioxidant properties.

Diekman expressed little surprise with the findings.

"Although this might surprise a lot of people who would expect that if something stays sealed it will not lose nutritional value, antioxidants are very fragile," she noted. "And, of course, in general, it is well known that when we look at plant foods as a whole, the nutritional value is best the fresher it is."

"So, the message here is that when we go shopping, we need to think about the quantity of produce and fresh foods that we buy," Diekman advised. "This is true whether we're talking about the actual food -- for example, olives -- or whether it is the olive oil derived from the food. The question should be: 'Can you use it within a reasonable period of time?' Because from a nutritional standpoint, big quantities may not be a real dollar savings, when you look at the loss of nutritional value that will occur over time."

Diekman also suggested that consumers should generally favor tinted containers over clear ones, to protect antioxidant, vitamins and minerals from exposure to the sun. In that regard, the authors of the Italian study specifically noted that extra virgin olive oil should ideally be stored in small glass bottles placed in a dark setting at room temperatures ranging from 68 degrees to 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

HealthDay

10 Essential Health Tips (The Basics to Practice Every Day)

"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb

1. Move MoreMake it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. Cut Fat. Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. Quit Smoking The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. Reduce Stress Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. Wear Your Seat BeltStatistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

7. Floss Your TeethRecent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.

8. Avoid Excessive Drinking While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.

9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.

10. Choose Your Parents Well The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and

you can better control your own destiny.

(From Health-Fitness-Tips.com)

What Color Is Your Therapy?

By: Lara Endreszl Published: Sunday, 29 March 2009

Everyone knows the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” that was almost left out of the final cut of the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, but the powerful message that the song conveys is one that sticks with the viewer and can promote wonderment and an incredible longing for something else, something better than what you have. The end message from the movie, however, is that when you finally get what you want, you realize you had it all from the start.

The rainbow is a general symbol of hope and in ancient mythology a spiritual pathway between earth and the heavens. When scientist Sir Isaac Newton discovered in 1666 that white light breaks into a specific wavelengths of color when directed through a prism, the explanation of the rainbow was born. Readers of HealthNews might have already read about the idea of color as an influential part of their lives, but to go further in-depth, color therapy has been changing people’s moods for thousands of years.When Newton realized that every color cannot be split again into any other colors, the acronym ROYGBIV was created to help people remember the seven unchangeable colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

Although other colors such as pink, orange, or brown can be made by mixing two of the seven, the wavelengths themselves cannot be altered. What can be altered, however, is your behavior in or around certain colors.The holistic belief dating back centuries from countries such as India, China, and Egypt, is that each separate color wavelength corresponds with a certain energy which can be positive or negative.

Each of the seven colors matches up to the seven main energies of the body, also known as chakras. Since complementary and alternative medicine is all about balance between the energy of the body and the earth as well as the spiritual world, the chakras must all be lined up in order for health to be optimum inside the body. If each color is assigned a different region of the body, naturally color therapy would help to stimulate the chakras to align and recreate harmony.

For example, here are some of the primary “rainbow” colors, followed by their main focus physically and psychologically, as well as a few symptoms or conditions it may help:

RED – life strength, stimulation, sexuality; red represents the fire of passion as well as anger as well as the circulation of the blood; red can be irritating or exciting or powerful; anemia, pneumonia, and paralysis can all be treated with red.

GREEN – balance, calm, progress; green is soothing and reflects natural growth and healing and can be both beneficial and tiring; green enlightens friendships and peace and hope as well as love and can also be an aphrodisiac; green is also the color of inexperience and youth and represents envy and jealousy; green can treat colds, asthma, malaria, and ulcers.

BLUE – communication, willpower, peace, and faith; blue can stimulate metabolism, slow the heart, and be used as an antiseptic; blue like water is cooling and emotionally calming and therefore helpful in meditation as well as conflict mediation and relaxing the mind; blue quiets the rest of the other energies in the body in order to treat epilepsy, glaucoma, headache, and various throat troubles as it is specifically associated with the throat chakra.

The best way to incorporate color into your life as part of color therapy is to surround yourself with nice things that you associate with positive thoughts or memories or bright colors that can brighten your day. For example, use softer lights in your home instead of fluorescent, use colored lights in certain parts of your house or colored lampshade, use paint to spruce up your walls, and always remember that natural colors are the best for keeping a calm energy flow throughout the space.

If you rent your place and cannot use paint, wallpaper, or install different light fixtures, focus instead on decorative items like pillows, bedding, curtains, or your closet.

Whether it’s a lava lamp, mood lighting, a black light, the color of your shower curtain or wall paint, the colors of the things we surround ourselves with matters because it conveys the mood we are in when purchasing or the mood that we want to be in upon seeing/wearing/using that object.

Color therapy may seem like a bogus, out-of-left-field holistic idea, but take a look at your wardrobe, your friend’s house, or your favorite restaurant and note people’s moods and behaviors; you may just be surprised at what you notice.

Related articles:Natural Ways to Reduce Stress

Seek Spiritual Wisdom and Seek Health

Optimism May Have Life-Extending Benefits

Nutrition On A Budget

9 Foods to Eat for a Killer Immune System

It takes more than an apple a day to keep viruses at bay. You can improve your body’s resistance by getting your seven servings of fruits and veggies and eight to 10 glasses of water a day, at the very least. While an all-around diet is the key to stronger immunity, these particular immune system-boosting foods and ingredients can keep you in fighting condition.

YOGURT
YogurtProbiotics, or the "live active cultures" found in yogurt, are healthy bacteria that keep the gut and intestinal tract free of disease-causing germs. Although they're available in supplement form, a study from the University of Vienna in Austria found that a daily 7-ounce dose of yogurt was just as effective in boosting immunity as popping pills. In an 80-day Swedish study of 181 factory employees, those who drank a daily supplement of Lactobacillus reuteri — a specific probiotic that appears to stimulate white blood cells — took 33 percent fewer sick days than those given a placebo. Any yogurt with a live and active cultures seal contains some beneficial bugs, but Stonyfield Farm is the only U.S. brand that contains this specific strain. Have two 6-ounce servings a day. Be sure you chose a yogurt that is no more than 200 calories, 4 grams of fat or less, 30 grams of sugar or less and at least 6 grams of protein.

SWEET POTATOES

You may not think of skin as part of your immune system. But this crucial organ, covering an impressive 16 square feet, serves as a first-line fortress against bacteria, viruses and other undesirables. To stay strong and healthy, your skin needs vitamin A. "Vitamin A plays a major role in the production of connective tissue, a key component of skin," explains Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Derby, Conn. One of the best ways to get vitamin A into your diet is from foods containing beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A. One of the quickest, most delicious ways to get beta-carotene? Serve candied sweet potatoes (canned are fine). Each 1/2-cup serving delivers only 170 calories but 40 percent of the daily recommendation of vitamin A as beta-carotene. They're so good, you might want to save them for dessert! Think orange when looking for other foods rich in beta-carotene: carrots, squash, canned pumpkin and cantaloupe.

TEA

Take frequent tea breaks this winter, and you may just get through it without a sniffle. Immunologists at Harvard University discovered that people who drank five cups of black tea a day for 2 weeks transformed their immune system T cells into "Hulk cells" that pumped out 10 times more cold and flu virus-fighting interferon — proteins that defend against infection — than did the immune systems of those who didn't drink black tea. Green tea should work just as well. "Not just the common cold and flu, but food poisoning, infected cuts, athlete's foot — even diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria — are caused by germs that your body fights with interferon. We think the interferon boosts from tea may help prevent or lessen the severity of all these conditions," says Dr. Jack Bukowski of the Harvard Medical School.While five cups a day may seem like a lot, he thinks fewer cups may still offer some valuable protection. "And the interferon link may explain tea's other health benefits, including its reported cancer-fighting power, since we already know that interferon slows the growth of tumor cells," he says.

CHICKEN SOUP

When University of Nebraska researchers tested 13 brands, they found that all but one (chicken-flavored ramen noodles) blocked the migration of inflammatory white cells — an important finding, because cold symptoms are a response to the cells' accumulation in the bronchial tubes. The amino acid cysteine, released from chicken during cooking, chemically resembles the bronchitis drug acetylcysteine, which may explain the results. The soup's salty broth keeps mucus thin the same way cough medicines do. Added spices, such as garlic and onions, can increase soup's immune-boosting power. Have a bowl when feeling crummy.

BEEF

Zinc deficiency is one of the most common nutritional shortfalls among American adults, especially for vegetarians and those who've cut back on beef, a prime source of this immunity-bolstering mineral. And that's unfortunate, because even mild zinc deficiency can increase your risk of infection. Zinc in your diet is very important for the development of white blood cells, the intrepid immune system cells that recognize and destroy invading bacteria, viruses, and assorted other bad guys, explains William Boisvert, Ph.D., an expert in nutrition and immunity at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif.A 3-ounce serving of lean beef (enough to make a respectable, but not decadent, roast beef sandwich) provides about 30 percent of the daily value for zinc. That's often enough to make the difference between deficient and sufficient. Just can't stomach beef? Try zinc-rich oysters, fortified cereals, pork, poultry, yogurt or milk.

MUSHROOMS

For centuries, people around the world have turned to mushrooms for a healthy immune system. Contemporary researchers now know why. "Studies show that mushrooms increase the production and activity of white blood cells, making them more aggressive. This is a good thing when you have an infection," says Douglas Schar, director of the Institute of Herbal Medicine in Washington. Shiitake and maitake mushrooms, now available fresh in U.S. supermarkets, appear to pack the biggest immunity punch. They're easy to use too. Just add a handful to pasta sauce, saute with a little oil and add to eggs, or heap triple-decker style on a frozen pizza. Good news for absent-minded chefs: "Basically, you can burn them, and they will still powerfully stimulate the immune system," says Schar.

FISH AND SHELLFISH

Getting adequate selenium (plentiful in foods like oysters, lobsters, crabs and clams) increased immune cell production of proteins called cytokines in a British study of 22 adults. The scientists say that cytokines help clear flu viruses out of your body. Of all fats, omega-3s — found in fish such as Pacific salmon — created the highest blood levels of flu-fighting T cells and interferon-gamma cytokines in a British study of 150 people.

GARLIC

Garlic contains the active ingredient allicin, which fights infection and bacteria. British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks; the garlic takers were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold. Other studies suggest that garlic lovers who chow more than six cloves a week have a 30 percent lower rate of colorectal cancer and a 50 percent lower rate of stomach cancer. Eat two raw cloves a day and add crushed garlic to your cooking several times a week.

Source: Prevention Magazine

Stephanie's Healthy Slideshow

Do ear candles work?

Here is what using an ear candle looks like:

Here is a video which claims to bust the ear candle myth:

After watching these youtube videos I looked at other websites to see what they had to say:

Wikipedia 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_candling gives several references to studies done in the 90's. These studies found that using an ear candle does not remove earwax. 

Quackwack http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html is a sight that tries to help people make intelligent decisions about their health. This page not only says that using an ear candle does not work, it also gives a story about a woman burning a hole in her eardrum. 

About.com http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/govtregulation/a/EarCandle.htmalso states that using an ear candle does not produce a vacuum affect, which is what is supposed to happen. 

After looking at these three sites, and also watching the videos above, I think that using an ear candle is a waste of time and money. 

The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation have put out some guidelines for taking care of ear wax. These can be seen here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94855186

on NPR official site. 

Dietary Fiber

Here is a very detailed report in Food Technology magazine about dietary fiber including its importance to our health, new research about it and sources to get the daily fiber our bodies need.

http://members.ift.org/NR/rdonlyres/DBFA0DAB-0FA4-4043-B9B5-C06E4AEC3378/0/0309nutra.pdf

P.S. You'll need to copy and paste this link to your address bar as it does not link from here. Thanks!

"Organic" vs. "Natural" Food

Here is an interesting report about how deceiving some labels can be. The terms "natural" and "cage free" are not formally approved by the FDA. Many American consumers (myself included) are spending extra $$ on what may not be better food...

As a college student, I try to stay within a budget while I attempt to achieve a healthy balance, but I, like many other people, often sacrifice one for the other. Recently, I participated in a research project about how people make their food choices, and I started thinking about this question more in-depth. What barriers exist for healthy eating? How do food prices, geographic availability and accessibility, and preparation convenience affect an individual's or family's choices?
Last week, HealthDay released an article which addressed this issue. Great minds think alike, right?

FRIDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that stores in poor neighborhoods are much less likely to offer healthy foods than those in wealthier parts of town.

"Where you live matters in terms of your diet," said study author Dr. Manuel Franco, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. "If you live in a neighborhood with no healthy options, it'll be tough for you to change your diet."

Researchers are familiar with the idea that poor people have a harder time getting access to healthy food. But Franco said the two studies his team published are the first to take a look at the issue in a large city; in this case, it was Baltimore. Previous research, he said, only looked at a few neighborhoods or areas.

Researchers visited 226 food stores in the city of Baltimore and Baltimore County -- including supermarkets and convenience stores -- and looked at the availability of healthy food. They then tracked the availability of healthy food in each of 159 neighborhoods.

The findings were published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The researchers found that 43 percent of predominantly black neighborhoods were in the third of neighborhoods with the least healthy food; 46 percent of the poorest neighborhoods were in that group.

By contrast, just 4 percent of predominantly white neighborhoods were among the third of neighborhoods with the least healthy food. Just 13 percent of the wealthiest neighborhoods were in that group.

A related study by Franco and his colleagues was published in the March issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It looked at a survey of 759 Baltimore residents and found that 24 percent of blacks lived in neighborhoods with poor availability of healthy food, compared to 5 percent of whites.

According to Franco, the research suggests that supermarkets, sometimes seen as a panacea for poor neighborhoods, aren't necessarily the answer. "You have to make supermarkets, grocery stores and convenience stores offer a certain amount of healthy food. There are huge variances between the same type of food stores, depending on the neighborhood where they're located."

Franco said neither the store owners nor the residents themselves are entirely to blame. "It's a more complex system than that," he said.

In Baltimore, Franco said, researchers are working to improve the availability of healthy food by working with city officials and food store owners.

Shannon N. Zenk, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago who studies neighborhoods and health, said incentives such as tax breaks can encourage markets to offer more healthy foods. Another strategy is to give cash subsidies to the poor for the purchase of fruits and vegetables, Zenk added.

"Obesity and numerous chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes are more prevalent in low-income than higher income neighborhoods," Zenk said. "Ensuring that residents of these neighborhoods have access to nutritious foods is a critical first step to promoting healthy eating and, in turn, reversing the obesity epidemic and preventing chronic diseases."

Put A Smile On Your Face - Eat Something

Adapted from the Health News article by Lara Endreszl

Spring is just around the corner, but that doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet. In many regions, winter can be exceedingly cold, dark, or just plain gloomy. According to Mental Health America, half a million people each year suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) between September an April.
Surmounting evidence suggests establishing a healthy, balanced diet can cure and prevent a number of afflictions without use of chemicals or supplements. According to an article by Health News, certain foods could be used to treat seasonal depression, too.
"Foods to put a smile on your face" outlines six foods that have key nutrients that can help combat stressful winter blues. If you like to eat (sometimes three or four times per day, even?), these suggestions will surely make you, and your bank account, smile a little brighter this season.


Popcorn—No wonder the smell of popcorn enhances the enjoyment of sticky floors and large screen; experts say that air-popped popcorn is a type of whole grain that is good for boosting the mood. With the ban on carbohydrates in many diets in the past decade, there have been many grumpy meat-eaters walking the streets. Author of Why Women Need Chocolate: How to Get the Body You Want by Eating the Foods You Crave, nutritionist Debra Waterhouse says, “Carb-rich foods, like whole grains, stimulate the release of the brain chemical serotonin, which regulates appetite and improves mood, food cravings, and sleep.” Inventors of fad diets may not have been aware of the brain-stimulation carbs give off or else they might have included a little bit more in their breakthrough diet regimens.



Bananas—By eating them whole or adding them to your cereal, smoothie, or fruit salad, bananas should be a staple of a healthy diet. Bananas are chock full of B6, the vitamin that helps the brain make serotonin. Also full of potassium, vitamin C, and fiber, bananas are the most abundant and most popular tropical fruit consumed today.


Water—To some people this addition to the list may seem odd, to others it may seem obvious, but water is one of the most important nutrients your body needs. Doctors say drinking six to eight glasses of water a day should keep you healthy while other studies say you can get away with drinking less and still be able to keep your body running smoothly. Dehydration is a huge problem because even the smallest cases have been known to cause fatigue, short-term memory problems, headaches, moodiness, and poor concentration. Stay hydrated to stay happy but keep in mind that experts say plain water is best over popular flavored, hybrid, or sparkling waters.


Salmon—Regardless of the mercury-laden trends going on in the fish world, especially hitting the salmon market, this pink and silver freshwater fish is still very relevant as a health food. Salmon are full of omega-3s, fatty acids that many believe can prevent cancer among other serious diseases. Studies have shown that people who eat a lot of fatty fish like salmon have a lower occurrence of memory loss and depression. A recommended serving from the American Heart Association is two portions of wild salmon per week for optimum results.


Spinach*—Mothers often say to eat your greens and spinach is one never to be ignored. Not always a favorite among kids and certainly not one of my own favorites, this leafy dark green has a great source of folate. Folate is a type of vitamin B, like the B6 in bananas, that helps produce serotonin that calms the brain and sends happiness signals coursing through your body. Now I think we know the reason Popeye always wore that big grin.

*Note: "Spinach," you ask, "really?" My friends make fun of me for eating like a rabbit, but if you want some great tips for integrating this pick-me-up into your menu, try these suggestions:

• Chop up a dozen or so washed and stemmed leaves and whip them in with your eggs before scrambling.
• Add them to your homemade pizza toppings. Cooking for friends? Keep a lid on it. These sprigs recently helped me out in a friendly pizza throw-down.

For more ideas, search for key ingredients on FoodNetwork, EatingWell, MyRecipes, or your favorite search engine.

The best part about these foods is that they are attainable. You can pick them up at your local grocery store or farmers market and not have to spend a pretty penny. If you're on a budget and want to eat well, give some of these a try.

To view the original article, click here or visit HealthNews.com.

Ban on Trans Fats in the Works

By STACEY STOWE - The New York Times
Published: February 18, 2009
TWO years after New York City banned partially hydrogenated oil, a common ingredient in baked goods and frozen French fries linked to heart disease, local governments around the region are considering and imposing similar measures.

Officials in Suffolk County on Long Island are the latest to adopt a ban on trans fats — which are derived from partially hydrogenated oil — from its restaurants.

Suffolk, which imposed the ban earlier this month, follows Nassau, Westchester and Albany Counties in New York, and Stamford, Conn., in banning the use in restaurants of artificial trans fats, which are found in margarines and shortenings.

“This is an important bill that will help residents of Suffolk County eat smarter and healthier,” said County Executive Steve Levy, who on Feb. 6 signed the law, which had been proposed by County Legislator Lou D’Amaro.

The law also requires chain restaurants to post the calorie counts of menu items. “It’s for the taxpayer, too, because it’s the taxpayer who also foots the bill for the consequences of obesity,” Mr. Levy said.
County health inspectors will monitor compliance with the trans fat ban during routine visits to restaurants. Those that fail to comply will be cited and fined and could possibly lose their license, Mr. D’Amaro said.

Even members of the Nassau-Suffolk Master Bakers Association expressed support for the ban, which will be phased in over the next 15 months, and, according to Mr. D’Amaro, “fulfills the government’s obligation to do all it can to protect public health.”

But not everyone wants the government meddling with their food.
Two years ago, after Ellen Karcher, then a state senator in New Jersey, proposed a trans fat ban there, she received physical threats and hate mail, she said, forcing her staff to close her office temporarily. In addition, callers to a radio station suggested that the state investigate whether

Ms. Karcher’s three children were malnourished.
“People just went nuts,” said Ms. Karcher, who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2003 to 2007 and lives on a 10-acre farm in Marlboro, N.J., where she harvests lavender and keeps bees. “They were calling the office, screaming, ‘Get your hands off my food!’ ”

Ms. Karcher sought a ban on trans fats because, she said, she believes their consumption contributes to obesity-related illnesses. (New Jersey spent $2.3 billion on obesity-related illnesses in 2003, half of which was paid for by taxpayers through Medicare and Medicaid, according to a 2006 report by the State Department of Health and Senior Services.)

Ms. Karcher’s bill never made it out of committee, but the General Assembly passed a law two years ago that included reducing the amount of trans fats in New Jersey’s public school lunch programs. She said she had thought that her proposal would be welcomed, since almost a quarter of her constituents worked in New York City, where a similar ban was passed in 2007.

“They kept screaming that they wanted choice,” Ms. Karcher said in a recent phone interview. “Well, it’s not like you can walk into a restaurant and say, ‘Give me trans fats or non-trans fat.’ It’s not like ordering chocolate or vanilla.”

Trans fat is created when a vegetable oil is pumped with hydrogen — hence the name partially hydrogenated — and becomes a solid at room temperature, said Jennifer Crum, a nutritionist at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. Trans fats in certain margarines and shortenings prolong the shelf life of cookies, cakes and frying oils.

Because their chemical composition is altered at the atomic level, trans fats increase LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol, and decrease HDL, or “good,” cholesterol. Consumption of trans fats can clog arteries.

“The problem with eating outside the home is that you never know how much trans fats are added,” Ms. Crum said. “Whenever possible, look at the ingredients on the box.”

Ms. Crum said that for most adults, no more than 10 percent of their daily calories should come from saturated fats, like those in red meat, butter and other dairy products. The United States Food and Drug Administration estimates that Americans eat 4.7 pounds of trans fat each year.

At Pace’s Steak House in Port Jefferson, on Long Island, where the happy hour mozzarella sticks and buffalo wings are fried in trans-fat oil, the general manager, Anthony Fahey, said there should be little perceived taste difference when his kitchen switches from trans fat to non-trans fat oils, but he was dubious about its health impact.

“IT’S up to the individual,” he said. “Look, there’s nothing wrong with eating a steak. Just don’t eat five a day. It’s the same thing with trans fats. You can’t overdo it.”

The Westchester Board of Health passed a ban on the use of cooking oils that contain trans fats in restaurants, schools and other licensed food establishments in December 2007. By April 8, 2008, Health Department inspectors were authorized to cite and fine violators of the ban, but Caren Halbfinger, the spokeswoman for the county executive’s office, said few were found to be out of compliance.

In Connecticut last year, two state senators, John McKinney of Fairfield and Andrew W. Roraback of Goshen, both Republicans, sponsored a bill to ban trans fats, but it never made it to the House. Although the two legislators had hoped to reintroduce the bill this year, the issue is unlikely to attract much attention while Connecticut is wrestling with a projected $8.7 billion deficit over the next two fiscal years, said Brett R. Cody, a spokesman for the Senate Republicans.

Stamford appears to be the only city in Connecticut to enact a ban on trans fats, as of last July.
Maria Aposporos, who, with her sister, Eleni Begetis, has owned Curley’s Diner in Stamford since 1977, had little difficulty with the change.

“I always used vegetable oil,” said Ms. Aposporos, who explained that her doctor long ago informed her that solid fat looks the same in your body as it does on your plate. “I’m eating at the diner, my grandchildren eat here, so it has to be healthy.”

Still, Ms. Aposporos, a Republican member of the Stamford Board of Representatives, conceded that if a customer wants toast with margarine, she provides it.

A Republican colleague, Joseph Coppola Jr., voted against the ban. “Government has to stay out of our lives,” he said. “It’s about choice. If people are stupid enough to fill their diet with trans fats, they’re just stupid.”

Mr. Coppola said meddling with food choices is “feel-good legislation and we’ve got other fish to fry.” No mention, incidentally, of his oil preference.

Menoga

http://chelseahoffman.webng.com/Balko Interview_mixdown.wav

Run For Your Eyes

Every day there seems to be a new claim to the benefits of exercise. As a new runner who began training for a half-marathon just for the heck of it (and the extra guilt-free food, to be honest), I am fascinated with the physical and psychological changes taking place within myself, and a recent study once again reinforces my motivation to continue my new hobby. Researchers who studied the relationship between exercise and vision loss found evidence to support a correlation between long-distance running and sustained vision throughout the life cycle.

Take a peek:

Reuters Health
Long-distance runners reduce vision-loss risk
Thursday, February 19, 2009
By Anne Harding

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Regular, vigorous physical exercise may lower the risk of visual loss and help preserve eyesight, two new studies in a large group of runners show.

The more miles the men and women ran, the less likely they were to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a deterioration of the central portion of the retina that is a major cause of vision loss and blindness among older people. Running also lowered the cataract risk for men.

"We often think of loss of vision as we get older as sort of an inevitable consequence of aging," Dr. Paul T. Williams of the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California, who conducted both studies, told Reuters Health. "I think what we are seeing is that there are things people can do when they're younger to prevent that."

More than half of men and women older than 65 years have cataracts, a clouding of the lens covering; while 28 percent of Americans 75 and older have AMD, Williams notes in the studies, which are published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Aging, sun exposure, diabetes, obesity and other factors may contribute to the development of cataracts, he adds, although poor fitness and sedentary lifestyle don't seem to be cataract risk factors. While exercise is also not seen as a way to prevent AMD, which has been linked to cigarette smoking and obesity, three studies suggest that it could.

The researcher investigated the relationship between exercise and vision loss in the National Runner's Health Study, which includes nearly 42,000 men and women 18 or older recruited between 1991 and 1993. During 7 years of follow-up, 733 of the men and 179 of the women developed cataracts, while 110 men and 42 women reported being diagnosed with AMD.

The longest-running, leanest, and speediest men were all at lower cataract risk, Williams found, although there weren't enough women who developed cataracts to conduct a more detailed analysis.

The body mass index (BMI) of the patients was measured -- the ratio of height to weight that is often used to determine if an individual is obese or overweight. A normal BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9; lower than 18.4 is underweight and 30 or higher is considered obese.

Men with a BMI higher than 27.5 had an 88-percent greater likelihood of developing cataracts than men with a BMI lower than 20.

The risk for men who ran at least 64 kilometers a week -- or nearly 40 miles was 35-percent lower than for the men who ran less than 16 kilometers, or about 10 miles, weekly. Men who ran faster than 4.75 meters per second had half the cataract risk of the slowest runners.

And for both men and women, Williams found, AMD risk declined as mileage rose. On average, people diagnosed with the vision condition ran less than those who hadn't been diagnosed. Risk for runners who logged 2 to 4 kilometers a day (1.2 to 2.5 miles) was 19 percent lower than for those who ran less, while people who ran 4 or more kilometers daily cut their risk by 42 percent to 54 percent.

The least active runners in the study, who averaged less than 2 kilometers a day, were getting about the minimum amount of exercise recommended by current guidelines, which suggests people walk briskly for 30 minutes a day 5 days a week, Williams noted. Although there are clearly health benefits to meeting these minimal standards compared to being sedentary, he added, the findings provide yet more evidence that more exercise is good for one's health.

SOURCE: Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, January 2009.

For those of us who live in and around Pullman!

All Campus Challenge WSU Wellbeing Fair

2009 ALL CAMPUS CHALLENGE
Washington State University Wellbeing Fair
Get out, get active, and join University Recreation in celebrating National Recreational Sports and Fitness Day!
SRC admission is free for everyone the entire day and there will be self-directed fitness tests, t-shirts, and refreshments while supplies last.
Monday, February 23SRC 5:30 am-11:30 pm
Learn more!
Learn more about living well in your community at the WSU Wellbeing Fair.
Free blood glucose, cholesterol, and body composition testing, chair massages, giveaways, and much more!
FREE! Monday, February 23SRC 4:00 pm-7:00 pm
Learn more!
University Recreation, PO Box 641830, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-1830 Unsubscribe

7 Tips to Decrease Cancer Risk and Help Prevent Recurrence

Since it is, among many other declared celebratory and awareness months, the Cancer Prevention Month, I wanted to share a Harvard Health Publication article, adapted by MSN, about simple and generalizable lifestyle changes to reduce cancer risks.


It is now well-established that a healthy, plant-based diet, physical activity and weight control help decrease cancer risk. But one of the hottest areas in cancer research right now is the connection with health-promoting behaviors and improved cancer survivorship.

Cancer survivors can help cancer-proof their bodies by managing their weight in the healthiest way possible. The same way of eating that will help you lose weight in a healthy manner is the same way of eating that will help you improve your immune function and promote anti-cancer activity in your body. Here's how:


1. Eat a plant-based diet

Plant-based foods include a wide variety of delicious foods, such as fruits and vegetables; whole grains like wheat, oats, barley, and quinoa; nuts and seeds; tea; spices like turmeric, ginger, garlic, cilantro and basil; and soy foods. You don't have to become a vegetarian to include more plant foods at every meal and snack. It's easy to do this with this tool: How to Make a Balanced Plate (.pdf)


2. Be physically active every day

You don't need to train for a marathon, join a gym or even "exercise." Physical activity includes just moving around more in your day. You can do this in a variety ways throughout the day and in small time increments:

* Park farther away, walk to nearby destinations, get off public transportation one stop earlier, take the stairs for even one flight, walk down extra aisles or lengths of shopping malls and grocery stores.
* Take one 30- minute or two 15- minute walks. In separate studies, walking three to five hours a week helped reduce breast cancer recurrence by 40 percent and walking six hours a week at a moderate pace reduced colon cancer survivors' risk of recurrence by 50 percent.


3. Try activities such as Qi Gong and yoga

They help improve quality of life, reduce fatigue, promote recovery and strengthen the mind and body.


4. Get more good-quality sleep

Sleep disturbance is a very common side effect of cancer diagnosis and treatment and contributes significantly to fatigue. Research shows that sleep loss can elevate appetite and hunger hormones, especially for high calorie and high sugar foods. Sleep loss also impairs nutritional metabolism and promotes insulin resistance, diabetes and high cholesterol. Lack of sleep and poor quality sleep increase a person's chances of gaining weight.

* Avoid watching TV, reading or eating in bed.
* Don't go to bed until you are feeling tired.
* Set a schedule for waking up around the same time everyday and limit daytime naps.
* After 15 minutes of tossing and turning, get out of bed and try a relaxing activity. Be careful not to do anything stimulating such as watching TV. Relaxing activities, such as deep breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation or listening to a guided imagery CD may help get your body more ready to fall asleep.


5. Integrate mindfulness

New and exciting research is teaching us that how we eat is as important as what we eat. Distractions, such as driving, typing, reading, watching TV and even walking while we eat cause us to eat more food, eat more quickly and even reduce the amount of healthy nutrients we absorb from our meals.

* Taking a moment to sit up straight and breathe deeply before, during and after a meal can help slow things down.
* Eating slowly, in a relaxed environment with minimal distractions, is another way to help promote health, wellness and weight loss.


6. Address emotional eating

Learning you have cancer and going through treatment can dramatically affect a person's life. Cancer can be isolating, and depression affects up to 38 percent of cancer patients. To cope, many people turn to food. It's natural to want to cope the best way you know how even though you may know it's not good for you. The best way to help deal with emotional eating is to work with a health psychologist who specializes in cancer. For more information on diet and cancer please visit http://www.danafarber.org/nutrition.


7. Maintain a healthy weight
If you're one of more than 10 million cancer survivors living in the United States, maintaining a healthy weight is vitally important.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 66 percent of American adults are overweight or obese. Approximately 72 million American adults were obese in 2005-2006. The prevalence of obesity among American children has more than doubled in the past 30 years.

Overweight is also associated with increased risk for colorectal, post-menopausal breast, pancreatic, kidney and esophageal cancers. Excess body weight accounts for at least 20 percent of all cancer-related deaths each year.

Carrying extra pounds, especially in your abdomen, can also inhibit the cancer patient's response to treatment. For women receiving treatment for early-stage breast cancer, gaining more than 13 pounds increases her risk of breast cancer returning by one and a half times.

Obesity and weight gain increase a man's risk of prostate cancer recurrence, death and the cancer spreading to other parts of the body (metastases).