Health 02 (Nov08 - Mar09)

Re: Health (Nov08 - Mar09)

Postby winston » Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:39 am

Socializing and moderate drinking good for you

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Having a supportive social network enhances the health benefits of having a few drinks, new research from Japan suggests.

The study of Japanese men years found that moderate to light alcohol consumption, coupled with high levels of social support, were linked to lower rates of heart disease and stroke.

"But remember," Dr. Hiroyasu Iso from Osaka University noted in a statement, "this beneficial effect of social support is confined to light-to-moderate drinking. Heavy drinking is risky irrespective of social support level."

In a report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, the researchers note that light to moderate drinking has been shown to help protect against stroke and heart disease. Being surrounded by lots of family and friends is also known to be good for the heart and may even help people live longer.

The new study, Iso and colleagues say, shows that high levels of social support may enhance the heart-healthy effects of light to moderate alcohol consumption.

Iso's team examined drinking patterns, social support and cardiovascular health of 19,356 men in their 40s, 50s and 60s who were enrolled in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study. Their alcohol consumption was classified into seven categories: never, past, occasional, 1 to 149, 150 to 299, 300 to 449, or 450 or more grams of alcohol per week.

During an average follow up of more than 9 years, 629 strokes and 207 coronary heart diseases were documented in the men.

Confirming past studies, heavier drinking (i.e., 300 grams per week or more) was associated with an increased risk of stroke. This may be explained at least partly by alcohol-induced high blood pressure, the researchers say.

In contrast to heavy drinking, light to moderate drinking -- up to 299 grams of alcohol per week -- was associated with reduced risks of stroke and heart disease, and the effect was more pronounced in men with high levels of social support, "probably due to avoidance of unhealthy behaviors and enhancement of stress buffering," Iso surmised.

Compared with light to moderate drinkers with high social support, those with low social support had unhealthier lifestyle behaviors; they were more apt to be sedentary and had fewer opportunities for medical checkups. They were also more likely to have high stress levels, no job, and no spouse.

The researchers speculate that low levels of social support may cause mental stress, which is hard on the heart. Mental stress activates components of the body's neuro-endocrine system, "which lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease," Iso explained.

SOURCE: Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, June 2009.
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Re: Health (Nov08 - Mar09)

Postby winston » Sat Mar 21, 2009 8:09 am

Nuts: From Natural Treasure to Man-Made Trash By Kelley Herring

Nuts are undoubtedly one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Research shows that nut noshers have the slimmest waistlines and a significantly lower risk of heart disease.

But the benefits don't end there. Nuts are packed with life-essential minerals, including magnesium and selenium. And they are a concentrated source of brain-nourishing and blood-sugar-balancing fats.

Still, manufacturers have found a way to meddle with the nut and muck up Mother Nature. In fact, the "Diamond" brand has been turning treasure into trash by adding genetically modified corn oil and BHT to its walnuts, hazelnuts, and other naturally pure tree nuts.

Protected by their shells, nuts are a relatively "clean" plant food - unadulterated by pesticide toxins - even when grown conventionally. But add corn oil - which is high in inflammatory omega-6 fats as well as being genetically modified almost 90 percent of the time - and you've completely changed their lipid profile and biochemical nature.

Corn oil itself is a preservative, but Diamond adds BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) to ensure shelf stability. BHT prevents oxidation. It is used to preserve food odor, color, and flavor. It is banned in Australia, Japan, Romania, and Sweden due to its carcinogenic activity. In the United States, BHT is prohibited only in infant formula.

Avoid inflammatory corn oil and carcinogenic BHT by reading the labels before you buy. You'll be pleasantly surprised to find that many inexpensive brands of nuts are free of these unnecessary additives. They contain only one simple ingredient: "nuts."

Just take a few moments to pick the treasure... and leave the trash.
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Re: Health (Nov08 - Mar09)

Postby winston » Sat Mar 21, 2009 6:45 pm

A No-Equipment-Necessary Strength Builder By Craig Ballantyne

A "burpee" is a tough, advanced bodyweight exercise - strength and endurance packed into one - that you can do without any equipment. There are all sorts of variations, but my favorite is to add a push-up in the middle and a jump at the end. Here's how to do it:

* Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

* Squat down, place your hands on the floor, and thrust your feet back into push-up position.

* Do a push-up, and bring your knees back up to your chest.

* Jump up as high as you can, landing with your knees slightly bent.

* Repeat for 6-10 repetitions.

Make sure you wear proper shoes and do this on a soft surface (not concrete or pavement).
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Re: Health (Nov08 - Mar09)

Postby winston » Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:02 pm

By Jenny Thompson:-

If you water down juice to give to your kids or grandkids, what do you get? A lighter beverage that has less sugar. Not only that – it obviously contains more of nature's original hydrator, which is pretty hard to improve on.

But you know, watering down juice, who has time for a task like that? I mean, you've got to get out the juice bottle, and then you have get out ANOTHER container to pour the juice in. Then you have to get out the water and pour BOTH it AND the juice into the container. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

If you don't have the means to hire someone to do all this work for you, don't despair. The folks at Welch's have stepped up to lend a helping hand with a new product for kids called AquaJuice.

It's juice. With water. Mixed together. And since Welch's went to all that trouble, I'm sure you won't mind paying just a little bit more than you would pay for juice that hasn't been watered down (about $.08 an ounce vs. $.065 for regular old water-free juice).

If consumers actually buy this product, can AquaCola and AquaWine be far behind?
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Re: Health (Nov08 - Mar09)

Postby winston » Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:32 pm

Concerned About Diabetes? Go Organic By Kelley Herring

Eating conventionally grown produce and meats and farm-raised fish? If so, you may be 38 times more likely to develop diabetes. A recent study published in Diabetes Care found a strong relationship between Type II diabetes and the body burden of six pollutants:

a PCB: hexachlorobiphenyl
2 dioxins: heptadioxin and OCDdioxin
2 pesticides: oxychlordane and trans-nonachlor, and
a pesticide metabolite: DDE, a metabolite of DDT
These contaminants were detectable in more than 80 percent of the study participants. And compared to participants in the lowest-exposure category, those in the highest-exposure category were almost 38 times more likely to have diabetes.

Don't think you're at risk? Think again. The average American takes in nearly a gallon of pesticides per year by eating conventionally grown fruits and vegetables.

Reduce your risk of diabetes (and many other chronic illnesses) by choosing only organic produce and meats and wild fish.
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Re: Health (Nov08 - Mar09)

Postby winston » Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:32 pm

Burn Fat With Spices by Jon Benson

Not only can spices save an otherwise boring (but healthy) meal... turns out they can help you burn body fat through the process of thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is simply heat. And since a calorie is a unit of heat, guess what? More thermogenesis = more calories burned.

A recent issue of The Journal of Physiology and Behavior cited numerous studies on several spices that increase thermogenesis, including these findings:

1. Capsaicin, the compound that gives red chili pepper its heat, increases energy via heat expenditure by up to 23 percent after being ingested at breakfast.

2. Black pepper increases body heat (thermogenesis) by bonding to TRPV1 receptors in the brain.

3. Turmeric has both anti-cancer and pro-thermogenic support.

Combine these three spices - red chili pepper, black pepper, and turmeric - and use them liberally (as much as your taste buds can handle). Just be careful not to overdo - or you'll end up with more heartburn than fat burn.
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Re: Health (Nov08 - Mar09)

Postby winston » Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:35 pm

Red meat raises risk of all kinds of death: study

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNe ... health1100
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Re: Health (Nov08 - Mar09)

Postby winston » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:09 pm

How to Build a Sexy Back By Jon Benson

You know that part of a woman's back that every guy likes? The "trench" that runs down the spine and comes alive when she wears an evening gown?

Well, ladies, you can build this part of your back with just two exercises - two hard sets of each:

1. Low pulley cable rows

Using a cable row machine, keep your back at a near-90 degree angle to the bench. Pull to the lower part of your stomach, right around the navel. The trick: Pretend there are cords attached to your elbows pulling them backward. This helps you focus on the back muscles. Then squeeze the muscles together and lower the weight slowly.

2. Hyperextensions

On a hyperextension machine, lie down, face toward the floor, and lower your body slowly. Pull it back up to parallel using your lower and middle back muscles. This forces you to focus on making the muscles, not momentum, do the work. (Don't be afraid to use weight with this exercise, but build up to it.)
It's all about "how much you made when you were right" & "how little you lost when you were wrong"
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Re: Health (Nov08 - Mar09)

Postby sidney » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:11 pm

Everyone ages, health deteroriates, as inevitable cycle of life. Apart from purchasing insurance as in buying a piece of mind... , does anyone out there who has a particular way or methodology to sustain good health, or did succession planning years back in advance... perhaps due to a poor doctor prognosis back then?

I wonder how do it feels to bear the consequences as an adult, especially one with dependants..
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Re: Health (Nov08 - Mar09)

Postby winston » Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:08 am

sidney wrote:does anyone out there who has a particular way or methodology to sustain good health ?


I think most people already know how to live a Healthy lifestyle eg. moderation in eating, enough sleep, moderate drinking, water, exercise, minimum stress, hygience etc..

It's the discipline to do the above that some people are not able to do ..
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