Exercising slows many of the degenerative issues that result from aging. This definitely seems to be the consequence of modifications in several different biological processes and systems — exercising in fact adjusts the operation of your metabolism, making it work better.

There are a number of proposed mechanisms for the effects of exercise, including:

 * The induction of heat shock proteins
 * Boost in cardiac antioxidant capacity
 * Expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress proteins
 * Anatomical and physiological alterations in the coronary arteries
 * Modifications to nitric oxide production
 * Adaptational changes in cardiac mitochondria
 * Improved autophagy
 * Improved function of sarcolemmal and/or mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels

Hit the sack an hour earlier before switching to daylight saving time this weekend, expert says. Worried that your sleep patterns will be disrupted when the clocks move ahead sixty minutes this weekend? The secret is getting enough sleep in advance, says one sleep expert. First, be certain you’re well rested before the switch to daylight savings time on March 13, advises Dr. Aparajitha Verma, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston.

One method to do that is to start changing your sleep habits in the days before the time change; one example is, start getting up and going to sleep 1 hour earlier, Verma said.

You can also take a nap on Sunday afternoon if you feel you need to and you have enough time. But avoid napping within a few hours of your regular bedtime because that can disrupt your nighttime sleep, she added.

As you try to adapt to the time change, keep in mind that certain persistent problems may indicate a more serious sleeping disorder. Included in this are: remaining awake after 30 minutes of trying to go to sleep; excessive daytime sleepiness; or sleeping for seven or even more hours and waking up tired.

If you experience such problems, you may want to consider participating in an overnight study at an accredited sleep study center. Verma suggested.

More information

SOURCE: Methodist Neurological Institute, news release, March 7, 2011

Starting formula-fed babies on solid food too early may increase their risk of becoming obese by the time they reach age 3, according to a prospective study.

The study, which followed more than 840 young children, found that formula-fed infants introduced to solid food before four months of age had a 6.3-fold increased odds of obesity at age 3 (95% confidence interval 2.3 to 6.9), Susanna Y. Huh, MD, MPH, of Children’s Hospital Boston, and colleagues reported online in Pediatrics.

However, the same didn’t hold for breastfed infants — who showed no impact of timing of solid food introduction on obesity at age 3 (odds ratio 1.1, 95% CI 0.3 to 4.4), Huh and co-authors wrote.

The findings from the longitudinal study support guidelines recommending holding off on solids until at least 4 months of age and preferably to six months of age, the researchers noted.

“Additionally, it further confirms the tremendous long-term nutritional value of breast feeding during the first six months of life,” commented Cliff Nerwen, MD, of Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York City, in a statement sent to reporters.

Source

Medpagetoday

The study found that most trials showed an improvement in mental well-being: compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy and positive engagement, together with decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression. Participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and stated that they were more likely to repeat the activity at a later date.

However, none of the identified studies measured the effects of physical activity on physical well-being, or the effect of natural environments on sticking to exercise. On balance this review has identified some promising effects on self-reported mental well-being immediately following exercise in the natural environment, as opposed to those reported following exercise indoors. This is a first step towards vindicating the positive effects of programs such as the Green Gym and Blue Gym, and innovative interventions by medical practitioners that include exercise outdoors as part of holistic treatments for those suffering from depression and similar psychological ailments.

“The hypothesis that there are added beneficial effects to be gained from exercising in the natural environment is very appealing and has generated considerable interest. By using the data currently available to us we have added strength to the link between mental and physical well-being and outdoor exercise, but further research and longer, tailor-made and focused trials are needed to better understand this link.”

Source

Science Daily

Costa Mesa Chiropractor Weekly health Alert:

A range of fake blueberries are being used in a number of retail food items, even though they contain labels or photos suggesting that they contain real blueberries.

The Consumer wellness Center reports that these “blueberries” are actually a mixture of sugar, corn syrup, starch, hydrogenated oil, artificial flavors and artificial food dyes blue No. 2 and red No. 40.  The companies that use the fake blueberries include well-known manufacturers such as Kellogg’s, Betty Crocker and General Mills

According to the Los Angeles Times:

“… [T]he fakes were found in bagels, cereals, breads and muffins. Some products contain real blueberries mixed with fakes. For example, the blueberry bagels sold at Target contain some real berries but the ‘blueberry bits’ listed in the ingredients aren’t real blueberries … Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats Blueberry Muffin variety has no blueberries but does have ‘blueberry flavored crunchies’ made from the sugar-and-dye concoction mentioned above.”

Sources:

Los Angeles Times January 20, 2011

There are many causative factors for the symptoms of Vertigo. An inner ear affliction, known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, may sometimes take place as the outcome of a sustained head injury or very bad cold. Often this particular vertigo may be the result of the aging process. The origin, though, oftentimes is not known. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a wordy diagnosis, but it characterizes completely this non- progressive affliction that is the result of, as its name indicates, a sudden change in head posture. The difficulties are most often unpredicted and varied.

It will be helpful to look at the function of the inner ear in an endeavor comprehend what induces the ofttimes disabling complaints of this sort of vertigo. The brain senses changes in position and keeps balance employing the fluid found in the inner ear. Also in the inner ear are miniature calcium carbonate crystals, known as otoconia. These crystals are inclined float in the inner ear fluid if dislodged. As the crystals strike against the delicate nerve endings in the inner ear, they trigger the disorder of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV.

The good news is that chiropractic therapy can eliminate the problems of BPPV very quickly and effectively employing a technique that is called the Epley maneuver. By means of the use of this approach, a chiropractor rotates the head of a BPPV sufferer into several different positions, letting gravity carry the calcium carbonate crystals into a local of the inner ear that is away from the nerve endings where they will stimulate no further wooziness.

Your chiropractor has helped numerous people for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo applying the Epley Maneuver technique. Quite often, with just one treatment most patients no longer suffer from wooziness. Costa Mesa chiropractic can help. Call today!

Technorati Tags: BPPV, chiropractic, chiropractor, dizziness, epleys, vertigo

Knee X-ray

Individuals over 65 years of age who’ve been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA), that practice Tai Chi, improve their physical capability and encounter less pain, according to a new Tufts University School of Medicine study. Osteoarthritis is a general form of arthritis that causes a breakdown of joint cartilage. Chiropractors treat many individuals who suffer with OA in a number of regions of the body, including the knee joints. Knee pain and disability is one of the most prevalent dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal dysfunctions. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are an astounding 4.3 million adults in the US over age 60 diagnosed with knee OA, and the CDC predicts that by age 85, half of American adults may develop symptoms of OA. Knee osteoarthritis results in pain, immobility, functional disabilities, and a decreased quality of life.

Why do so many men and women develop OA? As with the majority of the musculoskeletal problems that we develop as we age, inappropriate stress to a joint over time is a major determinant. That is why as people age they are more at risk for developing OA in their joints, including the knees. Abnormal mechanics of the knee, poor gait, compensatory foot mechanics as the result of foot pain, and repetitive use of the knee joint all create undue stress on the knees. Over time arthritic changes in the knee joint develop. In combination with chiropractic treatment, chiropractors wholeheartedly support natural, drug-free practices, such as Tai Chi (Chuan), that can mitigate knee pain. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements that create mental relaxation, as well as increased balance, an increase in strength, and more flexibility.

The 40 adults chosen for the Tufts study were, on average, 65 years of age, overweight, and with confirmed OA, but in otherwise good health. Individuals were randomly picked to engage in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.

Tai Chi involves many of the contemporary exercise recommendations for OA, such as range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout. Furthermore, researchers noted that the “mental aspect” of Tai Chi encouraged a sense of well-being, life contentment, and impressions of health that aided the participants in dealing differently with chronic pain. Compared with the control group, the group practicing Tai Chi displayed a considerable decrease in knee pain.

Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, knee OA, knee pain, osteoarthritis, Tai Chi, Tufts University School of Medicine

Researchers found that of the “least-fit” versus the “slightly more fit” of the nearly 4,400 healthy U.S. adults in their recent study, roughly 20 percent with the lowest physical fitness levels doubled the risk of dying over the nine years of the study as the 20 percent with the next-lowest fitness levels. (In other words, those 20 percent who were nearly at the lowest fitness levels.) This is the proverbial “bad news/good news” type of result. It is undoubtedly bad news if you are a confirmed sofa spud. However, it is genuinely good news for those who haven’t quite hit rock bottom in the sedentary lifestyle department but are not, by any stretch of the imagination, energetic. Apparently, those men and women who stay only moderately fit as they grow older may live longer than those who are entirely out-of-shape, the study suggests.

The study included 4,384 middle-aged and senior adults whose fitness levels were determined during exercise treadmill tests sometime between 1986 and 2006. The researchers then observed the study groups progress for close to nine years. Such factors as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure were taken into consideration in the study. This, in and of itself, highlights the significants of physical fitness itself. In an email to Reuters Health, Dr. Sandra Mandic, of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, and lead researcher of the study noted: “Our findings suggest that a sedentary lifestyle, rather than differences in cardiovascular risk factors or age, may explain the two-fold higher mortality rates in the least-fit versus slightly more fit individuals.”

Nearly two-thirds of the least-fit study participants failed to get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, five or more days a week, which was the minimum recommended amount of exercise. “These results emphasize the importance of improving and maintaining high fitness levels by engaging in regular physical activity,” Mandic said, “particularly in poorly-fit individuals.”

Separating the participants into five groups based on fitness levels, the researchers discovered that 25 percent of the least-fit men and women had died during the study period, as opposed to 13 percent of those who were slightly more in shape. Among adults in the most-fit group (the ones who “hit the bull’s eyes,” so to speak) only 6 percent died during the follow-up period.

The five fitness-level groups presented little variance, overall, in their reported exercise routines during most of their adult lives, but notably, they differed in activity levels only in recent years. “Since it is recent physical activity that offers protection,” Mandic said, “it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life.”

In this particular study, despite weight and other health issues such as those mentioned above, fitness is clearly linked to longevity. Therefore, exercise is vital to extending our lifespan. And, of course, imagine the health benefits we could all experience if we sought to achieve the higher levels of fitness.

SOURCE: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, August 2009.

Technorati Tags: exercise, longevity, middle age, physical fitness

When it comes to problems generated by dehydration, athletes are particularly at risk. “Physiologically, their core body temperature could be higher than it should have been if they were hydrated. Their heart rate will be higher, and they’re going to perceive that they’re working harder than they actually are,” said Susan Yeargin, assistant professor of athletic training in Indiana State’s College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services.  According to researchers at Indiana State University, a high percentage of collegiate and professional athletes begin the season dehydrated, putting their health at risk even before they begin strenuous workouts. In fact, Pre-season physical examinations, in fact, found that 80 percent of football players displayed symptoms of.

Just how much water is enough water might have you confused. Chiropractors, like the majority of other health care professionals, advise at least eight, 8-ounce glasses of water every day for most patients, however for our athletic patients, or for patients who are overweight or exercise or work in a hot environment, we recommend even more. There is a fairly uncomplicated way for you to be sure that you’re drinking a healthful quantity water. Your urine color is a good guide. If it is a light, pale yellow, it’s evidence that you’re well-hydrated!

Technorati Tags: chiropractors, drinking enough water, exhaustion, headaches, heartburn, hydration, hypertension

Tension headaches: We’d all agree that life can be a pain, on occasion, and turn into a tension headache. Many people have suffered from more than one. If you are someone who’s had a tension headache, then you probably experience it as a dull, aching head pain that is sometimes accompanied by a feeling of tightness or pressure along your forehead or on the sides and back of your head. Sometimes, you might feel a tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and at times you may lose your appetite.

Tension headaches are usually characterized as mild to moderately intense. The severity of the pain varies from one headache to another in the same person, as well as from one individual to another You may have tension headaches all the time or they may happen occasionally. If your headaches take place fifteen or more days a month for at least three months, they’re considered chronic. If tension headaches are disrupting your life, chiropractic management may be the remedy. Contact your chiropractor today.

Migraine Headaches: Migraine headaches differ from the typical tension-related headache. Firstly, migraines generally develop on only one side of the head, according to the National Headache Foundation. They throb or pulsate and are accompanied by nausea or vomiting. Auras, visual symptoms an hour before a migraine attack, and features such as pulsating light, lines or dots, are experienced by one-fifth of migraine sufferers.

Are you a person who suffers from migraines? If you are, you know the upsetting, disabling effects that this kind of challenge can have on your life. Regrettably, you likely know from experience that standard over-the-counter medications are ineffective, and prescription drugs all too often have dangerous side effects. Still, the pain of a migraine can put you out of commission for hours, days, even a lifetime. It’s time to finally get rid of the pain and get your life back! Chiropractic management has been shown to be powerful in relieving and eliminating migraine headaches. Get in touch with your chiropractor today!

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, headaches, migraines, tension