Exercise May Offset Alcohol’s Damage

04/19/2013

Regular exercise may offset some of the brain damage associated with binge drinking.

According to a new study reported on LiveScience, damage in the brain’s white matter was linked to heavy drinking and found to be much more common in those who rarely exercise.

White matter forms the cables that link various parts of the brain. When white matter is damaged, it’s more difficult for the brain to communicate information efficiently. 

Researchers looked at 60 people, scanning their brains and asking them questions about alcohol consumption and exercise regimens. Habits varied widely, from no drinks to 300 drinks in a two month period. And from no exercise at all, to 420 minutes per week over a three month period. 

This doesn’t mean that you can drink excessively and expect to repair the damage through exercise because alcohol also does damage to the body’s organs. More research is still needed to figure out why this happens.

Exercise and Brain Shrinkage

When you exercise the brain is better able to resist shrinkage. Exercise seems to slow the brain’s decay because just like other organs, it is made up of tissues that diminish with underuse and age. Exercise also seems to jumpstart the brain’s ability to make new cells. 

The Washington Post, analyzed data from 691 adults in their early seventies and found that exercise may be just as important for mental maintenance as social interaction and intellectually challenging activities. MRI scans showed less shrinkage in the brains of those that exercised regularly. Atrophy was the most noticeable in elderly men that did not exercise.

When it comes to keeping your brain healthy, exercise is as good for your brain as it is for your body. This isn't to say that every time you overdo it with cocktails, exercise can equalize the damage, but if once in a blue moon you overdo it, sweating it out may be your best bet. 

Photo: Digital Vision

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Read More: Exercise Protects the Elderly Against Brain Shrinkage

8 Foods You Should Always Have on Hand

04/18/2013

Some foods don’t even need to be added to your grocery list, they’re just the staples that you eat almost everyday.

While variety is the spice of life, if you know a food is healthy and it makes you feel good, why not keep it around for good measure?

Here are some of my most beloved go-to health foods:

1. Sprouted grain bread

I eat sprouted grain bread each day for breakfast topped with half an avocado. Sprouted grain breads have substantially more protein than traditional bread varieties. They're also easier to digest because they have less gluten. 

2. Avocado

I substitute avocado for cheese because it's rich but also nutritionally dense. And while avocadoes have fat, it’s a monounsaturated fat, a so-called "good fat" that helps control blood sugar, which in turn controls overall weight. Avocado also contains a rare weight loss friendly carbohydrate called mannoheptulose.

3. Caffeine-Free Tea

I love the taste of coffee, but on the weekdays, it actually keeps me from getting my work done, so I stick to caffeine-free peppermint tea. Peppermint has a lot to offer as well with ample potassium, calcium, and vitamin B.

4. Greens

Greens are a superfood sourced close to home. Cruciferous vegetables include greens, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, and are known for a compound that neutralizes toxins in the liver and helps cleanse the system as a result. Cruciferous vegetables are loaded with fiber that lowers cholesterol.

5. Olives 

One of the polyphenols in olives, hydroxytyrosol, helps protect the cells that line your blood vessels from being damaged by overly reactive oxygen molecules. This helps protect from heart disease. Olives also provide a healthy fat source and delicious flavor!

6. Flax Seeds

Flax seeds can be added to just about anything including cereal, oatmeal, salads, and soups. And this little seed provides a potent source of omega 3 fatty acids. 

7. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a saturated fat that reduces your risk of heart disease. It is the richest source of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs which are easily digested and are immediately burned up in the liver for energy, like carbohydrates but without the insulin spike. Coconut oil is also known to boost thyroid health, increase metabolism, support immune health, and it is good for your skin. 

8. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Raw apple cider vinegar is rich in enzymes, supports a healthy immune system, helps control weight, promotes digestion and pH balance, and helps to remove toxins from the body. I add it to salads each and every day. 

Photo: Hemera, Istock

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Read More: 15 Superfoods For Under $20: Stocking Your Pantry on the Cheap

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Taste of Beer Triggers the Feeling of Euphoria

04/17/2013

A study conducted at the University of Indiana found that just the taste of beer alone triggers a release of dopamine in the brain, the chemical that’s linked to addiction. In a study, 49 men were given small samples of beer, enough to taste but not enough to become intoxicated. Immediately afterwards their brains were scanned and the results were compared with the same amount of gatorade and water, according to a story reported in LiveScience.

The Taste of a Brew

Researchers noticed a significantly higher release of dopamine in the brain when compared to gatorade or water. It was even greater among those with a family history of alcoholism. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. It regulates movement and emotional responses. Dopamine not only helps the brain see rewards, it also motivates you to go out and get them. It's the chemical in the brain linked to addiction issues and it tends to cause people to relapse.

"We believe this is the first experiment in humans to show that the taste of an alcoholic drink alone, without any intoxicating effect from the alcohol, can elicit this dopamine activity in the brain's reward centers," the study's senior author, neuroscientist David Kareken of the Indiana University School of Medicine, said in a statement, reported on LiveScience.

Addiction in the Brain

The research points to how addiction works in the brain and while much more research needs to be done, it speaks to why some people can't have just one drink. 

"This paper demonstrates that taste alone impacts on the brain functions associated with desire," Peter Anderson, a professor of substance use, policy and practice at Newcastle University, U.K., said in a statement. But Anderson noted that “With regard to the family history effect, this is quite difficult to assess and know what it means so we can’t be too sure of an effect or how strong it might be."

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Read More: 3 Easy Steps to Stop a Beer Belly in Its Tracks

New Study Links a Western Diet to Unnatural Aging

04/16/2013

Western style diets, made up of fried foods, red meat, cheese, and sweets, have drawn criticism for years. They’ve been tied to heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers, but a new study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, took it a step further, looking at overall longevity and successful aging. 

"The impact of diet on specific age-related diseases has been studied extensively, but few investigations have adopted a more holistic approach to determine the association of diet with overall health at older ages," says lead investigator Tasnime Akbaraly, PhD, Inserm, Montpellier, France to Science Daily. "We examined whether diet, assessed in midlife, using dietary patterns and adherence to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), is associated with aging phenotypes, identified after a mean 16-year follow-up."

AHEI indexes the quality of your diet for combatting specific diseases. The research team was looking for a diet that could reduce heart disease and promote healthy aging. They followed 3,775 men and 1,575 women with a mean age of 51 from 1985-2009. Researchers looked at their hospital data and results of screenings over 5-year intervals. Researchers placed people in the following categories, as reported on Science Daily.

1. Ideal aging, defined as free of chronic conditions and high performance in physical, mental, and cognitive functioning tests -- 4.0 percent

2. Nonfatal cardiovascular event -- 12.7 percent

3. Cardiovascular death -- 2.8 percent

4. Noncardiovascular death -- 7.3 percent

5. Normal aging -- 73.2 percent

Researchers found that those that followed a Western diet, were more likely to age in an unhealthy manner.

"We showed that following specific dietary recommendations such as the one provided by the AHEI may be useful in reducing the risk of unhealthy aging, while avoidance of the 'Western-type foods' might actually improve the possibility of achieving older ages free of chronic diseases and remaining highly functional," notes Dr. Akbaraly to Science Daily. "A better understanding of the distinction between specific health behaviors that offer protection against diseases and those that move individuals towards ideal aging may facilitate improvements in public health prevention packages."

The AHEI recommends an abundance of whole grains, fruits and vegetables (more vegetables than fruits), healthy fats, lean proteins such as fish, beans, and nuts, low fat and fat free dairy, and a daily multivitamin. It also advocates daily abundant activity. 

I’d take it a step further and say avoid meat in most circumstances. When you do eat meat or cheese, choose organic to avoid antibiotics and hormones. Additionally, keep your diet as unprocessed as possible, avoid added sugars, and get enough omega 3 fatty acids. 

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Read More: 10 Sure Signs of Longevity and How They Directly Connect to a Green Lifestyle

CT Scans Show Mummies with Atherosclerosis

We often associate atherosclerosis with poor diet--a product of the industrial period with too much meat, butter, and fried foods. But a new fascinating study published in the journal The Lancet shows that atherosclerosis, or hardening of the body’s arteries, has been around for 6,000 years. 

Researchers took computed tomography (CT) scans of 137 mummies collected from museums, originating from all over the world. CT scans are a diagnostic tool that uses special X-ray equipment to look for signs of heart disease in the body. 

Mummies with Calcification

The mummies came from Ancient Egypt, Ancient Peru, Southwest America, The Aleutian Islands (near Alaska), and the Pueblo Indians, with deaths all occurring nearly 6,000 years ago (3800 BCE-1900 CE). The CT scans revealed calcification in 34 percent of the mummies, the older the mummies at the time of death, the more calcification. 

According to the study:

Probable or definite atherosclerosis was noted in 47 (34%) of 137 mummies and in all four geographical populations: 29 (38%) of 76 ancient Egyptians, 13 (25%) of 51 ancient Peruvians, two (40%) of five Ancestral Puebloans, and three (60%) of five Unangan hunter gatherers.

The authors of the study concluded, “Atherosclerosis was common in four preindustrial populations including preagricultural hunter-gatherers. Although commonly assumed to be a modern disease, the presence of atherosclerosis in premodern human beings raises the possibility of a more basic predisposition to the disease.”

This isn't the first study of its kind. Another study looked exclusively at Ancient Egyptian mummies. According to a story in the Daily Mail, scientists performed computer scans on 52 mummies and among those that still had heart tissue, 44 had clogged arteries. 

The Elite Diet

That’s not to say that diet and hardening of the arteries aren’t linked, especially taking into account that these mummies were likely the most elite members of society so their diet may have been different from the rest of their communities. Researchers say that ancient Egyptian royalty would have eaten a diet much heavier on meat than the rest of society. Their diet likely consisted of beef, pork, mutton, antelope, and duck with a good amount of fruits and vegetables. And foods were likely preserved with salt. Ancient Egyptians likely didn't eat very much fish and the elite likely did little exercise, according to the story.

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Read More: Baldness a Signal of Heart Disease?

How to Master Your Grocery List and Save Tons of Cash

04/14/2013

In the U.S., obesity rates are highest among the poor. Live Science reported on a new study which found that the cities with the highest reported obesity rates also had the lowest incomes. 

While eating healthy on a budget is more difficult, it's also doable. It's no secret that the best way to both save money and eat healthy is to eat in, and planning your grocery list well is the best way to be successful in the kitchen.

Grocery List Planning

Planning your meals is the best way to eat healthy, inexpensive, and tasty food. Each week I write out a grocery list that includes our breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the week. Here’s the break down: my husband and I both eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch each day. For breakfast, we both eat a slice of sprouted grain bread with 1/2 an avocado and olive oil. For lunch, I have a baked potato and a huge arugula salad with raw nuts, olives, and whatever else I have on hand. My husband has a raw honey and peanut butter sandwich on sprouted grain bread and fresh seasonal fruit. 

I plan four meals for dinner each week. One column of my grocery list includes the items we need and the other column has my meals for the week laid out. I usually cook four meals and we’ll have leftovers for two meals. We usually eat out one meal per week. 

Carefully planning my grocery list down to the meal leads to huge cash savings. When I run out of something, I add it to the grocery list, which is stuck to the refrigerator. That way I don’t end up going to the store more than once (sometimes twice) per week. Every time you go to the grocery store, you’re more likely to buy foods that you don’t need. Stick to simple meals without too many ingredients. Buy grains and beans in bulk and eat only small amounts of pricey meats and cheeses.

Other Tips For Saving Cash and Eating Healthy

1. Bulk up with Inexpensive Foods

Bananas, frozen fruit (for smoothies), coconut milk, arugula, sweet potatoes, peanut butter, and sprouted grain bread are super inexpensive mainstays in our kitchen. I buy them every week without fail.

2. Cut Out Beverages

Drinks, healthy or not, cost money. I’ll buy a kombucha for a treat, but at $4 per bottle, only once in a while. Sparkling water, juices, etc. all cost money and if you’re on a tight budget, they should be the first thing to go. Drink water and leave it at that. 

3. Cut Out Dessert

It’s good for weight loss and money savings. Ice cream, cookies, and other desserts cost extra money and they do little for your health. I’ll buy a pint of chocolate-flavored coconut ice cream on occasion, but certainly not every week. 

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Read More: 5 Ways to Have a Healthy Relationship with Your Finances

7 Ways a Party Girl Can Still Be Healthy

04/13/2013

Just because you like to go out with your friends and have a good time, doesn’t mean you’re inherently unhealthy. But it does mean that you have to exert some will power. Part of being healthy is having a routine that you stick to as much as possible, but you still need to enjoy your life. Here's how to celebrate in a healthier way:

 1. You Can Still Eat In

One of the problems with going out all the time is that you often end up eating out. If you eat out all the time, it’s difficult to control what you’re eating. When you do go out, try and eat ahead of time. Because if you don't eat, you may find yourself loopy after a glass of wine. 

2. Try Spritzers

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again--spritzers are a great way to stay sober. Order a half glass of wine, add ample ice, club soda, and lime juice. This cuts the amount of alcohol in half so you don’t end up having too much to drink. Or you could go completely alcohol-free with a club soda on ice with lime. 

3. Non-Alcoholic Beers Can Be Tasty

If you’re craving the taste of a beer, try a non-alcoholic beer. Becks puts out a great product. Bitburger Drive, Kaliber by Guiness, and Buckner Alcohol-Free by Heineken are also good choices. You’ll find tons of flavor and zero booze. 

4. The Focus Shouldn’t Be Booze

Plopping down at a bar with nothing to do but drink makes it more difficult to avoid partying, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t go out entirely. Check out a band you love or festival where you can dance the night away sober. 

5. Go Home Early

Staying out ultra late is difficult for your body to adjust to. Why not go out for a few hours with your friends, but leave when you're ready? There's no shame in going home early. 

6. Guilt is Toxic

We all slip up once in a while, but the guilt that you feel can make it even worse. Guilt is toxic on your body and mind. If you end up partying the night away, don't hate yourself for it. Learn from it and move on.

7. Pick the Exciting Nights

Choose nights when there's something particularly fun going on instead of going out every night. Your true friends will respect that you don’t want to go out every night of the week anymore. Those that you love will support your decision to lead a healthier life. If they don't, you'll naturally start to see less and less of them as time goes on. And that might just be a good thing for your body and soul. That way you won't be clinging to an identity that doesn't serve you anymore. 

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Read More: Risky or Worthwhile? Drinking 2 Glasses of Wine Per Night Good For Middle-Age Quality of Life

7 Slimming Food Swaps

04/10/2013

It’s almost bathing suit season, an intimidating time of year for those that aren’t 100 percent confident in their bodies. And likely, that’s most of us adults.

But I urge you not to be tempted by a crash diet! Instead, take it slow. Make one change at a time, and choose a change that you can actually keep. 

And though these are some of the changes that I deem helpful, you have to like them for them to work. We all like to eat certain foods and if you try and eat something that isn’t tasty, your habits can’t and won’t stick. (No diet works if it makes you miserable).  Feel free to make modifications where you see fit.

Here are some simple changes that help you lose weight without losing your mind:

1. Instead of cereal, try rolled oats.

Rolled oats are a stick-to-your-bones kind of food. They're minimally processed, you can control the amount of sugar you add, and they taste great. Not to mention that you can buy them in bulk for $2 a pound. Instead of a sugary cereal that will leave you hungry in about an hour, cook up 1/2 cup rolled oats in coconut milk with cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. Add in a teaspoon of raw honey, a few nuts, and fruit. 

2. Instead of coffee, try peppermint tea.

If you drink too much coffee, you may find that around 11 a.m. you’re starting to crash. When you get tired, you’re less likely to reach for healthy foods. Try a cup of refreshing peppermint tea in the morning instead of coffee and enjoy consistent energy without crashes.

3. Trade variety for consistency.

Try and eat about the same thing for both breakfast and lunch everyday. Instead, save your new recipes for dinner. For breakfast each morning, I have rolled oats or half an avocado atop sprouted grain bread with olive oil. At lunch I have a baked potato and an arugula salad with raw sunflower seeds, olives, dried fruit, and avocado with olive oil and raw apple cider vinegar. 

4. Instead of a snack, add in a smoothie.

Just about every day at around 3 p.m. I get hungry again. I used to reach for popcorn, but I found that it did little to suppress my appetite, so now I reach for a smoothie made with a frozen banana, frozen strawberries, coconut milk, raw honey, and a handful of greens. This way I get nutrients and I feel satiated longer. 

5. Instead of dessert, try frozen fruit.

I used to crave dessert after dinner and I would blow my diet with frozen yogurt. Now I freeze grapes to enjoy after dinner if I'm craving something sweet. It’s not that I don’t ever have my favorite chocolate-flavored coconut ice cream, but I don’t buy it unless it’s a special occasion. 

6. Instead of wine, try a spritzer.

Wine is caloric, but, let's face it, it’s also delicious. In the summertime, when you’re trying to slim down, drinking too much can slow your metabolism. Make your wine go further with a half glass of white wine on ice. Fill the glass with sparkling water and add in a slice of lime. Delicious. 

7. Instead of cheese, add avocado.

It’s not that I don’t ever eat cheese. I'm human, aren't I? But avocado is a creamy delicious trade atop eggs, toast, and salads. Yes, avocadoes have fat, but it’s a monounsaturated fat, a so-called "good fat" that helps control blood sugar, which in turn controls overall weight. Avocados also contain a carbohydrate called mannoheptulose that slows the breakdown of glucose and may help with weight loss.

Photo: istock/istock/Comstock

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Read More: Is Your Schedule Conducive to Being Thin?

New Caffeinated Chewing Gum Could Be Dangerous

04/05/2013

Wrigley’s new Alert Energy Gum packs a caffeinated punch. Each piece has 40 milligrams of caffeine, the equivalent of a 12 oz. soda or 1/2 a cup of coffee.

The easy access to a morning, afternoon, or evening jolt is surely appealing for those with too much to do and not enough energy to get it done, but Dr. Daniel Hyman, chief of internal medicine at Cooper University Health Care has concerns that consumers could take in too much caffeine. 

Dangers?

“People can get jittery. They can develop headaches. They can get palpitations, especially for people who are very sensitive,” Dr. Hyman said on CBSLocal. “On the severe aspects, people can become manic, can develop arrhythmias.

The gum carries a warning, according to Wrigley, so that consumers can make an informed decision. But the problem with this product is similar to that of 5-Hour Energy Shots, which have 215 milligrams of caffeine per shot. While the product may not be inherently dangerous, the ability to overindulge and take in too much caffeine is easy with both instances. 

Too Much Caffeine Too Fast

Drinking coffee, at around 80 milligrams of caffeine per cup, takes time. It’s hot, filling, and it takes a while to get through a whole cup. It takes a few seconds to chew a piece of gum or sip an energy shot and these products are often used in addition to coffee, soda, and energy drinks. People are a lot more likely to over indulge than they are when they’re just drinking coffee. 

Although the product is brand new, no troubles have been documented yet. 5-Hour Energy, on the other hand is under FDA investigation right now. According to The New York Times, "[s]ince 2009, 5-Hour Energy has been mentioned in some 90 filings with the F.D.A., including more than 30 that involved serious or life-threatening injuries like heart attacks, convulsions and, in one case, a spontaneous abortion, a summary of F.D.A. records reviewed by The New York Times showed."

I'm in no way saying that this gum is like 5-Hour Energy, but the potential for caffeine abuse is an important consideration. 

“Anyone who’s had problems with arrhythmias, rapid heart rates really should not use excessive amounts of caffeine, and this kind of product, I would definitely not recommend,” Dr. Hyman added on CBSLocal.

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Read More: Seizures and Cardiac Arrest: Even Without Booze Energy Drinks Are Dangerous

America’s Oldest Person Dies at 113: Here’s How She Lived So Long

04/03/2013

The year Elsie Calvert Thompson was born the Spanish/American War was going on, President William McKinley had not yet been assassinated, gold was discovered in Alaska, and voting machines had just been approved by Congress.

Thompson, slated as America’s oldest person, was born April 5, 1899 and was one of just 14 other people left on earth that was alive during the 19th century.

Thompson died peacefully in her home in Clearwater, Fl, on March 21, just a few weeks before her 114th birthday, according to The Daily Mail.  

Thompson enjoyed ballroom dancing, singing, and playing the piano. She was rarely in a bad mood and loved to be around people. She was a happy, uplifting person to be around until the day she died, according to those close to her. 

Thompson’s ashes are buried next to her late husband in Pennsylvania. Her only son, George Thompson, age 72, says she had congestive heart failure. 

The Daily Mail reports that America’s next oldest person, now oldest, Jeralean Talley, born May 23, 1899, also holds the title of being the oldest black person alive. 

We love these stories about people that live so long past the 100 year mark. But what are they doing right? What do they all have in common? 

4 keys to increasing your longevity:

1. Be an optimist. 

Stress and unhappiness take a toll on the body overtime. Most centenarians are happier, optimistic people just like Thompson was until her very last day.

"The results [of a study in the journal Aging] indicated they [centenarians] had two things -- a positive attitude for life, meaning they are optimistic, easygoing, extraverted, laughed more and expressed emotions rather than bottling them up," said Dr. Nil Barzilai, a study co-author and director of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's Institute for Aging Research to ABC News.

2. Dance.

It’s another way to love the life you’re living and be active long into old age. Thompson loved to dance and so does the world’s oldest yoga teacher, Tao Porchon-Lynch. Or just be active in doing what you love to do, like Fauja Singh, the first centenarian to complete a marathon. 

3. Keep your weight in check.

As you might expect, centenarians are usually free of many of the diseases like heart disease and diabetes that cause ill health later in life. Centenarians don't abuse cigarettes or drink too much and they are rarely, if ever obese.

4. Have good genes.

Without a doubt, genetics play a major role in unusually long lives. Centenarians often have others in their family that have lived past a century. But genetics isn't the only component. Based on studies at Boston University, it's 70 to 80 percent environment and 20 to 30 percent genes.

Cheers to Elsie Calvert Thompson for being an inspiration to us all!

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Read More: Record Longevity: 100 Year Old Finishes Marathon