An article in a recent edition of Psychology Today magazine talks about how exercise helps muscles expand and the brain grow.
According to author, Avigail Gordon, “New research confirms that doing aerobic exercise for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, can enlarge the hippocampus, a part of the brain that regulates emotion and memory.”
A healthy heart is so incredibly important. When people come to A Massage at Tahoe we have an in-take form that asks a series of questions. Much of it is to trigger a client’s memory about medical issues.
Massage increases circulation. If you are taking medication, massage can move it through your system much faster.
Keeping the heart running is so incredibly important.
The following information is all from www.realage.com.
When it comes to the health of your heart, what you do and what you don’t do can truly make a difference. That’s because lifestyle choices — like smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise — can be far more dangerous than hereditary factors.
Here’s a step-by-step plan that will help you make smart choices and help get your ticker in top form.
Action 1: Pump Your Heart
For optimal health, you’ll need to do enough physical activity to burn between 3,500 and 6,500 calories a week (or roughly 500 to 950 a day). Do at least three 20-minute cardio workouts a week
Action 2: Know Your Numbers
We’re talking the big three - cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar — plus, two more you should probably know: homocysteine and C-reactive. Consider these numbers a stock ticker for your ticker. They tell you how you’re doing, and when you need to do more. When you have them measured, make sure your doctor also tells you what your goal levels should be and what you can do to get there.
Action 3: Get Happy
There are lots of reasons to be happy, including your heart health. Negative emotions like anger and hostility can raise blood pressure. People with depression are four times more likely to have a heart attack. And while we don’t understand how emotional stress causes physical stress, we do know there’s a powerful connection.
Action 4: Eat Your Heart Out
When making out your grocery list, follow this simple rule of thumb: opt for foods with healthful fats, fiber, and good-for-you nutrients like flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals. And nix the salty, sugary, sat-fat-laden, or processed stuff.
Action 5: Learn from Your Relatives
Even though you have a lot of control over your own heart-healthy destiny, a family history of heart disease does raise your risk significantly. So, along with talking to your doctor about a schedule of heart screenings, talk about your family health history, too. And if Mom, Dad, or a sibling developed heart disease, you’ll want to be extra vigilant about screenings and about adopting heart-smart habits.
Action 6: Pop Some Pills
Certain nutrients, supplements, and occasional medications can work preventive wonders for your heart. Here are the YOU Docs’ top picks:
Aspirin: Taking aspirin regularly may reduce the incidence of heart attack by making blood platelets less sticky and decreasing arterial inflammation. But it only makes sense for men over the age of 35 and women over the age of 40. And even then, check with your doctor first, because aspirin can have side effects like stomach irritation and bleeding.
A multivitamin: Your multivitamin is chock-full of heart-healthy micronutrients, like magnesium, calcium, and vitamins D, C, E, and A.
Folate: This B vitamin lowers homocysteine to healthy levels. Since folate from food is only partially absorbed by your body, take a 400-microgram (folic acid) supplement. But make sure you’re getting enough B6 and B12, too, because folate can mask a deficiency in these vitamins.
Action 7: Schedule Sleep
If you don’t snooze 6 to 8 hours a night, you increase arterial aging and raise your risk of a heart attack. Inadequate sleep will also cause you to release less serotonin (the feel-good hormone) in your brain.
A survey by the British Acupuncture Council found that depression, anxiety, insomnia and stress are common reasons why people get acupuncture.
The survey also revealed that more people under the age 40 are reporting having these emotional issues. Two-thirds of the respondents were women.
Survey takers pointed to working long hours and the uncertainty of the economy as being reasons for their stress and uneasiness with life.
Blood pressure can escalate because of a number of factors. Two easy ways to start getting it to move into the other direction are by walking a half mile every day and eating healthier foods.
Take a canvas bag (no need to fill landfills with more plastic ones) and pick-up a few items for dinner each night from the grocery store.
Walk to the drycleaners.
Walk the dog.
Walk with your kids to the ball fields.
Walk with your significant other after dinner.
I did my errands on foot this morning — went to the bank, video store and massage office.
Don’t let bad weather deter you. Gyms have treadmills. Malls have plenty of covered walking terrain.
Don’t drastically alter your diet because you won’t stick with. Star with changing your fiber to whole grains. Do this with breads and pasta. Try baking with a mix of white and whole wheat flour.
Then go get your blood pressure checked again.
With summer just around the corner, El Dorado County health officials are encouraging residents to prepare now to stay cool and healthy in the upcoming months.
“We are asking people to take steps now to ensure their air conditioner is working properly and have a plan in place to stay cool and prevent summer heat injuries,” said Dr. Dean Kelaita, interim county health officer.
Each summer brings the potential for heat waves. According to Kelaita, summer heat waves can be extremely dangerous and can cause serious medical problems, especially for people who are very young, elderly, or have chronic medical conditions.
“It is more difficult for these individuals to regulate their body temperatures and to adjust to extreme changes in heat,” reports Kelaita. “We understand that the high cost of electricity bills have prevented some individuals from using their air conditioners in the past. While it is important to conserve energy, when temperatures rise above 100 degrees, electric fans are not sufficient to adequately cool a person, especially those who are most vulnerable to the heat.”
The El Dorado County Department of Human Services (DHS) has programs to assist low-income individuals with summer heat planning. One program is available to make homes more energy efficient and to repair or replace air conditioners or evaporative coolers. Another program provides assistance once per year to pay for high energy costs, such as a high electric bill during a summer heat wave. For more information on these programs, or to see if you qualify, contact DHS at (530) 621-6150.
The following are tips on how to stay cool and healthy during hot weather:* Drink plenty of fluids, such as water and low-calorie sports drinks, to replace salts and minerals lost through sweating.
* Stay indoors in an air-conditioned building. If your home does not have sufficient air conditioning, visit a friend, relative or other location in the community, including libraries, grocery stores, or shopping centers where the air conditioning is working.
* Pace yourself and avoid heavy exertion in the heat.
Never leave a child or an animal in a parked vehicle, even for a few minutes. Temperatures can quickly rise to dangerous levels in a matter of minutes.
*Check in on neighbors, relatives and friends, particularly those who may be isolated.
For more information and additional tips to stay cool and healthy during the summer, visit www.edcgov.us/publichealth.
Amy Wechsler is a doctor and skin care expert with RealAge. She recently wrote a book titled “The Mind-Beauty Connection: 9 Days to Reverse Stress Aging and Reveal More Youthful, Beautiful Skin.”
Although I have not read the book, RealAge says, “(Wechsler’s) unique expertise allows her to untangle the psychological from the physical and offer practical, insightful solutions that produce amazing antiaging results.”
RealAge says Wechsler is one of only two doctors in the country currently board certified in dermatology and psychiatry.
Amy Wechsler is a doctor and skin care expert with RealAge. She recently wrote a book titled “The Mind-Beauty Connection: 9 Days to Reverse Stress Aging and Reveal More Youthful, Beautiful Skin.”
Although I have not read the book, RealAge says, “(Wechsler’s) unique expertise allows her to untangle the psychological from the physical and offer practical, insightful solutions that produce amazing antiaging results.”
RealAge says Wechsler is one of only two doctors in the country currently board certified in dermatology and psychiatry.