This study included 31,022 teens from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Greenland and Norway who were part of the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study. Teens reported how much time they spent playing computer-based or television-based games, how much time they spent on the computer and how much time they spent watching TV. They were also asked about the frequency of headaches, backaches and bouts of feeling low.
Researchers found a consistent but weak link between boys who reported having backaches weekly and those who said they spent more time using computers, watching television and playing computer games. For girls, a link was found between those who had headaches and who also said they spent more time on the computer and watching TV. The results held even when the researchers adjusted for levels of physical activity.
The study’s authors think that the link between back and head pain and screen time might not be related to the kind of screen activity the teens were engaged in, but to the amount of time they spent doing it and how they sat or stood while screen-engaged.
Over my 28 years in practice I have seen more back pain, neck aches, neck-shoulder pain and headache in the adolescent population.
Excess amounts of screen time have also been associated with obesity in young people.
The study was published in the journal BMC Public Health
Increased intakes of fatty fish may reduce a woman’s risk of heart failure by up to 30%, according to new findings from the U.S. and Sweden.
The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are well documented. To date, the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been linked to improvements in blood lipid levels, a reduced tendency of thrombosis, blood pressure and heart rate improvements and improved vascular function.
This study adds to previous data in men from the same researchers and published in the European Heart Journal (Vol. 30, pp. 1495-1500). That study, said to be one of the largest studies to investigate the association between omega-3 intake from fatty fish and heart failure, found that omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of heart failure by 33%.
Heart failure, which arises when the heart can no longer pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs, is the leading cause of hospitalization among the over-65s, and is characterized by such symptoms as fatigue and weakness, difficulty walking, rapid or irregular heartbeat and persistent cough or wheezing.
In this study, the researchers analyzed data from 36,234 women participating in the Swedish Mammography Cohort. Dietary intake data for the women, aged between 48 and 83, was obtained using 96-item food-frequency questionnaires.
Over the course of 18 years of study, 651 cases of heart failure were documented. Eating one serving of fatty fish per week was associated with a 14% reduction in the risk of heart failure, compared with women who did not eat any fatty fish. Furthermore, eating two servings of fatty fish per week was associated with a 30% reduction.
I personally take 2-4 grams of Omega 3 daily. I recommend EPA-DHA 720 by Metagenics Order @ www.DrJeffreyTucker.meta-ehealth.com
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 62(6): 935-936, 2010
We are treating psoriasis with a natural cream. So far we have many patients taking it that are back to normal after applying the topical cream developed by Steven Rosenblatt, MD, Steve DeAngelo & myself. Feel free to make an appointment with me to discuss if you are a candidate for the cream.
Psoriasis is an immune system disease. A treatment that works for one patient will not work for all patients.
Break Up Your Routine
Brush your teeth with your left hand (if you’re a righty), eat with your non-dominant hand, jog backward, and pursue anything else that forces you to deviate from your daily patterns. “In so doing, you’ll stimulate new parts of your brain, encouraging it to make new connections,” says Dr. Amen.
Your brain is 80 percent water, and if it’s not hydrated, your neurons can’t perform properly,” says Dr. Amen. Drink eight six-ounce glasses of water a day and avoid excessive alcohol and caffeine.
“Science shows that people who sleep for seven hours exhibit significantly more brain activity than those who don’t,” says Dr. Amen. Lack of sleep inhibits learning, concentration, and memory.
Achieve a calm, clear, stress-free brain through meditative belly breathing: Inhale slowly, allowing your stomach (not your chest) to rise, and then say the word one as you exhale. Repeat for 10 minutes.
“Few activities stimulate as wide a variety of brain systems as dancing does,” says Dr. Amen. “Dancing requires everything from coordination and organization to planning and judgment.”
Watch less TV and read more. “Reading is good for your brain only when it involves storing and retrieving information,” says Dr. Amen. That’s why reading groups are beneficial. “And the social aspect of book groups adds another dynamic that bolsters cognitive functioning.”
“Automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) inflame the areas of the brain responsible for anxiety,” says Dr. Amen. They also increase the production of stress hormones, which kill brain cells. Whenever an ANT enters your mind, write it down and devise a plan to correct it.
Men who make love at least twice a week are 50 percent less likely to have a heart attack than those who have sex less often, say scientists. This matters because growing evidence supports a simple fact: What’s good for the heart is good for the brain. “Sex also releases feel-good chemicals that fight stress,” says Dr. Amen.
Natural treatments for hemorrhoids:
- Steep 2 garlic cloves in a pot with 2 cups of water. Heat for 30 minutes and then cool before applying.
- Witch hazel extract made from the leaves and bark of the plant can be bought from a health store in the form of distilled liquid or ointment. Apply to the affected area to stop or reduce the symptoms of bleeding hemorrhoids.
- Horse chestnut is used as an herbal tea made from the bark.
- Butcher’s broom, in the form of capsules or tea, has anti-inflammatory properties which shrink the swelling of the hemorrhoids.
- Traumeel by Heels can be directly applied.
- Avoid sitting on the toilet for long periods of time and do not strain nor hold your breath when having a bowel movement. Never put off going to the toilet when you feel the need and get into the habit of having a bowel movement at the same time each day.
- Avoid sitting or standing for too long. If you work long hours at a desk, take a break every hour and walk around for 5 minutes. Make sure you get some exercise in your lunch break.
- Be careful about lifting heavy objects.
- Take a warm bath or sit in a bowl of warm water frequently. You can add a handful of salt or a few drops each of lavender and juniper essential oils. This can help reduce the swelling and shrink the hemorrhoids.
- Use ice packs or cool cotton compresses to ease the discomfort in the anal area.
- Dark colored berries such as cherries, blackberries and blueberries contain anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins. These pigments tone and strengthen the walls of hemorrhoidal veins and can minimize pain and swelling naturally.
There is even a special exercise you can do to help in the treatment of your hemorrhoids where you lie on your back on the ground with the palms of your hands flat on the floor. While breathing out, lift your buttocks off the floor and bring your knees to your chest. Then raise your hips and buttocks towards the ceiling very slowly. With your elbows bent, place your hands on your back, stretch your feet and move them away from each other. Breathe normally and hold this position for 5 minutes. Then slowly return to your original position.
Use this exercise whenever the hemorrhoids give you pain or discomfort and you should find instant relief.
Eat a diet high in fiber including fresh fruit and vegetables, drinking plenty of liquids especially water, and exercising regularly.
Antioxidants protect cells and DNA from the damage done by rogue molecules called “free radicals.” When damage occurs to the cells, it can cause diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer’s.
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a natural antioxidant that protects against disease and promotes good health. It can protect your liver, boost your brain power, and help you balance your blood sugars.
Antioxidants work on a cellular level to reverse the damage. Some antioxidants are water soluble (such as vitamin C)… others are fat soluble (such as vitamin E). ALA is soluble in both water and fat and can go anywhere, including intracellular and extracellular environments alike. ALA helps vitamin C, vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 do there job even better.
ALA is essential for regions of the body that are highly susceptible to oxidative damage, including our brains. Studies show that when rats were fed an ALA supplemented diet they demonstrated anti-aging responses. The benefits were seen in just two weeks.
ALA is being used as a main ingredient in skin care formulas, because it can repair the oxidative damage of the sun. ALA protects collagen in the skin from cross-linking. This prevents wrinkling and the effects of aging on the body.
I recommend 300 to 1200 mg daily.
XYMOGEN makes a controlled-release ALA called ALAmax CR. Order by calling 1-800-647-6100
This study out of the University of Athens (Greece), analyzed hypertension (high blood pressure) and coffee consumption. Hypertension makes blood vessels less responsive to signals to expand and is a significant predictor of cardiovascular events. They studies the coffee consumption patterns among 435 hypertensive individuals, ages 65 to 100 years, enrolled in a larger study involving the permanent inhabitants of Ikaria Island, where many residents reach 90 years and older. As compared to those who rarely drank coffee, moderate consumption of one or two cups a day associated with a lower prevalence of diabetes, lower prevalence of high cholesterol, lower body mass index, lower prevalence of cardiovascular disease, and higher values of aortic distensibility. Proposing that the presence of phenol compounds in coffee may be responsible for these effects, the researchers conclude that: “Moderate coffee consumption has beneficial effects on the aortic distensibility in hypertensive elderly individuals.”
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