Friday, September 30, 2011
THOUGHT FOR TODAY...
How we grow—emotionally, spiritually, relationally, financially—is to take a risk.
FUN FACTS
* Originally, Jack-O-Lanterns were made from turnips. *
* Onions have no flavor, only a smell. *
* Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously. *
* No 2 cornflakes are identical! *
* Nachos is the food most craved by pregnant women. *
* Most alcoholic beverages contain all 13 minerals necessary to sustain human life. *
* Onions have no flavor, only a smell. *
* Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously. *
* No 2 cornflakes are identical! *
* Nachos is the food most craved by pregnant women. *
* Most alcoholic beverages contain all 13 minerals necessary to sustain human life. *
Why Men Are Big Babies When They Get Sick
There may actually be something to the observation many women have that men act like babies when they get the sniffles — or flu.
A research team from Ghent University in Belgium claims women are stronger when it comes to the immunological defense they raise against the flu and other illnesses, according to a story on msnbc.com.
The scientists hypothesize that differences in how parts of X chromosome RNA work with genes partially explains why women appear to combat trauma and infection better and live longer than men. (Think back to high school biology: Women have two X chromosomes, while men have one X and one Y chromosome.)
However, other experts offer doubt that the sexes — react differently to the flu — biologically speaking, at least.
“If there were any significant differences” in immune response, “then why do we give the same vaccine doses?” asked Don J. Diamond, director of translational vaccine research and professor of virology at City Hope in Duarte, Calif. “There has never been a vaccine released for human use that uses a different dose for males or females.”
Man flu, explained: Guys may have weaker immune response
As any woman who lives with a man can tell you, she’d almost rather get the flu herself than have him get it — not out of any tender altruism, but because she knows what a big baby he’ll be.
“Where’s my soup?” “I want army men!” “Whaaaaa…”
Is there a real, biological reason why men seem to suffer so? Or are men just illness weenies?
A team from Ghent University in Belgium thinks we men might have a good excuse, that we really do suffer more because women mount a stronger immunological reaction to the flu virus and other illnesses.
Their hypothesis — and that’s all it is for now — is complicated, having to do with the X chromosome (men typically have one – XY — and women two, XX). Differences in the way tiny pieces of X chromosome RNA, the chemical that carries genetic instructions to cells’ protein factories, interact with genes partially accounts for why women live longer than men, and appear to fight sepsis, infection and trauma better than men, the team argues.
It is true that there are immune system differences between men and women. Women, for example, suffer more often from autoimmune diseases and some studies have shown a sexually dimorphic response to infection.
But Don J. Diamond, director of translational vaccine research and professor of virology at City Hope in Duarte, California is very skeptical that flu is much different in men and women.
“If there were any significant differences” in immune response, he asked in an interview with msnbc.com, “then why do we give the same vaccine doses? Childhood vaccines like MMR [measles, mumps, rubella], boys and girls get the same dose and it works for both. Same with the flu vaccine. There has never been a vaccine released for human use that uses a different dose for males or females.”
More likely, he suggested, women just seem to tough out the flu with less whining because of women’s well-known tolerance for pain. “To keep the species going, women have to endure the pain of childbirth,” he explained. That higher threshold might make most women seem like flu Vikings compared to men.
So whether the Ghent scientists are right, or it’s just the female tolerance for misery, we men still have an excuse.
Now, where are those army men?
Follow msnbc.com contributor Brian Alexander on Twitter.
A research team from Ghent University in Belgium claims women are stronger when it comes to the immunological defense they raise against the flu and other illnesses, according to a story on msnbc.com.
The scientists hypothesize that differences in how parts of X chromosome RNA work with genes partially explains why women appear to combat trauma and infection better and live longer than men. (Think back to high school biology: Women have two X chromosomes, while men have one X and one Y chromosome.)
However, other experts offer doubt that the sexes — react differently to the flu — biologically speaking, at least.
“If there were any significant differences” in immune response, “then why do we give the same vaccine doses?” asked Don J. Diamond, director of translational vaccine research and professor of virology at City Hope in Duarte, Calif. “There has never been a vaccine released for human use that uses a different dose for males or females.”
Man flu, explained: Guys may have weaker immune response
As any woman who lives with a man can tell you, she’d almost rather get the flu herself than have him get it — not out of any tender altruism, but because she knows what a big baby he’ll be.
“Where’s my soup?” “I want army men!” “Whaaaaa…”
Is there a real, biological reason why men seem to suffer so? Or are men just illness weenies?
A team from Ghent University in Belgium thinks we men might have a good excuse, that we really do suffer more because women mount a stronger immunological reaction to the flu virus and other illnesses.
Their hypothesis — and that’s all it is for now — is complicated, having to do with the X chromosome (men typically have one – XY — and women two, XX). Differences in the way tiny pieces of X chromosome RNA, the chemical that carries genetic instructions to cells’ protein factories, interact with genes partially accounts for why women live longer than men, and appear to fight sepsis, infection and trauma better than men, the team argues.
It is true that there are immune system differences between men and women. Women, for example, suffer more often from autoimmune diseases and some studies have shown a sexually dimorphic response to infection.
But Don J. Diamond, director of translational vaccine research and professor of virology at City Hope in Duarte, California is very skeptical that flu is much different in men and women.
“If there were any significant differences” in immune response, he asked in an interview with msnbc.com, “then why do we give the same vaccine doses? Childhood vaccines like MMR [measles, mumps, rubella], boys and girls get the same dose and it works for both. Same with the flu vaccine. There has never been a vaccine released for human use that uses a different dose for males or females.”
More likely, he suggested, women just seem to tough out the flu with less whining because of women’s well-known tolerance for pain. “To keep the species going, women have to endure the pain of childbirth,” he explained. That higher threshold might make most women seem like flu Vikings compared to men.
So whether the Ghent scientists are right, or it’s just the female tolerance for misery, we men still have an excuse.
Now, where are those army men?
Follow msnbc.com contributor Brian Alexander on Twitter.
Alzheimer's Linked to Lack of Sleep
Being sleep deprived may put you at higher risk for Alzheimer’s, according to a new study.
The work, considered preliminary, showed that levels of amyloid beta, a marker for Alzheimer’s disease, normally go up during the day and down at night, according to a Health Day News story.
Scientists have long known that extreme sleep deprivation adversely impacts brain function, much like alcohol overconsumption does.
"But it's recently become apparent that prolonged sleep disruption and deprivation can actually play an important role in pathological processes that underlie diseases,” said Dr. Stephen Duntley, professor of neurology and director of Washington University's Sleep Medicine Center. “This connection to Alzheimer's disease isn't confirmed yet in humans, but it could be very important."
Reseachers, reporting in the upcoming issue of Archives of Neurology, looked at a variety of behaviors and found that the transition between being awake and sleeping was the activity that most correlated with fluctuations of amyloid beta in the spinal fluid.
Study Suggests Link Between Sleep Deprivation, Alzheimer's Risk
Body seems to use brain's downtime to clear away disease-related material, researchers say
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A new study shows that levels of amyloid beta, a byproduct of brain activity that is considered a marker for Alzheimer's disease, normally rise during the day and decrease at night.
While the finding is preliminary, it could suggest a possible link between sleep deprivation and people's risk for developing the brain-robbing disease, researchers say.
"We've known for some time that significant sleep deprivation has negative effects on cognitive [brain] function comparable to that of alcohol intoxication," Dr. Stephen Duntley, professor of neurology and director of Washington University's Sleep Medicine Center, said in a university news release. "But it's recently become apparent that prolonged sleep disruption and deprivation can actually play an important role in pathological processes that underlie diseases. This connection to Alzheimer's disease isn't confirmed yet in humans, but it could be very important."
The findings were released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of Archives of Neurology.
According to the researchers, levels of the amyloid beta protein do seem to ebb and flow.
"In healthy people, levels of amyloid beta drop to their lowest point about six hours after sleep, and return to their highest point six hours after maximum wakefulness," Dr. Randall Bateman, associate professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, explained in the news release.
"We looked at many different behaviors, and the transitions between sleep and wakefulness were the only phenomena that strongly correlated with the rise and fall of amyloid beta in the spinal fluid," he added.
Bateman and colleagues also found this pattern was most prevalent in healthy, young people and less pronounced in older adults who suffer from shorter or more disrupted periods of sleep.
They suggested the reason for this may be that the brain's low activity during sleep allows the body to clear amyloid beta through the spinal fluid.
Levels of amyloid beta in older adults with Alzheimer's appear to be constant, suggesting a possible link between lack of sleep and people's odds for developing the disease, the team said.
In conducting the study, the researchers divided study participants into three groups:
People aged 60 and older who tested positive for the presence of amyloid beta plaques in the brain.
People aged 60 and older who did not have amyloid beta plaques.
Healthy people ranging in age from 18 to 60 years.
Using a spinal tap, researchers monitored amyloid beta levels in the participants' spinal fluid every hour for up to 36 hours. During this time, they also videotaped the patients' activities and monitored their brain activity.
In the group with brain plaques, amyloid beta levels remained virtually constant. In the other two groups, however, the levels regularly rose and fell in snake-like waves. The highs and lows of this pattern were much more obvious in younger participants, and flatter in older people.
Although the participants' activities did not have an impact on changes in amyloid beta levels, peaks in their sleep and wakefulness consistently occurred before peaks and drops in amyloid beta levels.
The study authors said that more research is needed to explore how disrupted sleep in young people disrupts the normal ebb and flow of spinal amyloid beta, and how sleep aids may help maintain this wave-like pattern.
"It's still speculation, but there are tantalizing hints that better sleep may be helpful in reducing Alzheimer's disease risk," concluded Duntley. "We know from a number of studies that exercise enhances sleep, and research also has shown that exercise is associated with decreased risk of Alzheimer's. Sleep might be one link through which that effect occurs."
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about Alzheimer's disease.
-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas
SOURCE: Washington University School of Medicine, news release, Sept. 26, 2011
Last Updated: Sept. 28, 2011
The work, considered preliminary, showed that levels of amyloid beta, a marker for Alzheimer’s disease, normally go up during the day and down at night, according to a Health Day News story.
Scientists have long known that extreme sleep deprivation adversely impacts brain function, much like alcohol overconsumption does.
"But it's recently become apparent that prolonged sleep disruption and deprivation can actually play an important role in pathological processes that underlie diseases,” said Dr. Stephen Duntley, professor of neurology and director of Washington University's Sleep Medicine Center. “This connection to Alzheimer's disease isn't confirmed yet in humans, but it could be very important."
Reseachers, reporting in the upcoming issue of Archives of Neurology, looked at a variety of behaviors and found that the transition between being awake and sleeping was the activity that most correlated with fluctuations of amyloid beta in the spinal fluid.
Study Suggests Link Between Sleep Deprivation, Alzheimer's Risk
Body seems to use brain's downtime to clear away disease-related material, researchers say
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A new study shows that levels of amyloid beta, a byproduct of brain activity that is considered a marker for Alzheimer's disease, normally rise during the day and decrease at night.
While the finding is preliminary, it could suggest a possible link between sleep deprivation and people's risk for developing the brain-robbing disease, researchers say.
"We've known for some time that significant sleep deprivation has negative effects on cognitive [brain] function comparable to that of alcohol intoxication," Dr. Stephen Duntley, professor of neurology and director of Washington University's Sleep Medicine Center, said in a university news release. "But it's recently become apparent that prolonged sleep disruption and deprivation can actually play an important role in pathological processes that underlie diseases. This connection to Alzheimer's disease isn't confirmed yet in humans, but it could be very important."
The findings were released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of Archives of Neurology.
According to the researchers, levels of the amyloid beta protein do seem to ebb and flow.
"In healthy people, levels of amyloid beta drop to their lowest point about six hours after sleep, and return to their highest point six hours after maximum wakefulness," Dr. Randall Bateman, associate professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, explained in the news release.
"We looked at many different behaviors, and the transitions between sleep and wakefulness were the only phenomena that strongly correlated with the rise and fall of amyloid beta in the spinal fluid," he added.
Bateman and colleagues also found this pattern was most prevalent in healthy, young people and less pronounced in older adults who suffer from shorter or more disrupted periods of sleep.
They suggested the reason for this may be that the brain's low activity during sleep allows the body to clear amyloid beta through the spinal fluid.
Levels of amyloid beta in older adults with Alzheimer's appear to be constant, suggesting a possible link between lack of sleep and people's odds for developing the disease, the team said.
In conducting the study, the researchers divided study participants into three groups:
People aged 60 and older who tested positive for the presence of amyloid beta plaques in the brain.
People aged 60 and older who did not have amyloid beta plaques.
Healthy people ranging in age from 18 to 60 years.
Using a spinal tap, researchers monitored amyloid beta levels in the participants' spinal fluid every hour for up to 36 hours. During this time, they also videotaped the patients' activities and monitored their brain activity.
In the group with brain plaques, amyloid beta levels remained virtually constant. In the other two groups, however, the levels regularly rose and fell in snake-like waves. The highs and lows of this pattern were much more obvious in younger participants, and flatter in older people.
Although the participants' activities did not have an impact on changes in amyloid beta levels, peaks in their sleep and wakefulness consistently occurred before peaks and drops in amyloid beta levels.
The study authors said that more research is needed to explore how disrupted sleep in young people disrupts the normal ebb and flow of spinal amyloid beta, and how sleep aids may help maintain this wave-like pattern.
"It's still speculation, but there are tantalizing hints that better sleep may be helpful in reducing Alzheimer's disease risk," concluded Duntley. "We know from a number of studies that exercise enhances sleep, and research also has shown that exercise is associated with decreased risk of Alzheimer's. Sleep might be one link through which that effect occurs."
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about Alzheimer's disease.
-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas
SOURCE: Washington University School of Medicine, news release, Sept. 26, 2011
Last Updated: Sept. 28, 2011
Is Your Guy Bad in Bed? 6 Ways to Improve His R Rating
Even if you love your man, his sex moves may leave you wanting for more. Fortunately, with a little tactful communication, your lovemaking can quickly go from lackluster to lusty. Read on for sex experts’ tips on how to turn your guy into the lover of your dreams. Plus, what’s going on below his belt? Take our quiz to find out...
Back in my single life, there was a particular guy I couldn’t get enough of. His touch made me shiver. His kisses lit me up like a pinball machine. But when we got into bed, and he started moving south, well, his technique went south too.
I like the slow build of the tango, and he was doing the jitterbug. Too soon my brain started whirring: Should I say something? Stop him? Change positions? Can’t he tell? Hey, I confirmed my lunch tomorrow, right?
It’s never good when my erotic mind starts running through my To-Do list. Then I thought, Uh-oh! He’s been gunning the engine for a while and probably wondering why I haven’t crossed the finish line. I wanted to reward his perseverance. And since he was the type to ask – and I didn’t want to lie – I focused really hard. Somehow, I pulled a big finish out of thin air.
Bad sex is like being stuck in gridlock traffic: You’re there for the duration. And you wonder (with a mix of disappointment and frustration) if you’re ever going get where you want to be.
You’re hardly alone in that particular jam. Sexual disconnect is one of the main reasons couples land in sex therapists’ offices. In fact, it happens so frequently that there’s actually a term for it: spectatoring.
“You take yourself out of the moment,” says Michele Sugg, a certified sex therapist in Branford, Conn., “and you’re kind of watching from above thinking, When will this be done? When should I fake an orgasm? Will he hurry up because I’m going numb?”
Of course, so-so sex is worst when you can see yourself riding off into the sunset with the guy. That’s when you really have to take the reins in hand and train your stallion to be the lover you want.
But why bother, those of us with a cynical side might ask, especially if everything else in the relationship is clicking?
“Because sex is the bond that repairs the wear and tear of life together,” says Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., author of Prime: Adventures and Advice on Sex, Love and the Sensual Years (Collins).
Every long-term relationship has some angst, conflict and turmoil, she says. “[Sex] brings you back together and makes you feel like you’re able to connect and love again.”
But transforming a lackluster lover into a breathtaking bed partner requires courage, creativity and tact. Here are 6 ways to create your own Casanova:
1. Quit faking it.
Your guy is trying to get from point A (foreplay) to point B (your orgasm). But he’s never going to get there if you keep sending him down the wrong road. And that’s exactly what you’re doing if you give an Academy Award-winning performance that tells him he’s found your sweet spot when he’s not even in the ballpark.
You don’t want to fake it a lot because then you won’t get what you need. Besides, you’re steering your guy in the wrong direction, Schwartz says.
But there are times when it’s OK to “bring in some smoke and mirrors,” Schwartz says.
For example:
You’re reconnecting after a breakup. “When things are emotionally difficult between you and your body, but he’s doing this masterful job to show you that he loves you, not having an orgasm may be more symbolically powerful than it should be,” Schwartz says.
“The guy needs reinforcement, and your relationship needs reinforcement. So just give him the orgasm.”
His ego rides on your climax. “Some men take it very personally [if you don’t have an orgasm],” Schwartz explains. “If you don’t want to do relationship work at that moment, but you’ll do it later, then you might want to do a great enactment of an orgasm.”
Still, pull this trick out only on rare occasions.
“It really will backfire on both of you if this becomes the ongoing answer to what is essentially a communication and relationship issue,” Schwartz cautions.
One more crucial point: If you do fall back on theatrics, take it to your grave.
“Don’t ever tell,” she advises. “Once you tell them, they’ll wonder if you’re ever real.”
2. Speak up – nicely.
In elementary school we all learned that if you can’t say something nice, say nothing. That’s fine when Great Aunt Gertrude gives you her hand-knitted puce sweater. But it doesn’t apply to your bedroom partner. Speak your mind when it comes to sex.
“Everybody’s responsible for their own orgasm,” says Richard Siegel, a certified sex therapist in Boynton Beach, Fla. “If you’re too embarrassed or self-conscious [to talk about it], that’s a sign of a problem right out of the gate.”
Be diplomatic, though. People think the other person’s going to be hurt, Sugg says. “Or they get frustrated because they haven’t said anything, and by the time they do, it comes out in a snarky way.”
That’s one reason to nip things in the bud (or bed) as they unfold. You can spin him around in a different direction and spare his feelings by combining a teeny white lie (Mmm, that feels nice) with some key instructions. (What would really send me to the moon is [fill your preference in here]).
Does your partner have a tendency to cut to the main course while you want to linger over appetizers? Put a positive spin on your wish to slow down. (This feels so good, can we do it a while longer?)
“Instruct people in an erotic way,” Sugg says, “and it will probably be received pretty wonderfully.”
If you’ve been faking for a while now, Schwartz offers this escape hatch: Simply tell him, That’s hit or miss. Every now and then I’ll have an orgasm that way, but really I need it this way.
3. Tell… and show.
Guys are visual. If words alone aren’t getting the message across, tap your inner porn star and simply show him what you want.
“A lot of men love to watch women masturbate,” Sugg says.
Or take his hand and gently demonstrate how hard or soft you want to be touched.
“For a woman to say, I would love it if you would touch me like this would be awesome [for most men],” Siegel says.
Or try this: Show your guy the kind of caresses you enjoy by licking or sucking on his fingers, Sugg suggests. If you can pull it off while he’s busy below deck, even better.
“It’s hands-on, and they can feel what you’re asking for,” she says.
By the way, this technique works anywhere on your body. Does your guy take the radio dial approach to nipple play? Unbutton his shirt, and show him how you’d like it.
4. Turn it into a game.
Make some lists: Things That Drive Me Wild, Things I’d Consider Trying, No Way, Jose!
Sex therapists use this classic exercise to get couples talking about what works for them in bed and what doesn’t. But you can skip the professional session and do it together over martinis.
Maybe you’ll discover you both like role-play or want to try some of the positions in the Kama Sutra.
The exercise helps couples learn “that sex is about mutual pleasuring and fun and sharing intimacy instead of performance and pressure,” Siegel says.
5. Let ’em know when they get it right.
One night my partner of 10 years stumbled quite by accident on an erogenous zone even I didn’t know about. That! That thing you just did! Do that more! I managed to stammer between the shock waves.
“Men love that,” Sugg says. “They’ll do what we want, but we need to be able to tell them. That’s the key.”
6. Check in with him.
To rephrase a bit from JFK, ask not what your man can do for you, but what you can do for your man. It’s a win-win situation.
Getting him to talk about what he wants and what you could do to heighten his pleasure opens the door for you to express what you want in bed, Schwartz says.
The result? Your mind will stop wandering to that stack of work on your desk, and you might even call in sick so you can spend more time in the sack.
What’s Going on Below His Belt?
How much do you know about what makes your guy's sex drive sputter and stall? Hint: It's has nothing to do with how big your boobs are (or aren't). Before you revamp your lingerie collection, realize it's more about him and less about you.
Back in my single life, there was a particular guy I couldn’t get enough of. His touch made me shiver. His kisses lit me up like a pinball machine. But when we got into bed, and he started moving south, well, his technique went south too.
I like the slow build of the tango, and he was doing the jitterbug. Too soon my brain started whirring: Should I say something? Stop him? Change positions? Can’t he tell? Hey, I confirmed my lunch tomorrow, right?
It’s never good when my erotic mind starts running through my To-Do list. Then I thought, Uh-oh! He’s been gunning the engine for a while and probably wondering why I haven’t crossed the finish line. I wanted to reward his perseverance. And since he was the type to ask – and I didn’t want to lie – I focused really hard. Somehow, I pulled a big finish out of thin air.
Bad sex is like being stuck in gridlock traffic: You’re there for the duration. And you wonder (with a mix of disappointment and frustration) if you’re ever going get where you want to be.
You’re hardly alone in that particular jam. Sexual disconnect is one of the main reasons couples land in sex therapists’ offices. In fact, it happens so frequently that there’s actually a term for it: spectatoring.
“You take yourself out of the moment,” says Michele Sugg, a certified sex therapist in Branford, Conn., “and you’re kind of watching from above thinking, When will this be done? When should I fake an orgasm? Will he hurry up because I’m going numb?”
Of course, so-so sex is worst when you can see yourself riding off into the sunset with the guy. That’s when you really have to take the reins in hand and train your stallion to be the lover you want.
But why bother, those of us with a cynical side might ask, especially if everything else in the relationship is clicking?
“Because sex is the bond that repairs the wear and tear of life together,” says Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., author of Prime: Adventures and Advice on Sex, Love and the Sensual Years (Collins).
Every long-term relationship has some angst, conflict and turmoil, she says. “[Sex] brings you back together and makes you feel like you’re able to connect and love again.”
But transforming a lackluster lover into a breathtaking bed partner requires courage, creativity and tact. Here are 6 ways to create your own Casanova:
1. Quit faking it.
Your guy is trying to get from point A (foreplay) to point B (your orgasm). But he’s never going to get there if you keep sending him down the wrong road. And that’s exactly what you’re doing if you give an Academy Award-winning performance that tells him he’s found your sweet spot when he’s not even in the ballpark.
You don’t want to fake it a lot because then you won’t get what you need. Besides, you’re steering your guy in the wrong direction, Schwartz says.
But there are times when it’s OK to “bring in some smoke and mirrors,” Schwartz says.
For example:
You’re reconnecting after a breakup. “When things are emotionally difficult between you and your body, but he’s doing this masterful job to show you that he loves you, not having an orgasm may be more symbolically powerful than it should be,” Schwartz says.
“The guy needs reinforcement, and your relationship needs reinforcement. So just give him the orgasm.”
His ego rides on your climax. “Some men take it very personally [if you don’t have an orgasm],” Schwartz explains. “If you don’t want to do relationship work at that moment, but you’ll do it later, then you might want to do a great enactment of an orgasm.”
Still, pull this trick out only on rare occasions.
“It really will backfire on both of you if this becomes the ongoing answer to what is essentially a communication and relationship issue,” Schwartz cautions.
One more crucial point: If you do fall back on theatrics, take it to your grave.
“Don’t ever tell,” she advises. “Once you tell them, they’ll wonder if you’re ever real.”
2. Speak up – nicely.
In elementary school we all learned that if you can’t say something nice, say nothing. That’s fine when Great Aunt Gertrude gives you her hand-knitted puce sweater. But it doesn’t apply to your bedroom partner. Speak your mind when it comes to sex.
“Everybody’s responsible for their own orgasm,” says Richard Siegel, a certified sex therapist in Boynton Beach, Fla. “If you’re too embarrassed or self-conscious [to talk about it], that’s a sign of a problem right out of the gate.”
Be diplomatic, though. People think the other person’s going to be hurt, Sugg says. “Or they get frustrated because they haven’t said anything, and by the time they do, it comes out in a snarky way.”
That’s one reason to nip things in the bud (or bed) as they unfold. You can spin him around in a different direction and spare his feelings by combining a teeny white lie (Mmm, that feels nice) with some key instructions. (What would really send me to the moon is [fill your preference in here]).
Does your partner have a tendency to cut to the main course while you want to linger over appetizers? Put a positive spin on your wish to slow down. (This feels so good, can we do it a while longer?)
“Instruct people in an erotic way,” Sugg says, “and it will probably be received pretty wonderfully.”
If you’ve been faking for a while now, Schwartz offers this escape hatch: Simply tell him, That’s hit or miss. Every now and then I’ll have an orgasm that way, but really I need it this way.
3. Tell… and show.
Guys are visual. If words alone aren’t getting the message across, tap your inner porn star and simply show him what you want.
“A lot of men love to watch women masturbate,” Sugg says.
Or take his hand and gently demonstrate how hard or soft you want to be touched.
“For a woman to say, I would love it if you would touch me like this would be awesome [for most men],” Siegel says.
Or try this: Show your guy the kind of caresses you enjoy by licking or sucking on his fingers, Sugg suggests. If you can pull it off while he’s busy below deck, even better.
“It’s hands-on, and they can feel what you’re asking for,” she says.
By the way, this technique works anywhere on your body. Does your guy take the radio dial approach to nipple play? Unbutton his shirt, and show him how you’d like it.
4. Turn it into a game.
Make some lists: Things That Drive Me Wild, Things I’d Consider Trying, No Way, Jose!
Sex therapists use this classic exercise to get couples talking about what works for them in bed and what doesn’t. But you can skip the professional session and do it together over martinis.
Maybe you’ll discover you both like role-play or want to try some of the positions in the Kama Sutra.
The exercise helps couples learn “that sex is about mutual pleasuring and fun and sharing intimacy instead of performance and pressure,” Siegel says.
5. Let ’em know when they get it right.
One night my partner of 10 years stumbled quite by accident on an erogenous zone even I didn’t know about. That! That thing you just did! Do that more! I managed to stammer between the shock waves.
“Men love that,” Sugg says. “They’ll do what we want, but we need to be able to tell them. That’s the key.”
6. Check in with him.
To rephrase a bit from JFK, ask not what your man can do for you, but what you can do for your man. It’s a win-win situation.
Getting him to talk about what he wants and what you could do to heighten his pleasure opens the door for you to express what you want in bed, Schwartz says.
The result? Your mind will stop wandering to that stack of work on your desk, and you might even call in sick so you can spend more time in the sack.
What’s Going on Below His Belt?
How much do you know about what makes your guy's sex drive sputter and stall? Hint: It's has nothing to do with how big your boobs are (or aren't). Before you revamp your lingerie collection, realize it's more about him and less about you.
Coffee linked with lower depression risk in women
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Women who drink four cups of coffee a day are 20 percent less likely to become depressed than women who rarely drink coffee, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
Caffeine is the most frequently used central nervous system stimulant in the world, and coffee consumption accounts for about 80 percent of caffeine use.
Drinking coffee offers a boost of energy and a lift in well being, said Alberto Ascherio of Harvard School of Public Health.
"This short-term effect is what drives the consumption of caffeine," said Ascherio, whose study appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"Here we are looking at long-term chronic use of caffeinated coffee," Ascherio said in a telephone interview.
His team studied more than 50,000 women enrolled in a health study of nurses. The women had an average age of 63, and none were depressed when they enrolled in the study.
Ascherio's team measured coffee consumption based on data on the women for 14 years dating back to 1976. They then classified the women according to how much coffee they drank and followed them for an additional 10 years.
"We found that those women who regularly drink four or more cups of coffee a day have 20 percent lower risk of developing depression than those who rarely or never drink coffee," Ascherio said.
The team focused specifically on coffee, but they had similar findings when they looked at overall caffeine consumption, including caffeinated soft drinks and chocolate. They found that women who were in the top fifth of caffeine consumption had a 20 percent lower risk of depression than women in the bottom fifth.
The team built a two-year gap or latency period between when they measured caffeine consumption and their assessment for depression to make sure they were not just capturing women who were too depressed to be regular coffee drinkers.
Ascherio said there have been very few studies that look at the long-term effects of coffee consumption. One smaller study in Finland showed men who drank a lot of coffee were less likely to commit suicide.
And Ascherio's own team has shown that drinking a lot of coffee may be protective against Parkinson's disease in both men and women.
He said it is not yet clear how coffee might protect against depression, but there are some hints.
Animal studies have shown that caffeine protects against certain neurotoxins. And brain receptors that respond to caffeine are concentrated in the basal ganglia, an area that is important for both depression and Parkinson's disease.
Ascherio said low-dose, chronic stimulation of these receptors may make them more efficient.
He stressed that the study does not prove that coffee lowers depression risk -- only that it might be protective against depression in some way.
And many more studies will be needed to show whether coffee can be used to prevent depression, Ascherio said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/pjSydu Archives of Internal Medicine, September 26, 2011.
Caffeine is the most frequently used central nervous system stimulant in the world, and coffee consumption accounts for about 80 percent of caffeine use.
Drinking coffee offers a boost of energy and a lift in well being, said Alberto Ascherio of Harvard School of Public Health.
"This short-term effect is what drives the consumption of caffeine," said Ascherio, whose study appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"Here we are looking at long-term chronic use of caffeinated coffee," Ascherio said in a telephone interview.
His team studied more than 50,000 women enrolled in a health study of nurses. The women had an average age of 63, and none were depressed when they enrolled in the study.
Ascherio's team measured coffee consumption based on data on the women for 14 years dating back to 1976. They then classified the women according to how much coffee they drank and followed them for an additional 10 years.
"We found that those women who regularly drink four or more cups of coffee a day have 20 percent lower risk of developing depression than those who rarely or never drink coffee," Ascherio said.
The team focused specifically on coffee, but they had similar findings when they looked at overall caffeine consumption, including caffeinated soft drinks and chocolate. They found that women who were in the top fifth of caffeine consumption had a 20 percent lower risk of depression than women in the bottom fifth.
The team built a two-year gap or latency period between when they measured caffeine consumption and their assessment for depression to make sure they were not just capturing women who were too depressed to be regular coffee drinkers.
Ascherio said there have been very few studies that look at the long-term effects of coffee consumption. One smaller study in Finland showed men who drank a lot of coffee were less likely to commit suicide.
And Ascherio's own team has shown that drinking a lot of coffee may be protective against Parkinson's disease in both men and women.
He said it is not yet clear how coffee might protect against depression, but there are some hints.
Animal studies have shown that caffeine protects against certain neurotoxins. And brain receptors that respond to caffeine are concentrated in the basal ganglia, an area that is important for both depression and Parkinson's disease.
Ascherio said low-dose, chronic stimulation of these receptors may make them more efficient.
He stressed that the study does not prove that coffee lowers depression risk -- only that it might be protective against depression in some way.
And many more studies will be needed to show whether coffee can be used to prevent depression, Ascherio said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/pjSydu Archives of Internal Medicine, September 26, 2011.
Chemotherapy appears safe in pregnancy: study
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Treating pregnant cancer patients with powerful chemotherapy drugs appears not to harm their unborn children, but pre-term delivery to avoid subjecting them to chemotherapy does, according to a study by cancer experts on Tuesday.
Scientists who studied the health and mental development of children born to mothers treated for cancer in pregnancy found they were not affected by chemotherapy, but were harmed if they were born prematurely, either naturally or by induction.
"The data suggest the children suffer more from prematurity than from prenatal chemotherapy," said Dr. Frederic Amant, a gynecological oncologist at the University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium, who led the research and presented his findings at the European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress (EMCC) in Stockholm.
While results presented at meetings are usually considered preliminary, he said the data show there is no need for pregnant cancer patients to have abortions or delay chemotherapy treatment beyond the first trimester, but stressed that doctors should avoid inducing early birth if at all possible.
An estimated 2,500 to 5,000 pregnant women in Europe are diagnosed with cancer each year -- a diagnosis that is doubly traumatic as mothers-to-be worry that either the disease or the treatment could harm their unborn child.
Amant said that in his experience, many women decide to have an abortion because they are unaware of the cancer treatment risks to the fetus, but assume it is likely to be harmful.
Doctors, too, often advise women to either delay their cancer treatment or induce delivery of the baby early -- generally at around 32 weeks gestation, he said.
But according to his findings, that advice is misplaced if chemotherapy is given after the first 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. Only a fraction of the chemotherapy passes through the placenta and gets into the fetus, Amant said, and the drugs appear to have no health impacts on the babies' development.
Among the 70 children born from 68 pregnancies in the study, around two-thirds were delivered before 37 weeks gestation.
Amant's team found the rates and types of congenital defects among the babies were similar to the general population, as was growth, general health and development. The researchers also found no heart abnormalities.
But they found that while cognitive development -- measured by scores such as intelligence quotient (IQ) and behavioral tests -- was in the normal range for most of the children, those that had below-normal IQs were mainly those born prematurely.
It is already well known that babies born very early have a higher risk of developing learning difficulties, and recent studies have also shown that children born even 1 or 2 weeks before their 40-week gestation due date are also more likely to develop learning difficulties.
Amant said that because the number of women in this study was small and the follow-up time was relatively short, his team plan to study larger numbers for longer in future research.
"At this stage we do not know the full, long-term consequences of prenatal chemotherapy, including its effect on the children's fertility and likelihood of developing cancers when they are older," he said.
Scientists who studied the health and mental development of children born to mothers treated for cancer in pregnancy found they were not affected by chemotherapy, but were harmed if they were born prematurely, either naturally or by induction.
"The data suggest the children suffer more from prematurity than from prenatal chemotherapy," said Dr. Frederic Amant, a gynecological oncologist at the University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium, who led the research and presented his findings at the European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress (EMCC) in Stockholm.
While results presented at meetings are usually considered preliminary, he said the data show there is no need for pregnant cancer patients to have abortions or delay chemotherapy treatment beyond the first trimester, but stressed that doctors should avoid inducing early birth if at all possible.
An estimated 2,500 to 5,000 pregnant women in Europe are diagnosed with cancer each year -- a diagnosis that is doubly traumatic as mothers-to-be worry that either the disease or the treatment could harm their unborn child.
Amant said that in his experience, many women decide to have an abortion because they are unaware of the cancer treatment risks to the fetus, but assume it is likely to be harmful.
Doctors, too, often advise women to either delay their cancer treatment or induce delivery of the baby early -- generally at around 32 weeks gestation, he said.
But according to his findings, that advice is misplaced if chemotherapy is given after the first 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. Only a fraction of the chemotherapy passes through the placenta and gets into the fetus, Amant said, and the drugs appear to have no health impacts on the babies' development.
Among the 70 children born from 68 pregnancies in the study, around two-thirds were delivered before 37 weeks gestation.
Amant's team found the rates and types of congenital defects among the babies were similar to the general population, as was growth, general health and development. The researchers also found no heart abnormalities.
But they found that while cognitive development -- measured by scores such as intelligence quotient (IQ) and behavioral tests -- was in the normal range for most of the children, those that had below-normal IQs were mainly those born prematurely.
It is already well known that babies born very early have a higher risk of developing learning difficulties, and recent studies have also shown that children born even 1 or 2 weeks before their 40-week gestation due date are also more likely to develop learning difficulties.
Amant said that because the number of women in this study was small and the follow-up time was relatively short, his team plan to study larger numbers for longer in future research.
"At this stage we do not know the full, long-term consequences of prenatal chemotherapy, including its effect on the children's fertility and likelihood of developing cancers when they are older," he said.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
THOUGHT FOR TODAY...
Truly successful decision making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking.
FUN FACTS
* Pumpkin rule of thumb: the darker the shell is, the longer the pumpkin lasts. *
* Pretzels were originally invented for Christian Lent. *
* Pound for Pound, hamburgers cost more than new cars! *
* Pepsi-Cola was originally called 'Brad's drink'. *
* Pearls melt in vinegar. *
* Pancakes are commonly served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Australia. *
* Pretzels were originally invented for Christian Lent. *
* Pound for Pound, hamburgers cost more than new cars! *
* Pepsi-Cola was originally called 'Brad's drink'. *
* Pearls melt in vinegar. *
* Pancakes are commonly served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Australia. *
Antibiotics Increase Crohn's, Colitis Risk
People who are prescribed a large number of antibiotics tend to have a higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a new study finds, providing more evidence that antibiotics may be disturbing bacteria in our intestine.
"It's not that antibiotics cause inflammatory bowel disease, but that it further supports the hypothesis that changing the gut flora may be disadvantageous," co-author Dr. Charles N. Bernstein, who studies bowel disorders at the University of Manitoba, told Reuters Health.
Previous studies have linked antibiotic use and IBD, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In the current study, Canadian researchers found 12 percent of people diagnosed with the two conditions had been prescribed three or more antibiotics two years before compared to 7 percent without the disease. This difference was consistent over a five-year period.
In other words, if antibiotics were solely responsible for the difference, for every 20 people prescribed three or more antibiotics, there would be one extra case of IBD.
Once the researchers took other factors into account, they found that people prescribed lots of antibiotics were as much as 50 percent more likely to get Crohn's disease within two to five years.
Published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, the study looked at 24,000 people from one of the largest IBD databases in North America.
"It's a well-done study that has a strong well-maintained database that allows the authors to get quality data," said Dr. Jean-Paul Achkar, who studies the genetics of IBD at the Cleveland Clinic and was not part of the study.
"They even tried to adjust for non-antibiotic prescription history, and still antibiotics came out as being associated with increased risk of IBD," he told Reuters Health.
An estimated 1.4 million Americans suffer from IBD, with approximately 30,000 new cases diagnosed each year, according to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.
Both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis — the two main forms of IBD — cause chronic inflammation in the intestines, triggering symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss.
The cause of IBD is unclear, but some scientists think IBD may result from the immune system overreacting to viruses or bacteria in the intestine.
"There is growing evidence that alterations in the balance of normal intestinal bacteria could lead to the development of IBD," said Achkar.
Most people who've taken antibiotics will not develop IBD. But Bernstein still thinks a portion of the population is at risk.
"It's not that we should stop using antibiotics," he said. "We get through a lot of important infections by using them. But we have to make sure that when we use them, it's for the right reasons."
"It's not that antibiotics cause inflammatory bowel disease, but that it further supports the hypothesis that changing the gut flora may be disadvantageous," co-author Dr. Charles N. Bernstein, who studies bowel disorders at the University of Manitoba, told Reuters Health.
Previous studies have linked antibiotic use and IBD, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In the current study, Canadian researchers found 12 percent of people diagnosed with the two conditions had been prescribed three or more antibiotics two years before compared to 7 percent without the disease. This difference was consistent over a five-year period.
In other words, if antibiotics were solely responsible for the difference, for every 20 people prescribed three or more antibiotics, there would be one extra case of IBD.
Once the researchers took other factors into account, they found that people prescribed lots of antibiotics were as much as 50 percent more likely to get Crohn's disease within two to five years.
Published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, the study looked at 24,000 people from one of the largest IBD databases in North America.
"It's a well-done study that has a strong well-maintained database that allows the authors to get quality data," said Dr. Jean-Paul Achkar, who studies the genetics of IBD at the Cleveland Clinic and was not part of the study.
"They even tried to adjust for non-antibiotic prescription history, and still antibiotics came out as being associated with increased risk of IBD," he told Reuters Health.
An estimated 1.4 million Americans suffer from IBD, with approximately 30,000 new cases diagnosed each year, according to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.
Both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis — the two main forms of IBD — cause chronic inflammation in the intestines, triggering symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss.
The cause of IBD is unclear, but some scientists think IBD may result from the immune system overreacting to viruses or bacteria in the intestine.
"There is growing evidence that alterations in the balance of normal intestinal bacteria could lead to the development of IBD," said Achkar.
Most people who've taken antibiotics will not develop IBD. But Bernstein still thinks a portion of the population is at risk.
"It's not that we should stop using antibiotics," he said. "We get through a lot of important infections by using them. But we have to make sure that when we use them, it's for the right reasons."
Vitamin B12 Could Give Your Brain a Boost
Are you getting enough vitamin B12? Having an adequate amount of this nutrient is important for brain health as we age, a new small study shows.
Reporting in the latest issue of the journal Neurology, researchers said that participants in their study with lower levels of vitamin B12 had smaller brain sizes and difficulties with thinking skills, according to Health Day News.
Scientists tested the 121 participants’ B12 levels, including in blood metabolites that are markers for B12 activity in tissues. They were also given MRI scans and cognitive function tests.
While most people have adequate amounts of vitamin B12, which comes from animal-derived foods, older people can have trouble absorbing it. Also, medications can inhibit absorption, including proton pump inhibitors used to reduce stomach acid and the diabetes drug metformin.
Could Too Little Vitamin B-12 Shrink the Aging Brain?
Deficiency may affect thinking skills, but not enough evidence to advise supplements, experts say
MONDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Too little vitamin B-12 may be associated with smaller brain size and more problems with thinking skills as people age, new research suggests.
And the number of people who suffer from B-12 deficiencies may be greater than thought because current methods for measuring levels of the vitamin may not be accurate, said Christine C. Tangney, lead author of the study published in the Sept. 27 issue of Neurology. The study was funded by the U.S. National Institute on Aging.
The researchers assessed the study participants' vitamin levels not only from B-12 levels themselves, but from blood metabolites that are considered markers of B-12 activity (or lack of it) in the tissues.
But the findings aren't nearly enough to start recommending people take B-12 supplements to jumpstart their brains, cautioned Dr. Marc L. Gordon, chief of neurology of Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y. Gordon was not involved with the study.
"It's not clear exactly if you have a measurement like this whether it's causal or that lowering the marker will drive a change in the risk," he said.
And unless you're a strict vegan, most people do get enough B-12, which is critical for brain health, from their diet -- mainly from animal-derived products, added Gordon, who is also an Alzheimer's researcher at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y.
B-12 is critical for brain health but can become an issue as people get older because the body becomes less able to absorb it. Also, certain drugs can affect absorption. These include proton pump inhibitors, widely used to reduce stomach acid, and the hugely popular diabetes drug metformin (Glucophage).
The authors of the new study looked not only at B-12 levels but at five different blood markers for the vitamin that indicate "where B-12 is active in the tissues," said Tangney, who is associate professor in the department of clinical nutrition at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
These markers may actually be better indicators of how much B-12 is absorbed in the body than B-12 itself, she added.
In this study of 121 black and white seniors participating in the Chicago Health and Aging Project, volunteers had their blood drawn and tested for B-12 and related metabolites; they also took 17 tests to measure their memory and mental acuity (cognitive skills).
About 4.5 years later, the researchers measured the participants' brain volumes using MRI scans, and checked for other signs of brain damage. High levels of four of the five markers were linked with smaller brain volume and/or lower scores on cognitive tests, compared with people who had lower levels of the markers.
"This suggests that measuring B-12 levels in itself is not enough to tell if a person is deficient or not," Tangney said. "We need to be careful and think about other indicators."
If a person's B-12 levels are borderline normal, it might be reasonable to check other measures, said Gordon.
Tangney said the study results suggest that B-12 deficiencies contribute to brain atrophy (shrinkage), which in turn can contribute to cognitive problems. However, she also warned against making dietary changes or drawing too-firm conclusions from these findings, noting that they were based on data from only a small number of people.
More information
The U.S. National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements has more on vitamin B-12.
SOURCES: Christine C. Tangney, Ph.D., associate professor of clinical nutrition, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Marc L. Gordon, M.D., chief of neurology, Zucker Hillside Hospital and Alzheimer's researcher, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, N.Y.; Sept. 27, 2011, Neurology
Last Updated: Sept. 26, 2011
Reporting in the latest issue of the journal Neurology, researchers said that participants in their study with lower levels of vitamin B12 had smaller brain sizes and difficulties with thinking skills, according to Health Day News.
Scientists tested the 121 participants’ B12 levels, including in blood metabolites that are markers for B12 activity in tissues. They were also given MRI scans and cognitive function tests.
While most people have adequate amounts of vitamin B12, which comes from animal-derived foods, older people can have trouble absorbing it. Also, medications can inhibit absorption, including proton pump inhibitors used to reduce stomach acid and the diabetes drug metformin.
Could Too Little Vitamin B-12 Shrink the Aging Brain?
Deficiency may affect thinking skills, but not enough evidence to advise supplements, experts say
MONDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Too little vitamin B-12 may be associated with smaller brain size and more problems with thinking skills as people age, new research suggests.
And the number of people who suffer from B-12 deficiencies may be greater than thought because current methods for measuring levels of the vitamin may not be accurate, said Christine C. Tangney, lead author of the study published in the Sept. 27 issue of Neurology. The study was funded by the U.S. National Institute on Aging.
The researchers assessed the study participants' vitamin levels not only from B-12 levels themselves, but from blood metabolites that are considered markers of B-12 activity (or lack of it) in the tissues.
But the findings aren't nearly enough to start recommending people take B-12 supplements to jumpstart their brains, cautioned Dr. Marc L. Gordon, chief of neurology of Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y. Gordon was not involved with the study.
"It's not clear exactly if you have a measurement like this whether it's causal or that lowering the marker will drive a change in the risk," he said.
And unless you're a strict vegan, most people do get enough B-12, which is critical for brain health, from their diet -- mainly from animal-derived products, added Gordon, who is also an Alzheimer's researcher at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y.
B-12 is critical for brain health but can become an issue as people get older because the body becomes less able to absorb it. Also, certain drugs can affect absorption. These include proton pump inhibitors, widely used to reduce stomach acid, and the hugely popular diabetes drug metformin (Glucophage).
The authors of the new study looked not only at B-12 levels but at five different blood markers for the vitamin that indicate "where B-12 is active in the tissues," said Tangney, who is associate professor in the department of clinical nutrition at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
These markers may actually be better indicators of how much B-12 is absorbed in the body than B-12 itself, she added.
In this study of 121 black and white seniors participating in the Chicago Health and Aging Project, volunteers had their blood drawn and tested for B-12 and related metabolites; they also took 17 tests to measure their memory and mental acuity (cognitive skills).
About 4.5 years later, the researchers measured the participants' brain volumes using MRI scans, and checked for other signs of brain damage. High levels of four of the five markers were linked with smaller brain volume and/or lower scores on cognitive tests, compared with people who had lower levels of the markers.
"This suggests that measuring B-12 levels in itself is not enough to tell if a person is deficient or not," Tangney said. "We need to be careful and think about other indicators."
If a person's B-12 levels are borderline normal, it might be reasonable to check other measures, said Gordon.
Tangney said the study results suggest that B-12 deficiencies contribute to brain atrophy (shrinkage), which in turn can contribute to cognitive problems. However, she also warned against making dietary changes or drawing too-firm conclusions from these findings, noting that they were based on data from only a small number of people.
More information
The U.S. National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements has more on vitamin B-12.
SOURCES: Christine C. Tangney, Ph.D., associate professor of clinical nutrition, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Marc L. Gordon, M.D., chief of neurology, Zucker Hillside Hospital and Alzheimer's researcher, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, N.Y.; Sept. 27, 2011, Neurology
Last Updated: Sept. 26, 2011
Counseling After Prostate Cancer Improves Sex
Prostate cancer treatment can be rough on a couple’s sex life, but a new study that looked at couples counseling — offered face-to-face and online —found it can improve physical relations.
The findings, reported in the journal Cancer, suggest such counseling offers benefits beyond what drugs, including erectile dysfunction medication, can provide, msnbc.com reports.
The study involved 115 couples, each including a prostate cancer survivor who had undergone treatment less than two years earlier. Some of the couples saw therapists in person, while others were counseled online. All the couples answered questionnaires that gauged their sexual satisfaction and function before and after the sessions.
The couples reported that both types of therapy boosted men’s sexual function and satisfaction, and as a man’s score improved so did the woman’s.
Couples counseling, whether carried out online or through face-to-face therapy, improves the sex lives of men who have received treatment for prostate cancer, a new study says.
The findings suggest couples counseling provides benefits to patients' sex lives beyond those brought by medications, including erectile dysfunction pills.
Despite efforts to make prostate cancer treatments less destructive to men's sex lives, most men who are treated end up with erection problems. For example, a recent study found about 60 percent of men with prostate cancer who had their prostate glands removed had not recovered their sexual function two years after their treatment. Many also lost some desire for sex and had a diminished ability to reach or enjoy orgasms.
The new study involved 115 couples. The man in each relationship was a prostate cancer survivor whose treatment had taken place less than two years ago.
At the study's start, half of these couples either participated in three face-to-face sex therapy sessions or interacted on a website that presented the same information and provided email feedback from a counselor. The other half of these couples waited three months to start counseling.
A third group of 71 couples who lived too far away for face-to-face therapy also received Internet-based therapy.
Both partners were asked to complete questionnaires that assessed sexual function and satisfaction before starting counseling, after the sessions, and at six months and one year after the sessions ended.
Both face-to-face therapy and Internet-based therapy improved men's sexual function and satisfaction, the couples' questionnaires showed.
And when a man's score improved, the woman's did as well. Even one year after the end of the counseling sessions, couples were still better off than before the program began.
While both types of counseling improved couples' sex lives, an Internet-based program may be easier to implement than one that is conducted face-to-face, said study researcher Leslie Schover, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
"An Internet-based treatment has the advantage of costing less in counselor time and allowing expert health care providers to help cancer survivors who live too far away from a city or cancer center," Schover said.
The study appears today (Sept. 26) in the journal Cancer.
Pass it on: Couples counseling may improve the sex lives of prostate cancer survivors.
The findings, reported in the journal Cancer, suggest such counseling offers benefits beyond what drugs, including erectile dysfunction medication, can provide, msnbc.com reports.
The study involved 115 couples, each including a prostate cancer survivor who had undergone treatment less than two years earlier. Some of the couples saw therapists in person, while others were counseled online. All the couples answered questionnaires that gauged their sexual satisfaction and function before and after the sessions.
The couples reported that both types of therapy boosted men’s sexual function and satisfaction, and as a man’s score improved so did the woman’s.
Couples counseling, whether carried out online or through face-to-face therapy, improves the sex lives of men who have received treatment for prostate cancer, a new study says.
The findings suggest couples counseling provides benefits to patients' sex lives beyond those brought by medications, including erectile dysfunction pills.
Despite efforts to make prostate cancer treatments less destructive to men's sex lives, most men who are treated end up with erection problems. For example, a recent study found about 60 percent of men with prostate cancer who had their prostate glands removed had not recovered their sexual function two years after their treatment. Many also lost some desire for sex and had a diminished ability to reach or enjoy orgasms.
The new study involved 115 couples. The man in each relationship was a prostate cancer survivor whose treatment had taken place less than two years ago.
At the study's start, half of these couples either participated in three face-to-face sex therapy sessions or interacted on a website that presented the same information and provided email feedback from a counselor. The other half of these couples waited three months to start counseling.
A third group of 71 couples who lived too far away for face-to-face therapy also received Internet-based therapy.
Both partners were asked to complete questionnaires that assessed sexual function and satisfaction before starting counseling, after the sessions, and at six months and one year after the sessions ended.
Both face-to-face therapy and Internet-based therapy improved men's sexual function and satisfaction, the couples' questionnaires showed.
And when a man's score improved, the woman's did as well. Even one year after the end of the counseling sessions, couples were still better off than before the program began.
While both types of counseling improved couples' sex lives, an Internet-based program may be easier to implement than one that is conducted face-to-face, said study researcher Leslie Schover, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
"An Internet-based treatment has the advantage of costing less in counselor time and allowing expert health care providers to help cancer survivors who live too far away from a city or cancer center," Schover said.
The study appears today (Sept. 26) in the journal Cancer.
Pass it on: Couples counseling may improve the sex lives of prostate cancer survivors.
Organic Food Doesn't Decrease Cancer Risk, says NIH Expert
Organic foods are popular, and many consumers believe that eating them will lower their risk of developing cancer. Top cancer researcher Dr. Peter Greenwald, the Associate Director for Prevention at the National Cancer Institute, says he's doubtful, but there are definite ways you can tip the odds in your favor for preventing cancer.
"The main thing a person can do to prevent cancer is to live a healthy lifestyle," Dr. Greenwald told Newsmax Health. "Keep trim and get plenty of exercise. Make vegetables, fruits, and whole grains the main part of your meals, and maybe cut down on the amount of meat." Those are the steps we can take as individuals.
Risk factors, such as a family history of cancer or heart disease, should get extra attention, says Dr. Greenwald: "There are tests they might need or things they might need to do in addition to living a healthy lifestyle."
Eating specific foods is not the key to cancer prevention. "It's not one food," he said. "It's a balance." We consume too much of some things, such as sugar water and caffeine in soft drinks, says Greenwald. And with many people, it's just eating too much.
"Moderation is key," he says.
He rules out organic foods as being a major factor in lowering risk. "Personally, I don't think that organic food will lower the risk of developing cancer," Greenwald said. "All food is organic from a chemist's point of view."
The National Cancer Institute sees the future of cancer-prevention as taking two distinct forms. The first is a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating the right foods, not eating too much, cutting down on sugary drinks, and getting enough exercise.
The second form is the use of cancer-preventing drugs. "The NCI has sponsored studies that show we know how to prevent about half of post-menopausal breast cancers and about a quarter of prostate cancers by using drugs," he said. The approach is similar to that of preventing heart disease. "You see high cholesterol and high blood pressure as being risk factors for heart disease, and you bring them down to lower your risk." Giving the right preventive drugs to the right cancer patient will lower risk, Dr. Greenwald says.
Genetics are also a factor. "We're learning more about genetics and how that affects risk," he said. "In a situation where there is a family history of cancer, talk to your oncologist or to someone who specializes in counseling people about family history. There are many different situations — colon cancer is different from breast cancer. There are things you can do, but it's best not to generalize. Talk to your physician."
"The main thing a person can do to prevent cancer is to live a healthy lifestyle," Dr. Greenwald told Newsmax Health. "Keep trim and get plenty of exercise. Make vegetables, fruits, and whole grains the main part of your meals, and maybe cut down on the amount of meat." Those are the steps we can take as individuals.
Risk factors, such as a family history of cancer or heart disease, should get extra attention, says Dr. Greenwald: "There are tests they might need or things they might need to do in addition to living a healthy lifestyle."
Eating specific foods is not the key to cancer prevention. "It's not one food," he said. "It's a balance." We consume too much of some things, such as sugar water and caffeine in soft drinks, says Greenwald. And with many people, it's just eating too much.
"Moderation is key," he says.
He rules out organic foods as being a major factor in lowering risk. "Personally, I don't think that organic food will lower the risk of developing cancer," Greenwald said. "All food is organic from a chemist's point of view."
The National Cancer Institute sees the future of cancer-prevention as taking two distinct forms. The first is a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating the right foods, not eating too much, cutting down on sugary drinks, and getting enough exercise.
The second form is the use of cancer-preventing drugs. "The NCI has sponsored studies that show we know how to prevent about half of post-menopausal breast cancers and about a quarter of prostate cancers by using drugs," he said. The approach is similar to that of preventing heart disease. "You see high cholesterol and high blood pressure as being risk factors for heart disease, and you bring them down to lower your risk." Giving the right preventive drugs to the right cancer patient will lower risk, Dr. Greenwald says.
Genetics are also a factor. "We're learning more about genetics and how that affects risk," he said. "In a situation where there is a family history of cancer, talk to your oncologist or to someone who specializes in counseling people about family history. There are many different situations — colon cancer is different from breast cancer. There are things you can do, but it's best not to generalize. Talk to your physician."
Is Your Gym Membership Worthless?
If you’re not going to the gym regularly, you’re probably paying a lot of money for those few days you do go in and work up a sweat. If your gym membership costs $50 a month and you only average two visits in 30 days, you’re dishing out $25 per session. That’s a lot of money to spend for 30 minutes on the treadmill.
If you’re willing to spend the money to get in shape, you should make it worth your while. Either get a friend to sign up with you and commit to at least three days a week at the gym, or put your money where your mouth is and hire a personal trainer. You can often find discounted rates by signing up for a two-person training session (so bring a friend) or a group personal training setting.
If you’re not ready to commit to the costs of hiring a personal trainer and want to stick with the gym, make the most of your membership by trying out the various group exercise classes. And don’t forget your most cost-effective resource for physical activity – the Great Outdoors. Hop on your bike, hike a trail, go for a walk, jump rope in the back yard, or play Frisbee with your dog.
Just remember, getting in shape should burn calories, not a hole in your wallet.
If you’re willing to spend the money to get in shape, you should make it worth your while. Either get a friend to sign up with you and commit to at least three days a week at the gym, or put your money where your mouth is and hire a personal trainer. You can often find discounted rates by signing up for a two-person training session (so bring a friend) or a group personal training setting.
If you’re not ready to commit to the costs of hiring a personal trainer and want to stick with the gym, make the most of your membership by trying out the various group exercise classes. And don’t forget your most cost-effective resource for physical activity – the Great Outdoors. Hop on your bike, hike a trail, go for a walk, jump rope in the back yard, or play Frisbee with your dog.
Just remember, getting in shape should burn calories, not a hole in your wallet.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
THOUGHT FOR TODAY...
The ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence.
FUN FACTS
* Strawberries have more vitamin c than oranges. *
* Spinach consumption in the U.S. rose 33% after the Popeye comic strip became a hit in 1931. *
* Smokers eat more sugar than non-smokers do. *
* Rubber is one of the ingredients in bubble gum. *
* Rice is the chief food for half the people of the world. *
* Reindeer milk has more fat than cow milk. *
* Spinach consumption in the U.S. rose 33% after the Popeye comic strip became a hit in 1931. *
* Smokers eat more sugar than non-smokers do. *
* Rubber is one of the ingredients in bubble gum. *
* Rice is the chief food for half the people of the world. *
* Reindeer milk has more fat than cow milk. *
Chemo-Radiation Combo Cuts Breast Cancer Recurrence
Giving breast-cancer patients chemotherapy and radiation at the same time reduced the risk of tumors recurring by 35 percent, according to a U.K. study that may change the way doctors treat patients.
The trial, which involved almost 2,300 women with early-stage breast cancer, was the largest to investigate the approach, in which radiation is administered between or during cycles of drug treatment, the researchers said Sunday at a cancer meeting in Stockholm. Of the women who received the two treatments in this way, 41 saw their cancer return, compared with 63 of those who completed chemotherapy and then underwent radiation treatment, the researchers said.
The findings conflict with previous trials that failed to find a benefit and may change the way the tumor-fighting techniques are used, said Indrajit Fernando, the lead researcher and an oncologist who teaches at the University of Birmingham in England. Giving chemotherapy and radiation alternately or at the same time may allow women to return to work sooner, yielding economic benefits, Fernando said.
“Patients liked the fact that when they finished their latest chemotherapy, they’d finished all their treatment,” Fernando said at a press conference in Stockholm. “They didn’t have to wait another four weeks to start radiotherapy.”
Women participating in the study had had surgery to remove breast tumors. They then received either chemotherapy followed by radiation, or the experimental approach, known as synchronous chemoradiation. After five years, 5.1 percent of the women who had sequential courses of treatment had breast cancer return, compared with 2.8 percent of those who received synchronous chemoradiation, the study found.
Drop in Deaths
Because breast cancer is common, even a small reduction in recurrences can result in a drop in deaths from the disease, Fernando said. One death from breast cancer can be avoided for every four recurrences prevented, he said.
“These are treatments that are not going to increase the cost, so in terms of health benefit, it’s phenomenal,” Fernando said.
More than 500 women in the study contributed to a quality-of-life analysis, which found no differences between the two approaches to treatment, the researchers said. Patients receiving synchronous therapy had worse skin reactions, though only 4 percent of them had side effects that would curb their quality of life, the study found.
Researchers will need to follow up with patients to gauge potential side effects that may occur years after treatment, said Michael Baumann, president of the Brussels-based European Cancer Organization, which along with other oncology groups is holding its annual meeting in Stockholm.
The findings will be shared with the U.K. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which advises the country’s state-run medical system on which treatments represent value for money, Fernando said.
The trial, which involved almost 2,300 women with early-stage breast cancer, was the largest to investigate the approach, in which radiation is administered between or during cycles of drug treatment, the researchers said Sunday at a cancer meeting in Stockholm. Of the women who received the two treatments in this way, 41 saw their cancer return, compared with 63 of those who completed chemotherapy and then underwent radiation treatment, the researchers said.
The findings conflict with previous trials that failed to find a benefit and may change the way the tumor-fighting techniques are used, said Indrajit Fernando, the lead researcher and an oncologist who teaches at the University of Birmingham in England. Giving chemotherapy and radiation alternately or at the same time may allow women to return to work sooner, yielding economic benefits, Fernando said.
“Patients liked the fact that when they finished their latest chemotherapy, they’d finished all their treatment,” Fernando said at a press conference in Stockholm. “They didn’t have to wait another four weeks to start radiotherapy.”
Women participating in the study had had surgery to remove breast tumors. They then received either chemotherapy followed by radiation, or the experimental approach, known as synchronous chemoradiation. After five years, 5.1 percent of the women who had sequential courses of treatment had breast cancer return, compared with 2.8 percent of those who received synchronous chemoradiation, the study found.
Drop in Deaths
Because breast cancer is common, even a small reduction in recurrences can result in a drop in deaths from the disease, Fernando said. One death from breast cancer can be avoided for every four recurrences prevented, he said.
“These are treatments that are not going to increase the cost, so in terms of health benefit, it’s phenomenal,” Fernando said.
More than 500 women in the study contributed to a quality-of-life analysis, which found no differences between the two approaches to treatment, the researchers said. Patients receiving synchronous therapy had worse skin reactions, though only 4 percent of them had side effects that would curb their quality of life, the study found.
Researchers will need to follow up with patients to gauge potential side effects that may occur years after treatment, said Michael Baumann, president of the Brussels-based European Cancer Organization, which along with other oncology groups is holding its annual meeting in Stockholm.
The findings will be shared with the U.K. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which advises the country’s state-run medical system on which treatments represent value for money, Fernando said.
More states had Listeria-tainted cantaloupes, FDA says
DENVER (Reuters) - Listeria-tainted cantaloupes were shipped to several more states than was previously known, bringing to over 20 the total number of states affected by an outbreak that killed eight people, the FDA said on Thursday.
So far, a total of 55 people in 14 states have been infected from the tainted cantaloupes, with the highest number of patients seen in Colorado where the fruits were grown, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Not all the states that received shipments of the fruits appear to have seen infections.
Officials have traced the outbreak to cantaloupes grown at Colorado-based Jensen Farms Inc and sold under the brand name Rocky Ford. The company has voluntarily recalled its cantaloupes shipped between July 29 and September 10, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.
This is the deadliest U.S. outbreak since a number of salmonella infections killed nine people in 2008 and 2009, Russell said.
The number of Listeria infections from the food-borne illness could easily rise, said Lola Russell, spokeswoman for the CDC.
"We could see more because it can be in a person's system for up to two months before it presents itself," she told Reuters.
The Food and Drug Administration last week said the tainted cantaloupes were shipped to 17 states.
But on Thursday, the agency said several additional states were affected. Those were: Arkansas, California, Idaho and Ohio, the FDA said.
Listeria monocytogenes, the bacterial strain found in the tainted cantaloupes, thrives at low temperatures, the CDC said on its website.
Infection can be particularly dangerous for elderly people, pregnant women and patients with weakened immune systems, health officials said.
Russell said it is unusual for Listeria outbreaks to be linked to fresh produce, and often deli meats are the culprit. This is the first outbreak traced to cantaloupes, she said.
Previous Listeria outbreaks linked to produce were traced to sprouts and celery.
So far, a total of 55 people in 14 states have been infected from the tainted cantaloupes, with the highest number of patients seen in Colorado where the fruits were grown, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Not all the states that received shipments of the fruits appear to have seen infections.
Officials have traced the outbreak to cantaloupes grown at Colorado-based Jensen Farms Inc and sold under the brand name Rocky Ford. The company has voluntarily recalled its cantaloupes shipped between July 29 and September 10, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.
This is the deadliest U.S. outbreak since a number of salmonella infections killed nine people in 2008 and 2009, Russell said.
The number of Listeria infections from the food-borne illness could easily rise, said Lola Russell, spokeswoman for the CDC.
"We could see more because it can be in a person's system for up to two months before it presents itself," she told Reuters.
The Food and Drug Administration last week said the tainted cantaloupes were shipped to 17 states.
But on Thursday, the agency said several additional states were affected. Those were: Arkansas, California, Idaho and Ohio, the FDA said.
Listeria monocytogenes, the bacterial strain found in the tainted cantaloupes, thrives at low temperatures, the CDC said on its website.
Infection can be particularly dangerous for elderly people, pregnant women and patients with weakened immune systems, health officials said.
Russell said it is unusual for Listeria outbreaks to be linked to fresh produce, and often deli meats are the culprit. This is the first outbreak traced to cantaloupes, she said.
Previous Listeria outbreaks linked to produce were traced to sprouts and celery.
Genes May Impact Effectiveness of Asthma Treatment
Genetic differences could explain why some 40 percent of people with asthma do not respond to inhaled steroids used to achieve long-term asthma control.
U.S. researchers have found that asthma patients who inherited two copies of a specific gene variant were far less likely to respond to steroid inhalers than people with two copies of the more common version of the gene.
"This finding helps to explain the genetic basis for the long-standing observation that some people do not respond well to what is a common asthma treatment," said Dr. Susan Shurin, acting director of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, which sponsored the study released online on Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The findings point the way to more personalized treatments for asthma, an inflammatory disease that affects more than 22 million Americans and some 300 million people worldwide.
Inhaled steroids work by reducing swelling of the airways.
"The study illustrates the importance of research examining the relationship between genetic makeup and response to therapy for asthma, and underscores the need for personalized treatment for those who have it," said Shurin, whose agency is part of the National Institutes of Health.
For the study, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School — both in Boston — analyzed the genetic information from more than 1,000 people enrolled in clinical trials evaluating different asthma treatments.
The researchers used a family based model in which they studied the genetic makeup of children with asthma and their parents to identify genes that might play a role in response to inhaled steroids, such as AstraZeneca's budesonide sold under the Pulmicort brand and Glaxosmithkline's fluticasone or Flovent, a key ingredient in its Advair asthma treatment.
The team, led by Dr. Kelan Tantisira, found that people who inherited two copies of a genetic variant to the GLCCI1 gene were less likely to respond to treatment.
In the poor responders, treatment with an inhaler produced just one third of the level of lung improvement as that seen in people with two regular copies of the gene.
NEJM Editor-in-Chief Dr. Jeffrey Drazen said in an editorial the study brings researchers closer to being able to identify which patients are most likely to respond to treatment from inhaled steroids, which are used by millions of people.
But much work still needs to be done to understand how genetic differences affect asthma treatment, Drazen said.
"Although these research results are a step forward, they are not the end of the road," Drazen wrote.
He said clinical trials will need to be done to see if understanding a person's genetic response to drugs helps improve treatment results.
The findings were presented on Monday at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam.
U.S. researchers have found that asthma patients who inherited two copies of a specific gene variant were far less likely to respond to steroid inhalers than people with two copies of the more common version of the gene.
"This finding helps to explain the genetic basis for the long-standing observation that some people do not respond well to what is a common asthma treatment," said Dr. Susan Shurin, acting director of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, which sponsored the study released online on Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The findings point the way to more personalized treatments for asthma, an inflammatory disease that affects more than 22 million Americans and some 300 million people worldwide.
Inhaled steroids work by reducing swelling of the airways.
"The study illustrates the importance of research examining the relationship between genetic makeup and response to therapy for asthma, and underscores the need for personalized treatment for those who have it," said Shurin, whose agency is part of the National Institutes of Health.
For the study, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School — both in Boston — analyzed the genetic information from more than 1,000 people enrolled in clinical trials evaluating different asthma treatments.
The researchers used a family based model in which they studied the genetic makeup of children with asthma and their parents to identify genes that might play a role in response to inhaled steroids, such as AstraZeneca's budesonide sold under the Pulmicort brand and Glaxosmithkline's fluticasone or Flovent, a key ingredient in its Advair asthma treatment.
The team, led by Dr. Kelan Tantisira, found that people who inherited two copies of a genetic variant to the GLCCI1 gene were less likely to respond to treatment.
In the poor responders, treatment with an inhaler produced just one third of the level of lung improvement as that seen in people with two regular copies of the gene.
NEJM Editor-in-Chief Dr. Jeffrey Drazen said in an editorial the study brings researchers closer to being able to identify which patients are most likely to respond to treatment from inhaled steroids, which are used by millions of people.
But much work still needs to be done to understand how genetic differences affect asthma treatment, Drazen said.
"Although these research results are a step forward, they are not the end of the road," Drazen wrote.
He said clinical trials will need to be done to see if understanding a person's genetic response to drugs helps improve treatment results.
The findings were presented on Monday at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam.
The 6 Rules of Cleavage
Just one missed blouse button and your “girls” can suddenly go from classy to trashy. Whether you meant to show off the goods on purpose or you’re just too busty to help it, learn how and when to give your cleavage its stage time with our 6 rules for best breast etiquette. Plus, are you wearing the right bra size? Find out with our quiz...
The average breast size has grown from a 34B to a 36C since the 1970s and clothing styles are smaller and snugger. So it’s no wonder the line between “Nice!” and “Look at those!” has blurred.
“I don’t think women are stupid,” says Elisabeth Squires, author of bOObs: A Guide to Your Girls. (Seal Press). “I just don’t think anyone knows the rules.”
If you're confused about when to flaunt them and when to cover up, here’s what the experts say:
Rule #1: Acknowledge the obvious.
Sex sells. And like it or not, breasts get beer sold and burgers bought. It’s not such a stretch to realize your ta-tas are more likely to get checked out than, say, your knees or collarbones.
So do a double take in the mirror before walking out the front door in the morning.
“[Women] understand the power of breasts in general, but they don’t understand the power of their own,” Squires says.
You may aim for different effects depending on the situation, but understanding how and when to tap into the power of your cleavage will help you achieve the desired result anytime, anywhere.
One can look like a hoochie mama, Mother Superior or somewhere in between as a sexy and classy woman, says Los Angeles image consultant Ashley Rothschild (RothschildImage.com). “There's nothing more fascinating than a woman who owns her sex appeal and her power.”
For best results, breast power should be wielded with awareness and intent.
“We have to realize that breasts are your femininity and sexuality at the same time,” Squires says. “That’s what the power of cleavage is all about – using your sexuality or not.”
Rule #2: Sometimes less is more.
In some industries, it’s appropriate – in fact, required – to play up your cleavage: entertainment, fashion, Hooters, to name a few.
Unless your career success rests on your chest, though, it's probably wiser to rely on your other assets at the office.
“If cleavage isn’t in your job description, don’t write it in,” Squires says.
Too much boobage, and you may end up perceived as sexual, not professional.
“Showing a lot of breast is a distraction, especially in the workplace,” she says. Wear a very low-cut wrap dress or shirt, and everyone will focus on the boobs.
“We all need to be appropriate and be responsible for the message we send out,” Rothschild says. “Think before you even enter your closet what your image is going to communicate.”
So buy a full-length mirror and take a look at yourself. If your breasts are standing out, “that’s probably inappropriate,” Squires says.
Don’t reveal more than an inch of cleavage at work, Rothschild says. The same holds true for your company’s holiday party and meeting your boyfriend’s parents for the first time.
Rule #3: Sometimes more brings more.
All bets are off when the sun goes down. Feel free to flaunt your curves and play up cleavage for a night on the town. This is the time to pair a push-up bra with a plunging neckline or, if you’re small-chested and daring, go with a sexy backless number and skip the bra.
Revealing 2-3 inches of cleavage during off hours will get the job done, Rothschild says, but she cautions: “If it looks like you're going to pop out, you’ve gone way too far.”
Think of your cleavage as an accessory, and make sure it suits your outfit and the occasion.
“Or, quite frankly, you might be an exhibitionist, and that’s OK too,” Squires says.
When it comes to breast etiquette, pregnancy is the other exception. Accentuate this short-lived bonus cleavage any way you please.
When women are pregnant, “breasts are fully employed,” she says. “Give their girls a break. Pregnant women should be able to get away with anything they want.”
Rule #4: Be age-appropriate.
The scientific reality? Gravity will eventually win in the quest for perky breasts.
And since you can’t fight physics without a boob job – or a lot of duct tape – those not willing to go under the knife should aim for a look that complements a natural, mature bust line. Wear a well-fitting bra, but skip boosters to avoid an unnaturally high, crinkled cleavage.
“Often a woman who is a little bit older will wear a push-up bra, and she looks sort of odd,” Squires says.
Click here for Top 10 Items You’re Too Old to Wear.
Instead, select a bra that separates and supports your breasts, and don’t be afraid to wear a top that shows off your décolletage. A sheer or lacy camisole adds a sexy detail that also camouflages less than perfect skin.
But skip the plunging, belly-button baring neckline. And don’t even think about going braless.
"You're never too old to be sexy, but it's ridiculous to see a woman in her 60s or 70s walking around without a bra,” Rothschild says.
Rule #5: Always flatter your rack.
Regardless of size, your success at putting your best breasts forward is ultimately determined by your clothing.
Here’s how Rothschild recommends you gussy up your girls:
For big boobs:
V-necklines will open up the décolletage and elongate your neck.
Look for seaming on tops that emphasis your waist.
Wrap dresses help create an hourglass shape. Add a cami underneath for more coverage.
Wear necklaces that hang above the cleavage or down by your midriff.
Avoid square necklines.
For small boobs:
Pleating, gathering or beading at the bust will provide a fuller look.
Wrap dresses create a flattering shape for petite and larger chests.
Achieve a sexy look with a low-cut fitted top draped with necklaces – beads, chains, pearls, the works – and paired with jeans.
All boobs:
Wear a well-fitting bra.
Consider a minimizer if you are particularly well-endowed.
“When [women] get a good-fitting bra or minimizer bra, they look better in their clothes,” Squires says. “When you have larger breasts, they're moving all the time. It gives you the support you need and makes you feel more secure.”
Rule #6: Be adaptable.
Expect and accept that during your life, your cleavage and breasts will change – a lot. Age, weight, pregnancy, PMS and gravity all make a great case for continuously reevaluating how the rules apply to your boobs.
Even though women wear 7-8 different sizes of bras over their lifetimes, don’t expect your set to ever match up with anyone else’s. Like snowflakes, no two breasts are the same, not even those on the same chest.
As your girls change, remember that maintaining a sexy, powerful presence isn’t just about your cleavage.
“Think outside the bra,” Squires says, and use physical assets beyond your breasts, such as toned arms, a strong back and flat tummy.
And, of course, your best quality isn’t a body part at all.
“Self-confidence can often be the sexiest thing you can wear,” Squires says.
Are You Wearing the Right Bra Size?
Your body has changed since your teens and early 20s, but has your bra?
The average breast size has grown from a 34B to a 36C since the 1970s and clothing styles are smaller and snugger. So it’s no wonder the line between “Nice!” and “Look at those!” has blurred.
“I don’t think women are stupid,” says Elisabeth Squires, author of bOObs: A Guide to Your Girls. (Seal Press). “I just don’t think anyone knows the rules.”
If you're confused about when to flaunt them and when to cover up, here’s what the experts say:
Rule #1: Acknowledge the obvious.
Sex sells. And like it or not, breasts get beer sold and burgers bought. It’s not such a stretch to realize your ta-tas are more likely to get checked out than, say, your knees or collarbones.
So do a double take in the mirror before walking out the front door in the morning.
“[Women] understand the power of breasts in general, but they don’t understand the power of their own,” Squires says.
You may aim for different effects depending on the situation, but understanding how and when to tap into the power of your cleavage will help you achieve the desired result anytime, anywhere.
One can look like a hoochie mama, Mother Superior or somewhere in between as a sexy and classy woman, says Los Angeles image consultant Ashley Rothschild (RothschildImage.com). “There's nothing more fascinating than a woman who owns her sex appeal and her power.”
For best results, breast power should be wielded with awareness and intent.
“We have to realize that breasts are your femininity and sexuality at the same time,” Squires says. “That’s what the power of cleavage is all about – using your sexuality or not.”
Rule #2: Sometimes less is more.
In some industries, it’s appropriate – in fact, required – to play up your cleavage: entertainment, fashion, Hooters, to name a few.
Unless your career success rests on your chest, though, it's probably wiser to rely on your other assets at the office.
“If cleavage isn’t in your job description, don’t write it in,” Squires says.
Too much boobage, and you may end up perceived as sexual, not professional.
“Showing a lot of breast is a distraction, especially in the workplace,” she says. Wear a very low-cut wrap dress or shirt, and everyone will focus on the boobs.
“We all need to be appropriate and be responsible for the message we send out,” Rothschild says. “Think before you even enter your closet what your image is going to communicate.”
So buy a full-length mirror and take a look at yourself. If your breasts are standing out, “that’s probably inappropriate,” Squires says.
Don’t reveal more than an inch of cleavage at work, Rothschild says. The same holds true for your company’s holiday party and meeting your boyfriend’s parents for the first time.
Rule #3: Sometimes more brings more.
All bets are off when the sun goes down. Feel free to flaunt your curves and play up cleavage for a night on the town. This is the time to pair a push-up bra with a plunging neckline or, if you’re small-chested and daring, go with a sexy backless number and skip the bra.
Revealing 2-3 inches of cleavage during off hours will get the job done, Rothschild says, but she cautions: “If it looks like you're going to pop out, you’ve gone way too far.”
Think of your cleavage as an accessory, and make sure it suits your outfit and the occasion.
“Or, quite frankly, you might be an exhibitionist, and that’s OK too,” Squires says.
When it comes to breast etiquette, pregnancy is the other exception. Accentuate this short-lived bonus cleavage any way you please.
When women are pregnant, “breasts are fully employed,” she says. “Give their girls a break. Pregnant women should be able to get away with anything they want.”
Rule #4: Be age-appropriate.
The scientific reality? Gravity will eventually win in the quest for perky breasts.
And since you can’t fight physics without a boob job – or a lot of duct tape – those not willing to go under the knife should aim for a look that complements a natural, mature bust line. Wear a well-fitting bra, but skip boosters to avoid an unnaturally high, crinkled cleavage.
“Often a woman who is a little bit older will wear a push-up bra, and she looks sort of odd,” Squires says.
Click here for Top 10 Items You’re Too Old to Wear.
Instead, select a bra that separates and supports your breasts, and don’t be afraid to wear a top that shows off your décolletage. A sheer or lacy camisole adds a sexy detail that also camouflages less than perfect skin.
But skip the plunging, belly-button baring neckline. And don’t even think about going braless.
"You're never too old to be sexy, but it's ridiculous to see a woman in her 60s or 70s walking around without a bra,” Rothschild says.
Rule #5: Always flatter your rack.
Regardless of size, your success at putting your best breasts forward is ultimately determined by your clothing.
Here’s how Rothschild recommends you gussy up your girls:
For big boobs:
V-necklines will open up the décolletage and elongate your neck.
Look for seaming on tops that emphasis your waist.
Wrap dresses help create an hourglass shape. Add a cami underneath for more coverage.
Wear necklaces that hang above the cleavage or down by your midriff.
Avoid square necklines.
For small boobs:
Pleating, gathering or beading at the bust will provide a fuller look.
Wrap dresses create a flattering shape for petite and larger chests.
Achieve a sexy look with a low-cut fitted top draped with necklaces – beads, chains, pearls, the works – and paired with jeans.
All boobs:
Wear a well-fitting bra.
Consider a minimizer if you are particularly well-endowed.
“When [women] get a good-fitting bra or minimizer bra, they look better in their clothes,” Squires says. “When you have larger breasts, they're moving all the time. It gives you the support you need and makes you feel more secure.”
Rule #6: Be adaptable.
Expect and accept that during your life, your cleavage and breasts will change – a lot. Age, weight, pregnancy, PMS and gravity all make a great case for continuously reevaluating how the rules apply to your boobs.
Even though women wear 7-8 different sizes of bras over their lifetimes, don’t expect your set to ever match up with anyone else’s. Like snowflakes, no two breasts are the same, not even those on the same chest.
As your girls change, remember that maintaining a sexy, powerful presence isn’t just about your cleavage.
“Think outside the bra,” Squires says, and use physical assets beyond your breasts, such as toned arms, a strong back and flat tummy.
And, of course, your best quality isn’t a body part at all.
“Self-confidence can often be the sexiest thing you can wear,” Squires says.
Are You Wearing the Right Bra Size?
Your body has changed since your teens and early 20s, but has your bra?
The Memory Miracle Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Plus, Why We Are Losing The Battle Against Brain Decay
Experts are alarmed by the sharp rise in the rates of cognitive decline in this country. For example, Alzheimer's deaths have increased a shocking 46%, and new statistics show that someone develops Alzheimer's every 72 seconds. The fact is, if you plan on living into your 80s (which most of us do), then your chances of suffering from significant cognitive decline are as high as 50%. So, with all of our advances in medical science, why are we losing the fight against brain decay?
If You Wait For Treatment, It's Already Too Late
Our health care system is focused on treatment for most diseases, rather than prevention. However, this approach is incredibly ineffective when it comes to brain decay, because by the time it has been officially diagnosed, it is often too late. According to NIH's National Institute on Aging, current drugs can only treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's, not cure it. So with the lack of success with pharmaceutical drugs, why is it that doctors are not focusing their attention on alternative options, especially since many have been clinically proven to be extremely effective?
Brain Decay Starts Much Earlier Than You Think
The biggest mistake you can make is thinking that cognitive decline is something that happens in your 70s or 80s. This is far from the truth. The process of brain decay actually takes decades, and what people typically think of as the "first symptoms", are actually the final phases. The fact is, brain decay often starts in your 40s and 50s, and research out of the University of Virginia shows that the very initial stages can actually be detected as early as age 37.
Know The Early Warning Signs
Some people think that being "forgetful" is just a part of getting older. However, it could in fact be an early warning sign of cognitive decline - maybe even your only warning sign. Do not let these signs go unheeded. Since early detection tests have not yet been perfected, you could be experiencing the earliest signs of brain decay and not even know it. Some of the key symptoms to look for are:
Slow recall
Fuzzy memory
Losing things
Poor judgment
Low mental energy
Withdrawal from activities
Difficulty completing tasks
Problems recalling words
Confusion with time or place
Changes in mood and personality
Once you have started to experience any of these symptoms, the time to take action is critical if you want to keep your mind sharp and your memories intact as you age.
6 Specific Nutrients Play a Key Role in Prevention
Exciting new research is proving that dietary supplements can provide extremely effective and undeniable results if taken in the correct combination and dosage. According to The Stop Aging Now Institute, an authority on cognitive health, there are 6 specific nutrients that work together to provide you with the maximum protection against brain decay.
CoQ10: The Brain's Fountain Of Youth
Your brain is extremely compromised by a deficit of CoQ10, which can lead to sluggish thinking and memory decline. However, according to a University of California San Diego study, adequate levels of CoQ10 can slow brain deterioration by 44%. Furthermore, people with high levels of CoQ10 have better mental acuity, motor abilities and mental energy. Supplementation is incredibly important because your ability to produce CoQ10 naturally depletes as you age. Further, statin drugs can significantly deplete CoQ10 levels, and since an estimated 1 in 3 older Americans take statin drugs, they are especially vulnerable.
DHA: The Omega-3 Your Brain Needs Most
By now you have probably heard that omega-3 fatty acids are good for your brain. However, one particular omega-3 called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is most critical to optimal brain function. With age, your cells lose the ability to absorb DHA and levels can drop significantly, compromising brain function. In a study at Tufts University, researchers found that those with the highest blood levels of DHA were about 50% less likely to develop dementia and 39% less likely to develop Alzheimer's.
Curcumin: India's Brain Miracle Spice
Researchers used to be baffled as to why in India, Alzheimer's rates are among the lowest in the world. But a scientific breakthrough recently decoded the mystery. The people of India consume the greatest amounts of a spice called turmeric. Amazing new research shows that a natural compound called curcumin, a component of turmeric, can stop the build-up of the destructive beta-amyloid protein in the brain — the plaque that gunk up the works. In fact, UCLA tests show that curcumin may slash the build-up of this plaque by up to 50%.
Berries: Nutritional Superstars for the Brain
More and more research is pointing to the fact that daily consumption of specific berries is absolutely critical for optimal brain function. Berries have powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-clotting properties and they also contain antioxidants like vitamins C and E, as well as resveratrol. According to studies done by one of the nation's leading neuroscientists, berries can help protect brain cells from inflammation, as well as help protect the brain from oxidative stress and the effects of age-related neurodegenerative conditions.
Vinpocetine: Europe's Secret Brain Booster
For decades, doctors in Europe and Japan have relied on vinpocetine, a natural extract of the periwinkle plant, as treatment for cognitive decline and other cognitive disorders. Only recently have American scientists set out to study this amazingly effective natural remedy. Their research has concluded that vinpocetine can in fact improve blood flow to the cerebellum, and that this favorably influences the cognitive status and general condition of patients.
Alpha Lipoic Acid: The Antioxidant Your Brain Needs Most
According to leading brain health experts, alpha lipoic acid (or ALA) is an extremely powerful antioxidant compound that offers protection from age-related memory decline and strokes. In fact, it is the most important antioxidant for cognitive function because it is one of the few nutrients that can effectively penetrate brain cells, especially when using the R-ALA version. Studies have shown that alpha lipoic acid may be able to restore short-term memory, reduce age-related decay of brain cells and even double mental activity.
Dietary Supplements Are Your Best Defense
The 6 brain-boosting nutrients mentioned above all have remarkable clinical studies backing their effectiveness and safety. Alone, they are powerful, but when taken together, they demonstrate advanced synergistic benefits that offer unparalleled protection against cognitive decline. Unfortunately, to experience true benefits, you need to consume clinical doses of each ingredient on a daily basis, and this is next to impossible to achieve with food alone. That is why leading experts agree that taking dietary supplements is the most effective, convenient and affordable solution.
If You Wait For Treatment, It's Already Too Late
Our health care system is focused on treatment for most diseases, rather than prevention. However, this approach is incredibly ineffective when it comes to brain decay, because by the time it has been officially diagnosed, it is often too late. According to NIH's National Institute on Aging, current drugs can only treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's, not cure it. So with the lack of success with pharmaceutical drugs, why is it that doctors are not focusing their attention on alternative options, especially since many have been clinically proven to be extremely effective?
Brain Decay Starts Much Earlier Than You Think
The biggest mistake you can make is thinking that cognitive decline is something that happens in your 70s or 80s. This is far from the truth. The process of brain decay actually takes decades, and what people typically think of as the "first symptoms", are actually the final phases. The fact is, brain decay often starts in your 40s and 50s, and research out of the University of Virginia shows that the very initial stages can actually be detected as early as age 37.
Know The Early Warning Signs
Some people think that being "forgetful" is just a part of getting older. However, it could in fact be an early warning sign of cognitive decline - maybe even your only warning sign. Do not let these signs go unheeded. Since early detection tests have not yet been perfected, you could be experiencing the earliest signs of brain decay and not even know it. Some of the key symptoms to look for are:
Slow recall
Fuzzy memory
Losing things
Poor judgment
Low mental energy
Withdrawal from activities
Difficulty completing tasks
Problems recalling words
Confusion with time or place
Changes in mood and personality
Once you have started to experience any of these symptoms, the time to take action is critical if you want to keep your mind sharp and your memories intact as you age.
6 Specific Nutrients Play a Key Role in Prevention
Exciting new research is proving that dietary supplements can provide extremely effective and undeniable results if taken in the correct combination and dosage. According to The Stop Aging Now Institute, an authority on cognitive health, there are 6 specific nutrients that work together to provide you with the maximum protection against brain decay.
CoQ10: The Brain's Fountain Of Youth
Your brain is extremely compromised by a deficit of CoQ10, which can lead to sluggish thinking and memory decline. However, according to a University of California San Diego study, adequate levels of CoQ10 can slow brain deterioration by 44%. Furthermore, people with high levels of CoQ10 have better mental acuity, motor abilities and mental energy. Supplementation is incredibly important because your ability to produce CoQ10 naturally depletes as you age. Further, statin drugs can significantly deplete CoQ10 levels, and since an estimated 1 in 3 older Americans take statin drugs, they are especially vulnerable.
DHA: The Omega-3 Your Brain Needs Most
By now you have probably heard that omega-3 fatty acids are good for your brain. However, one particular omega-3 called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is most critical to optimal brain function. With age, your cells lose the ability to absorb DHA and levels can drop significantly, compromising brain function. In a study at Tufts University, researchers found that those with the highest blood levels of DHA were about 50% less likely to develop dementia and 39% less likely to develop Alzheimer's.
Curcumin: India's Brain Miracle Spice
Researchers used to be baffled as to why in India, Alzheimer's rates are among the lowest in the world. But a scientific breakthrough recently decoded the mystery. The people of India consume the greatest amounts of a spice called turmeric. Amazing new research shows that a natural compound called curcumin, a component of turmeric, can stop the build-up of the destructive beta-amyloid protein in the brain — the plaque that gunk up the works. In fact, UCLA tests show that curcumin may slash the build-up of this plaque by up to 50%.
Berries: Nutritional Superstars for the Brain
More and more research is pointing to the fact that daily consumption of specific berries is absolutely critical for optimal brain function. Berries have powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-clotting properties and they also contain antioxidants like vitamins C and E, as well as resveratrol. According to studies done by one of the nation's leading neuroscientists, berries can help protect brain cells from inflammation, as well as help protect the brain from oxidative stress and the effects of age-related neurodegenerative conditions.
Vinpocetine: Europe's Secret Brain Booster
For decades, doctors in Europe and Japan have relied on vinpocetine, a natural extract of the periwinkle plant, as treatment for cognitive decline and other cognitive disorders. Only recently have American scientists set out to study this amazingly effective natural remedy. Their research has concluded that vinpocetine can in fact improve blood flow to the cerebellum, and that this favorably influences the cognitive status and general condition of patients.
Alpha Lipoic Acid: The Antioxidant Your Brain Needs Most
According to leading brain health experts, alpha lipoic acid (or ALA) is an extremely powerful antioxidant compound that offers protection from age-related memory decline and strokes. In fact, it is the most important antioxidant for cognitive function because it is one of the few nutrients that can effectively penetrate brain cells, especially when using the R-ALA version. Studies have shown that alpha lipoic acid may be able to restore short-term memory, reduce age-related decay of brain cells and even double mental activity.
Dietary Supplements Are Your Best Defense
The 6 brain-boosting nutrients mentioned above all have remarkable clinical studies backing their effectiveness and safety. Alone, they are powerful, but when taken together, they demonstrate advanced synergistic benefits that offer unparalleled protection against cognitive decline. Unfortunately, to experience true benefits, you need to consume clinical doses of each ingredient on a daily basis, and this is next to impossible to achieve with food alone. That is why leading experts agree that taking dietary supplements is the most effective, convenient and affordable solution.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
THOUGHT FOR TODAY...
I WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO MY FELLOW BLOGGERS, I HAVE BEEN SEVERELY ILL AND UNABLE TO GET UP TO GET TO MY COMPUTER. I WILL ALWAYS DO MY BEST TO KEEP UP THE BLOG AND THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE.
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Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.
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Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.
FUN FACTS
* The estimated number of M&M's sold each day in the United States is 200,000,000. *
* The average French citizen eats 500 snails per year. *
* The average coach airline meal costs the airline $4.00. The average first class meal: $50. *
* The average chocolate bar has 8 insects' legs in it. *
* The average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the he/she graduates from high school. *
* The average American/Canadian will eat about 11.9 pounds of cereal per year! *
* The 7-Eleven Extreme Gulp is 50% bigger than the volume of the human stomach! *
* The average French citizen eats 500 snails per year. *
* The average coach airline meal costs the airline $4.00. The average first class meal: $50. *
* The average chocolate bar has 8 insects' legs in it. *
* The average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the he/she graduates from high school. *
* The average American/Canadian will eat about 11.9 pounds of cereal per year! *
* The 7-Eleven Extreme Gulp is 50% bigger than the volume of the human stomach! *
Monday, September 26, 2011
New Study: Eating Fish Prevents Stroke
People who eat fish a few times each week are slightly less likely to suffer a stroke than those who only eat a little or none at all.
That's the conclusion of an analysis of 15 studies, each of which asked people how frequently they ate fish, then followed them for between four and 30 years to see who suffered a stroke.
"I think overall, fish does provide a beneficial package of nutrients, in particular the omega-3s, that could explain this lower risk," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a Harvard School of Public Health epidemiologist whose research was included in the analysis.
"A lot of the evidence comes together suggesting that about two to three servings per week is enough to get the benefit."
Close to 800,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke each year, and 136,000 die from it. Smoking, drinking, being overweight and having high blood pressure and cholesterol are all linked to a higher risk of stroke.
Dr. Susanna Larsson and Dr. Nicola Orsini of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden wrote in the journal Stroke that omega-3 fatty acids in fish might lower stroke risk through their positive effects on blood pressure and cholesterol.
Vitamin D, selenium and certain types of proteins in fish may also have stroke-related benefits, Mozaffarian added.
Data for the analysis came from close to 400,000 people age 30 to 103. The studies were done in the U.S., Europe, Japan and China.
Over anywhere from a few years to a few decades, about 9,400 people had a stroke. Eating three extra servings of fish each week was linked to a six-percent drop in stroke risk, which translates to one fewer stroke among a hundred people eating extra fish over a lifetime.
And the people in each study who ate the most fish were 12 percent less likely to have a stroke that those that ate the least.
Mozaffarian's own report separated the effects of different kinds of fish and found that people who ate more fried fish and fish sandwiches didn't get any stroke benefit, not surprisingly.
But the research can't prove that adding more non-fried fish to your diet will keep you from having a stroke. People who eat a lot of fish, Mozaffarian told Reuters Health, "could have healthier diets in other ways, people could exercise more, people could have better education that could lead them to see their doctors more." All of those things might decrease their risk of stroke.
Still, he added, most studies have tried to take those other health and nutrition factors into account to isolate the effects of fish as much as possible -- and they suggest a cause-and-effect relationship.
It's likely, Mozaffarian said, that people who start out eating no fish or very little probably have the most to gain by putting it on their plate more often. "You get a lot of bang for your buck when you go from low intake to moderate, a few servings per week," he said. After that, the benefit from each extra serving probably goes down.
Fatty fish such as salmon and herring are especially high in omega-3s. The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fatty fish in particular each week.
That's the conclusion of an analysis of 15 studies, each of which asked people how frequently they ate fish, then followed them for between four and 30 years to see who suffered a stroke.
"I think overall, fish does provide a beneficial package of nutrients, in particular the omega-3s, that could explain this lower risk," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a Harvard School of Public Health epidemiologist whose research was included in the analysis.
"A lot of the evidence comes together suggesting that about two to three servings per week is enough to get the benefit."
Close to 800,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke each year, and 136,000 die from it. Smoking, drinking, being overweight and having high blood pressure and cholesterol are all linked to a higher risk of stroke.
Dr. Susanna Larsson and Dr. Nicola Orsini of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden wrote in the journal Stroke that omega-3 fatty acids in fish might lower stroke risk through their positive effects on blood pressure and cholesterol.
Vitamin D, selenium and certain types of proteins in fish may also have stroke-related benefits, Mozaffarian added.
Data for the analysis came from close to 400,000 people age 30 to 103. The studies were done in the U.S., Europe, Japan and China.
Over anywhere from a few years to a few decades, about 9,400 people had a stroke. Eating three extra servings of fish each week was linked to a six-percent drop in stroke risk, which translates to one fewer stroke among a hundred people eating extra fish over a lifetime.
And the people in each study who ate the most fish were 12 percent less likely to have a stroke that those that ate the least.
Mozaffarian's own report separated the effects of different kinds of fish and found that people who ate more fried fish and fish sandwiches didn't get any stroke benefit, not surprisingly.
But the research can't prove that adding more non-fried fish to your diet will keep you from having a stroke. People who eat a lot of fish, Mozaffarian told Reuters Health, "could have healthier diets in other ways, people could exercise more, people could have better education that could lead them to see their doctors more." All of those things might decrease their risk of stroke.
Still, he added, most studies have tried to take those other health and nutrition factors into account to isolate the effects of fish as much as possible -- and they suggest a cause-and-effect relationship.
It's likely, Mozaffarian said, that people who start out eating no fish or very little probably have the most to gain by putting it on their plate more often. "You get a lot of bang for your buck when you go from low intake to moderate, a few servings per week," he said. After that, the benefit from each extra serving probably goes down.
Fatty fish such as salmon and herring are especially high in omega-3s. The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fatty fish in particular each week.
More questions arise about 'life-extending' proteins
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Proteins that scientists once thought might hold the key to extending life in humans didn't seem to affect how long worms or fruit flies survive in a new study.
But researchers said the proteins may still play a role in treating the diseases of aging, such as diabetes and Alzheimer's, so it's not time to give up hope on them yet.
Much of the original excitement about the proteins, called sirtuins, came from research showing that yeast and worms that made lots of sirtuins lived longer than those with a normal amount. Researchers thought that if a drug could trigger the human body to make more of the proteins, the same might hold true for humans.
Creating a life-extending drug "has been a long-standing dream in aging research," said David Gems, one of the authors of the new study from the Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London. "This seemed like an amazing story."
But researchers have had mixed success in recreating the original experiments showing both that sirtuins can extend life, and that they can be "activated" by a substance called resveratrol, which is currently found in anti-aging creams and under investigation for ailments associated with old age.
"There's been a whole series of these challenges to the sirtuin aging theory," Gems told Reuters Health. "This new study of ours is the latest installment in this long saga."
His team bred nematode worms and fruit flies with high levels of sirtuins. At first look, both of the protein-enhanced strains survived longer than normal worms and flies. But when the researchers went back and controlled for any other genetic differences between the high- and normal-sirtuin strains, there was no longer any difference in lifespan.
That suggested some other genetic variations were behind the survival difference, Gems explained. In worms, his team was able to pinpoint one of the key genes -- a gene involved in nerve growth -- which was already known to affect aging in that species.
"If you do the experiments properly," he concluded, "the sirtuins themselves don't seem to increase lifespan in animals."
In separate experiments, Gems' team also showed that resveratrol didn't stimulate any activity by synthetic versions of the sirtuin proteins.
In a second paper published this week in Nature, the researcher credited with discovering sirtuins' antiaging effects, who is an advisor to a company creating sirtuin-related drugs, found that the proteins did have some effect on worm lifespan -- but a smaller one than previously believed.
Leonard Guarente, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, owned by GlaxoSmithKline, wrote that the first research on sirtuins "overestimated the extension of lifespan" in a worm with high levels of the proteins. Now, his team calculates, making a lot of sirtuins seems to increase a worm's lifespan by about 10 to 14 percent, all else being equal.
But Guarente said it's not the end of the story for sirtuins. In other strains of worms with extra sirtuins, he told Reuters Health, the added lifespan benefits of the proteins are more established.
Another researcher who has found a positive effect of sirtuins on flies' lifespan, Dr. Stephen Helfand of Brown University, also said that because of methodological differences, Gems' findings don't refute his team's results -- which also took into account unrelated genetic differences.
"To say that sirtuins have nothing to do with aging at this point in time is not correct," Guarente said.
In rodents, he added, sirtuins combined with a calorie-restricted diet have been able to ease some diseases of aging, such as diabetes. That's the direction current research in humans, including drug investigations at Sirtris, is heading.
"I feel that the sirtuins are really the most important and actionable thing to come out of aging research, and I'm very hopeful that we will have drugs in the future based on this work to treat the major diseases of aging," Guarente said.
In an email to Reuters Health, a GlaxoSmithKline representative said, "Our research at Sirtris has been focused on the role of sirtuins in diseases of aging including metabolic, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, rather than looking at longevity."
"These two publications in lower order species do not have any direct impact on the understanding of the role of sirtuins in human health and disease nor in our drug discovery efforts targeting these enzymes," the representative added.
Gems agreed that research on sirtuins could lead to treatments for diabetes and other metabolic diseases. But he thinks that researchers "got carried away" with the excitement about their anti-aging effects.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/qFUIUu and http://bit.ly/rpBAAS Nature, online September 21, 2011.
But researchers said the proteins may still play a role in treating the diseases of aging, such as diabetes and Alzheimer's, so it's not time to give up hope on them yet.
Much of the original excitement about the proteins, called sirtuins, came from research showing that yeast and worms that made lots of sirtuins lived longer than those with a normal amount. Researchers thought that if a drug could trigger the human body to make more of the proteins, the same might hold true for humans.
Creating a life-extending drug "has been a long-standing dream in aging research," said David Gems, one of the authors of the new study from the Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London. "This seemed like an amazing story."
But researchers have had mixed success in recreating the original experiments showing both that sirtuins can extend life, and that they can be "activated" by a substance called resveratrol, which is currently found in anti-aging creams and under investigation for ailments associated with old age.
"There's been a whole series of these challenges to the sirtuin aging theory," Gems told Reuters Health. "This new study of ours is the latest installment in this long saga."
His team bred nematode worms and fruit flies with high levels of sirtuins. At first look, both of the protein-enhanced strains survived longer than normal worms and flies. But when the researchers went back and controlled for any other genetic differences between the high- and normal-sirtuin strains, there was no longer any difference in lifespan.
That suggested some other genetic variations were behind the survival difference, Gems explained. In worms, his team was able to pinpoint one of the key genes -- a gene involved in nerve growth -- which was already known to affect aging in that species.
"If you do the experiments properly," he concluded, "the sirtuins themselves don't seem to increase lifespan in animals."
In separate experiments, Gems' team also showed that resveratrol didn't stimulate any activity by synthetic versions of the sirtuin proteins.
In a second paper published this week in Nature, the researcher credited with discovering sirtuins' antiaging effects, who is an advisor to a company creating sirtuin-related drugs, found that the proteins did have some effect on worm lifespan -- but a smaller one than previously believed.
Leonard Guarente, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, owned by GlaxoSmithKline, wrote that the first research on sirtuins "overestimated the extension of lifespan" in a worm with high levels of the proteins. Now, his team calculates, making a lot of sirtuins seems to increase a worm's lifespan by about 10 to 14 percent, all else being equal.
But Guarente said it's not the end of the story for sirtuins. In other strains of worms with extra sirtuins, he told Reuters Health, the added lifespan benefits of the proteins are more established.
Another researcher who has found a positive effect of sirtuins on flies' lifespan, Dr. Stephen Helfand of Brown University, also said that because of methodological differences, Gems' findings don't refute his team's results -- which also took into account unrelated genetic differences.
"To say that sirtuins have nothing to do with aging at this point in time is not correct," Guarente said.
In rodents, he added, sirtuins combined with a calorie-restricted diet have been able to ease some diseases of aging, such as diabetes. That's the direction current research in humans, including drug investigations at Sirtris, is heading.
"I feel that the sirtuins are really the most important and actionable thing to come out of aging research, and I'm very hopeful that we will have drugs in the future based on this work to treat the major diseases of aging," Guarente said.
In an email to Reuters Health, a GlaxoSmithKline representative said, "Our research at Sirtris has been focused on the role of sirtuins in diseases of aging including metabolic, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, rather than looking at longevity."
"These two publications in lower order species do not have any direct impact on the understanding of the role of sirtuins in human health and disease nor in our drug discovery efforts targeting these enzymes," the representative added.
Gems agreed that research on sirtuins could lead to treatments for diabetes and other metabolic diseases. But he thinks that researchers "got carried away" with the excitement about their anti-aging effects.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/qFUIUu and http://bit.ly/rpBAAS Nature, online September 21, 2011.
Study Shoots Down Virus as Cause of Chronic Fatigue
U.S. scientists have retracted part of a 2009 study from the journal Science linking chronic fatigue syndrome with a mouse virus as evidence continues to mount against the virus as a cause of the mysterious disease.
In addition to the partial retraction, Science published on Thursday new research that cast doubt on the theory. A U.S.-backed study found no trace of the XMRV virus, and a related mouse virus, in blood samples taken from healthy people and those with chronic fatigue syndrome.
The disease causes muscle pain, memory loss, and overwhelming fatigue. While the XMRV research had offered some hope of identifying its cause, and therefore a treatment, scientists say the link was likely the result of contaminated lab samples.
Initial research from 2009 claimed to have found XMRV in the blood of two-thirds of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
But last May, Science ran two reports refuting the 2009 study along with an "editorial expression of concern" and said that the validity of the original chronic fatigue study by research teams in Nevada and Maryland "is now in question."
One of those studies by the National Cancer Institute suggested the finding was caused by contaminated lab samples. That followed a study done by a team at University College London, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, and Oxford University that said cell samples from patients in earlier studies were likely contaminated.
Those concerns appear to have borne out with at least one method of looking for the virus.
Dr. Robert Silverman and Jaydip Das Gupta of the Cleveland Clinic, who were co-authors on the original 2009 paper in Science, double-checked their experiments and found some of the samples from chronic fatigue patients were contaminated with a laboratory form of XMRV genetic material that could not have been present in people.
The team has retracted tables and figures from the study that were based on the contaminated data.
Silverman was not available for comment, but an emailed statement from the Cleveland Clinic said the authors no longer believe XMRV plays a role in chronic fatigue syndrome.
According to Science, the study's main authors still believe other data in the paper support their original conclusions. The journal said it stands by its May "editorial expression of concern," and plans to discuss the next steps in light of the new findings.
No Threat to Blood Supply
Reports that XMRV and a related mouse virus known as P-MLVs were circulating in the blood of humans had raised worries over the safety of the blood supply.
That prompted scientists at the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct tests to see if they could detect XMRV or P-MLVs in blood samples taken from healthy people and 14 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome who had previously tested positive for XMRV or P-MLV. They also included a sample from a person who had XMRV but did not have chronic fatigue syndrome.
The samples were blinded and sent to nine different labs including those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, as well as those from Abbott Laboratories Inc., GenProbe Inc., and the Whittemore Peterson Institute in Reno, Nevada, the lab run by one of the original authors of the 2009 XMRV study.
Two labs, which previously had reported the link between XMRV and chronic fatigue syndrome, found XMRV in some samples. But these labs reported them in samples from healthy donors and from chronic fatigue patients not infected with XMRV.
Dr. Simone Glynn of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, which led the effort, said these were likely false positive results.
"I think these data are very reassuring," Glynn said in a telephone interview.
In June 2010 the nonprofit U.S. blood banking association known as AABB recommended that collection centers discourage people with chronic fatigue syndrome from donating blood.
"We do not think blood donor screening is warranted at this time for these viruses," Glynn said.
Chronic fatigue syndrome strikes an estimated 1 million to 4 million Americans. There is no cure. Patients are treated with drugs to address their symptoms including antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications.
In addition to the partial retraction, Science published on Thursday new research that cast doubt on the theory. A U.S.-backed study found no trace of the XMRV virus, and a related mouse virus, in blood samples taken from healthy people and those with chronic fatigue syndrome.
The disease causes muscle pain, memory loss, and overwhelming fatigue. While the XMRV research had offered some hope of identifying its cause, and therefore a treatment, scientists say the link was likely the result of contaminated lab samples.
Initial research from 2009 claimed to have found XMRV in the blood of two-thirds of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
But last May, Science ran two reports refuting the 2009 study along with an "editorial expression of concern" and said that the validity of the original chronic fatigue study by research teams in Nevada and Maryland "is now in question."
One of those studies by the National Cancer Institute suggested the finding was caused by contaminated lab samples. That followed a study done by a team at University College London, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, and Oxford University that said cell samples from patients in earlier studies were likely contaminated.
Those concerns appear to have borne out with at least one method of looking for the virus.
Dr. Robert Silverman and Jaydip Das Gupta of the Cleveland Clinic, who were co-authors on the original 2009 paper in Science, double-checked their experiments and found some of the samples from chronic fatigue patients were contaminated with a laboratory form of XMRV genetic material that could not have been present in people.
The team has retracted tables and figures from the study that were based on the contaminated data.
Silverman was not available for comment, but an emailed statement from the Cleveland Clinic said the authors no longer believe XMRV plays a role in chronic fatigue syndrome.
According to Science, the study's main authors still believe other data in the paper support their original conclusions. The journal said it stands by its May "editorial expression of concern," and plans to discuss the next steps in light of the new findings.
No Threat to Blood Supply
Reports that XMRV and a related mouse virus known as P-MLVs were circulating in the blood of humans had raised worries over the safety of the blood supply.
That prompted scientists at the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct tests to see if they could detect XMRV or P-MLVs in blood samples taken from healthy people and 14 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome who had previously tested positive for XMRV or P-MLV. They also included a sample from a person who had XMRV but did not have chronic fatigue syndrome.
The samples were blinded and sent to nine different labs including those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, as well as those from Abbott Laboratories Inc., GenProbe Inc., and the Whittemore Peterson Institute in Reno, Nevada, the lab run by one of the original authors of the 2009 XMRV study.
Two labs, which previously had reported the link between XMRV and chronic fatigue syndrome, found XMRV in some samples. But these labs reported them in samples from healthy donors and from chronic fatigue patients not infected with XMRV.
Dr. Simone Glynn of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, which led the effort, said these were likely false positive results.
"I think these data are very reassuring," Glynn said in a telephone interview.
In June 2010 the nonprofit U.S. blood banking association known as AABB recommended that collection centers discourage people with chronic fatigue syndrome from donating blood.
"We do not think blood donor screening is warranted at this time for these viruses," Glynn said.
Chronic fatigue syndrome strikes an estimated 1 million to 4 million Americans. There is no cure. Patients are treated with drugs to address their symptoms including antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications.
Prostate Cancer Drug Prolongs Life
An experimental drug from Germany's Bayer and Norwegian biotech Algeta that prolongs the lives of patients with advanced prostate cancer is a major step forward in treatment of the disease, cancer experts said.
A late stage trial of Alpharadin, a new type of drug that delivers minute, highly-charged doses of radiation to secondary tumors in the bone, was halted early after researchers saw patients on the new treatment living almost three months longer on average than those on standard treatment plus placebo.
"It would have been unethical not to offer the active treatment to those taking placebo," Chris Parker, who led the trial at Britain's Royal Marsden Hospital, told delegates at the European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress (EMCC) in Stockholm.
Alpharadin is based on the active ingredient radium 223 and is designed to treat patients with advanced disease whose cancer has spread to their bones.
Parker said he expected the drug to become a new standard treatment for these patients. Both Jean Charles Soria, a co-chair of the EMCC congress, and Michael Baumann, president of the European Cancer Organization, said Alpharadin was "a major new player" and likely to be "practice changing."
Kemal Malik, Bayer's head of global development, has described the success of Alpharadin — which first showed promise in headline data released in June — as a "transforming moment" for the company.
Sales of Alpharadin are expected to reach $662 million by 2015, according to consensus forecasts from Thomson Reuters Pharma. The drug's performance is also particularly important for Algeta, whose fortunes are tied closely its success.
Parker said the two firms now intend to use the data to submit the drug for regulatory approval.
Alpharadin is from a class of drugs called alpha-pharmaceuticals which work by sending tiny, charged, targeted doses of damaging radiation to a secondary tumor — known as a metastasis — in the bone.
Because it is so targeted, side effects are minimal in comparison with more conventional treatments, a factor that is likely to boost its popularity with patients and doctors.
"Compared to chemotherapy, which affects all the tissues of the body, radium-223 is highly targeted to the bone metastases, and it has a completely different safety profile," Parker explained. In the trial, he said, the drug was "extremely well-tolerated."
Radium is similar to calcium in that it sticks to bone, particularly to where new bone is being formed, so it is a highly effective way of delivering radiation to a target.
"It takes only a single alpha particle to kill a cell," Parker said. "And collateral damage is minimized because the particles have such a tiny range — a few millionths of a meter — so we can be sure that the damage is being done where it should be, to the metastasis."
Parker's team studied the drug in patients with prostate cancer because it has a high tendency to spread to the bones. Around 90 percent of all men with prostate cancer will develop bone metastases in the advanced stages of the disease.
Prostate cancer is also the second most common cancer in men after lung cancer, killing an estimated 255,000 men each year.
Complete data from the trial showed that the median overall survival period for patients on the new drug was 14 months compared with 11.2 months for the placebo. The hazard ratio was 0.695, meaning that patients taking Alpharadin had a 30 percent lower rate of death compared to patients taking placebo.
A late stage trial of Alpharadin, a new type of drug that delivers minute, highly-charged doses of radiation to secondary tumors in the bone, was halted early after researchers saw patients on the new treatment living almost three months longer on average than those on standard treatment plus placebo.
"It would have been unethical not to offer the active treatment to those taking placebo," Chris Parker, who led the trial at Britain's Royal Marsden Hospital, told delegates at the European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress (EMCC) in Stockholm.
Alpharadin is based on the active ingredient radium 223 and is designed to treat patients with advanced disease whose cancer has spread to their bones.
Parker said he expected the drug to become a new standard treatment for these patients. Both Jean Charles Soria, a co-chair of the EMCC congress, and Michael Baumann, president of the European Cancer Organization, said Alpharadin was "a major new player" and likely to be "practice changing."
Kemal Malik, Bayer's head of global development, has described the success of Alpharadin — which first showed promise in headline data released in June — as a "transforming moment" for the company.
Sales of Alpharadin are expected to reach $662 million by 2015, according to consensus forecasts from Thomson Reuters Pharma. The drug's performance is also particularly important for Algeta, whose fortunes are tied closely its success.
Parker said the two firms now intend to use the data to submit the drug for regulatory approval.
Alpharadin is from a class of drugs called alpha-pharmaceuticals which work by sending tiny, charged, targeted doses of damaging radiation to a secondary tumor — known as a metastasis — in the bone.
Because it is so targeted, side effects are minimal in comparison with more conventional treatments, a factor that is likely to boost its popularity with patients and doctors.
"Compared to chemotherapy, which affects all the tissues of the body, radium-223 is highly targeted to the bone metastases, and it has a completely different safety profile," Parker explained. In the trial, he said, the drug was "extremely well-tolerated."
Radium is similar to calcium in that it sticks to bone, particularly to where new bone is being formed, so it is a highly effective way of delivering radiation to a target.
"It takes only a single alpha particle to kill a cell," Parker said. "And collateral damage is minimized because the particles have such a tiny range — a few millionths of a meter — so we can be sure that the damage is being done where it should be, to the metastasis."
Parker's team studied the drug in patients with prostate cancer because it has a high tendency to spread to the bones. Around 90 percent of all men with prostate cancer will develop bone metastases in the advanced stages of the disease.
Prostate cancer is also the second most common cancer in men after lung cancer, killing an estimated 255,000 men each year.
Complete data from the trial showed that the median overall survival period for patients on the new drug was 14 months compared with 11.2 months for the placebo. The hazard ratio was 0.695, meaning that patients taking Alpharadin had a 30 percent lower rate of death compared to patients taking placebo.
Positive Thinking...The Ripple That Can Change Your Life - By Lori Chance
"Just think positive!" We've heard it said in one way or another so many times. But what does thinking positive or having a positive attitude actually do for us? That's a great question that I think needs a real answer. It's sort of like; everyone says eat more greens, so you know you should. You may even know how those nutrients keep you healthy, affect your weight, blood pressure and digestion and yet still don't do it. It's not until you really start to feel the difference for yourself and realize how much better it is that you REALLY start to order more salads and less fries. Which also means, of course, that you have to start doing it, practicing it and being aware of the difference it makes before it becomes a real habit. Positive thinking works the same way.
It's actually a ripple effect -- like a little tiny leaf that lands on a pond. You don't think much of it, but if you watch how far the ripples go it's pretty impressive. When we're in a negative place, or even if we're just having a bad day, we're not going to be as aware of the opportunities surrounding us. We're not going to be quite as aware of how we're coming across to others. And when a problem arises we're going to feel more stressed out and it will be more difficult to find a solution. But if we plug in a positive thought (our leaf on the pond), we can start shifting into a more positive space. We start realizing there's more opportunity here than we thought. Our conversations with people are different. When you're in a positive space people will be more willing to talk to you longer, so you end up having a better quality conversation. Those types of conversations can lead to a better relationship with that person or even to some great ideas. If a challenge does come up, you're better at problem solving and creative thinking. It's subtle at first so it can be a little difficult to pick up on, but you can become more aware of it.
Don't believe me? Fair enough. Let's look at a typical 'bad day'. We've all had them, those days where everything seems to go wrong. You get up late, drop your coffee on the way to your car, hit every red light on the way to work, need to buy just ONE little item on the way home but there's a line of ten people in front of you at the cashier... by the time you get home - you're done. You just want to go to bed. With everything that happened, you got grumpier as the day wore on. Who wouldn't, right? I know I've done the same thing.
You see, there is a way that our brain chemistry changes with our mood. When we get stressed out (or upset or angry) we go into a very basic sort of survival mode. The creative part of our brain just shuts down, adrenaline rises and the fight or flight mode kicks in to various degrees -- which doesn't leave room for higher, more complex thought. That's right, being stressed or negative actually shuts down a part of our brain. And here's the kicker...it's the part of our brain that is critical to resolving the very things that are stressing us out!
Now, let's take that same day from a new perspective -- with a 'leaf' of positive thought or action. You still get up late, spill coffee and hit way too many red lights. But now you get to the point where you giggle. Yes, you just start laughing at yourself. Of course it starts out forced, but it's just enough of a shift to make a difference. That laughter (even a forced or fake laugh) releases the endorphins in your brain. And guess what? You will start feeling better. It becomes a positive feedback loop that allows the creative centers of your brain to kick back in.
Why? Because where we focus our mood follows. I'm not talking about being a Pollyanna or insisting anyone look through the world with rose colored glasses. In fact, if you happen to own a pair of those things, please...throw them out! While rose is a beautiful flower and lovely color, when it comes to attitude...it's more likely denial. I don't want you to imagine you'll never have a bad day. What I'm talking about is just giving yourself the gift of awareness so you can notice what you're focusing on and, if appropriate, shift it.
It's similar to what's called the reticular activator. Say you decide to buy a new car. You go down to the lot and happily cruise home in your new vehicle. On the way to the lot, the roads were filled with all kinds of cars, to the point that you may not have even noticed any particular make or model. Just another day on the road. But on the drive home you notice that EVERYONE seems to be driving the same model car as you...why didn't you notice that before? Did all these people suddenly purchase the same car within the last hour? No, those cars were already on the road. You just weren't noticing them until it became YOUR car and you had a reason to focus on that exact model. In other words, what you focus on you see more of -- positive or negative. Sometimes it's a situation that focuses us -- like buying a car -- but you can choose what you focus on too.
Shifting your mindset can make a huge difference. Maybe you can't laugh at the fact that you dropped your cup of coffee, but you can be grateful it didn't splash all over your top. And you don't have to let it drag you spiraling down into a grumpy mood. In other words, you may not be able to change the surrounding circumstances, but at the very least you can decide how you want to walk through the situation and still be proud of yourself at the end of it. We may not be able to change anything else, but we can always walk away with integrity.
And the great thing is that the creative part of our brain (that shut down in our funky mood) will kick back in so when an opportunity comes up we can see how to make the most out of it. Or when a problem comes up we can look at it and say, "Okay, what's possible? Here's who I can work with, how I can work with it, and how I can resolve it or turn it into an opportunity rather than a problem."
Positive thinking, when it really kicks in, will put us in that place. Think about the passage of time. When we're stressed out, we're looking at the clock about every 30 seconds. We think this day cannot go fast enough. "I just want to get home. I just want to be done. I hate this...hate this...hate this!" But, in that positive space, time flies by. It's just more fun! That's the ripple effect positive thinking has that grows the more often you can get there.
It's actually a ripple effect -- like a little tiny leaf that lands on a pond. You don't think much of it, but if you watch how far the ripples go it's pretty impressive. When we're in a negative place, or even if we're just having a bad day, we're not going to be as aware of the opportunities surrounding us. We're not going to be quite as aware of how we're coming across to others. And when a problem arises we're going to feel more stressed out and it will be more difficult to find a solution. But if we plug in a positive thought (our leaf on the pond), we can start shifting into a more positive space. We start realizing there's more opportunity here than we thought. Our conversations with people are different. When you're in a positive space people will be more willing to talk to you longer, so you end up having a better quality conversation. Those types of conversations can lead to a better relationship with that person or even to some great ideas. If a challenge does come up, you're better at problem solving and creative thinking. It's subtle at first so it can be a little difficult to pick up on, but you can become more aware of it.
Don't believe me? Fair enough. Let's look at a typical 'bad day'. We've all had them, those days where everything seems to go wrong. You get up late, drop your coffee on the way to your car, hit every red light on the way to work, need to buy just ONE little item on the way home but there's a line of ten people in front of you at the cashier... by the time you get home - you're done. You just want to go to bed. With everything that happened, you got grumpier as the day wore on. Who wouldn't, right? I know I've done the same thing.
You see, there is a way that our brain chemistry changes with our mood. When we get stressed out (or upset or angry) we go into a very basic sort of survival mode. The creative part of our brain just shuts down, adrenaline rises and the fight or flight mode kicks in to various degrees -- which doesn't leave room for higher, more complex thought. That's right, being stressed or negative actually shuts down a part of our brain. And here's the kicker...it's the part of our brain that is critical to resolving the very things that are stressing us out!
Now, let's take that same day from a new perspective -- with a 'leaf' of positive thought or action. You still get up late, spill coffee and hit way too many red lights. But now you get to the point where you giggle. Yes, you just start laughing at yourself. Of course it starts out forced, but it's just enough of a shift to make a difference. That laughter (even a forced or fake laugh) releases the endorphins in your brain. And guess what? You will start feeling better. It becomes a positive feedback loop that allows the creative centers of your brain to kick back in.
Why? Because where we focus our mood follows. I'm not talking about being a Pollyanna or insisting anyone look through the world with rose colored glasses. In fact, if you happen to own a pair of those things, please...throw them out! While rose is a beautiful flower and lovely color, when it comes to attitude...it's more likely denial. I don't want you to imagine you'll never have a bad day. What I'm talking about is just giving yourself the gift of awareness so you can notice what you're focusing on and, if appropriate, shift it.
It's similar to what's called the reticular activator. Say you decide to buy a new car. You go down to the lot and happily cruise home in your new vehicle. On the way to the lot, the roads were filled with all kinds of cars, to the point that you may not have even noticed any particular make or model. Just another day on the road. But on the drive home you notice that EVERYONE seems to be driving the same model car as you...why didn't you notice that before? Did all these people suddenly purchase the same car within the last hour? No, those cars were already on the road. You just weren't noticing them until it became YOUR car and you had a reason to focus on that exact model. In other words, what you focus on you see more of -- positive or negative. Sometimes it's a situation that focuses us -- like buying a car -- but you can choose what you focus on too.
Shifting your mindset can make a huge difference. Maybe you can't laugh at the fact that you dropped your cup of coffee, but you can be grateful it didn't splash all over your top. And you don't have to let it drag you spiraling down into a grumpy mood. In other words, you may not be able to change the surrounding circumstances, but at the very least you can decide how you want to walk through the situation and still be proud of yourself at the end of it. We may not be able to change anything else, but we can always walk away with integrity.
And the great thing is that the creative part of our brain (that shut down in our funky mood) will kick back in so when an opportunity comes up we can see how to make the most out of it. Or when a problem comes up we can look at it and say, "Okay, what's possible? Here's who I can work with, how I can work with it, and how I can resolve it or turn it into an opportunity rather than a problem."
Positive thinking, when it really kicks in, will put us in that place. Think about the passage of time. When we're stressed out, we're looking at the clock about every 30 seconds. We think this day cannot go fast enough. "I just want to get home. I just want to be done. I hate this...hate this...hate this!" But, in that positive space, time flies by. It's just more fun! That's the ripple effect positive thinking has that grows the more often you can get there.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
THOUGHT FOR TODAY...
Growing into your future with health and grace and beauty doesn’t have to take all your time. It rather requires a dedication to caring for yourself as if you were rare and precious, which you are, and regarding all life around you as equally so, which it is.
FUN FACTS
* The 'Big Dipper' is known as 'The Casserole' in France. *
* The United kingdom eats more cans of baked beans than the rest of the world combined. *
* The powder on chewing gum is finely-ground marble. *
* The most popular Campbell's Soup in Hong Kong is watercress and duck gizzard. *
* The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma. *
* The Japanese liquor, Mam, uses venomous snakes as one of its main ingredients. *
* The first product to have a bar code was Wrigleys gum! *
* The United kingdom eats more cans of baked beans than the rest of the world combined. *
* The powder on chewing gum is finely-ground marble. *
* The most popular Campbell's Soup in Hong Kong is watercress and duck gizzard. *
* The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma. *
* The Japanese liquor, Mam, uses venomous snakes as one of its main ingredients. *
* The first product to have a bar code was Wrigleys gum! *
Liposuction May Cut Harmful Blood Fat
The fat-removal procedure liposuction may have an unintended health benefit: reducing levels of a dangerous blood fat.
A study by Dr. Eric Swanson, a plastic surgeon in Leawood, Kan., found that people with high triglyercide levels who had the surgery experienced a 43 percent reduction in the blood fat three months after the procedure, according to a blog in the Los Angeles Times. That amount is nearly double the reduction cholesterol-lowering drugs offer. People with normal triglyceride levels showed no change.
White blood cell counts also fell by 11 percent after surgery. Those cells are associated with increased risk of heart disease.
Liposuction may have a legitimate health benefit:
Liposuction patients are usually after one thing: a better-looking body. But a new study suggests the cosmetic procedure that removes fat from well-padded areas of the body may also reduce harmful fat circulating in the blood.
Research to be presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in Denver was aimed at measuring triglyceride levels in 229 people having liposuction. In people with normal triglyceride levels, cosmetic surgery made no difference. But among people who started out with high triglycerides, blood tests taken three months after surgery showed a 43% reduction in triglycerides.
That's about twice the reduction people usually get by taking cholesterol-lowering medications. There was no change in other cholesterol or glucose levels.
The study, led by Dr. Eric Swanson, a plastic surgeon in Leawood, Kan., also found that white blood cell counts fell 11% after liposuction. White blood cells are linked to inflammation in the body and are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
It's not known how long the reduction in triglycerides lasts, however, and whether the surgery can actually lower the risk of heart disease. Moreover, the study raises questions about which types of fat in the body are really harmful.
"For years, it has been assumed that visceral fat surrounding the internal organs has greater metabolic importance and is more directly linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk than 'subcutaneous fat' that lies under the skin," Swanson said in a news release. "These new findings support recent studies suggesting subcutaneous fat, which can be reduced by liposuction, is just as metabolically important."
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Swanson’s work will be presented this weekend at a meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in Denver.
A study by Dr. Eric Swanson, a plastic surgeon in Leawood, Kan., found that people with high triglyercide levels who had the surgery experienced a 43 percent reduction in the blood fat three months after the procedure, according to a blog in the Los Angeles Times. That amount is nearly double the reduction cholesterol-lowering drugs offer. People with normal triglyceride levels showed no change.
White blood cell counts also fell by 11 percent after surgery. Those cells are associated with increased risk of heart disease.
Liposuction may have a legitimate health benefit:
Liposuction patients are usually after one thing: a better-looking body. But a new study suggests the cosmetic procedure that removes fat from well-padded areas of the body may also reduce harmful fat circulating in the blood.
Research to be presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in Denver was aimed at measuring triglyceride levels in 229 people having liposuction. In people with normal triglyceride levels, cosmetic surgery made no difference. But among people who started out with high triglycerides, blood tests taken three months after surgery showed a 43% reduction in triglycerides.
That's about twice the reduction people usually get by taking cholesterol-lowering medications. There was no change in other cholesterol or glucose levels.
The study, led by Dr. Eric Swanson, a plastic surgeon in Leawood, Kan., also found that white blood cell counts fell 11% after liposuction. White blood cells are linked to inflammation in the body and are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
It's not known how long the reduction in triglycerides lasts, however, and whether the surgery can actually lower the risk of heart disease. Moreover, the study raises questions about which types of fat in the body are really harmful.
"For years, it has been assumed that visceral fat surrounding the internal organs has greater metabolic importance and is more directly linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk than 'subcutaneous fat' that lies under the skin," Swanson said in a news release. "These new findings support recent studies suggesting subcutaneous fat, which can be reduced by liposuction, is just as metabolically important."
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Swanson’s work will be presented this weekend at a meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in Denver.
Salt Study No 'Smoking Gun'
Question: Where did the belief that too much salt in the diet causes high blood pressure originate?
Dr. Brownstein's Answer:
The big push for salt restriction came after a widely publicized 1984 study called “Intersalt.” This study examined more than 10,000 subjects at 52 locations in 39 countries.
Researchers looked at the relationship between blood pressure and electrolyte excretion in urine. A higher salt intake results in larger amounts of sodium excreted in the urine.
At the end of the study, four (out of 52) of the population centers had significantly reduced the salt in their diets. In these four centers, the subjects showed significantly lowered blood pressure, and their blood pressure did not increase with age.
Researchers and academics seized on these results as the “smoking gun” that associated salt with high blood pressure. The Intersalt study made headlines across the country. As a result of the publicity, more propaganda was thrown around, and
Americans were told to use less and less salt. However, when I looked at Intersalt, I was stunned by the data — and how the researchers had chosen to interpret it.
The problem arises from the four population centers that demonstrated the blood pressure–lowering effects with reduced salt
intake. These four centers were nonacculturated populations — or, in layman’s terms, primitive peoples. The centers included the Yanomami and Xingu tribes in Brazil, as well as one indigenous tribe in Kenya and another in New Guinea.
The subjects from each of these populations had an extremely low intake of sodium as well as a very low intake of alcohol. They also had no obesity in their populations. It is well known that obesity and alcohol abuse can lead to hypertension.
Across the other 48 centers studied in Intersalt, no correlation could be drawn between salt intake and hypertension. Therefore, using this study to draw the conclusion that all people need to lower their salt intake is ridiculous.
The only real conclusion that can be drawn from Intersalt is that if you live in the jungle in a nonacculturated population, a low salt intake is associated with a lowered blood pressure. Unfortunately, for the great majority of the world population, that finding simply doesn’t apply.
Dr. Brownstein's Answer:
The big push for salt restriction came after a widely publicized 1984 study called “Intersalt.” This study examined more than 10,000 subjects at 52 locations in 39 countries.
Researchers looked at the relationship between blood pressure and electrolyte excretion in urine. A higher salt intake results in larger amounts of sodium excreted in the urine.
At the end of the study, four (out of 52) of the population centers had significantly reduced the salt in their diets. In these four centers, the subjects showed significantly lowered blood pressure, and their blood pressure did not increase with age.
Researchers and academics seized on these results as the “smoking gun” that associated salt with high blood pressure. The Intersalt study made headlines across the country. As a result of the publicity, more propaganda was thrown around, and
Americans were told to use less and less salt. However, when I looked at Intersalt, I was stunned by the data — and how the researchers had chosen to interpret it.
The problem arises from the four population centers that demonstrated the blood pressure–lowering effects with reduced salt
intake. These four centers were nonacculturated populations — or, in layman’s terms, primitive peoples. The centers included the Yanomami and Xingu tribes in Brazil, as well as one indigenous tribe in Kenya and another in New Guinea.
The subjects from each of these populations had an extremely low intake of sodium as well as a very low intake of alcohol. They also had no obesity in their populations. It is well known that obesity and alcohol abuse can lead to hypertension.
Across the other 48 centers studied in Intersalt, no correlation could be drawn between salt intake and hypertension. Therefore, using this study to draw the conclusion that all people need to lower their salt intake is ridiculous.
The only real conclusion that can be drawn from Intersalt is that if you live in the jungle in a nonacculturated population, a low salt intake is associated with a lowered blood pressure. Unfortunately, for the great majority of the world population, that finding simply doesn’t apply.
How to Fight Fibromyalgia Fatigue
Besides pain, anxiety and mental “fog,” fibromyalgia patients may also suffer from chronic fatigue symptoms. But natural remedies, from supplements to sleep-enhancers, can go a long way toward restoring lost energy. Here’s an expert guide to what really works for fibromyalgia fatigue...
On bad days, Holly Scott can barely drag herself out of bed, shuffle to the couch and sit down. Ordinary activities seem virtually impossible.
“When my fibromyalgia flares up, I miss my daughters’ soccer games and dance recitals,” says the 39-year-old Tucson mother of two. “I’m too tired even to sit through a movie with my husband.”
Scott’s exhaustion is typical of fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread muscle pain and tenderness, and can often bring about debilitating fatigue.
That’s the result of the body trying to “fight” chronic pain – both physically and mentally, says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! (Avery Trade) and a leading expert on both fibromyalgia support and chronic fatigue.
“After a flare-up, women with fibromyalgia find themselves with lagging energy levels because they’ve spent a great deal of [strength] battling the depression and emotional anguish associated with the disease,” Teitelbaum says.
How can you regain your pep? Natural energy boosters – including exercise, dietary supplements and alternative therapies like meditation and acupuncture – can help. Here are an expert’s top recommendations to combat fibromyalgia fatigue.
1. Energy-Boosting Supplements
Three supplements – B vitamins, magnesium and D-ribose – can help your body gain lost vitality.
“Making sure you have adequate levels of these nutrients can provide a significant boost in energy,” Teitelbaum says.
B vitamins: “Food needs to be converted to energy for your body to run,” Teitelbaum explains. “B vitamins help build energy molecules” – especially after a fibromyalgia flare-up, when fatigue is likely to be at its worst.
Take separate B-vitamin supplements, instead of one “B-complex” capsule, he advises. That way you’ll be sure to get the right amount of each. He recommends 25-50 mg each of B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6, and 500 micrograms (mcg) of B12.
And don’t be alarmed if your urine turns bright yellow. It’s a harmless side effect of the vitamins, he says.
You can also boost the B-vitamin intake in your fibromyalgia diet from food, including fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy products and whole grains, as well as leafy green vegetables, beans and peas.
Magnesium: This essential mineral is also key to producing and maintaining your body’s energy stores.
Low levels can disrupt sleep, a problem suffered by 80% of fibromyalgia patients. At the same time, chronic sleep problems can further reduce magnesium levels in cells, according to a 2004 Japanese study.
Get the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) – 310 mg daily for women ages 19-30, and 320 mg daily for those 31 and older – to prevent lethargy, Teitelbaum advises.
Magnesium supplements come in capsules, tablets and powders. But you can also get it through food, which means your fibromyalgia diet should include nuts (almonds, cashews and peanuts), seeds, legumes (beans and peas), whole grains and green leafy vegetables such as spinach.
D-Ribose: Supplements of this sugar, which the body produces naturally, are favored by body-builders because it fuels muscle cells, boosting energy.
Fibromyalgia patients who took 5 g three times daily increased their energy levels by 61%, according to a 2008 study conducted by Teitelbaum and published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
“Aim for 5 g three times a day for three weeks, and then twice a day after that,” he advises.
But don’t take more: You could develop mild headaches, Teitelbaum warns. (You’ll find ribose supplements in powder, gel capsules or chewable forms.)
Other supplements that help your body’s cells make energy include 200 mg daily of coenzyme Q10, a natural compound and antioxidant, or 1,500 mg daily of acetyl L-carnitine, which is made in muscle and liver tissue and is found in meat, poultry, fish, and some dairy products, Teitelbaum says.
2. Vitamin D
“Vitamin D deficiency is common in fibromyalgia patients because they often avoid sun exposure,” says Pamela Yee, M.D., of the Center for Health and Healing in New York.
The body makes vitamin D from sunlight on the skin – but outdoor activities such as walking, running and gardening often bring on fibromyalgia pain.
“They may be taxing on sore joints,” Yee explains.
To find out if you’re deficient, see your doctor for a blood test. A normal range is 30.0-74.0 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).
If you have a deficiency, your doctor may suggest you take vitamin D supplements and increase your consumption of milk, salmon and other D-rich foods.
Supplements can ease fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue symptoms in patients who have a mild to moderate deficiency, according to a 2009 University of Western Ontario study published in Endocrine Practice.
The latest daily vitamin D recommendations are 600 IU (for women up to 70 years old) and 800 IU (for women over 70), according to the Institute of Medicine, a nonprofit advisory group.
3. Omega-3 fatty acids
The essential fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) – known as omega 3s – help reduce inflammation.
“That can decrease flares and reduce symptoms, including pain and fatigue, of fibromyalgia,” Teitelbaum says.
Oily fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines are your best food source of omega-3s. Teitelbaum advises eating a 4-ounce serving, “equal to the size of a personal check,” at least 3-4 times a week for fibromyalgia support.
“When eating canned tuna, choose albacore, because it has three times as much fish oil as chunk light tuna,” he adds.
If you’re concerned about mercury or would rather pop a pill, take a fish oil supplement with more than 600 mg of EPA and DHA per capsule daily, Teitelbaum advises.
4. Acupuncture
This ancient Chinese healing practice is one of the newest ways of easing chronic fatigue symptoms in fibromyalgia sufferers.
About 40% of patients saw an improvement in fibromyalgia fatigue after completing a 10-week course of acupuncture treatment, according to a 2008 study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Acupuncture “balances the energy that flows through the body and supports its physiological processes, including blood circulation, nervous system operation and immune function,” says Anne Jeffres, a licensed acupuncturist and associate academic dean at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York.
What’s more, it triggers the release of the body’s natural painkillers, she says. That means you spend less energy fighting pain.
And the benefits increase over time, Jeffres says.
“When first treated, a woman might find the effects last only a few hours,” she says. “As treatments continue, her results will generally last longer – for a day or two, then a week or two, and ultimately for months or longer.”
As a result, you’ll need fewer acupuncture treatments as energy levels increase.
“Most women only need periodic treatments once a month or once a season as maintenance,” Jeffres says.
5. Meditation
“Mindfulness” – a form of meditation that involves staying in the present moment – improves quality of life for women with fibromyalgia, according to a 2007 Swiss study.
Not only is it relaxing, but it helps stave off stress and depression, both of which can cause fibromyalgia fatigue, the researchers found.
For optimum fibromyalgia support, meditate at least once a day for a minimum of 10 minutes, Yee suggests.
“Build up to twice a day: once in the morning and once at night.”
Here’s how to get started:
Sit in a comfortable, quiet spot in your house or office.
Clear your mind of all thoughts (forget about your pain, kids, errands you need to run) and let a sense of calm take over. If you notice thoughts intruding, gently put them aside and refocus.
(For more detailed instructions, see How to Meditate.)
“Be patient,” Yee advises. It takes weeks, or even months, to learn how to shut out distractions (though you should experience benefits long before then).
6. Yoga
This flexibility-enhancing practice shows promise in the fight against fibromyalgia symptoms, including fatigue.
“It’s a good way to gently stretch your body, loosen up tight muscles and joints and ease stress,” Yee says.
Start slowly, with just one or two simple poses every day, she says.
For fibromyalgia poses, see Need Fibromyalgia Pain Relief? Try Yoga
Do each for about five minutes, once or twice a day – “or any time you need a little ‘pick-me-up,’ ” Yee says.
7. A good night’s sleep
You’d think that because you’re so exhausted, getting enough sleep would be easy. But 80% of fibromyalgia sufferers encounter poor sleep.
That’s because they have a brain-wave pattern typically seen in awake people, according to Harvey Moldofsky, M.D., head of the Sleep Disorders Clinic of the Centers for Sleep and Chronobiology in Toronto.
The pattern, called “alpha intrusions” or “alpha abnormality,” could prevent you from sinking into the deep sleep stages needed to feel refreshed.
The problem starts in the autonomic nervous system, which controls your body’s involuntary processes such as breathing, heart rate and digestion, with help from the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).
For fibromyalgia sufferers, the sympathetic nervous system – which helps mobilize the body under stress – “is in overdrive and often stays dominant, even during sleep,” Teitelbaum says.
To get a good night’s sleep, Teitelbaum suggests taking a melatonin supplement.
“All it takes is .5 mg,” he says. However, he cautions that most supplements are sold in 3 mg doses, so you should divide the pill into pieces.
(For more remedies, read Losing Sleep Over Fibromyalgia?
If nothing else works, Teitelbaum recommends talking to your doctor about a prescription sleep aid.
“Sleep is vital to having energy, so you shouldn’t be wary of asking your doctor for help getting, and staying, asleep,” he says.
For more information, visit our Fibromyalgia Health Center.
Do You Have A Balanced Lifestyle?
A balanced lifestyle means that no aspect of life overshadows the others. Health, career and relationships are all important and need to be maintained. Are you maintaining a balanced lifestyle, or is one aspect of your life taking over the rest?
On bad days, Holly Scott can barely drag herself out of bed, shuffle to the couch and sit down. Ordinary activities seem virtually impossible.
“When my fibromyalgia flares up, I miss my daughters’ soccer games and dance recitals,” says the 39-year-old Tucson mother of two. “I’m too tired even to sit through a movie with my husband.”
Scott’s exhaustion is typical of fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread muscle pain and tenderness, and can often bring about debilitating fatigue.
That’s the result of the body trying to “fight” chronic pain – both physically and mentally, says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! (Avery Trade) and a leading expert on both fibromyalgia support and chronic fatigue.
“After a flare-up, women with fibromyalgia find themselves with lagging energy levels because they’ve spent a great deal of [strength] battling the depression and emotional anguish associated with the disease,” Teitelbaum says.
How can you regain your pep? Natural energy boosters – including exercise, dietary supplements and alternative therapies like meditation and acupuncture – can help. Here are an expert’s top recommendations to combat fibromyalgia fatigue.
1. Energy-Boosting Supplements
Three supplements – B vitamins, magnesium and D-ribose – can help your body gain lost vitality.
“Making sure you have adequate levels of these nutrients can provide a significant boost in energy,” Teitelbaum says.
B vitamins: “Food needs to be converted to energy for your body to run,” Teitelbaum explains. “B vitamins help build energy molecules” – especially after a fibromyalgia flare-up, when fatigue is likely to be at its worst.
Take separate B-vitamin supplements, instead of one “B-complex” capsule, he advises. That way you’ll be sure to get the right amount of each. He recommends 25-50 mg each of B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6, and 500 micrograms (mcg) of B12.
And don’t be alarmed if your urine turns bright yellow. It’s a harmless side effect of the vitamins, he says.
You can also boost the B-vitamin intake in your fibromyalgia diet from food, including fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy products and whole grains, as well as leafy green vegetables, beans and peas.
Magnesium: This essential mineral is also key to producing and maintaining your body’s energy stores.
Low levels can disrupt sleep, a problem suffered by 80% of fibromyalgia patients. At the same time, chronic sleep problems can further reduce magnesium levels in cells, according to a 2004 Japanese study.
Get the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) – 310 mg daily for women ages 19-30, and 320 mg daily for those 31 and older – to prevent lethargy, Teitelbaum advises.
Magnesium supplements come in capsules, tablets and powders. But you can also get it through food, which means your fibromyalgia diet should include nuts (almonds, cashews and peanuts), seeds, legumes (beans and peas), whole grains and green leafy vegetables such as spinach.
D-Ribose: Supplements of this sugar, which the body produces naturally, are favored by body-builders because it fuels muscle cells, boosting energy.
Fibromyalgia patients who took 5 g three times daily increased their energy levels by 61%, according to a 2008 study conducted by Teitelbaum and published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
“Aim for 5 g three times a day for three weeks, and then twice a day after that,” he advises.
But don’t take more: You could develop mild headaches, Teitelbaum warns. (You’ll find ribose supplements in powder, gel capsules or chewable forms.)
Other supplements that help your body’s cells make energy include 200 mg daily of coenzyme Q10, a natural compound and antioxidant, or 1,500 mg daily of acetyl L-carnitine, which is made in muscle and liver tissue and is found in meat, poultry, fish, and some dairy products, Teitelbaum says.
2. Vitamin D
“Vitamin D deficiency is common in fibromyalgia patients because they often avoid sun exposure,” says Pamela Yee, M.D., of the Center for Health and Healing in New York.
The body makes vitamin D from sunlight on the skin – but outdoor activities such as walking, running and gardening often bring on fibromyalgia pain.
“They may be taxing on sore joints,” Yee explains.
To find out if you’re deficient, see your doctor for a blood test. A normal range is 30.0-74.0 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).
If you have a deficiency, your doctor may suggest you take vitamin D supplements and increase your consumption of milk, salmon and other D-rich foods.
Supplements can ease fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue symptoms in patients who have a mild to moderate deficiency, according to a 2009 University of Western Ontario study published in Endocrine Practice.
The latest daily vitamin D recommendations are 600 IU (for women up to 70 years old) and 800 IU (for women over 70), according to the Institute of Medicine, a nonprofit advisory group.
3. Omega-3 fatty acids
The essential fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) – known as omega 3s – help reduce inflammation.
“That can decrease flares and reduce symptoms, including pain and fatigue, of fibromyalgia,” Teitelbaum says.
Oily fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines are your best food source of omega-3s. Teitelbaum advises eating a 4-ounce serving, “equal to the size of a personal check,” at least 3-4 times a week for fibromyalgia support.
“When eating canned tuna, choose albacore, because it has three times as much fish oil as chunk light tuna,” he adds.
If you’re concerned about mercury or would rather pop a pill, take a fish oil supplement with more than 600 mg of EPA and DHA per capsule daily, Teitelbaum advises.
4. Acupuncture
This ancient Chinese healing practice is one of the newest ways of easing chronic fatigue symptoms in fibromyalgia sufferers.
About 40% of patients saw an improvement in fibromyalgia fatigue after completing a 10-week course of acupuncture treatment, according to a 2008 study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Acupuncture “balances the energy that flows through the body and supports its physiological processes, including blood circulation, nervous system operation and immune function,” says Anne Jeffres, a licensed acupuncturist and associate academic dean at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York.
What’s more, it triggers the release of the body’s natural painkillers, she says. That means you spend less energy fighting pain.
And the benefits increase over time, Jeffres says.
“When first treated, a woman might find the effects last only a few hours,” she says. “As treatments continue, her results will generally last longer – for a day or two, then a week or two, and ultimately for months or longer.”
As a result, you’ll need fewer acupuncture treatments as energy levels increase.
“Most women only need periodic treatments once a month or once a season as maintenance,” Jeffres says.
5. Meditation
“Mindfulness” – a form of meditation that involves staying in the present moment – improves quality of life for women with fibromyalgia, according to a 2007 Swiss study.
Not only is it relaxing, but it helps stave off stress and depression, both of which can cause fibromyalgia fatigue, the researchers found.
For optimum fibromyalgia support, meditate at least once a day for a minimum of 10 minutes, Yee suggests.
“Build up to twice a day: once in the morning and once at night.”
Here’s how to get started:
Sit in a comfortable, quiet spot in your house or office.
Clear your mind of all thoughts (forget about your pain, kids, errands you need to run) and let a sense of calm take over. If you notice thoughts intruding, gently put them aside and refocus.
(For more detailed instructions, see How to Meditate.)
“Be patient,” Yee advises. It takes weeks, or even months, to learn how to shut out distractions (though you should experience benefits long before then).
6. Yoga
This flexibility-enhancing practice shows promise in the fight against fibromyalgia symptoms, including fatigue.
“It’s a good way to gently stretch your body, loosen up tight muscles and joints and ease stress,” Yee says.
Start slowly, with just one or two simple poses every day, she says.
For fibromyalgia poses, see Need Fibromyalgia Pain Relief? Try Yoga
Do each for about five minutes, once or twice a day – “or any time you need a little ‘pick-me-up,’ ” Yee says.
7. A good night’s sleep
You’d think that because you’re so exhausted, getting enough sleep would be easy. But 80% of fibromyalgia sufferers encounter poor sleep.
That’s because they have a brain-wave pattern typically seen in awake people, according to Harvey Moldofsky, M.D., head of the Sleep Disorders Clinic of the Centers for Sleep and Chronobiology in Toronto.
The pattern, called “alpha intrusions” or “alpha abnormality,” could prevent you from sinking into the deep sleep stages needed to feel refreshed.
The problem starts in the autonomic nervous system, which controls your body’s involuntary processes such as breathing, heart rate and digestion, with help from the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).
For fibromyalgia sufferers, the sympathetic nervous system – which helps mobilize the body under stress – “is in overdrive and often stays dominant, even during sleep,” Teitelbaum says.
To get a good night’s sleep, Teitelbaum suggests taking a melatonin supplement.
“All it takes is .5 mg,” he says. However, he cautions that most supplements are sold in 3 mg doses, so you should divide the pill into pieces.
(For more remedies, read Losing Sleep Over Fibromyalgia?
If nothing else works, Teitelbaum recommends talking to your doctor about a prescription sleep aid.
“Sleep is vital to having energy, so you shouldn’t be wary of asking your doctor for help getting, and staying, asleep,” he says.
For more information, visit our Fibromyalgia Health Center.
Do You Have A Balanced Lifestyle?
A balanced lifestyle means that no aspect of life overshadows the others. Health, career and relationships are all important and need to be maintained. Are you maintaining a balanced lifestyle, or is one aspect of your life taking over the rest?
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