Triune Blog

Maximize your sleep by ehow.com

2008-07-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

Step1
Keep a sleep journal. If you struggle with insomnia, the best place to start tracking what is happening is in a sleep diary. Note what time you go to bed, how long it takes to fall asleep and how often you wake in the night. This will help you recognize any patterns that are keeping you awake at night and stealing your energy.
Step2
Create a bedtime routine. Creating a soothing ritual you repeat every night before you go to bed will help your body recognize that it is time to go to sleep. It can be as simple as listening to quiet music, taking a warm bath or drinking a cup of warm milk before you go to bed. Repeat your ritual every night for maximum effectiveness.
Step3
Go to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual. If your insomnia has left you chronically sleep deprived, add half an hour to your sleep time until you find yourself waking refreshed in the morning. You will soon feel revitalized and full of energy.
Step4
Develop good habits. Go to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends. You will find it easier to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up with lots of energy if you keep the same schedule all week long.
Step5
Exercise during the day, not in the evening. If you exercise for 20 to 30 minutes early in the day it will help you sleep at night. If you wait until evening, it will energize you and keep you awake.

Why are you over weight?

2008-07-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

You are overweight for the most simple of reasons -- because you're eating the wrong foods, the wrong types of calories per meal, and you're also eating meals in the wrong patterns each day.

Think closely about what we're about to tell you, since it's going to change the way you think about dieting...

FOOD is more powerful than any prescription weight loss pills, because the FOOD that you eat can either make you THIN or FAT. You don't get fat because of a lack of exercising, that's a myth. You get fat because you don't eat the right foods at the right intervals each day.

Also, the pattern that you choose to eat your meals each day is more powerful than any prescription weight loss pills. This is true because your body is like an "engine" and it only needs certain foods at certain intervals each day, and if you don't eat the right foods at the right times then it won't burn those calories -- and you'll wind up storing those calories as fat tissue. (Hint: You need to eat more than 3 times per day to lose weight, but we'll show you the details later).

You have gotten overweight by eating the wrong foods, that much is a fact. And guess what? You can get SLIM by eating the RIGHT FOODS at the RIGHT INTERVALS each day.

It's not really any more complicated than that, and the way to start losing weight has nothing to do with starving yourself or jogging.

The reason you cannot lose weight by starving yourself (using a low calorie diet) is because your metabolism will detect any major drop in calories and it will then ADJUST ITSELF by burning fewer calories each day.

For example:
If you begin eating 2,500 calories per day then your metabolism will adjust itself so that your body begins burning 2,500 calories per day.

If you try to starve yourself by suddenly eating 1,000 calories per day then your metabolism will again ADJUST ITSELF so that your body begins to burn only 1,000 calories per day. That's why you have failed in your past dieting attempts, that's why you always seem to fail when you try and starve yourself.

Now you know the reason why you can eat 1,000 calories per day and not lose any weight while your friends can eat 2,500 calories per day and not gain any weight.

Also, virtually every person in today's society is buying mostly "low fat" or "non fat" food at the grocery store, everybody is conscious of the "fat grams" inside the food they buy. However, people are getting fatter than ever by doing this and people are not losing weight by switching to the "low fat lifestyle".

Low carb diets have certainly become popular in recent years, but such diets often leave you feeling miserable each day (since they drain most of your energy and can leave you feeling quite awful each day).

Check out these facts below...

Did you know that several popular low carb diets are so strict that you cannot even eat a large apple during the first couple weeks? It's true.

Also, many low carb diets won't even let you enjoy a 'normal' restaurant meal (ordered without any carb restrictions) for many months after you begin.

Therefore, low carb diets can leave you feeling MISERABLE each day, which is not the answer.
This inforamtion was made available by Fat Loss 4 Idiots.com

Great interview with The Fonz on literacy and dislexia by Just One More Book.com

2008-06-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Transcript of our interview with Henry Winkler

Photo of Henry Winkler from the American Library AssociationWhat follows is the transcript of our audio interview with Henry Winkler, featured on episode 300 of the Just One More Book!! children’s book podcast.

Henry Winkler: Hi, this is Henry Winkler and I’m one of the co-authors of Hank Zipzer: The World’s Greatest Underachiever. And I have just been fortunate enough to be on Just One More Book.

Mark Blevis: According to the website ReadingSuccessLab.com, government statistics show 25 million Americans are functionally illiterate. The primary cause is dyslexia or one of its many variants.

Through their children’s book series, “Hank Zipzer: The World’s Greatest Underachiever”, co-authors Lin Oliver and Henry Winkler share the struggles and triumphs of a resourceful elementary school student as he deals with the challenges that come with dyslexia. The stories are based on Henry Winkler’s own experiences with the disorder.

On this edition of Just One More Book, I speak with actor, director, producer and author, Henry Winkler, about becoming an author and his relationship with Hank Zipzer, his struggles with reading and learning, and what we can do to help our children.

This is Episode 300 of Just One More Book.

Mark Blevis: Your career has been rooted in television and stage work as an actor, director and producer. What was it that inspired you to create Hank Zipzer as a character in a children’s book?

Henry Winkler: Well it’s interesting because an agent of mine, when there was a lull in my working at the moment, said to me, I think in 1998, “Why don’t you write books for kids about your dyslexia?” and I said “because I’m stupid and I’m lazy and I’m not living up to my potential” which is what I was told my whole life. I said “no”. And I said, and not only that, but also there really is no discussion, I’ve got nothing to say, I don’t know what to do. And so I’m not doing it. And he then asked me again, same question, in 2003. And this time I said okay. I don’t know why I said okay, I just said okay. And then he introduced me to Lin Oliver. And there we go. We had the greatest time.

Mark Blevis: That’s really interesting because most celebrities that turn to writing books do so on their own. How did you decide to collaborate with Lin? Was it through your agent?

Henry Winkler: Well, the collaboration was through this man. He introduced me to Lin. Lin not only is, you know, a gift from God, I have to say, as a person, as a phenomenal partner. But she is also one of the co-founders of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. And they have 22,000 nation-wide members and, as a matter of fact, internationally.

Mark Blevis: How does it feel to be among that company?

Henry Winkler: Oh it’s great. It’s great because I walk around her office, she sits at her computer and we fight over every single word and we just finished the 14th novel.

Mark Blevis: And that comes out in April, of course.

Henry Winkler: Yes.

Mark Blevis: Mr. Rock figures more prominently in this book as well.

Henry Winkler: Right. Mr. Rock was my actual music teacher in high school. I went to McBurney School for Boys in New York City. And he was the guy who said, “I believe in you.” Everybody else said to me, “You’re never gonna graduate.”

Mark Blevis: What does that do to an individual?

Henry Winkler: Well, that’s one of the things that I talk about when I travel around the country and I speak to groups or I speak to children. The self-image when the kids are young, when they are in the, you know, from zero to eighteen and the self-image is building. First of all, if you are dyslexic or if you have a learning challenge, kids know. They know that it’s hard for them. They know that they’re not up to snuff. They know that they’re not doing as well as 75% of the class. So then to compound it by labeling them, by putting them down, by yelling at them, by grounding them because, you know, they’re not reading fast enough, it warps their ability to grow into a healthy self-image.

Mark Blevis: Well this is one of the things that really fascinates me about your choice of doing a children’s book, because a lot of children with learning disabilities have–they struggle with reading and with keeping their attention through a book. Was there a particular motivation with going that route?

Henry Winkler: Well, I’ll tell you what, I’ll tell you what is amazing. I was, you know, I was just in England and I just did a play there. I came home 2 days ago, as a matter of fact. And I read my books at two different schools. The books are not published in the U.K. But I read my books in two schools. And there was a young boy, African-English, kid who did not read and would not write creatively. And he read Hank and he has devoured now almost the whole series. His teacher got them from Amazon. And he has started to write creatively because he completely identified with Hank. Now if that’s not one of the greatest compliments in the universe, I don’t know what is. I mean, that could literally move me to tears, this kid. And I met him.

Mark Blevis: How does that affect you in your approach to writing and approach to reading these books to kids?

Henry Winkler: It doesn’t. The approach to writing is, we write about this kid, Hank Zipzer and he’s funny first. He makes you laugh. I got a letter from a little boy in Missouri who said “I laughed so hard my funny bone fell out of my body.” So I write what I know. It’s the same way, my same approach to acting. You know, when we were doing The Fonz and The Fonz was very popular, everybody said, “Well do you feel like a responsibility?” And I said, “No, I don’t, I’m just doing what I know how to do. I just do it the way I do it and it connects or it doesn’t” because, you know what, if you try to write for a particular person, or if you try to be somebody you think they want you to be, it’s never going to be compelling.

Mark Blevis: Is that what makes the relationship between you and Lin Oliver work so well is that you get to be — well I’m thinking especially of Book One in Hank Zipzer, when he has the assignment to do and he decides instead to do a presentation with an elaborate diorama, a functioning diorama.

Henry Winkler: I did that! I did that when I was younger, I did.

Mark Blevis: Was that the response that it got from the teacher?

Henry Winkler: Well I had Ms. Adolph. Ms. Adolph was my real teacher. She was the worst teacher in the universe. I mean, you know, so I didn’t know what else to do because reading is still difficult for me. I read spy novels, thrillers, you know, Daniel Silva or Lee Child, who was amazing. But that somehow my brain, you know, just works through them and they just completely entertain me and I love it. I’m so grateful. Every book I read I have on my shelf and it has to be hard cover. And they’re like each one is a triumph for me. And that’s what I tell the kids that I talk to. I tell them, “Listen, I am an actor, I’m a director, I’m a producer, I’m a husband, I’m a dad. We have 3 children, we have 2 dogs. I write children’s novels and I’m in the bottom 3% in America academically. So if I can do it, you can do it.”

Mark Blevis: Did you read to your children when they were young?

Henry Winkler: Oh my wife read to them because reading is so difficult. And I would act out the story as she was reading it so they heard the story and they laughed when I would just act it out. And it was great. And what was so interesting is that I literally could not read to them. My eyes would get tired; I would fall asleep before they did, you know. It was horrible.

Mark Blevis: Was this before your diagnosis?

Henry Winkler: No, this was–my diagnosis came when my stepson, who is now 36, was in the third grade. And everything that they said to him, I went, “Oh my goodness. That sounds like me.” That’s what–that was my diagnosis.

Mark Blevis: What was that moment of discovery like for you?

Henry Winkler: Well the first thing I did was I got really angry. And I thought to myself, “Oh my goodness, all that yelling. All of that being grounded was all for nothing.”

Mark Blevis: What strategies did you create for yourself as a child to overcome your learning challenges?

Henry Winkler: Well mostly dinner. Mostly I had no strategy. I just–humor and food. I enjoyed a great pizza, and that made me feel, you know, good. But most of the time, I didn’t have a strategy. Only now is there even, you know, talks about strategy. When I was growing up, there was no strategy, there was just grounding. My parents grounded me. I never saw the moon during my junior year of high school. They were just convinced if I stayed in my room, if I stayed at my desk, I was going to get it.

Mark Blevis: Your message to parents is, “Give children a sense of self and do not define yourself by the way your child succeeds or doesn’t.”

Henry Winkler: That’s right and also the child should never, ever think that because we learn differently, because we learn slower or it’s harder or we can’t get it at all, like I never beat the system when it came to spelling. I can’t spell to save my life. That doesn’t define your intelligence. How we learn does not define how unbelievably brilliant you are as a human being on this earth.

Mark Blevis: So how do you as a parent and a human, as opposed to a professional, how has that helped you develop these messages and deliver them in a way that people–

Henry Winkler: Well, you know that’s an interesting question because when my kids were younger and I hadn’t figured a lot of this out yet, I said to them exactly, you know, what was said to me. So I was repeating the pattern. And like my–finally my youngest son, Max, he would listen to the radio when he was doing his homework and he would stand at his desk, he couldn’t sit down, you know, or he would lie on his bed. And I would say to him, “But you’ve got to sit at your desk and you’ve gotta have good light and you can’t listen to the radio.” And finally I saw the grades were coming home. And maybe the radio, maybe the music, was being used as a tool, that it was blocking the rest of the world out so he could concentrate on what he was doing. So I finally learned to just shut up. And then he went to USC and he writes scripts now and he directs. And he is fantastic. My daughter is a teacher. My oldest son is just starting a new business. All three of them are dyslexic.

Mark Blevis: I’m going to take a guess here and assume that a lot of people who have learning disabilities like dyslexia are not going to be forthcoming about it. Maybe they’re a little bit shy about it or embarrassed about it.

Henry Winkler: Yeah I see.

Mark Blevis: And Hank Zipzer–

Henry Winkler: It’s embarrassing, I guess, for them, huh?

Mark Blevis: Exactly. Hank Zipzer wears it well. He wears it with confidence. It’s just–it’s part of who he is.

Henry Winkler: Yeah, his glass is completely half full.

Mark Blevis: Is that the Henry Winkler since the diagnosis? Is that where that motivation comes from?

Henry Winkler: Yeah I think so.

Mark Blevis: After you were diagnosed with dyslexia, did you learn any strategies or develop any strategies for dealing with it?

Henry Winkler: I didn’t do anything. I didn’t go looking for anything. What I did was over the years I–you know what, I’m proud of this. I taught myself to speed read. You know, when you–when I listened to the radio there were always the commercials for Helen Wood or Evelyn Wood speed reading course, you know. Learn to read like–President Kennedy could read like seven newspapers in an hour because he was able to speed read. And I taught myself how to do that. And I thought that was amazing.

Mark Blevis: How has Stacey, your wife, being a child welfare advocate, influenced you as an author and spokesperson for dyslexia?

Henry Winkler: Oh, I don’t have an answer to that question. I mean I’m proud of her, we did it together. I’ve worked with kids when I was in high school. You know, I was a counselor in an after school center. So I’ve been doing–I’ve been working with children my whole life. And we went together to a facility here one Christmas party when I first met her in 1978. And she said we can’t do this once a year and she exploded into a child advocate. I mean, she and a friend helped create the Department of Children’s Services in L.A. It did not exist before Stacey Winkler.

Mark Blevis: Do you think that there’s enough resources available for children now to help them?

Henry Winkler: No, listen–you know, the children don’t vote. So we talk a lot about kids, but we don’t do a lot about kids. When a child becomes really, really important when they are of voting age. That’s the long and the short of it. Because we talk about how, you know, the child is like the future and all that. And it all sounds great. And then we cut the lunch program or the breakfast program which is sometimes the only meal a child has during the day. And trust me; you cannot learn when you’re only thinking about mashed potatoes and meatloaf.

Mark Blevis: Book 14 comes out in April. “Hank Zipzer: Enter at Your Own Risk.”

Henry Winkler: Now that is a super-sized book.

Mark Blevis: Super-sized?

Henry Winkler: Yeah, I didn’t even know there was such a thing. It is double the size. And what I love about it is that it is a scrapbook also. And it literally is his life. You know, Lin and I wrote his first lists, you know, when he was in kindergarten, his first play, his first poem. And then we also added my report cards, my personal report cards, pictures of our dogs, so that the reader could also see Hank Zipzer’s good friends who write him.

Mark Blevis: He has really good friends.

Henry Winkler: He does. I love his friends. They take such good care of him - Frankie, who’s African-American and Ashley, an American-Asian.

Mark Blevis: And they understand him.

Henry Winkler: They understand him, they don’t judge him. They try to take care of him; they try to talk him out of his misadventures. Then when he gets deep in his adventures, they figure out how to get him out of them. He’s got great friends.

Mark Blevis: Are those the friends that you had growing up?

Henry Winkler: No. Those are the friends that I wish I had.

Mark Blevis: Installment 14, episode 14, is that just the beginning of Hank Zipzer or is there an end in sight? What can we expect?

Henry Winkler: Well, we have–you know, when I first met Lin and we went to lunch and we came up with Hank. And then Eston Newburg, who is my agent at ICM, sold, you know, sent it to all these children’s publishers. And a lot of people said no. People didn’t, you know, they don’t take celebrity authors seriously. They think that, you know, that they’re not going to follow through, you know, that they’re just doing it as a lark. And Debra Dorfman at Penguin Putnam … said to me “yes” and gave us a contract for 4. And now we have a contract for 16.

Mark Blevis: An additional 16, or 16 being–

Henry Winkler: No, 16 in total. But they have already asked us to go further. I think that we have actually sold over 2 million books, which I think, in terms of children’s books, is amazing.

Mark Blevis: Do you and Lin think that she’ll continue the series?

Henry Winkler: Yeah. We have fun doing it, you know. And as long as we come up with stories, sure.

Join the conversation about great children’s books by clicking on the comment link in our show notes for this podcast at JustOneMoreBook.com. While you’re there, be sure to check out all of our podcasts including reviews and interviews.

We’re always looking for feedback and listener submitted reviews. Send yours in written form or as an mp3 audio recording to justonemorebook@gmail.com. You can also use our voice feedback line: 206-350-6487. All of this information and more can be found on our website: JustOneMoreBook.com.

The theme song for the Just One More Book podcast is Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell.

Thanks for listening and please stay subscribed.

Just One More Book is a proud member of The Mommy Cast and Friends Family Channel.

Decreasing Inflammation by freshdiet.com

2008-06-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

Excess weight gain is caused by inflammation within the fat cell. Left uncontrolled, this inflammation makes it increasingly difficult to stop the accumulation of body fat and reduce excess weight. When fat “goes bad” (i.e. becomes inflamed) powerful inflammatory hormones called eicosanoids trigger systemic inflammation throughout the body increasing numerous health risks related to heart, brain and immune function, just like a viral infection. We call this type of systemic inflammation “Silent Inflammation” because you cannot see it or feel it. Despite our inability to sense its presence, Silent Inflammation significantly increases the risk of chronic health disorders like problems with the heart and blood sugar levels. This explains why cutting calories and increasing exercise alone are not enough. First and foremost, you must control inflammation within the fat cells.
PS. Do some reading on turmeric. It has amazing anti-inflammatory and anit-oxidant qualities. It is known to make cancer cells "commit suicide."

Drug Companies Are Killing You Legally While Robbing You Blind by Dr. Joseph Mercola

2008-06-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that drug overdoses killed 33,000 people in 2005, second only to car accidents in the category of accidental deaths. In 1999, the number was 20,000, and in 1990, 10,000 died.

As this excellent commentary in Better Body Journal points out, the huge increase in people dying is not because of a heroin or crack epidemic. These deaths are largely due to prescription drugs.

Consider that 46 percent of Americans take at least one prescription pill daily. Are these drugs really solving all your problems? If so, then why is the pharmaceutical industry growing every single year, with some of the biggest profit margins of any industry?

Big Pharma spent $12.7 billion promoting its products in 1998. The amount has vastly increased since that time. Do you ever get the feeling that you’re being sold many of these drugs just to make you think that you’re sick with something?

A good portion of the drugs that make up the multi-billion dollar industry of pharmaceuticals are simply doing nothing, if not making us worse. For example, a recent study suggests that anti-depressants only work for the severely depressed. If you’re not in that category, then you might as well be taking a sugar pill.

In most cases, Americans are taking more drugs than they need. How about stopping the problems before they start? Take a step back and look at your life. Do you actually have problems, or do you only think you have problems because of a drug commercial?
Sources:
Better Body Journal May 16, 2008
Better Body Journal May 17, 2008

Symptoms of Heat Stroke from the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

2008-06-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

What is heat stroke?
Heat stroke is a form of hyperthermia (abnormally elevated body temperature) with accompanying physical and neurological symptoms. Unlike heat cramps and heat exhaustion, two less-severe forms of hyperthermia, heat stroke is a true medical emergency that can be fatal if not properly and promptly treated.
The body normally generates heat as a result of metabolism, and the body is usually able to dissipate the heat by either radiation of heat through the skin or by evaporation of sweat. However, in extreme heat, high humidity, or vigorous exertion under the sun, the body may not be able to dissipate the heat and the body temperature rises, sometimes up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Another cause of heat stroke is dehydration. A dehydrated person may not be able to sweat fast enough to dissipate heat, which causes the body temperature to rise.
The population most susceptible to hear strokes are infants, the elderly (often with associated heart diseases, lung diseases, kidney diseases, or on certain medications that make them vulnerable to heat strokes), and athletes, or outdoor workers physically exerting themselves under the sun.
What are heat stroke symptoms?
Symptoms of heat stroke can sometimes mimic those of heart attack or other conditions. Sometimes a person experiences symptoms of heat exhaustion before progressing to heat strokes. Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps and aches, and dizziness. However some individuals can develop symptoms of heat stroke suddenly and rapidly without warning.
Different people may have different symptoms and signs of heat stroke. But common symptoms and signs of heat stroke include:
• high body temperature
• the absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin
• rapid pulse
• difficulty breathing
• strange behavior
• hallucinations
• confusion
• agitation
• disorientation
• seizure
• coma
How do you treat a heat stroke victim?
Victims of heat stroke must receive immediate treatment to avoid permanent organ damage. First and foremost, cool the victim. Get the victim to a shady area, remove clothing, apply cool or tepid water to the skin (for example you may spray the victim with cool water from a garden hose), fan the victim to promote sweating and evaporation, place ice packs under armpits and groins. Monitor body temperature with a thermometer and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 101-102 degrees. Always notify emergency services (911) immediately. If their arrival is delayed, they can give you further instructions for treatment of the victim.
The most important measures to prevent heat strokes are to avoid becoming dehydrated, and to avoid vigorous physical activities in hot and humid weather. If you have to perform physical activities in hot weather, drink plenty of fluids (such as water and Gatorade), but avoid alcohol, coffee, and tea which may lead to dehydration. Take frequent breaks to hydrate yourself. Wear hats, and light colored, and light and loose clothes.

How to use your garden for the exercise you need By Dan Hickey

2008-05-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

I love to garden on Sundays, a day that my wife prefers to hike, bike, or take long walks. Often I do both. I garden in the morning, spend the afternoon with her, and return to my garden chores later in the day.

On many Sunday nights, I slump on the couch exhausted, wondering how to drag myself to bed. "I'm so tired," I groan, feeling the weary muscles in my back, arms, shoulders, and legs. "No wonder--you've been exercising all day," my wife replies.

I think back on my day. Exercising all day? No, I wasn't exercising. I was gardening for a good part of it.

While chores such as hauling topsoil, weeding, mowing, and raking exhaust my legs, arms, and shoulders, to think of it as exercise seems laughable. After all, I enjoy gardening, and it's free. Isn't fitness supposed to cost money? Don't I need to go to a gym? Well, what my body--but not my brain--knew all along was that 45 minutes of gardening burns as many calories as 30 minutes of aerobics.

Gardening is the world's best-kept exercise secret, as I found out (albeit the hard way). But that's changing. Recent medical studies have documented what backyard enthusiasts have known for years: gardening is good for us.

It's taken me almost half my life to discover a fabulous gym outside my door. Turning compost is essentially lifting weights. Raking is like using a rowing machine. Pushing the mower is similar to walking on a treadmill. Our exercise machines are post-hole diggers, shovels, rakes, push mowers, and wheelbarrows. Our running track is the yard and garden.

If you garden on a regular basis, you're probably getting a healthy dose of exercise. By following the simple guidelines outlined here, you'll ensure that you're getting the maximum health benefits. As with any exercise program, beginning gardeners should start slowly and build up endurance. If you haven't been exercising at all, see a doctor before starting. Also, veterans and beginners alike benefit from simple stretching routines before gardening.

Gardening as Exercise

The health benefits of gardening are impressive. Gardening uses all the major muscle groups--the muscles that do most of the calorie burning--in the human body.Your legs, buttocks, shoulders, stomach, arms, neck, and back all get a workout. Gardening also increases flexibility and strengthens joints. Most gardeners have experienced the burning sensation of overworked legs and arms, but what we haven't known until recently is how much, how often, and at what intensity we should garden to get health benefits.

Recent research indicates that 30 minutes daily of moderate exercise such as gardening lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, helps prevent diabetes and heart disease, and prevents or slows osteoporosis, possibly prolonging your life. longer. That's all good news for gardeners.

On the other hand, strenuous exercise for relatively inactive people may pose risks. A recent study of 21,000 male Harvard University alumni showed that risk of heart attack among sedentary people was more than 100 times greater during strenuous activity than during light or no exercise. The risk during strenuous activity was only 2.4 times greater for people who exercised at least five times a week. In the Harvard study, gardening was one of the top exercise activities reported by the group of moderately active men.

The greatest reduction in risk of coronary heart disease occurs between those who do almost no exercise and those who exercise moderately each day. It is important to note that most heart attacks--96 percent--don't occur during strenuous activity; however, the 4 percent of people who do have a heart attack during strenuous activity are sedentary or have heart disease. The bottom line--moderate exercise is better than doing nothing, and for most people probably better than strenuous exercise.

How much is enough? Researchers now say you can break up the exercise sessions into short bursts (at least 8 minutes) of moderate activity throughout the day. Although each short activity has minimal health benefits, as long as those exercise sessions total 30 minutes, you'll profit. For example, if you weed for 10 minutes in the morning, push a mower for 10 minutes in the afternoon, and chop wood for 10 minutes in the evening you get similar health benefit as you would doing 30 consecutive minutes of comparable activities.

"These activities need to be of at least moderate intensity," says Dr. William Haskell, professor of medicine at the Stanford University Center for Research in Disease Prevention. "A person has to do more than putter around a flower bed." Haskell defines a moderate activity as the equivalent of a brisk walk (3-4 mph).

Although gardening is great for improving your overall health, Haskell advises combining moderate activity such as gardening with a program of regular aerobic exercise such as climbing stairs, cycling, jogging, or swimming. That's because aerobic exercise utilizes large muscle groups (usually the legs) over an extended period of time, and as its name implies, makes you breathe harder. Aerobic exercise offers additional health benefits-improved lung functioning and increased heart strength and efficiency-that you won't get from moderate exercise like gardening.

Take Off Weight

If you're looking to lose a few inches around your waistline, or simply to maintain your weight, gardening is a wise choice. It's fun, relaxing, and enriching and happens to be healthful when done regularly. And study after study shows that if you enjoy the exercise activity, you'll probably stick with it.

Your daily weight loss depends on how many calories you consume and burn. It's a simple formula: If you burn more than you eat, you'll lose weight. Again moderation is key. Make sure that you're eating sensibly and reduce the amount of fats in your diet, then gradually increase your activity in the garden. Always check with your doctor before starting any weight-loss program.

Many gardening chores burn fat. Of course, the number of calories you burn depends on the type and intensity of activity and your weight. For example, a 200-pound man will burn more calories than a 170-pound man, even though they're both doing the same activity.

To lose 1 pound of fat, you must burn 3,500 more calories than you consume in any given period of time. A relatively inactive person with stable weight would, without any changes in diet, need to burn an extra 500 calories (3,500 divided by 7 = 500) a day in order to lose a pound in a week. The key, of course, is to eat less and do more. Gradually increase your activities while reducing your calorie intake. Studies indicate that a daily diet of 1,500 to 2,000 calories is best, and that losing a pound a week is sensible and more likely to be permanent than more drastic weight-loss regimes would be.

Dynamic Gardening

In order to maximize the exercise benefits from gardening, focus on the major muscle groups, advises Jeff Restuccio, author of Fitness the Dynamic Gardening Way (Balance of Nature Publishing, Cordova, TN, 1992; $12.95). Restuccio recommends simple techniques such as bending your knees while raking or placing a crate that requires you to step up and down as you move from one flower bed to the next.

"If you have ever raked, hoed, or weeded a garden bed, you already know that gardening is a good workout," Restuccio says. "But if you think about it in terms of human physiology, no one has ever shown us how to garden."

Turn garden work into garden exercise, he advises. The Tennessee-based author and martial arts expert recommends exaggerating movements to achieve maximum range of motion and changing gardening stances in order to use different muscles. For example, when raking put your left foot forward, and use your left hand on the lower handle. Then switch the right foot forward, and switch your hand positions as well.

Remember, sore muscles aren't proof that you've exercised. More often, stiffness and pain indicate inadequate or improper stretching and warm-up, or overuse of muscles. After gardening you should feel tired, not achy. Take time to stretch, and avoid marathon sessions turning compost, raking leaves, or shoveling snow. Above all, don't forget why you garden. Simply be aware of the duration and intensity of your gardening so that you accrue the maximum health benefits.

Maximizing the Health Benefits of Gardening

Use a push mower instead of a rider. This a great way to get exercise once or twice a week. If your lawn is too big to cut without a rider, set aside a portion of your lawn for a push mower.

* Plan a daily gardening activity . Of course, people living in colder climates need to be creative. If you use a snow thrower, shovel a portion of your driveway. When buying seeds or other easily carried items at a garden center, park your car a mile away and walk.
* Vary your activities . Don't let one activity consume you, or you'll pay for it later. Break up strenuous gardening chores with more moderate and enjoyable activities. For example, break up a session of post-hole digging with some quiet weeding or transplanting.
* Count the minutes . Make sure the total daily time of garden activities adds up to 30 minutes. Each activity should last at least 8 minutes. If you've been inactive, build up to the 30-minute total gradually.
* Dig holes . Digging and shoveling are big calorie burners (250 to 350 calories per half-hour). Each depends on the muscles of the legs and stomach, arms and shoulders, and neck and back.
* Make a compost pile . If you've been thinking about starting a compost pile, now there's another good reason to do it. Turning compost burns 250 to 300 calories per half-hour.
* Listen to your muscles . Pay attention to the muscles that are working for you, as well as to your exertion levels. If you can increase your range of motion or safely add weight or resistance to a garden activity, give it a try. But whatever you do, don't use your back.

Calories Burned During Common Gardening Activities

The following chart gives the calories burned during 30 minutes of the activity for a 180-pound person. Generally, a person who weighs more will burn more calories than the amount shown here. Likewise, a person weighing less burns fewer calories.

Typical calories burned in 30 minutes of:

* Sleeping 36
* Sitting quietly 40
* Watering lawn or garden 61
* Mowing lawn (riding) 101
* Trimming shrubs (power) 142
* Raking 162
* Bagging leaves 162
* Planting seedlings 162
* Mowing (push with motor) 182
* Planting trees 182
* Snow thrower (walking) 182
* Trimming shrubs (manual) 182
* Weeding 182
* Clearing land 202
* Digging, spading, tilling 202
* Laying sod 202
* General gardening 202
* Chopping wood 243
* Gardening with heavy powertools 243
* Mowing lawn (push mower) 243
* Shoveling snow 243
* Double digging 344
* Shoveling heavy snow 364

Dan Hickey is a former editor of National Gardening.

Photography by NationalGardening.com
Copyright 2000, National Gardening Association. All rights reserved.Gardening and Lawn Care for the do it yourselfer.
Next »

Primordial Qigong

2008-05-03T13:31:00.001-07:00

I recently tried a class in a fusion of Tai Chi and Qigong. It is called Primordial Qigong. It had a significant impact on me, more so than the first time I tried yoga or mediation. The style was brought to the US from a master who taught it to Michael Winn. Michael runs the Ashville Healing Tao Center in Asheville, North Carolina. There are loads of summer retreats offering different approaches to the ancient arts, as well as a focus on different issues that people may be addressing in their physical and spiritual lives. I am going to order one of his DVD’s today, in an attempt to make the ancient practice part of my daily wellness regimen. His website is http://www.healingdao.com/
I hope this lead was useful for someone.

Avoiding smoky interiors

2008-04-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

Avoiding smoky interiors can help reduce reproductive cancer risk.

A 40-year study recently revealed that non-smoking women who were frequently subjected to secondhand smoke had as much as a 40 percent greater risk of cervical neoplasia -- altered cells that could turn into cervical cancer. Smokers who lived with other smokers had the highest risk. Reduce your exposure to secondhand smoke by restricting tobacco use in your home and limiting time spent in smoky bars, restaurants, and other indoor venues that allow tobacco use.

Smoking is a proven risk factor for lung cancer, and new evidence suggests that it may increase cervical cancer risk as well. Approximately 600,000 women are diagnosed with cervical neoplasia each year; however, a relatively small percentage (13,000 cases) progress to cervical cancer. When cervical neoplasia is detected and treated in the earliest stages, it very rarely develops into cervical cancer. Some studies suggest that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and certain nutrients -- such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, and folate -- may help reduce the risk of cervical neoplasia.

References Published on 03/08/2005.
Active and passive cigarette smoking and the risk of cervical neoplasia. Trimble, C. L., Genkinger, J. M., Burke, A. E., Hoffman, S. C., Helzlsouer, K. J., Diener-West, M., Comstock, G. W., Alberg, A. J., Obstetrics and Gynecology 2005 Jan;105(1):174-181.

Can Muffins Prevent Gallstones?

2008-04-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

Gallstones -- those pesky, painful pebbles that plague some people's gallbladders -- are no fun. But could a muffin keep you feeling fine?

Maybe. If it's an oat-bran muffin. Studies show that a diet high in magnesium-rich foods may reduce the risk of gallstones. Oat-bran muffins fit the bill.

The Moderate Muffin
One medium oat-bran muffin will serve up anywhere from 50 to 90 milligrams of magnesium, depending on ingredients. Just don't go eating so many muffins that you turn into one yourself. One of the biggest risk factors for gallstones is extra weight.

provided by Realage.com

Could This Salad Make You Stronger?

2008-04-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Sweet red peppers, sunflower seeds, and mango chunks atop a bed of spinach sure make for a yummy salad. But could it make you strong like Popeye, too?

According to research, it very well might. Especially if you're over 65. You see, each of those salad ingredients is rich in vitamin E. And seniors who get the most E test best on physical tasks, like how fast they can walk or how quickly they can get up out of a chair.

Why Your Body Needs It
The cells of your body can be damaged by certain by-products released during normal, everyday body functions. But vitamin E helps protect against that damage -- including damage to muscle cells. That may partly explain why not getting enough E puts physical function and strength at risk in seniors.

Should You Supplement?
The RealAge recommended dose of vitamin E is 400 international units per day. If you're not getting what you need from your food, consider adding a supplement.

3 More Reasons to Get Your "E"
E is not just a strength saver. Here’s what else it can do for you -- at any age:
· Boost your brain
· Protect you from Parkinson's.
· Prevent atherosclerosis from getting worse

RealAge Benefit: Taking vitamins C and E daily for their antioxidant and antiaging power can make your RealAge up to 1 year younger.
References Published on 04/16/2008.
Bartali, B., Frongillo, E. A., Guralnik, J. M., Stipanuk, M. H., Allore, H. G., Cherubini, A., Bandinelli, S., Ferrucci, L., Gill, T. M., JAMA 2008 Jan 23;299(3):308-315.

Zyflamend Helps in Early Treatment of Prostate Cancer

2008-04-12T05:24:00.000-07:00

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDY SUGGESTS BENEFITS OF ZYFLAMEND® IN THE
EARLY TREATMENT OF PROSTATE CANCER

New York, November 7, 2005 – Data from the Columbia University Department of Urology demonstrates that Zyflamend®, a unique herbal extract preparation, suppresses the growth of prostate cancer cells and induces prostate cancer cells to self-destruct via a process called “apoptosis.”

The data, published in the October edition of Nutrition and Cancer, showed Zyflamend®, a patented formulation from New Chapter, has the ability, in vitro, to reduce prostate cancer cell proliferation by as much as 78 percent and to induce cancer cell death or apoptosis.

The research confirms Zyflamend® has COX-1 and COX-2 anti-inflammatory effects, although its anti-cancer effects against prostate cancer were independent of COX-2 inhibition, supporting the postulation that some prostate cancer cells are not affected by COX-2 inflammation.

“These results were particularly surprising and show great promise in the fight against prostate cancer,” said researcher Dr. Debra L. Bemis of the Columbia University Department of Urology. “We hope that the magnitude of benefits shown in this research will be confirmed in the larger scale trial already in progress.”

Based on this research, Zyflamend® shows value in early therapy for prostate cancer patients. COX inhibitors have also shown value for prostate cancer patients, but data from recent trials of selective COX-2 inhibitors such as sulindac (Clinoril®) and celecoxib (Celebrex®), suggest that use of these drugs might have adverse cardiovascular effects. The more widely utilized general COX inhibitor, aspirin, is not associated with these negative side effects and, instead, has well-established beneficial effects for individuals with cardiovascular disease. Zyflamend® has a biochemical action profile that resembles aspirin more than these selective COX-2 inhibitors.

Dr. Bemis added: “Zyflamend® is derived from natural herbal sources and is readily available in health food and nutritional supplement stores. Given the impressive data we’re reporting, Zyflamend is a potentially more convenient and desirable means to target the enormous population that is susceptible to prostate cancer.”

On the strength of this laboratory research, Columbia University’s Department of Urology has commenced a Phase 1 human clinical trial testing Zyflamend’s ability to prevent prostate cancer in patients with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN).

PIN is a clinical precursor for prostate cancer. Without intervention, men diagnosed with PIN have a 50 to 70 percent likelihood of developing prostate cancer. Although there are tools that detect the early signs of prostate cancer, such as PIN or elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, there is no consensus as to the optimal therapy for these patients.

"We are very encouraged about the early results of this phase 1 trial,” said Aaron E. Katz, M.D., associate professor of urology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Director of the Center of Holistic Urology at Columbia University Medical Center and principal investigator of the study.

“We are encouraged that this study provides additional scientific evidence that specific herbal preparations can produce a positive impact on prostate health,” said Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of the non-profit American Botanical Council. “With so many people using herbal supplements for their health, new research documenting their safety and benefits is encouraged and welcomed.”

###

Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders in health care and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, nurses, dentists, and public health professionals at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the School of Dental & Oral Surgery, the School of Nursing, the Mailman School of Public Health, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center researchers are leading the discovery of novel therapies and advances to address a wide range of health conditions. http://www.cumc.columbia.edu

About New Chapter, Inc.: New Chapter is a widely respected producer, formulator, packager and distributor of organic probiotic nutrients and herbal formulations selling over 90 products to approximately 3000 retail locations. Its three main categories include Probiotic Nutrients, Supercritical Therapy and MycoMedicinals. Bear Growth Capital Partners recently provided equity capital to support the company's anticipated growth plans. More information about New Chapter can be found at http://www.newchapter.info

The Herbal Supplement
Zyflamend is a patented formulation from New Chapter, Inc. of Brattleboro, VT. It includes proprietary extracts of rosemary, turmeric, ginger, holy basil, green tea, hu zhang, Chinese goldthread, barberry, oregano, and Baikal skullcap.

Triune Chiropractic Counseling and Wellness carries New Chapter products. Many of my patients as well as myself, take it daily for its anti oxidant effects as well as its anti inflammatory properties. I move bodies for a living as a chiropractor. Zyflamend helps keep my joints and muscles pain free.

How does Exercise Improve Mental Health?

2008-04-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

We know that exercise has positive effects on the brain. Researchers at Duke University demonstrated several years ago that exercise can be an effective antidepressant. Other research has shown that exercise can improve the brain functioning of the elderly, and may even protect against dementia. How does exercise improve mental health?

One theory for some of the benefits of exercise included the fact that exercise triggers the production of endorphins. These natural opiates are chemically similar to morphine. They may be produced as natural pain-relievers in response to the shock that the body receives in exercise. Researchers are beginning to question whether these substances improve mood. Studies show that endorphins do not cross the blood-brain barrier easily. Their ability to relieve pain probably occurs at the level of the spinal cord, leaving some other mechanism responsible for the mental health effects of exercise.

Recent studies have found that exercise boosts activity in the brain's frontal lobes and the hippocampus. We don't really know how or why this occurs. Animal studies have found that exercise increases levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters have been associated with elevated mood, and it is thought that antidepressant medications like Prozac also work by boosting these chemicals.

Exercise has also been found to increase levels of "brain-derived neurotrophic factor" (BDNF). This substance is thought to improve mood, and it may play a role in the beneficial effects of exercise. BDNF's primary role seems to be to help brain cells survive longer; so this may also explain some of the beneficial effects of exercise on dementia.

The bottom line is that most of us feel good after exercise, and it's probably not from endorphins. Physical exercise is good for our mental health and for our brains. Someday we will understand it all better - but we can start exercising today.

Last updated 4/27/06

Sources - About.com, John Briley "Feel Good After a Workout? Well, Good for You." The Washington Post Tuesday, April 25, 2006; James A. Blumenthal, et.al. "Effects of Exercise Training on Older Patients With Major Depression". Archives of Internal Medicine, October 25, 1999; Michael Babyak, et.al. Exercise Treatment for Major Depression: Maintenance of Therapeutic Benefit at 10 Months. Psychosomatic Medicine, September/October 2000.

5 power foods: boost your nutrition and maintain an ideal weight by getting more of these superstar foods into your meals

2008-04-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

If you've been focusing on everything that's wrong with your diet, it's time to take a new, positive approach. According to a recent Harvard Medical School study, the number of healthful foods you eat is more important than your weekly tally of burgers and fries! The study of 59,038 women found that those who regularly included lots of nutritionally sound foods in their diet had a 42 percent lower mortality rate. The more of these high-fiber, nutrient-rich foods you include in your meals, the less room you'll have for unhealthful high-calorie, low-nutrient fare. So, if you want to lose weight, get fit and live longer, resolve to eat more of these five powerhouse foods in 2005!
1 berries
Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries
The facts Berries' deep pigment supplies a wealth of phytochemicals, substances like the flavonoids anthocyanins that plants make to protect themselves against bacteria and viruses and other environmental threats. "These compounds protect against highly reactive oxidants that damage the brain and other tissues," says Gary Stoner, Ph.D., professor in Ohio State University's department of internal medicine. Berries also offer potassium, vitamin C and fiber.
Up the ante Add berries to cold cereal. Layer them with nonfat instant pudding for an easy parfait. Heat with Splenda and a bit of cornstarch to make a topping for waffles or desserts. Dip strawberries in fat-free chocolate syrup. Blend frozen raspberries with a little nonfat evaporated milk to create a fat-free "ice cream." Toss fresh or dried berries into savory dishes such as salsas, salads, pilafs and couscous.
All it takes is 1 serving (1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked) 3-4 times a week.
2 plain, lowfat yogurt
The facts It's hard to find a better source of B vitamins, high-quality protein and calcium than lowfat yogurt. "It's also a useful alternative for people who are lactose-intolerant, and if it contains the probiotic bacteria that flourish in the intestinal tract, then yogurt helps prevent constipation and diarrhea, as well as helping to treat food allergies," says Barry Goldin, Ph.D., a professor in the department of public health and family medicine at Tufts University. Probiotic bacteria crowd out disease-causing ones and may switch off an enzyme that triggers colon cancer. Look for yogurt listing L. acidophilus and B. bifidus as ingredients.
Up the ante Drizzle yogurt with a little honey for a sweet treat. Layer it with fruit for a simple snack; use instead of sour cream in dips, soups, salad dressings and on baked potatoes. Mix equal parts lowfat mayonnaise and yogurt and use to dress coleslaw or potato salad. Substitute yogurt for buttermilk in muffin, quick-bread and pancake batters.
All it takes is 1 serving (1 cup) 3-5 times a week.
3 green, leafy vegetables
Spinach, bok choy, Swiss chard, kale, arugula, romaine lettuce
The facts A Cornell University study of vegetables found spinach had the highest score for inhibiting cancer cells. A 1-cup serving of cooked Swiss chard supplies 47 percent of your RDA (150 milligrams) of magnesium, which helps keep nerve and muscle cells healthy. Dark green leafies also boost your intake of fiber, vitamin C, folic acid (the B vitamin that helps lower risk for heart disease, memory loss and birth defects), vitamin K (which helps build strong bones), and the minerals calcium, iron and potassium. Greens are especially good sources of the phytochemical lutein, which lowers the risk for age-related vision loss. "Generous intakes of spinach, kale, and other lutein-rich foods may reduce the risk of cataract and macular degeneration by up to 40 percent," says Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., a professor in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.
Up the ante Switch from iceberg to spinach for salads; layer greens into lasagna and sandwiches; add chopped, steamed greens to mashed potatoes; substitute arugula for some of the basil in pesto recipes; stir 1 cup chopped greens into soups and stews.
All it takes is 1-2 servings daily (1 serving equals 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked).
4 bright orange vegetables
Pumpkin, butternut and spaghetti squash, sweet potatoes, carrots
The facts Orange veggies are brimming with beta carotene, which promotes cell and tissue growth. Diets containing 10-15 milligrams a day of beta carotene are associated with a reduced risk of several forms of cancer. To get that amount, you just need to eat one medium-sized sweet potato or a cup of butternut squash, which may lower cancer risk, boost your defenses against colds and infections and protect your skin from sun damage. Bright orange veggies also supply hefty amounts of vitamin C, potassium and iron, and as much fiber as a slice of whole-wheat bread.
Up the ante Microwave sweet potatoes, then halve and drizzle with maple syrup. Grate carrots into meatloaf. Top steamed spaghetti squash with tomato sauce and Parmesan. Add pureed pumpkin to soups as a thickener. Use boiled or roasted sweet potatoes in salads and side dishes where you would normally use regular potatoes.
All it takes is 1 serving (1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked) a day.
5 whole grains
Whole-wheat breads and pastas, brown rice, oatmeal, buckwheat noodles
The facts Slice for slice, whole-grain breads have four and a half times the fiber, five times the magnesium, four times the zinc, and seven times the vitamin [B.sub.6] of white bread. Fiber-rich whole grains lower your risk for everything from heart disease and cancer to diabetes and hypertension. Thanks to their fiber, they fill you up without filling you out. "Whole grains also come packed with phytochemicals, such as phenolic compounds and phytoestrogens, that lower disease risk. These health-enhancing phytochemicals are removed when grains are processed," Blumberg adds.
Up the ante Eat oatmeal or whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal for breakfast; use 100 percent whole-wheat bread and rolls for sandwiches. Try whole-wheat or buckwheat noodles instead of white in pasta dishes. Swap instant brown rice or whole-grain couscous for white rice in pilafs and stuffings. Experiment with novel grains. For example, try quinoa in stuffed bell peppers, wild rice in salads and amaranth in soups.
All it takes is 5 servings per day (a serving equals 1 slice of bread or half a cup of cooked grain).
By Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., is editor of Nutrition Alert, a newsletter that summarizes current nutrition research. Her website is elizabethsomer.com.

Curry 'may slow Alzheimer's'

2008-03-27T12:03:00.001-07:00

Turmeric is the crucial ingredient
A spicy ingredient of many curries may be an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease, say researchers.
A team from the University of California at Los Angeles believes that turmeric may play a role in slowing down the progression of the neurodegenerative disease.
The finding may help to explain why rates of Alzheimer's are much lower among the elderly in India than in their Western peers.
Previous studies have found that Alzheimer's affects just 1% of people over the age of 65 living in some Indian villages.
Vindaloos

Drugs with similar properties could potentially be used as preventative treatments for Alzheimer's disease
Dr Richard Harvey
Turmeric is found in everything from mild Kormas to the hottest Vindaloos. The crucial chemical is curcumin, a compound found in the spice.
Alzheimer's is linked to the build up of knots in the brain called amyloid plaques.
Turmeric reduced the number of these plaques by a half.
The researchers also found that turmeric had other health benefits.
It aids digestion, helps fight infection and guards against heart attacks.
In the study, middle aged and aged rats were fed a diet rich in curcumin.
All the rats received brain injections of amyloid to mimic progressive Alzheimer's disease.
Not only was there less evidence of plaque build up in the curcumin-fed rats, they also outperformed rats on normal diets when carrying out maze-based memory tests.
Curcumin also appeared to reduce Alzheimer's-related inflammation in the brain tissue.
Researcher Dr Sally Frautschy said the compound had potential as a treatment for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease - particularly in tandem with anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.
Dr Richard Harvey, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Curcumin has both anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
"Drugs with similar properties could potentially be used as preventative treatments for Alzheimer's disease."
However, Dr Harvey warned that it could be many years before such drugs were made widely available.

See also:

10 Jan 00 | Health
'Curry is cancer fighter'
25 Oct 00 | Health
'Addictive curry' claim attacked
09 Oct 01 | Health
Takeaways 'loaded with fat'
Internet links:

British Dietetic Association
UCLA
Alzheimer's Society

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
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Good Habits make for Healthy Kids

2008-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

Empower Your Children
Helping your kids get and stay healthy isn’t always easy. It’s hard for them to resist the unhealthy snacks, sodas and fast food that seem to be all around them. It’s also tough to get them away from the television and computer screens and find places for them to play and exercise.

But we can’t ignore the serious health consequences of kids eating badly and not moving enough. By empowering your children to make better choices now, you can have a huge impact on their health and quality of life in the future.

To learn more about the risks of childhood obesity and unhealthy lifestyles, click here.

You Can Do It
The good news is that small changes often make a huge difference. Focus on a few areas for improvement and you’ll run into less resistance from your children, but still have a positive impact on their health.

Help Children Make the Right Choices
The best way to make your children healthier is to help THEM take charge of their own health. You can influence what they eat, where they eat, and encourage them to play an d exercise more. You may not be able to control everything, but by making healthy choices when and where you can, you’ll gradually see some positive changes.

Set a Good Example
You can also help by setting a good example. Have your child set a goal that both of you can aim for together. For example, if he or she wants to try to eat more vegetables, make sure you’re eating those veggies too.

We have created a cool sticker chart for you to help encourage and track healthy behaviors with your children. Click here to download the chart.

To learn more about the Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge that inspires kids to take charge of their health and lead their own "Go Healthy" movement, click here

Alliance for a Healthier Generation Kids' Site
A special site, created by the Alliance, that's just for kids. It features games, videos, and fun ways for kids to get involved in creating a healthier generation. Learn More.

We Are Here to Help You
Parents are so important in the fight against childhood obesity. That’s why the Alliance for a Healthier Generation has the following tools and resources for parents to use on the front lines--when eating out, at home, at school, and at the doctor's.
The Alliance for A Healthier Generation
A subsidiary of the American Heart Association.

Cholesterol not the only heart risk

2008-02-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

Reducing inflammation in the body can be as protective against heart
disease as lowering cholesterol, two studies have found, sparking new
debate over strategies to monitor and prevent cardiovascular disease.

The results of the studies, published in the New England Journal of
Medicine, add weight to the argument that doctors should consider
routinely monitoring inflammation in the same way they test
cholesterol.

Inflammation, which is usually a positive reaction that occurs when the
body is fighting infection or healing an injury, can be reduced in the
same way as cholesterol is lowered - eating well, exercising, losing
weight and quitting smoking, experts said.

Researchers are now looking at new drugs to target inflammation, which
produces a C-reactive protein (CRP).

"For the first time we have hard clinical evidence that lowering
inflammation lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke and
cardiovascular disease," said Paul Ridker, a cardiologist at Brigham
and Women's Hospital in Boston, who led one of the studies.

"The magnitude of the benefit is at least as large as the magnitude of
the benefit from cholesterol reduction. This is a radical change in our
thinking about heart disease prevention."

Peter Thompson, a member of the Heart Foundation of Australia's
clinical issues committee and a cardiologist at Sir Charles Gairdner
Hospital in Western Australia, and said it was now time to consider
whether testing for inflammation should be recommended to all patients
at risk of heart trouble.

"Debate will now turn ... to taking a closer look at CRP, should we be
measuring it, and if someone is found to have high cholesterol and
[high] CRP then should they be given more aggressive treatment?" he
said.

Doctors have long thought heart disease occurred when high cholesterol
caused fatty build-up in the arteries supplying blood to the heart. The
arteries eventually narrowed and blocked, causing a heart attack.

But in recent years there has been mounting evidence that inflammation,
which can occur in those who are overweight, have high cholesterol or
suffer from a chronic low-level infection, may damage the lining of
artery walls and contribute to the formation and rupture of fatty
plaques.

"CRP is a very important marker of increased risk of heart disease," Dr
Thompson said. "This is the first time that any one has demonstrated
that lowering the CRP makes a difference."

But while there is a well-established laboratory test for CRP that has
been available in Australia for the past 15 years, Dr Thompson
cautioned that some fine-tuning was needed before it was "sufficiently
reliable to be used".

The findings also open up a whole new area of research into treatments
for elevated CRP levels, or inflammation.

"You can't simply prescribe one of the known anti-inflammatory drugs
for it," he said, pointing to recent debate around the safety of this
class of drug, while the use of cholesterol lowering statins needed
further investigation.

In the first study, Dr Ridker gave 3745 patients who had already
suffered a heart attack or severe chest pain normal doses of the statin
Pravachol or high doses of another statin, Lipitor, and measured their
CRP levels.

The statins appeared to reduce inflammation, leading scientists to
speculate that at least some of their benefit stems from their
anti-inflammatory powers. Those whose CRP levels dropped to the lowest
points were the least likely to suffer or die from another heart
attack, the researchers found.

The second study, led by Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland
Clinic, also found a strong relationship between the degree in
reduction in CRP and the degree of disease progression.

But Mark Pepys of the Royal Free & University College Medical School in
London said there was "no good evidence" that lowering CRP would lower
the risk of heart attack.

Additionally, there are natural ways and supplemental means to reduce systemic inflammation. A few supplements you could include in your regiment are CoQ10, organic multiple vitamin, Calcium/magnesium, fish oil and alpha lipoic acid to name a few.
Furthermore, dietary means of reducing inflammation may consist of consuming dark shaded berries, first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, turmeric and ginger.
A vigilant practice of eating well is a great defense in combination with a life style consciousness in action.

Exercising with High blood pressure

2008-01-30T22:22:00.000-08:00

Over 60 million adults in this country suffer from high blood pressure.
This number is risen a dramatic percent over the 50 million from ten years ago.
Hypertension or high blood pressure is now at epidemic proportions. The concern is the risk for many systemic problems including kidney failure, stroke and heart attack.

Overcome HBP through prevention

With obesity at an all time high, there is still not enough focus on lifestyle and the positive effects of prevention. Additional research provides insight that even patients who take medicine for severe hypertension, can benefit from mild to moderate - intensity exercise.

Hypertension and Health Risks

Ideal blood circulation is measured at 120/80 mmHg. A diagnosis of hypertension would be given to patient with a steady reading at 140/90 mmHg. Sedentary life styles, aging, hormonal irregularities, poor dietary habits, and stress can all play a role in having a predilection to hypertension.

The asset of Exercise

Although exercise initially increases heart rate and blood pressure, working out routinely will create a resting blood pressure that is lower, as it gets use to supplying the supplying the body more efficiently with oxygenated blood.

4 Points to Safe Exercise with HBP
1. No Isometric Exercise.
This type of exercise creates constriction in vessels and pressure build up. Excessive pressure increases should be avoided to allow for full relaxation of the involved muscle or muscle group.

2. Remember to Breath
When the breath is held during periods of exercise, vascular pressure increases.
A relaxed rhythm of breeding is most important.

3. No Muscle Failure on Final Repetition
Blood pressure shows to be greatest during the last repetitions of a set. This is because the muscles tire and require more effort.
To prevent the increased pressure, moderate resistance is recommended, avoiding muscle failure.

4. The Necessity of Rest
This last recommendation of keeping blood pressure moderately elevated during workouts for HBP patients is to have spurts of exercise interlaced with periods of rest, allowing time for breathing and relaxation.

Medication Consideration

When medicine has been prescribed for HBP, some become apprehensive in the decision to exercise. Evidence suggests that exercise is beneficial for those taking blood pressure medication. However, before starting any exercise program, always consult the prescribing physician.

If you are not currently exercising and have not seen your doctor lately, take some time and invest in your health. If you had time to stand in line to vote, you can take the time to wait for your doctor. It won’t be as long or as painful.

If you have been exercising, but are not sure about your blood pressure, get it checked out soon.

Objects in motion stay in motion – Issac Newton

By Dr. Jeffrey A. Sklar Chiropractor

References

1. Fagard RH. Physical activity in the prevention and treatment of hypertension in the obese. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999;31(11Suppl): S624-630
2. Kokkinos PF, Papademetriou V. Exercise and hypertension. Coron Artery Dis 2000;11(2):99-102.
3. Fountaine T. Resistance training for patients with hypertension. Strength and Conditioning 1997;19:5-7.
4. Miller ER 3rd, Erlinger TP et al. Results of the diet, exercise and weight loss intervention trial(DEW-IT). Hypertension 2002;40 (5):612-618.
5. Hendrick A Resistance training with older populations: justifications, benefits and protocol. Strength and Conditioning 1998;20:32-39
6. Christensen K 4 Keys to exercise safely with high blood pressure. Chiro Well 2004(Vol 4)10: 16-18

Helmet Safety-Protect YOur Kids and Yourself

2008-01-29T13:40:00.000-08:00

Skateboard Helmets

The Two Minute Summary
· You always need a helmet when you board. You will crash eventually.
· Even a low-speed fall can scramble your brains.
· Laws in some states and skateboard parks require helmets.
· Buy a skateboard helmet for skateboarding, not a bicycle helmet. You will get better coverage and protection built for skateboarding.
· Skateboard helmets should meet the ASTM F1492 skateboard helmet standard.

If you have six minutes, please read on!

Six Minutes More
Your brain is probably worth reading this!

Need One?
What did you expect us to say? You need your brain to work so you can skateboard, and don't just lie in bed and slobber the rest of your life. You don't know how hard pavement is until your head really hits it. If you do a wrist or an arm or a collarbone it heals, but the brain is different. Besides that, helmets may be the law in your area, and you can't use most skate parks without one.

What to Look For
A skateboard helmet softens the impact when the foam inside crushes or slowly deforms.
The hard shell on board helmets holds up un-der multi impacts. Bike helmets use thin plastic that breaks immediately the first time you hit hard.
The best interior foam for skateboard is probably Expanded PolyPropylene (EPP). It looks like bike helmet foam, but feels a little bit rubbery. Unlike bike helmet EPS foam, EPP recovers and is good for the next hit.
The helmet must stay on your head. It's not a hat, just sitting there. It will fly off while you are flying through the air. So it needs a strong strap and an equally strong buckle. And you need to remember to fasten it.
Skateboard helmets are usually black. If you want to be seen on the street, get a bright color. Most boarders don't.

Standards
A sticker inside the helmet tells what standard it meets. True skateboard helmets meet ASTM F1492. Some "skate-style" helmets only meet the CPSC bicycle helmet standard. Those are bike helmets, not skateboard helmets, even if there is a skateboard on the box.
How to Buy
Some of the best skateboard helmets are "dual-certified" to both the ASTM and CPSC standards. That includes Bell Faction, Mirra, Rage and Wicked, Free Agent, Kryptonics Signature, Limited and Kore Series, Pro-Tec Classic, Arc Freestyle Signature and B-2, and the W Helmets Ripper 2 in small and medium sizes only. Check our Dual Certified Helmets page at http://www.helmets.org/dualcert.htm for the latest list. Those helmets are designed for skateboarding and bicycling.

When to Replace a Helmet?
If you really have a skateboard helmet that meets the ASTM F1492 standard you don't need to replace it every time you crash, but someday you will. Replace the buckle if it cracks or a piece breaks off.
Skate Helmets for Biking?
Do not use a skate helmet for bicycling unless it has a CPSC bicycle helmet standard sticker in-side!
Consumer Reports Article
Consumer Reports published an article in July 2004 rating a few skate helmets. You can read the article at your local library or buy it at www.consumer.org

The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
BHSI is the helmet advocacy program of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. Our volunteers provide helmet information and work on the ASTM national helmet standard committee. In 1983 we published in Bicycling Magazine the first bicycle helmet article including actual lab test results (based on testing done for us by the Snell Foundation). We are funded by small consumer donations of about $12,000 a year. We do not accept funds from manufacturers or anyone involved in helmet sales.
BHSI is located at 4611 Seventh Street South, Arlington, VA 22204-1419, tel. 703-486-0100 . Our Web server where you found this page is at www.helmets.org. Our email address is info@helmets.org.
Our parent organization (WABA) is a local non-profit founded in 1972 to improve bicycling conditions in the Washington, DC area and encourage the use of bicycles for transportation. BHSI is an outgrowth of the WABA Helmet Committee, which began ride testing helmets in 1974. WABA has a Web page at www.waba.org.
This pamphlet was produced with donations from those who read it earlier. We welcome your tax-deductible donation to make it available to the next rider or parent who will need it. Checks can be made payable to WABA/BHSI. Thanks!
Copyright 2006 by the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
A program of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association

Links to this page are encouraged. We update frequently, so if you put this page on your own server it will be quickly outdated!

This pamphlet is available here as a Word file or a .pdf format file. You can save it to disk, print it out in Word, another word processor or any Acrobat reader and photocopy it for non-profit use. The Word file name is skate.doc and it was originally formatted for our HP Laserjet 4000 at 1200x1200 dpi. If it refuses to format correctly for your printer contact us at info@helmets.org or at the postal address above and give us the postal mailing address where we can send you a paper copy to reproduce. We can't mail it on paper to your email address!

Vitamin C and Stomach Cancer

2008-01-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

Evidence shows that vitamin C intake and fruit consumption may be linked to reduced risk of stomach cancer.

The study also shows that lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, could have a protective effect against the cancer although the researchers caution that this needs further research.
The team from the US National Cancer Institute and National Public Health Institute of Finland assessed the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of stomach cancer in approximately 29,000 male smoker participants, aged 50 to 69, of the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene (ATBC) cancer prevention study in Finland.
This trial, initiated to test the effect of vitamin supplementation on the prevention of lung and other cancers, ended in 1993 but ongoing follow-up of the participants continues, offering new insights into the causes and prevention of multiple diseases.
Speaking yesterday at this year’s Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research conference (abstract 173), the US and Finnish scientists said they had found fruit and vitamin C intake, but not vegetable consumption, reduced risk of non-cardia cancer approximately 45 per cent.
Non-cardia cancer is the major form of stomach cancer in most parts of the world. Stomach cancer is the second most frequent cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with an estimated 776,000 deaths in 1996, and the fourth most common cancer. In the UK stomach cancer is the sixth most common cancer with 10,000 new cases each year.
"Since our findings are similar to the results found in several other studies, fruit and vitamin C intake are likely to be useful for the prevention of stomach cancer," said Farin Kamangar of the Cancer Prevention Studies Branch at the National Cancer Institute, and one of the lead investigators of the study.
Last year researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center found that the lower the level of vitamin C in the blood the more likely a person will become infected by Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that can cause peptic ulcers and stomach cancer. Although it was not clear whether the presence of the bacteria lowered blood levels of the vitamin, or whether vitamin C levels could protect against it, other studies have also seen low blood levels of vitamin C in people with the cancer.
In Japan, where rates of the cancer are much higher than in the west, researchers have linked a diet of highly salted food containing little vitamin C, with a twofold risk of the cancer.
Another component of fruit, lycopene, which is already associated with reduction of breast and prostate cancer risk, also appeared to lower chances of stomach cancer by 34 per cent.
But the effect of lycopene on gastric cancer “needs further studies”, warned Dr Kamangar.
Recent research suggests that lycopene may reduce risk of cancer by activating special cancer preventive enzymes, rather than through its antioxidant effect.
When looking at cardia cancer (another part of the stomach), consumption of retinol, a form of vitamin A, was associated with a reduced risk, but the vitamin E forms alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol seemed to be associated with an increased risk, reported the researchers.

The New Lifestyle: Chiropractic, Exercise, Nutrition & Wellness

2008-01-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

by Dr. Mark Sanna
Physical Activity and Good Nutrition

It’s a sad fact that chronic disease accounts for seven of every ten U.S. deaths, and for more than 60% of medical care expenditures. The prolonged illness and disability associated with many chronic diseases decrease quality of life for millions of Americans.
The chiropractic profession long has taken the stance that, with proper intervention and education, most chronic diseases are preventable. Physical inactivity and unhealthy eating contribute to obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Together, they are responsible for at least 300,000 deaths each year. Only tobacco use causes more preventable deaths in the United States. Chiropractors, with a wellness orientation, teach their patients to avoid the behaviors that increase their risk for chronic diseases so that they can live healthier and longer lives.
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States where over 45 million adults are classified as obese. A disturbing trend shows that this epidemic is not limited to adults. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the last twenty years! 10%-to-15% of Americans ages six-to-seventeen years—about eight million young people—are considered overweight.
More and more patients are seeking the trusted advice of their doctors of chiropractic in matters of nutrition. It’s a fact that chiropractors receive significantly more hours of education in the subject of nutrition than their medical colleagues. Chiropractors must take an active role in promoting regular exercise and healthy eating.
Lack of Exercise
Exercise substantially reduces the risk of dying of coronary heart disease, the nation’s leading cause of death. It has also been shown to decreases the risk of colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Exercise also helps to control weight; contributes to healthy bones, muscles, and joints; reduces falls among the elderly; helps to relieve the pain of arthritis; reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression; and is associated with fewer hospitalizations, physician visits, and use of medications.
Exercise does not need to be strenuous to be beneficial. People of all ages benefit from moderate physical activity, such as thirty minutes of brisk walking, five or more times a week. However, despite the proven benefits of physical activity, more than 60% of American adults do not get enough exercise to provide health benefits. More than 25% are not active at all in their leisure time.
As with obesity, insufficient exercise is not limited to adults. More than a third of young people in grades 9-12 do not regularly engage in vigorous exercise. Daily participation in high school physical education classes dropped from 42% in 1991 to 29% in 1999.
Healthy Eating
Although Americans are gradually adopting healthier diets, a large gap remains between recommended dietary patterns and what Americans actually eat. Only about one-fourth of U.S. adults eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Poor eating habits are often established during childhood. More than 60% of young people eat too much fat, and less than 20% eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
Vegetables without Vitamins
Even when your patients do consume the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables, often what they eat is devoid of nutritional value. When a nutritionist recently went to check out the latest US Department of Agriculture food tables, he found that some vegetables had extraordinarily low levels of vitamins. The explanation he received was that the nutrient drain should be put in context. It was explained that the 78% decrease in calcium content of corn was not significant because no one eats corn for calcium! Furthermore, he was told, the problem may not even exist at all. The apparent nutrient dips result from the testing procedures. For example, changes in the public’s perception of what the edible portion is may determine what parts have been analyzed over time. In other words, back when the old food tables were made up, people may have been eating the corncob, too, so they got more nutrients. So now you know why people need their vitamins!
Nutritional Supplements
Many chiropractors are contemplating whether or not they should offer vitamin and nutritional supplements to their patients. One thing is clear, whatever doctors think of it, your patients have already made up their minds!
Nutritional supplements are big business, and a significant proportion of the population is taking them. It’s estimated that about half of all Americans regularly use nutritional supplements not prescribed by their doctors. A quick trip to the local health food store will reveal tablets with every imaginable combination of nutrients, vitamins, herbs, homeopathic remedies, whole food products, neutraceuticals, and more, in countless doses and formulations. And it’s not just the health food store. These days, the local pharmacist and even the supermarket offer much the same spectacle. Vitamin companies spend millions of dollars in advertising hoping to convince the consumers to buy their brand. Catchy phrases and fancy buzzwords are used to entice, stimulate and often mislead the general public.
More doctors are selling health-related products and, for this reason, it is important that you select reputable nutritional supplement companies. Chose companies that use an FDA approved laboratory, conduct regular ingredient assays, and those that manufacture nutritional supplement formulas that make sense. A word of caution: Prior to dispensing nutritional supplements to your patients, you should check the scope of chiropractic practice in your state. The scope of practice varies from state to state when it comes to dispensing supplements. The chiropractic scope of practice in the state of New Jersey, for example, does not allow chiropractors to “sell, dispense or derive any financial benefit form the sale of vitamins, food products or nutritional supplements.” By contrast, the chiropractic scope of practice of the state of New York allows chiropractors to perform “nutritional counseling, including the dispensing of food concentrates, food extracts, vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements.”
When prescribing supplements to your patients, be sure to perform a thorough drug and dietary history. Many supplements can produce unwanted side effects when taken in combination with prescription and over-the-counter drugs. For example, one popular herbal remedy, Saint John’s Wort, is now known to interfere with the action of a wide variety of prescription medications. To help keep you up to date about the nutritional supplement market, the publishers of the Physicians’ Desk Reference recently released the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, which provides scientific analyses of the health benefits—or lack of—for hundreds of over-the-counter products ranging from vitamins to shark cartilage.
A good relationship with the supplement company’s sales representatives can also be very helpful. An effective sales representative will keep you informed of the latest advances in their product line and will also provide you with useful patient education materials. Some nutritional supplement companies provide physicians with nutritional surveys and assessments that are helpful in determining the supplementation needs of your patients. Others provide seminars with credentialed experts on a variety of nutrition-oriented topics. Those doctors who are considering adding nutritional supplements to their practice would do well to sharpen their clinical skills with continuing education courses on the subject. Those chiropractors who become passionate about the possibilities of nutrition can also complete a 300-hour course of studies toward a Diplomate through the American Board of Chiropractic Nutrition.
Chiropractic care does not exist in a vacuum. Good nutrition plays an integral role in the maintenance of optimal health. When properly researched, and effectively managed, advising your patients to include nutrition as part of their overall approach to wellness makes good sense. TAC
Dr. Mark Sanna is the CEO of Breakthrough Coaching, LLC, the leading resource for personal coaching to chiropractic and multidisciplinary practices throughout the country.

BREATHING EXERCISES

2008-01-24T06:50:00.001-08:00

A 20% reduction in oxygen blood levels may be caused by the aging process and normal breathing habits. Poor breathing robs energy and negatively affects mental alertness. Unless breathing is exercised, aging affects the respiratory system as follows:
Stiffness: The rib cage and surrounding muscles get stiff causing inhalation to become more difficult. Less elasticity and weak muscles leave stale air in the tissues of the lungs and prevents fresh oxygen from reaching the blood stream.
Rapid, Shallow Breathing: This type of breathing, often caused by poor posture and weak or stiff muscles, leads to poor oxygen supply, respiratory disease, sluggishness, or heart disease.

BELLY BREATH EXERCISES
The following exercises are simple ways to deepen breathing and to cleanse the lungs. These exercises will also increase energy and decrease tension.
Lie flat on your back to get a proper sense of deep breathing. (Have some small pillows available to reduce strain by tucking them under the neck and knees. The natural course of breathing in that position will create a slight rise in the stomach upon inhaling and a slight fall upon exhaling.)
Place your hands palm down on your stomach at the base of the rib cage. (The lungs go that far down. What fills them deeper is the pushing down of the diaphragm. The diaphragm creates a suction which draws air into the lungs. the air is then expelled when the diaphragm pushes up. In this process, the life-giving oxygen fills the lungs and gets into the blood stream for distribution to the cells. Carbon dioxide is expelled from the blood into the about-to-be exhaled breath, thus cleansing the body and blood of waste products.) Lay the palms of your hands on your stomach just below the rib cage, middle fingers barely touching each other, and take a slow deep breath. (As the diaphragm pushes down, the stomach will slightly expand causing the fingertips to separate somewhat.
This movement indicates full use of the lungs, resulting in a truly deep breath rather than the "puffed chest" breath experienced by many as the greatest lung capacity. Chest breathing fills the middle and upper parts of the lungs. Belly breathing is the most efficient method. Infants and small children use only this method until the chest matures. The yoga breath or roll breathing combines belly and chest breathing.
FOR BEST RESULTS, PRACTICE THIS EXERCISE FOR 5 MINUTES.

COMPLETE BREATH EXERCISES
1. Sit up straight. Exhale.
2. Inhale and, at the same time, relax the belly muscles. Feel as though the belly is filling with air.
3. After filling the belly, keep inhaling. Fill up the middle of your chest. Feel your chest and rib cage expand.
4. Hold the breath in for a moment, then begin to exhale as slowly as possible.
5. As the air is slowly let out, relax your chest and rib cage. Begin to pull your belly in to force out the remaining breath.
6. Close your eyes, and concentrate on your breathing.
7. Relax your face and mind.
8. Let everything go.
9. Practice about 5 minutes.

HUMMING BREATH EXERCISES
Follow the instructions for inhaling the COMPLETE BREATH (Steps 1-3 above). Now, as you begin to slowly exhale, make a HUM sound. Keep making that humming sound as long as possible. Pull your stomach muscles in, squeezing out a few more seconds of humming. Then relax. Practice for 2 to 3 minutes.

CHINESE BREATH EXERCISES
A very fine, short (though not shallow) breath exercise comes from the Chinese Tai Chi Chuan. Three short inhales are done through the nose without exhaling. On the first inhale, the arms are lifted from the sides straight out in front at shoulder height. On the second, the arms are opened out straight to the sides while still at shoulder height. And on the third, the arms
are lifted straight over the head. Then, on the exhale through the mouth, the arms are moved in an arc back down to the sides. Usually, ten or twelve breaths are sufficient and will not cause light headedness. If light headedness should occur, simply stop the exercise. This exercise also has the effect of really opening up people physically. In subtle ways, this exercise uses the body in leading the mind and spirit to greater openness with each other and the environment.
CAUTION !! Especially for older people: Never do panting or shallow breathing except while seated. Hyperventilation may occur. As long as one is seated, hyperventilation will not be a problem because, even if a brief blackout should occur, the body's automatic breathing apparatus will immediately take over.