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According to research summarized in the March 2008 Fats of Life and PUFA Newsletter electronic publications, show that omega-3s may improve recovery from spinal cord injury and dry eye syndrome.

The effect of fish oil consumption on arterial elasticity, which allows for more rapid blood flow, was examined in China in overweight patients with high blood pressure. Participants who took 900 mg of seafood omega-3s daily for eight weeks had a 21% increase in arterial elasticity.

"While blood pressure did not change in these participants, their arterial elasticity significantly improved," said Editor Joyce Nettleton, D.Sc. "This observation suggests another way in which these omega-3s protect heart health."

A US study reported that marine omega-3s prevented atrial fibrillation-
uncontrolled rapid trembling -- from developing in animals with fast heartbeats. By increasing the heart's recovery time, the omega-3s prevented abnormal rhythms from becoming established.

I don't know about you but I think this research is astounding and I hope the results are looked into further. I know with research and statistics the information you actually receive is typically skewed. When people test theories and such they typically set things up in a biased fashion, even if they are unaware they are doing so. However, at least studies like this tend to warrant more research and that is always a good thing.

SOURCE

Labels: omega 3

Last night I ate a bowl of cereal for dinner, a FiberOne cereal, the honey flavor, it's really good. Anyway, the back of the box had all this content about eating healthy and such. There was an entire paragraph devoted to how eating a bowl of cereal at breakfast can actually help you maintain a proper body weight.

Then this morning I see an article about the very same topic at WomensHealthMagazine.com, coincidence, I think not. It's a fact, a truth known to Mom's forever I might add. But since research and data has been "officially" collected now then I suppose there will be less eye-rolling, I don't know.

"Researchers from the University of Minnesota studied the eating and exercise habits of 2,216 teens for five years and found that the more often a person ate breakfast, the lower the (Body Mass Index) BMI."

Read more at Journal Watch >>

Labels: breakfast, children, obesity, weight gain

Now that the Easter Egg hunting has commenced, I think it's only fair we talk about the candy which is now all over our houses.

Don't worry too much if your kids like the Peeps, star bursts or fruit snacks but let's face it those items are not necessarily the number one candy on kids' lists, right?

The chocolate bunnies whether hollow or solid are both high in fat and sugar. Other offenders in the candy world are jelly beans, peanut butter cups and the foil-packaged chocolate eggs. Don't believe me, well look at the facts; just one half of a solid chocolate bunny has 26 grams of fat, 460 calories and 42 grams of sugar. The recommended intake of sugar per day is only 40 grams. See the problem? While jelly beans are low in fat, they have a lot of sugar and calories. Just 13 jelly beans will put your sugar intake up at 27 grams. Just 13!

So if your kids crave chocolate and won't touch the marshmallows or fruit snacks, then try and give them a tootsie roll they are much lower in both fat and sugar. It's also filling because tootsie rolls require more chewing, it takes longer to eat them and kids think they have eaten more that way.

Of course it's all up to you. If you're like me you started throwing away some of the candy already. Braeden eats solid chocolate only, typically in the form of Hershey kisses. But he certainly has a variety of other goodies to choose from and that worries me. I want my boy to eat more, but I'd rather it be sweet corn than sweet jelly beans. =o)

SOURCE

Labels: candy, children, diet

Sometimes I'll notice a twinge of pain in my chest. It may or may not be associated with stress, I don't know for sure, but it frightens me. Often I will notice my breathing patterns change when this happens and sometimes tension in my shoulder.

This afternoon I read an article which discussed the frequencies of chest pain in men versus women. These pains in women are more than likely to signify future problems with heart disease. That's a scary thought. Here is am less than a week from turning 27 years old and I'm feeling chest pains. Oh the life of stress. I bet June Cleaver never dealt with this issue.

The study shows women are 20% more likely than men to suffer from chest pain, known as stable angina. With stable angina, pain is predictable and present only during exertion or extreme emotional distress, disappearing with rest. Well holy mackenzie folks, where is my ding ding ding.

What Causes Angina? According to WebMD:

When blood flow to an area of the heart is decreased, it impairs the delivery of oxygen and vital nutrients to the heart muscle cells. When this happens, the heart muscle must use alternative, less efficient forms of fuel so that it can perform its function of pumping blood to the body. The byproduct of using this less efficient fuel is a compound called lactic acid that builds up in the muscle and causes pain.

I'm not going to run off to the hospital and demand an EKG but this does concern me. And I don't fancy myself an internet hypochondriac, but I bet a lot of women are feeling a little nervous right now.

In the study, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers analyzed 53 studies on stable angina involving more than 400,000 people from 31 countries.

Overall, 13,331 cases of angina were reported among women and 11,511 among men. The results showed that women consistently suffered from higher rates of stable angina than men, regardless of age or menopausal status.

Even more upsetting is the fact that women with chest pain tend to be treated less seriously than men with chest pain. This has been an ongoing issue in the news for years and it is a shame but perhaps now with this study and the stats that came from it, women will be treated more equally.

Labels: angina, heart

Bring Me Up is attempting to honor "green" for a St. Patrick's Day theme. Starting with the wellness section because I thought it would be fun to know the psychological effects of the color green.

Green is supposed to signify balance or harmony. It is also the color for universal love and as we all know well it is the color for environmental awareness. On a negative side, green also tends to trigger boredom and if you've ever seen a still pond then you know it is the color of stagnation.

Likewise, when we think of green we tend to think of a healthy nature, which means there is plenty of water and a less chance of famine. You wouldn't think a brown four leaf clover was lucky would you?

In a more physiological manner, green requires no adjustment to your eye and is therefore considered a restful color. It also happens to be in the center of the spectrum which might be why people say green is the color of envy. It's the center. Ahhh yes, now you understand. =o)

So there you have it? Let me know what I missed.

Labels: green

Inspiring wellness news for you on this Friday morning.

John Schulz of Glastonbury, Connecticut will travel to Washington, D.C., on April 1, 2008, to meet with congressional leaders and gain their support for restoration of the Americans with Disabilities Act, support for epilepsy public health programs and more research toward a cure for epilepsy.

Obviously this is good news, but what makes this even more special is the fact that John Schulz has been named a new National Epilepsy Spokesperson and he is only 13 years old.

Schulz is one of 50 young people with epilepsy participating in Kids Speak Up!, a national program coordinated by the Epilepsy Foundation with support from Abbott. The program rallies young ambassadors with epilepsy between the ages of 7 and 16 to advocate for the more than 3 million Americans living with the condition. There will be a child under the age of 17 in each state who will be nationally recognized as a spokesperson for epilepsy. You can check at the foundation's website to find out who will be sponsoring your state. In my home state of Delaware, Peter Serwik of Middletown has been chosen. Congrats to all of you!

Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition in children and each year approximately 45,000 children under age 17 are diagnosed with the disorder.

Labels: epilepsy, neurology

Unexplainable to me: Woman Sits On Boyfriend's Toilet For Two Years

Oh I am sure there is an explanation but at this particular moment I am just in shock over this article. First of all let's brief it for you okay... A woman sat on a toilet with sweatpants down, so her bare arse was on the toilet seat, right. And she didn't move for TWO YEARS. Her boyfriend finally decided something must be wrong and he called for medical help the end of February.

How many things are wrong with the last paragraph? I'm not talking grammatical folks. How in God's name could her boyfriend have waited two years to seek help for her? Either they are both mentally unwell or he is a negligent asshole who was verbally forcing her to stay by via threats OR he just didn't care and it took two years for her to start smelling funky.

What in the world is going on!

Labels: unbelievable

I'm sure you've read about how 1 in 4 teenage girls in the US have an STD. So I'm not even going to go there because it totally freaks me out!

Survivors of a heart attack are put on all sorts of regimens to keep themselves moving onward and upward when it comes to the ladder of good health. However, doctors are finding many of the patients are not following the guidelines and advice which is obviously life threatening. This finding prompted a study on whether or not reminder letters would help patients to actually do what they were told.

So 836 heart attack survivors in the US were put into a study group. Half of them got two letters, sent two months apart, about the importance of taking beta-blockers. "During the nine-month study, patients who got the reminder letters were more likely to fill their beta-blocker prescriptions. They were 17% more likely than patients in the comparison group to have their beta-blocker prescription filled at least 80% of the time."

Really? I'm not the most health conscious cat in the world and I should take better card of myself but I hardly think I'd require a reminder letter, or two, to be reminded to take my medicine after having a heart attack! I think these people need to be put in a different study, like one for depression or something because if they care so little about themselves then something's going on upstairs. Mmmkay.

SOURCE

Labels: heart

Bah. There's no way to discuss this topic without grossing you out, but it's an important issue. Especially with my family because it runs in the family and at young ages actually.

New research shows that flat lesions within the lining of the colon and rectum may be more likely to be cancerous than polyps. Known as nonpolypoid colorectal neoplasms, they were found in roughly 9% of patients who underwent colonoscopy in the new study, published in today's edition of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Since these lesions are difficult to spy, a special dye was used to highlight subtle changes seen with standard high-resolution colonoscopy. It was also strictly important to be sure to clear all waste from your intestines following the orders you received before a colonoscopy. Bleck. I have had one done and the procedure was simple compared to the horrible drink you have to wash down that cleans ya out.

Since the size of the lesions did not appear to be a factor in whether or not they contained cancer cells it's even more important that your doctor really takes their time when doing the procedure.

I think if your family has a history of colon cancer and you haven't had a colonoscopy done within the last five years you should schedule an appointment ASAP. And be sure to mention these lesions just so the doctor is aware that YOU are aware. =o)

SOURCE: Soetikno, R.M. The Journal of the American Medical Association, March 5, 2008; vol 299.

New York Times Article

Labels: colon cancer

My brother worked for a shoe store for several years. He eventually became a manager. During his sales career he went to several conferences and trainings to learn more about the different shoes the store carried. This was a pricey and prestigious store mind you.

He listened to and watched lectures while also reading all the fine print about a variety of special walking shoes.

There is a study out right now which could refute everything he learned. Of course studies are mostly taken with a grain of salt because tomorrow a new one could be reported which would state the opposite.

"Although insoles can cushion the feet, they don't address the alignment issues that can lead to back pain, says Judy Baumhauer, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons."

SOURCE

Labels: back pain

Pardon me while I continue hacking up a lung. This never ending cold just seems to enjoy lingering in my bronchial tubes.

I'll tell you what we're not going to talk about today. We won't be discussing the latest study regarding increased levels of allergens in your home and how they may be linked to asthma. Because if you seriously don't see a connection there and needed a study to tell you then you are far beyond my reach anyway.

Instead I would like to discuss the importance of zebrafish. There is a the faint line running down each side of the fish that enables it to sense its surroundings. "The fish's lateral line contains sensory cells that are functionally similar to those found in the inner ear, except these are on the surface of the fish's body, making them more easily accessible," said James F. Battey, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., director of the NIDCD. "This means that scientists can very efficiently analyze the sensory structures under different conditions to find out what is likely to cause damage to these structures and, conversely, what can protect them from damage."

Who knew studying these striped fish could help to understand hearing in humans. Oh what a world, what a world. I'm not saying I feel we should kill all these fish or anything, but I do think the study is beneficial. Does that make me cruel? I mean these fish reproduce in high numbers and are not lacking.

I think the study is very interesting. Intuitively I knew fish could sense things, but I wasn't aware of the lateral line and it is fascinating. I think a lot of studies could be done with those particular cells. I'm looking forward to hearing more about this in the future.

SOURCE

Labels: ears, fish, hearing