Health Hazards, pt.1

Ignoring something potentially dangerous doesn't minimize its risks. I find it interesting that the studies and articles on the possible dangers of using cellphones and other wireless phones always seem to come from someplace in and around Europe.
Call me a cynic but could this be due to the fact that all things pertaining to the use of cellphones in the U.S.is a billion dollar+ industry? While they tell us here that cellphones are safe they advise us to text more and don't let young children use them, mmmmm. Consider the following:

" A Swedish study on the use of wireless phones, including cell phones and cordless phones, has uncovered a link between electromagnetic radiation exposures and the risk of malignant and non-malignant brain tumors.

Cell phones and cordless phones emit a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, radiation which can be absorbed by tissues and cells that come into close contact with the phone, e.g., the head and neck. The most conclusive evidence as to the dangers of cell phone and similar radiation exposures come from studies on long-term exposure (ten years or more) like this Swedish study.

This new study reveals that people who used cell phones and cordless phones for more than a year were at a 70% greater risk of brain cancer compared to those who used cell phones and cordless phones for a year or less. Those who used cell phones and cordless phones for more than 25 years were found to have a 300% greater risk of brain cancer than those who used cell phones and cordless phones for a year or less.

The total number of hours of cell phone and cordless phone use was found to be as important as the number of years of use. A quarter of the study's subjects were found to have lifetime cell phone or cordless phone use of 2,376 or more hours, which corresponds to about 40 minutes a day over ten years. Heavier users were found to have a 250% greater risk of brain tumors compared to those who'd never used cell phones or cordless phones or used them for less than 39 hours in their lifetime

This new study echoes the previous study findings of the decade long 13-nation Interphone study, which found a 180% greater risk of brain cancer among those who used cell phones for 1,640 or more hours in their lifetime. But it also goes further.

In this latest study, for all types of cell phone and cordless phone use, brain cancer risk was found to be greater in the part of the brain where the exposure to cell phone and cordless phone radiation was highest, on the side of the head where people predominantly used their phones."


If you use a cell or wireless phone, take these safety measures:

Limiting calls to those that are absolutely necessary on wireless devices
Using a speaker phone or air tube headset whenever possible

Keeping cell phones away from the body

Turning your cell phone off when not in use

Texting instead of talking

Alternating from one side of the head to the other when phoning

Avoiding using a cell phone when reception is poor

Using a corded land line whenever possible

Removing cordless phones from bedrooms

Call me an alarmist but it is something that must be considered. Do the investigation yourself, your health and well being may very well depend on it. Don't be like the habitual cigarette smoker who believes that lung cancer only happens to 'other' people.

Checklist For Success

Since we are all about being at the top of our game mentally and physically, what follows are a few attributes that Percy Cerutty believes are essential to achieve success. I believe he wrote the following in regards to athletic success, but, it's easy to see how they could be applied to any type of endeavor.

"1.Imagination.

2.Finding the way and means.

3.Self-discipline.

4.Concentration on task.

5.Persistence.

6.Faith in oneself.

7.The quality of 'rather die than give in or be ultimately beaten.'

8.The recognition, until one's goals are achieved, that one cannot serve two masters, that one goal must, and does, take precedence over the other.

9.The recognition, as we overcome so we strengthen to overcome better, and as we weaken in our resolves, so we become weaker and less capable of worthwhile achievement.

10.Total commitment to your goal."

Hard to find fault with the above. #6,like #5, is something that comes up frequently in these types of lists. For a lot of people, faith in oneself is the forgotten key to achieving your goal. Why can't you be the 'guy'? What don't you have that someone else has? Quite often the only thing the other person has that you don't have is confidence. Many of us need to change our way of thinking.

#2.Looking into the right program that will get you where you want to be as opposed to following a generic, one size fits all program is essential. Adapting it(program) to your strengths and weaknesses is vital. This takes a motivated and thoughtful individual.

Big day--25 minutes at 2/3's pace--oh yeah, 5 minute warm-up with a 10 minute warm-down--stretching after.

How was your day?

The Big 15--Lest We Forget

People who regularly exercise tend to forget the host of benefits associated with it--As a little refresher for those who may have forgotten, here's what regular exercise will do:

"1.Improve your brainpower.
2.Lower your blood pressure.
3.Fight off a cold.
4.Manage arthritis.
5.Lower your risk of heart disease.
6.Cure insomnia.
7. Fight depression.
8.Lower your risk of diabetes and reverse pre-diabetes symptoms.
9.Build strong bones
10.Helps in losing weight.
11.Reduse your risk of cancer.
12.Boost your I.Q. and think better.
13. Relieve chronic knee pain.
14. Increase your energy levels
15.Slow down your aging process."

#3 I was not aware of this but the following provides an explanation---
"Prolonged intense exercise causes immunosuppression, whereas moderate-intensity exercise improves immune function and potentially reduces risk and severity of respiratory viral infections."

As far as #'s 4,9 and 13--People who have been told that running will eventually lead to OA(osteoarthritis) are not being told the truth. Unless you are significantly overweight, jogging and fast walking actually strengthens your joints.

#12. "In 2006, Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois used MRIs to prove that aerobic exercise builds gray and white matter in the brains of older adults. Later studies found that more aerobically fit grade-schoolers also perform better on cognitive tests."

You should no sooner skip working out each day than you would skip eating or sleeping.

Tomorrow is the first day of the week.

40 minutes easy in Hugh MacRae Park-- a lazy hot day--lots of walking and stretching after.

What did you do?

 

Avoiding A Dreaded Disease

What's worse than contemplating your own mortality? How 'bout contemplating your demise from a slow lingering and progressive disease? Hmmm, nice light subject for a Friday night.
There are so many illnesses out there that can be delayed or prevented if we take personal action. If you believe there is no concrete proof that you can, then why not adopt certain health practices that at worst will only make you healthier? Sounds like the proverbial win-win situation to me.
The disease I'm referring to today is called Alzheimer's. Consider the following facts:

5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. It's estimated that up to 16 million will have the disease by 2050. One in eight Americans age 65 and over has Alzheimer's. Every 68 seconds, another American develops Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the 5th leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older. Alzheimer's deaths increased by 66 percent between 2000 and 2008.

The following is from the recent archives of a medical doctor/alternative practitioner(not Dr. Andrew Weil). Some of the recommendations and findings may seem a bit extreme to some but are based on scientific studies, not speculation.

Some strategies on lowering your risk of getting Alzheimer's Disease:

What is interesting and important to understand about chronic disease is that it very rarely exists in a bubble. What I mean is, if you are developing changes in your brain that are indicative of Alzheimer's, you're probably also experiencing signs of insulin resistance, such as diabetes or obesity.
And, meanwhile, you may also be showing signs of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, as, very often, chronic diseases are intricately intertwined; they're the product of imbalances in your body that are manifesting, likely after years spent festering just below the surface. This can actually be a good thing, however, as implementing a few simple techniques address the underlying causes of multiple chronic diseases, and Alzheimer's is no exception.
This includes:

• Optimize vitamin D. In 2007 researchers at the University of Wisconsin uncovered strong links between low levels of vitamin D in Alzheimer's patients and poor outcomes on cognitive tests. Scientists launched the study after family members of Alzheimer's patients who were treated with large doses of prescription vitamin D reported that they were acting and performing better than before.
Researchers believe that optimal vitamin D levels may enhance the amount of important biomolecules in your brain and protect brain cells. Vitamin D receptors have been identified throughout the human body, and that includes in your brain. Metabolic pathways for vitamin D exist in the hippocampus and cerebellum of the brain, areas that are involved in planning, processing of information, and the formation of new memories.
Sufficient vitamin D is also imperative for the proper functioning of your immune system to combat excessive inflammation, and, as mentioned earlier, other research has discovered that people with Alzheimer's tend to have higher levels of inflammation in their brains.

• Fructose. Ideally it is important to keep your level below 25 grams per day. This toxic influence is serving as an important regulator of brain toxicity. Since the average person is exceeding this recommendation by 300 percent this is a pervasive and serious issue. I view this as the MOST important step you can take. Additionally, when your liver is busy processing fructose (which your liver turns into fat), it severely hampers its ability to make cholesterol. This is yet another important facet that explains how and why excessive fructose consumption is so detrimental to your health.
• Keep your fasting insulin levels below 3. This is indirectly related to fructose, as it will clearly lead to insulin resistance. However other sugars, grains and lack of exercise are also factors here.
• Vitamin B12: According to a small Finnish study recently published in the journal Neurology, people who consume foods rich in B12 may reduce their risk of Alzheimer's in their later years. For each unit increase in the marker of vitamin B12 (holotranscobalamin) the risk of developing Alzheimer's was reduced by 2 percent. Very high doses of B vitamins have also been found to treat Alzheimer's disease and reduce memory loss.
• Eat a nutritious diet, rich in folate, such as the one described in my nutrition plan. Strict vegetarian diets have been shown to increase Alzheimer's risk, whereas diets high in omega-3's lower your risk. However, vegetables, without question, are your best form of folate, and we should all eat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day.
• High-quality animal based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil. (I recommend avoiding most fish because although fish is naturally high in omega-3, most fish are now severely contaminated with mercury.) High intake of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA helps by preventing cell damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, thereby slowing down its progression, and lowering your risk of developing the disorder. Researchers have also said DHA "dramatically reduces the impact of the Alzheimer's gene."
• Avoid and remove mercury from your body. Dental amalgam fillings are one of the major sources of mercury, however you should be healthy prior to having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in my optimized nutrition plan, you can follow the mercury detox protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed.
• Avoid aluminum, such as antiperspirants, non-stick cookware, vaccine adjuvants, etc.
• Exercise regularly. It's been suggested that exercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid precursor protein is metabolized, thus, slowing down the onset and progression of Alzheimer's. Exercise also increases levels of the protein PGC-1alpha. New research has shown that people with Alzheimer's have less PGC-1alpha in their brains, and cells that contain more of the protein produce less of the toxic amyloid protein associated with Alzheimer's. I would strongly recommend reviewing the Peak Fitness Technique for my specific recommendations.
• Avoid flu vaccinations as most contain both mercury and aluminum, as well as egg proteins (e.g. myelin basic protein), which the body may produce antibodies against and that cross-react with the myelin coating your nerves, in effect causing your immune system to attack your nervous system!
• Eat blueberries. Wild blueberries, which have high anthocyanin and antioxidant content, are known to guard against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases.
• Challenge your mind daily. Mental stimulation, especially learning something new, such as learning to play an instrument or a new language, is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's. Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to build up your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease.
• Avoid anticholinergic and statin drugs. Drugs that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have been shown to increase your risk of dementia. These drugs include certain night-time pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain narcotic pain relievers.
One study⁸ found that those who took drugs classified as 'definite anticholinergics' had a four times higher incidence of cognitive impairment. Regularly taking two of these drugs further increased the risk of cognitive impairment. Statin drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress the synthesis of cholesterol, which is one of the primary building blocks of your brain. As Dr. Stephanie Seneff reports:
"Statin drugs interfere with cholesterol synthesis in the liver, but the lipophilic statin drugs (like lovastatin and simvastatin) also interfere with the synthesis of cholesterol in the brain. This would then directly impact the neurons' ability to maintain adequate cholesterol in their membranes. Indeed, a population-based study showed that people who had ever taken statins had an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, a hazard ratio of 1.21. More alarmingly, people who used to take statins had a hazard ratio of 2.54 (over two and a half times the risk to Alzheimer's) compared to people who never took statins."

I can't stress this point enough, take control of your personal health, do not leave it in the hands of others!

More Than Just Fitness

"Physical fitness programs have long been based on the desire to lead a long life, to forestall heart attacks, to feel better generally or to improve your figure. No one ever told us that the body determined our mental and spiritual energies. That with the new body we can put on the new person and build a new life, the life we were always designed to lead but lost with the body we enjoyed in our youth."
George Sheehan, runner, writer, physician.

Consider the words of Dr. Sheehan, particularly the last sentence. It's true, it's a message that I wish everyone could hear and heed.

35 minutes with 30 second pick-up added throughout the run--stretching after.

What did you do?

A Few Thoughts

Strangely, I was watching the News this evening, something I normally never do. Part of me just wanted to watch it to find out what the weather was going to be like tomorrow, while the other part just sat there not wanting to do anything. Well, they ran a feature on an upcoming show called The Biggest Loser. The contestants on this show were all morbidly obese, one was a past runner-up on American Idol. What struck me was how these people recognized that they had to lose weight and assumed diet and exercise were what was needed to reach their weight loss goals. You can't argue with that assertion. Some of the contestants were pictured indulging in their favorite foods like pizza with blue cheese dressing and hot dogs with a huge amount of condiments on them. I got to wondering how the moderators were going to approach the dietary regimens of these people. I say this because I've noticed the trend these days with dieting involves either cutting down on food intake or eating smaller meals four to six times a day. I've seen the various weight loss companies taking this approach, some even have the audacity to say you can still eat the foods you love and lose weight. This may be true but is it good advice?

What needs to be told to everyone, irregardless of their weight, is that many foods should never be eaten by anyone on a regular basis because they will clog your arteries and do nothing to promote good health. They will in fact diminish your quality of life by causing you to feel lethargic and unmotivated. Fat laden foods, rich desserts, certain drinks and fried foods should be viewed as poisonous to your system because that's what they are, poison. To make matters worse, they are addicting.

People who have lost large amounts of weight most often gain it all back, that's because they haven't seen foods for what they are and what they aren't.

Wondering what this country would be like if everyone just ate to live, not lived to eat.

Six big hours on my feet lifting and walking, feel like I ran 15 miles.

How was your day?

Free Your Mind

I often speak of simplifying, getting along with less, etc., but, there is something else we need to do, and that's uncluttering our minds. Here's what I mean by this, don't allow yourself to get mentally caught up in things you have no control over. I have known so many people who are preoccupied with News and Talk shows that deal with current and controversial issues, often becoming unsettled and agitated by what they hear. To what end does getting upset lead? It certainly is not a health promoting reaction. There is little if anything you can do to change what is getting you upset on the television and the radio, so why bother watching or listening to it? An example, Nationalized Healthcare in the U.S, people are going absolutely ballistic over this, again, to what end? Is anything going to change because of your response?

Seek out healthier and more positive outlets to view and be a part of.

Don't get manipulated by a media and other sources that create, or fuel, controversies for their own agenda.

Be an individual.

 It was a Beautiful day today--- a lazy, easy 45 minutes in the woods with stretching after.

What did you do?