High levels of vitamin D in the blood appear to be linked to lower risks of colorectal cancer, although it is not clear if higher intake of the vitamin actually prevents the disease researchers say.

Still, the findings are food for thought:  Scientists found that those with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood had as much as a 40 % lower risk for developing colorectal cancer than those with the lowest levels.

The research, published online in BMJ, is based on a study of more than 520,000 people from 10 countries in Western Europe.  The participants gave blood samples and filled out diet and lifestyle questionnaires between 1992 and 1998.  They were then tracked for several more years to see what happened to them.

The researchers cautioned that it is not clear if there are risks from consuming high levels of vitamin D.  It is also not known whether supplements are necessary if people reach certain levels through a healthy diet, exercise and moderate exposure to sunlight.

HealthDay

We all know how important exercise is at any age, but it is especially important as we get older.  I suffer from osteoarthritis and without exercise my joints are stiff and sore.  Exercise is also known to help with bone density, which is really critical as we age.  I found this article in Time Magazine which explains how important exercise is not only in protecting  our body but also for protecting our brain.

Exercise to Protect Aging Bodies — and Brains By Alice Park

We all know that exercise is good for you. Staying physically active helps keep your heart healthy and your muscles strong, and in cancer patients it has even been shown to ward off relapse. Now a series of independently conducted studies on the effects of exercise in healthy older adults, published on Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, confirms that logging time at the gym not only helps maintain good health but may even prevent the onset of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, osteoarthritis and dementia.

In one surprising trial, researchers led by Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose at the University of British Columbia randomly assigned 155 aging women to three separate groups and directly compared the cognitive effects of two types of exercise: resistance training, done once or twice weekly, in which participants worked out with free weights and weight machines and did squats and lunges, versus toning and balance exercises, which participants did twice a week.

By the end of the yearlong study, the women who weight-trained saw an improvement in their performance on cognitive tests of memory and learning as well as in executive functions such as decision-making and conflict resolution — women who trained once a week improved their scores in executive functioning by 12.6% — while those who did balance and toning exercises showed no such improvement. The muscle-strengthening exercise also helped the volunteers, ages 65 to 75, boost their walking speed, a commonly used indicator of overall health status in the elderly, as faster pace has been linked with lower mortality.

The Canadian researchers’ findings were somewhat unexpected, given that previous studies on the issue have typically focused on aerobic exercise, which experts believe enhances cognitive function by promoting blood flow to the brain. Liu-Ambrose says her team speculated that anaerobic weight training would have a similar effect for other reasons. First, a resistance-training regimen requires a considerable amount of learning, especially for elderly people who may not be accustomed to the equipment. To learn how to use dumbbells, a leg press or a latissimus pull-down machine correctly, for example, the volunteers were required to focus on the task at hand, master new techniques and retain new information about proper and safe use of equipment. Previous studies have shown that such learning can help older adults maintain mental acuity.

The women also had to remember their weight settings and adjustments to the seats and keep track of the number of repetitions they completed, says Liu-Ambrose. “There is a lot more learning involved that may not occur if you take up a walking program,” she says, noting that it took the volunteers a good two months to get comfortable with the equipment and the training regimen.

In addition, Liu-Ambrose says, other studies have found that people who weight-train show an increase in blood levels of a growth factor that is important for maintaining skeletal mass. This factor, it turns out, also promotes nerve growth, which could be another way that resistance training boosts mental function.

In a second brain-function study, published in the same journal, scientists in Germany found that increased physical activity was associated with a lower incidence of dementia. In this study, researchers recruited 3,485 elderly residents in Bavaria and asked them about their physical activity. None of the participants had dementia at the start of the analysis, but after two years of follow-up, researchers found that those who exercised at least three times a week were half as likely to have developed dementia, compared with the people who reported no physical activity. Based on his results, says lead author Dr. Thorleif Etgen, a professor of psychiatry and psychotherapy at München University, “it doesn’t make a big difference if you have moderate or high physical activity. The important message is that you do any activity. And even if you start late in life, at 60 or 70, there is a benefit, for it’s never too late to start exercising.”

The key words are “moderate or high,” according to another study that was published on Monday in the Archives. Dr. Qi Sun, a researcher at Harvard School of Public Health, analyzed 13,000 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study and found that when it came to exercise, more was better. Compared with women who jogged for 20 minutes a week, those who jogged three hours a week or walked briskly for five hours a week were 76% more likely to age successfully, free of chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease, as well as mental and physical impairment.

Sun’s group found that this benefit occurred across all weight divisions, meaning that even among those who were overweight or obese, women who exercised improved their odds of aging without chronic disease. The effects may apply across different age groups as well; the women were at least 60 years old by the time they enrolled in the study, and while Sun was not able to determine how long they had been exercising prior to that, the results suggest that the health benefits are not limited to the young.

That was the same message of the final exercise paper in the journal, by researchers at University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. In this trial, a group of 246 elderly women were randomly assigned to an 18-month exercise regimen or wellness program. The women participating in the four-times-weekly exercise sessions, which involved aerobics and balance and muscle training, improved their bone mineral density by nearly 2%. The women in the wellness group, which focused on walking, muscle relaxation and breathing skills, had a 0.33% increase in bone density over the same time period. Perhaps more important, participants in the exercise group saw no increase in their risk of experiencing a fracture-causing fall, compared with a 66% higher risk in the control group.

Despite the positive evidence, however, not all researchers are ready to suggest that exercise is a sure-fire prescription against mental decline or chronic disease in healthy people. To make that claim, a large, longer-term, controlled trial would be needed, in which participants are randomly assigned to exercise or not, and are then followed for the development of chronic conditions such as cancer, heart disease or dementia.

Still, says Dr. Marco Pahor, director of the Institute on Aging at the University of Florida and author of a commentary on the studies appearing in the journal, “if you pool all the evidence together, the benefits of exercise seem promising.”

It has been over ten years since I discovered a more natural way to stay healthy and in that time I have made significant changes in our lifestyle.  Certainly my family can see the effort we make in our home.  We  filter the water and air, take lots of nutritionals and the food we eat is organic.  Therefore, as a grandmother, it is difficult not to say anything when a couple of our grandchildren are overweight and obviously need to have changes in their diet.  Just imagine the difference in overall health if our children lived a healthy lifestyle from day one instead of trying to catch up as I am in my sixties.

This is a good article by Marianne Carter, who writes a health column for the News Journal.  It is obvious that parents need to set the example for healthy eating and the kids will follow suit:

The number of youth who are overweight has doubled in the last two to three decades, according to the National Institutes of Health. The increase is in both children and adolescents, and in all age, race and gender groups.

As a result, more and more overweight kids are being diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol — serious conditions previously associated only with adults.

Childhood obesity is a complex issue spurred by too little movement, too much junk food and too much TV and computer time. Heredity, socioeconomic status and the environment also play a role.

Fortunately, there are positive changes occurring to improve our children’s chances of maintaining a healthy weight. For example, some schools are increasing physical activity requirements and removing unhealthy choices from their vending machines.

Efforts are under way to communicate healthy messages, such as the 5-2-1-Almost None campaign promoted by Nemours Health & Prevention Services. Kids are being encouraged to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, limit screen time to two hours, be physically active for one hour and limit consumption of sugary beverages such as sodas.

The treatment of pediatric obesity needs to include the family and must address multiple aspects, such as lifestyle, nutrition and physical activity patterns. It’s also important to talk with health care providers about options and individual needs of children.

Successful programs include behavioral counseling, promotion of physical activity, parent training/modeling, dietary counseling and nutrition education. A consultation with a registered dietitian is an important part of treatment.

For most overweight children, it’s not advisable to place them on a structured diet. If children are overly restricted with food, or led to believe certain foods are “bad,” this may contribute to disordered eating patterns in the future.

Rather, dietitians provide education on topics such as portion sizes and healthy snack options. Behaviors such as eating in front of the TV are discouraged, and opportunities for physical activity are encouraged.

There usually is a connection between parents’ weight and their children’s weight. Parents need to set the stage for healthier eating and a more active lifestyle. By taking responsibility, parents can play a major role in turning around their children’s habits.

Parents should involve children in food selection and preparation. Research reveals that children typically consume the amount of food they are given, so parents need to provide age-appropriate portions.

Meals and snacks should be served at predictable times. It’s best to have children eat in the kitchen or dining area, away from the distraction of the television. Studies show that when children eat together with their parents, they eat more nutritious meals. Eating breakfast has also been shown to protect against children becoming overweight.

Setting aside routine times for family fitness activities is another strategy that will help combat obesity. Children model their parents’ behaviors, so this type of activity provides positive role-modeling.

Sixty minutes of activity each day is recommended for children. Get the whole family involved with physical activity by taking walks or riding bicycles after dinner. If your children enjoy activities such as swimming, sign them up for a school or community program.

When parents, families, schools, policymakers, businesses and communities work today, childhood obesity rates can be lowered. For more information, visit Nemours at www.GrowUpHealthy.org.

Curcumin is an antioxidant found in turmeric – an Indian spice.  It is known for its antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties. It may also be effective in treating cancer and HIV infection.  This is a very good article, Natural Medicine Journal,  that explains the research that is going on with this product and its anti cancer properties.

Air Pollution Can Kill
The most widely quoted statistic about air quality is this: The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air can be two- to five-times more polluted than the air outdoors. And while the EPA is responsible for cracking down on outdoor pollution — the smog, ozone and other chemicals that spew from tailpipes and smokestacks — protecting the air indoors is largely the responsibility of homeowners.

And while many sources of indoor air are fairly obvious and well-known — second-hand smoke, carbon monoxide and radon, to name the most prominent, and deadly — there are more insidious, secret sources of pollution that any concerned homeowner or parent should consider. Below are some of the most surprising.

• Air Purifiers

You are so concerned about the quality of the air in your home that you spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on an air purifier, believing that it will, as one company claims, deliver a “shock treatment designed to kill mold and bacteria.”

But wait, there’s more! That “shock treatment” comes in the form of a highly touted mega-dose of ozone. Companies selling these air purifiers claim that’s a good thing.

Health officials know better. Ozone is the chief component of smog. It can scar lung tissue, trigger asthma attacks, cause coughing fits and lead to permanent damage that could shorten your life. That’s why the EPA has been cracking down on the sources of ozone outdoors. In other words, ozone is nothing that you want indoors.

The American Lung Association advises people against buying any air “purifier” that produces ozone, and the California Air Resources Board recently published a useful “buyer beware” list of 63 potentially hazardous air purifiers (www.thedailygreen.com/air-purifiers).

• Paint

looks good on the walls — but what does it do to your lungs … or your brain, for that matter.

Lead paint is a fairly well-known danger; 30-odd years after the U.S. banned it. Older homes, however, still have lead paint on the walls, and the deteriorating, cracking and peeling paint can produce lead-tainted dust that can easily get on children’s hands … and children’s’ hands, as any parent knows, are a remarkably efficient delivery method for getting anything to their mouths. Lead can cause permanent brain damage, so maintaining old paint is critically important. (See The Daily Green’s 6 Lead-Poisoning Prevention Tips for more on protecting your children from this hazard.)

But old lead paint isn’t the only or most surprising way paint can damage indoor air quality. New paints release volatile organic compounds that may have a range of subtle health effects if breathed even in low doses over a long period of time. Ventilation is one key to reduce the harm from off-gassing paints, but the better choice is selecting a low-VOC or no-VOC paint in the first place.

Hobby paints and glues can be just as bad, or often worse, so avoid using solvents, glues or paints indoors. If there’s no other option, go overboard ventilating.

• Carpet

what’s so bad about a rug?

First, the obvious: Carpets harbor dirt, dust mites, pet dander, dirt, fungus and other unhealthy particles that can irritate the lungs, trigger asthma attacks or send some people into allergic fits.

Less obvious is the presence of suspect chemicals used to manufacture carpets that “off gas” and can fill the room. The most common is formaldehyde, which will not only irritate the nose and throat, trigger asthma attacks and cause other lung damage, but could, based on laboratory studies on animals, cause cancer, according to the EPA.

Carpets are concerning enough that the American Lung Association recommends avoiding them completely. (If you already have one, the association recommends using a HEPA [high efficiency particle air] vacuum.) There are carpets on the market that are made with nontoxic materials (though they can still harbor dirt, dust and dander like any other rug).

• Cleaning Products

Spray bottles, sponges and the cleansers that break up dirt are supposed to leave your home cleaner, but many can also introduce unhealthy compounds into the air.

The first thing that must be said is: Never mix a chlorine-based cleanser with an acid-based cleanser, like vinegar or ammonia. Don’t even clean the same surface with one and then the other. The result of mixing these two cleansers is potent — often deadly — chlorine gas. That’s the same chlorine gas that ties counter-terrorism experts up in knots. You don’t want it in your house.

The larger point, though, is that many off-the-shelf cleansers contain powerful and often toxic solvents, antibiotic pesticides and other nasty chemicals. Chlorine is poisonous. Many household cleansers are unnecessarily hazardous, given that simple recipes with vinegar, baking soda and the like will do just as good a job without any of the risks.

• Cabinets and Furniture

Cabinets, furniture, shelving, countertops and any other household item made with pressed wood is likely stuck together with glue that contains formaldehyde.

As with rugs, the formaldehyde in the glue will “off-gas” over time, releasing small amounts into the air in your home.

To avoid formaldehyde, avoid pressed wood products unless you know they are free from formaldehyde.

• The Kitchen Stove

We all know that ventilating a bathroom is important to maintain good indoor air quality. Failing to turn on the fan after a few hot showers, and mildew and mold will inevitably sprout. Ventilating the kitchen is also important, though, according to the American Lung Association.

Just the simple act of cooking on the stove, particularly a gas stove, can actually introduce unsafe levels of nitrogen dioxide into the air, increasing the risk of asthma attacks and other respiratory illness. Also a concern is simple steam, which can do the same work as moisture in the bathroom at promoting unwanted mold growth.

The solution is simple: Eat out at McDonald’s every night. (Please don’t take us seriously: fast food diets have been linked to more than obesity; too many burgers and fries may cause asthma in children.) The better solution is simply to properly ventilate your stove so that the exhaust vents to the outdoors.

–source: thedailygreen.com

Do you ever feel really bloated after a meal?  You know the feeling – it is that tight uncomfortable feeling you get in your midsection.   To feel better, maybe you will loosen your belt or get into comfortable pants?  This feeling is often the result of something amiss in your gastrointestinal tract.  It could be that you swallowed air while eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, sucking on hard candy or wearing ill-fitting dental gear such as retainers or dentures.  Or it might be thanks to undigested food passing into the large intestine, where bacteria break it down, releasing gas.

The good news is there are ways to minimize bloating:

Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day

Chew food thoroughly to aid digestion

Avoid drinking soda and other carbonated beverages – we already know they are not good for you.

Avoid high fat meals.  They slow digestion, allowing food to stay in the colon longer and intestinal bacteria to produce more gas.

Take a daily probiotic supplement to help reduce gas.

Exercise daily to help maintain healthy bowel function.

Source:  www.realage.com.

Dry skin is almost inevitable at this time of the year, but there are a couple of things you can do to minimize this problem.

1. Stay hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water each day.  This is so basic, but many people just simply do not get enough fluids.  It is important to drink water, not juice, soda, tea or coffee.
2. Exfoliate regularly and then apply a moisturizer.  There are many good products on the market.  Personally, I like organic skin care products.  It just makes sense to me not to use products with artificial ingredients and chemicals.
3. Steam from a hot shower can actually make your skin drier, so try to take a shorter shower with cooler water.  Hard to do, I know, on those cold mornings.
4. Use a humidifier to keep moisture in the air at home.
5. Minimize the skin’s exposure to harsh cold and winds by bundling up when you go outside.

My legs and feet swell in the summer, when I have been on my feet too long, and on airplanes.  This has been going on since I was in my forties and so far nothing I have tried has worked in the long term.  When I saw this article in the News Journal, I was intrigued and was hoping it would help me since I am about to fly to the UK.  This article came from the Mayo Clinic.

The official name for swelling edema and it is usually harmless when it occurs as a result of flying.  Inactivity is the main culprit, since sitting with your feet on the floor for extended periods of time can cause blood to pool in your leg veins.  The position of your legs when seated also increases pressure and contributes to foot swelling by causing fluid to shift from the blood vessels to the surrounding soft tissues.  Since the problem is related to gravity and the position the body is in, it is called dependent edema.

This painless swelling can affect both legs and may include the calves or even the thighs.  But excessive swelling that persists for several hours after deboarding may be due to a more serious condition such as a blood clot in the leg which is also called deep vein thrombosis.  You should be concerned if the swelling occurs in only one leg and is accompanied by leg pain.  If you experience these signs and symptoms, seek prompt medical attention.

To avoid excessive swelling during a long flight, stretch your legs often and get up and walk as often as possible.  Wear loose fitting clothes and while in your seat, flex and extend your ankles and knees.

Are you like me and already thinking of a New Year’s resolution of losing weight and getting fit?  I was doing great until the holidays with all the extra treats that are so readily available and my lack of willpower to avoid them.  This morning I just read a very good article by Marianne Carter – she writes a weekly column for the News Journal.  Marianne talks about all the little bites we consume during the day and how they add up very quickly.  A real eye opener for me!  Here is Marianne’s article:

Sometimes it’s the little things that end up sabotaging our weight loss efforts.

Alice Henneman, a registered dietitian with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, proves that point in her piece, “Little Tastes Can Add Up to BIG Calories Over the Winter Holidays.”

Henneman follows “Holly” throughout her day, and calculates all of the “tiny tastes” she takes in a one-day period. Her point? Those extra calories quickly add up.

Holly starts her day by baking cookies before work — one cookie breaks during the process, so she eats the portion that didn’t get crumbled — 30 calories.

At work, there’s peanut brittle brought in by a co-worker — one small piece can’t hurt anything, can it? Add another 80 “extra” calories.

A quick trip to the grocery store over lunch provides an opportunity for a free food and drink sample — she’s hungry, so Holly adds another 60 calories to her day’s intake.

Back at work, chocolate-covered cherries have appeared in the break room — there’s another 60 calories for one.

Off to a dinner party — a few chips and dip add 75 calories, and who can resist half a glass of holiday eggnog? Here comes another 200 calories.

It’s a shame to leave those 2 tablespoons of candied sweet potatoes in the bowl so Holly finishes them up, and takes in 60 calories.

Peppermint ice cream is being served for dessert. She passes, but then decides to have a “taste,” which contributes another 70 calories.

While it may not seem like a lot, these “tiny tastes” add up to 635 calories for this particular day — and that’s on top of the regular meals and snacks that provide Holly with what she needs to maintain her weight.

These extra calories, if consumed on a daily basis over the holidays, can easily contribute to a pound of weight gain per week during the holiday season. Tiny tastes add up quickly throughout the week to total the 3,500 extra calories needed to gain a pound.

And it’s not just a problem during the holiday season. Tiny tastes can add up quickly at other times, as well.

The calorie balance needed to maintain weight can easily be nudged to an imbalance when you add the little extras that can come into play during the course of a day.

Hennenman provides additional examples — that “little bit” of orange juice left in the carton, the extra bit of cereal in the bottom of the box, the piece of chocolate from your co-worker’s candy dish, the sliver of birthday cake from the break room, the macaroni-and-cheese you “taste” while preparing.

Remember that all it takes for you to gain 10 pounds in a year is to consistently eat 100 “extra” calories per day.

In the same way, a calorie reduction of 100 per day can lead to weight loss of 10 pounds per year. Perhaps paying attention to the “tiny tastes” throughout your day can provide you with a place to start.