Polyphenols to a Longer, Healthier Life

What are polyphenols?

Polyphenols are naturally-occurring chemicals in plants and recent studies have concluded that polyphenols have antioxidant characteristics that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and various types of cancer.
Professor Gary Williamson, Professor of Functional Foods at Leeds in Britain, lectures on the idea that foods maximize a person’s chances of living a longer life, as well as increasing the quality of life by reducing the possibilities of incurring certain diseases.
Dr. Williamson list a number of foods that are especially healthful. Some of his list include:
1. Apples
2. Berries…including blackberries, blue berries, strawberries, raspberries
3. Black and green teas
4. Oranges, peaches and plums
5. Broccoli
6. Cereal bran
7. Cherries
8. Spinach
9. Red Grapes
10. Red Onions
11. Cherry tomatoes

While, like anything else, all of these should be consumed in moderation. Williamson noted. “Epidemiology studies support the protective effects of polyphenol-rich foods. Lack of these components in the diet, because of low intake of fruit and vegetables, increases the risk of chronic disease.”

Bottom Line: The fiber and protein in nuts make you feel full longer and likely lead to eating less later. Some studies have suggested nuts may slightly increase your body’s ability to burn calories, and as much as 17% of the fat in nuts passes out of the body undigested. Again, as with the foods rich in polyphenols, moderation is always the word of the day. Is there a common denominator to these stories? Other than tea, all of the best foods for you are raw fruits, vegetables and nuts!!!

What happens 1 hour after drinking soda?

Do you want to be healthy? Drinking soda is bad for your health in so many ways; science can’t even state all the consequences. Here’s what happens in your body when you assault it with a Coke:

Within the first 10 minutes:

10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. This is 100 percent of your recommended daily intake, and the only reason you don’t vomit as a result of the overwhelming sweetness is because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor.

Within 20 minutes:

Your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar into fat.

Within 40 minutes:

Caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.

Around 45 minutes:

Your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain – a physically identical response to that of heroin, by the way.

After 60 minutes:

You’ll start to have a sugar crash.

Sources:
Nutrition Research Center October 24, 2007

Chiropractic May Lower Your Blood Pressure

Maintain An Active Lifestyle For Good Health

An active lifestyle is an essential ingredient in the recipe for life-long health. It should come as no surprise that active seniors have better metabolism than those that are not active. A new study, published in the Quarterly Journal of Medicine (2008;101:713–21) found that older people are less likely to have the cluster of markers that indicate metabolic syndrome—excess abdominal body fat, poor blood sugar control, high triglyceride levels, and low HDL (”good”) cholesterol levels—as well as better insulin sensitivity when they maintain an active life.

Scientists think that the individual components of metabolic syndrome are likely to have a single cause: insulin resistance.
In people with insulin resistance, insulin’s signal that blood sugar levels are high is not picked up by the cells. Disruption in this critical feedback mechanism results in chronically elevated insulin levels (and sometimes high blood glucose levels), which then contribute to increased fat deposition in the abdomen, increased triglycerides, negative changes in blood lipids, and atherosclerosis.

“Our study demonstrates that physical activity is inversely associated with insulin resistance and several related risk factors, and that low leisure-time activity is a predictor of metabolic syndrome in the elderly,” the study’s authors said in their conclusion. They added that preventing insulin resistance could lead to multiple simultaneous benefits for active seniors, including lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

BOTTOM LINE: Preventing metabolic syndrome requires both an active lifestyle and a healthy diet. Some of the dietary habits that will help people of all ages avoid insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome include:
• Eating lots of fruits and vegetables
• Making fish like salmon, herring, and tuna part of your diet 1-2 times each week
• Avoiding excessive animal fats and hydrogenated oils
• Choosing high-fiber, whole-grain carbs like brown rice, barley, quinoa, and multigrain cereals.

Foods to Help With Diabetes

Diabetes rates have doubled in the past 10 years. Current research suggests that following a healthy diet pattern is a positive way to reduce the risk of diabetes.
New research published in Diabetes Care (2008;31:1777–82) found that, along with maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising regularly, diet can be a powerful ally in the fight against diabetes.

• Make those grains whole. When shopping for bread and cereals, avoid products with the word “enriched” in the ingredient list. These grains are refined, not whole.

• Snack on fruit and nuts. The combination of carbohydrates from fruit plus protein and healthy fat in nuts can satisfy your urge to snack.

• Sprinkle some seeds. Try a tablespoon or two of flaxseeds or sunflower seeds in your yogurt and cereal.

• Stick with low-fat dairy. Skim or 1% milk, part-skim mozzarella cheese, and low- or no-fat yogurt are good choices. Limit whole milk, cream, and ice cream to special occasions.

• Go for the greens. Add kale, chard, or other green leafy vegetables to soups and stews.

• Enjoy coffee… in moderation. 1-2 cups per day may lower diabetes risk. Any more than this and you may run into trouble with side effects such as insomnia and rapid heart rate.

• Choose healthy proteins. Try for more fish, chicken, or soy products and other lean proteins. Limit red meat to 1-2times per week and stick to a 3-ounce serving.

"Green" Approach Towards Health

With today’s quickening pace of life and their accumulated stress levels, more people find themselves troubled by conditions related to their mental health. Many report getting tired easily and with pain centered on the back and neck both with and without attendant headaches.

Yet, when these same people go to a hospital and have a physical, their MD often reports finding nothing wrong with them physically. If the MD finds nothing wrong then he/she has little to offer. This is when people might consider turning to what might be the “GREENEST” approach to good health, namely chiropractic.

We consider Chiropractic “GREEN” because it is one of the safest, drug-free and non- invasive therapies available. While nothing is put in the body that may be toxic, nothing is removed from the body either. Chiropractic respects the internal environment of the person much the same way as the “GREEN movement” is respectful of out external environment says Dr. Steve Hoffman, an acknowledged expert in this field.

Additionally, many find chiropractic after other, more traditional, more invasive and more dangerous and toxic approaches have failed. And, it is on these people, failed by the medical establishment, that chiropractic has survived and thrived for over 100 years.

While most patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic care, the important thing to note is to seek chiropractic first!

BOTTOM LINE: The “GREEN” movement is about sustainability and being environmentally conscious. We see how the overuse of drugs is now polluting our water. How many drugs and hormones are we, and our children, absorbing from our own water supply. Chiropractic has never prescribed drugs and has never contributed to this problem. If more people were to take a responsible and sustainable approach to their health, both our internal and external environments would benefit.

How to Fit in Fitness

Current exercise recommendations call for 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity, five days per week. Sound impossible? Not when you consider there are 1,440 minutes in a day. Can't you take a mere two percent of your time and devote it to staying in shape? If you think it's not that easy, think again.


Timing is everything. Monitor your daily activities for one week, and then identify at least three 30-minute time slots per day that you could devote to physical activity.


Support makes sense. Make sure your friends and family know you are dedicated to consistent physical activity, and ask for their support. You can recruit others to join you, too, which will make it much easier to stay focused.


Rest your brain (and bank account). There are plenty of activities that don't require particular skill or cash, such as walking, cycling, jumping rope or swimming.


Don't be afraid to multitask. No, that doesn't mean you should try to do the bills or plan the family holiday party during your designated 30-minute exercise window. It does mean you can jump rope while watching TV, wrestle with the kids, take a family bike ride (which is good exercise for everyone), or do housework or gardening.

So, now that you know how to fit in fitness, what are you waiting for? Find the time, stay on course and enjoy a healthier, happier life. There's no better time than now to start. Your doctor can help outline an exercise program suitable to your needs.

What Your Body Needs!

Many people think nothing of eating a double cheeseburger, medium fries and a medium cola. If you dissect this "meal," you'll find that on average, it contains an unbelievable 68 grams of fat (17 teaspoons), almost half of which are saturated; 15 grams of trans fatty acids; 150 mg of cholesterol; 1,200 mg of salt; and 20 teaspoons of sugar (all from the cola)! If you factor in that the fries were probably cooked in hydrogenated cottonseed oil, one of the most heavily pesticide-laden crops in the world, and that the meat, if overcooked, could contain carcinogens, or if undercooked, could result in food poisoning from E. coli, you may agree it's time to find a new all-American meal.

The Bad Guys: High levels of saturated fat are consistently linked with elevated blood cholesterol levels, heart disease, insulin resistance and several forms of cancer. Most Americans eat about 40 grams of saturated fat every day, which is twice as much as is considered healthy. Animal products are the greatest source of saturated fats in the Western diet.

For many years, trans fatty acids were considered a relatively minor player in health and disease. Although their impact on total cholesterol is not quite as profound as it is with saturated fats, the overall damage to heart health is worse. Trans fatty acids not only raise total cholesterol, but also lower LDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) and potentially increase triglycerides. Gram for gram, the adverse effect of trans fatty acids is estimated to be two to four times greater than that of saturated fatty acids. The most common sources are crackers, cookies, granola bars, chips and other snack foods, baked goods, margarine, shortening and deep-fried fast foods.

Cholesterol is made by animals, not plants; all animal foods contain cholesterol, while plant foods are all cholesterol-free. The next time you buy any plant-based food like peanut butter that says "no cholesterol" on the label, realize that is just a sales gimmick. There are several concerns about eating too much cholesterol because it can cause blood cholesterol levels to rise, increasing the risk of blood clots, heart attack and stroke. The recommended daily intake of cholesterol is less than 200 mg, which is a little less than the amount of cholesterol in one egg yolk.

The Good Guys: Science has known for a very long time that vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds are healthful foods. Researchers assumed that the substances that made these foods so good for us were the vitamins, minerals and fiber. They were right, but only partly. In the past 20 years, scientists have discovered a whole new set of protective compounds packed within every whole-plant food: phytochemicals and antioxidants. Phytochemicals are natural substances that protect plants against attacks from insects. When we eat plants, these same powerful little protectors go to work on our behalf, with remarkable human health benefits.

Many phytochemicals are strong antioxidants, neutralizing destructive free radicals. Some phytochemicals provide anticancer support, helping the body rid itself of potent carcinogens. Others protect against cardiovascular disease by helping to reduce the formation of cholesterol, lower blood pressure, decrease blood cholesterol levels, reduce blood clot formation, open blood vessels and decrease damage to blood vessel walls. The list of significant beneficial activities of phytochemicals includes anti-inflammatory, anti-yeast, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and immune-enhancing benefits. Which foods are the most efficient phytochemical factories? Vegetables and fruits stand out as being particularly important, although legumes (beans), grains, nuts and seeds are also excellent sources. Choosing a wide variety of colorful, whole-plant foods is the key to a phytochemical-rich diet.

Hopefully this gives you a good starting point for improving your health. Limit your intake of saturated fat, trans fatty acids and cholesterol, and eat more whole foods, including seven to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day to maximize your phytonutrient and antioxidant protection. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Relationships

I want to start off by saying how sorry I am for not posting in the past week. I was in Orlando at a seminar listening to Robert Kiyosaki, who wrote Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Joseph Micheli, who studies successful companies and writes about the experience they create in their business. You can guess that this past week has been powerful and I have never been as proud as I am today about the direction I am taking with my life. Inspiring, motivating, and empowering people to make the right health choices for themselves and their families is what my dream and vision is all about.

There has recently been one aspect of my life I have especially focused on and that is building relationships. I have on average been meeting a new person every hour and making sure to remain in contact with them to see how I can best serve them. When I offer my service to them I have noticed that they are willing to serve me back just like the law of give and receive. I have met people in PR, media, real estate, graphic design, accounting, healthcare, consulting, and more recently a man who teaches Spanish to employees of an airline company. Every single one of these people are driven, focused, and dedicated to helping anyone who is willing to learn and keep an open mind.

If you are looking to meet more people and expand your network than just say the proverbial "hello" to anyone who will listen. This interaction doesn't only happen at networking groups but it happens every second we walk by someone on the street.

I am writing this because at some recent networking events I have been to there are so many people focused on sell, sell, sell. My focus is to just open up relationships. I find that when I do this the quality of the people I meet increases even though the quantity is not as high.

How many people do you meet a day? Are you getting follow-up contact information? Are you serving for the sake of serving and giving for the sake of giving? Do you uplift people when you talk to them and find out how you can benefit their lives?

Randy Pausch Touches More Lives

A couple weeks ago I posted a link on a man named Randy Pausch who gave a last lecture at Carnegie Melon. This past May he addressed the graduating class and I felt like I had to share this beautiful speech. It is only 7 minutes long, so please take the time to preview it below.



If you have not seen the "Last Lecture" than please go back 2 weeks and watch that inspiring video.

Triumph!

Abraham Lincoln says, “That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.”


A few weeks ago I challenged all of you to set a goal on achieving a level of physical fitness. I had a vision that all of you would train for a 5K, 10K, or some other organized race that would resonate with you. Thankfully, I received powerful feedback from all you and the results were inspiring. Some of you took it upon yourself to begin a 4 week training program to build a base then run a 5K for charity. Others of you have taken it upon yourself to set a goal for next year to run a half-marathon. I congratulate all of you and hope you can email me more of your stories so that I can share them with others.

The picture above is from my first triathlon I completed on October 5. On a list of 101 goals of mine stood "Complete Triathlon". I can now officially check this off and move on to another goal and dream. The point is I want all of you to make a physical fitness goal and take action. I want all of you to achieve a level of physical fitness where you are content. I want all of you to live lives full of abundant health and superior quality of life. The only way to do this is write it out then take action.

What action steps are you taking to improve your level of physical fitness?

10 Tips From Deepak Chopra

1) The natural human biorhythm is to sleep between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. This means you should be in bed, with the lights out, by 10 p.m. and be up by 6 a.m. If this is difficult for you, keep in mind that people naturally followed this pattern before the advent of electricity. When the time switches in two weeks ideally you should be in bed by 9 PM since this is equal to 10 p.m. prior to the time switch.

2) Decrease your mental activity after dinner. Journaling may help in this process by allowing you to put your anxieties on paper and get them out of your mind.

3) Make preparations for the next day, such as determining what you’d like to accomplish, so you don’t have to think about it.

4) Take a hot bath for up to an hour with calming fragrances (lavender, vanilla, sandalwood) 30 minutes before bedtime. Use the bath to let go of your daily stress, include soothing lights and music and massage your body with oils.

5) Use your bed for sleep and sex only. Even reading should be done elsewhere, unless it has a calming effect, such as spiritual literature.

6) Turn all lights off. Lie on your back and focus on they way your body feels (your mind-body awareness) and on your breathing.

7) Try reciting a mantra for five minutes. This could be some sort of favorite sound or prayer that you recite continuously.

8) Something warm, like a hot water bottle, may help soothe your anxieties, especially when placed between the navel and bottom of rib cage.

9) If you wake during the night, try repeating some of the techniques above or massaging your head or feet.

10) If you find it difficult to sleep in your bed, pick another area of the house to sleep in.

Lose 11 Pounds in 11 Weeks

I am about to give you the simple step to losing a pound a week. Since there are 11 weeks left in 2008, how does 11 pounds sound?

In order to lose a pound of fat you must burn 3500 calories. If you were to burn 500 calories a day that would equate to 3500 calories a week equalling 1 pound. Since many of us would rather not workout hard enough to lose 500 calories a day how about we split the 500 to 250 for diet and 250 for exercise. So now if you reduce your daily calorie intake by 250 and workout so that you burn 250 calories then you will satisfy your daily quotient.

If your having trouble with this then all you would need to do is not drink 2 cokes a day. Otherwise look on the back of one of your daily foods and eliminate it if it equals 250 calories.

If your having any difficulties with the exercising part then please email me for different tips to help you burn 250 calories.

This is equivalent to walking for 1 hour a day.

Chiropractic Restores Mans Vision

According to a report on KCRG in Cedar Rapids, Iowa this past January, medical doctors aren't quite sure how it happened, but a man in Dubuque, Iowa can see clearly after being blind in one eye for more than a decade.

It happened after a trip to the chiropractor.

According to the news story, twelve years ago Doug Harkey's left eye suddenly stopped working. "I woke up one day and I didn't have vision in one eye."

And as quickly as he lost sight, he got it back.

After a routine visit to Chiropractor Tim Stackis, Harkey said a miracle happened.

"My blind eye starting watering after I left the office and it watered for 45 minutes straight. It started making my good eye water. I went to wipe my right eye and I could see out of my left eye again."

Doctor Stackis said, “the bones in the Harkey's neck were out of alignment and that that interferes with the messages and energy the brain sends down to the rest of the body."

We bring this news story to your attention for a few very good reasons:

1. A cure was not being attempted.
2. By adjusting Harkey’s spine, his nerve system normalized and a body function was restored.
3. This happens during every chiropractic adjustment but the restoration of function is not always so dramatic.
4. Normal function is always preferable.

BOTTOM LINE: Normal function and regulation of body systems combined with regular exercise and proper nutrition are the cornerstones of good health. Mix in plenty of pure water, a positive mental attitude and sufficient rest and you have the recipe for a long and healthy life. The alternative is to try and re-capture health after it is lost. We are more willing to make lifestyle choices that contribute to our health AFTER it has been lost. Make that change now and enjoy good health!

What wakes you up every morning?

Is it an alarm clock or a calling
that wakes you up in the morning?

How we wake up and what we think of and internalize in our minds and hearts the instant we begin conscious thinking in the morning, determines so much of what our outcomes will be for the day. Be careful what you think of as soon as you wake up. If your thoughts run to concerns, tasks, worries, “weighted issues”… then you are setting yourself up for what might play out to be a “heavy” day. Consider the following;

1) Before falling asleep, write out your most ideal victories you could wish to accomplish for the next day
2) Upon waking up choose the reflex of stating; “Thank You God for this Day, my Life and the chance to begin today a brand new person”.
3) As soon as you can, sit down with a blank piece of paper and write the following
A. 7 things you are grateful for
B. 7 things you want to do this day
4) Promise you will say “I Love You” (to yourself) when looking into the eyes of every person you plan to engage and serve this day

Compliments of my mentor Dr. Dean DePice

Get Moving!

Who better than personal trainers to know the best exercises to get you in shape safely and effectively? The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recently conducted a survey of 1,000 ACE-certified personal trainers to get their advice regarding the best techniques to get fit. Here are their top three recommendations, which the ACE suggests combining with a healthy diet to achieve the best results:

Strength Training – Just 20 minutes of basic exercises, two days a week, will help firm and tone the whole body. Strength training will modestly increase metabolism, helping to burn more calories, even when you are resting.

Interval Training – Lack of time is the number-one reason people give for not exercising regularly, and lack of results once they do start exercising isn't far behind. Interval training is a great solution for both of these common complaints. Alternate short bursts of intense activity with what is called active recovery – typically a less-intense form of the original activity.

Increased Cardio/Aerobic Exercise – Aerobic exercise is any activity that uses large muscle groups in a continuous, rhythmic fashion for sustained periods of time. Walking is a weight-bearing aerobic exercise, as are jogging, rope-skipping and dance. There are also non-weight-bearing aerobic exercises such as bicycling, swimming and rowing.

So get out there and get moving! There's no better time to get in shape, and your body will thank you for it. Your doctor can help outline an exercise program suitable to your needs.

Heart Health: Part 2

Nutrients associated with their ability to help lower homocysteine levels include:

Folic Acid - also known as Vitamin B9, folic acid can help the body produce the enzymes necessary to remove homocysteine from the blood.

Vitamin B6 - along with folic acid and Vitamin B12, helps reduce homocysteine levels.

Vitamin B12 - works with folic acid and Vitamin B6 to assist in homocysteine removal.

Nutrients associated with their ability to help lower CRP (C-Reactive Protein) levels include:

Fish Oil - the essential fatty acids in fish oil have been shown to decrease inflammation and, in turn, CPR levels.

Ginger - Ginger root extract can help reduce inflammation, as it relaxes the muscles surrounding blood vessels and facilitates circulation.

MSM - Methyl Sulfonyl Methane, commonly known as MSM, is a naturally occurring sulfur compound that has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Please Remember: Mixing and matching nutrients on your own could be dangerous to your health as they could interact adversely. All of these nutrients have to be balanced perfectly in order to be optimally effective.

More next week on overall heart health…

Montel Praises Chiropractic

Montel praises chiropractic!

Love Your Mom

Dedicated to all the hard working and loving mothers in the World.

Little Boy and His Mother

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and he handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said:

For cutting the grass: $5.00
For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00
For going to the store for you: .50
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping: .25
Taking out the garbage: $1.00
For getting a good report card: $5.00
For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00

Total owed: $14.75

Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote:

"For the nine months I carried you while you grew inside me: No Charge.

For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you: No Charge.

For all the trying times, and all the tears that you've caused through the years: No Charge.

For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead: No Charge.

For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose: No Charge.

When you add it up, Son, the cost of my love is: No Charge."

When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight up at his mother and said, "Mom, I sure do love you."

And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote: "PAID IN FULL".

Proper Pillow Placement For A Healthy Spine

In the past couple weeks I have been recieving many requests about the best way to sleep. Before I ramble on about the best positions to sleep first look at this picture of the spine and try to mimic it with your sleep.


Ok, for those of us who need a little guidance and visualization continue to read.


There are 3 positions that you can sleep on: your back, stomach, or side. For those who sleep on their back you want to place a cervical pillow behind your neck and a regular pillow under your legs for support of your low back. If you sleep on your side then use a cervical pillow to support your neck and place a pillow between your legs for maintaining the proper curvature in your low back. If you sleep on your stomach (which I do not recommend), then place a pillow under your stomach. I do not recommend this position because you are most liley turning your head to one side. By keeping your head in the rotational position for at least 6 hours is detrimental to the curvature in the neck.


Check out http://hubpages.com/hub/Pillow_Placement for a more in depth guide to proper pillow placement.