Happy Healthy Long Life

My Simple Sweet Sleep Challenge. Inspired by Two Unlikely Non-Sleep Experts, Dr. Kelly McGonigal & Dr. Eric Topol

 

 

Let the Sleep Challenge Begin!!

Who's in?

I Hope You'll Join Me.

If you received this post via email, just click here to get to the web version, for a video, all the links, & to write or read the comments.

 

Dr. Eric Topol

"Sleep is much more important than we realize.  We're so wired to our wirless devices that we're not getting enough sleep--and that of course engenders a higher incidence of obesity, diabetes, depression, & all sorts of things."  

Dr. Eric Topol, a renowned cardiologist & digital medical tech guru at the Scripps Institute, ran his own clinical trial with MyZeo, a home sleep monitoring device, & discovered several mistakes he was making that compromised his quality of sleep.

By changing his behavior he was able to promote better sleep--a better quality sleep, & improve the most important phase three deep sleep & the phase four REM sleep.

1.  Power down the technology an hour before sleep.  No email or searching the web.

2.  Become more rigid & consistent about going to sleep earlier & at the same time.  

3.  Why do we need to get to sleep earlier?  The best sleep--the deepest sleep--occurs in the first third of the night.  If you go to sleep later, you are losing out--going against your own body's clock.

These simple changes made a tremendous difference to the quality of Topol's sleep--but, he stresses that every individual may need to change different factors to improve their own sleep.

 Eric Topol, MD, is the Chief Academic Officer at Scripps Health and the director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute. Dr. Topol is the author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care. 

 

My Back Story

 

 

I slept like a baby while on vacation.

What was I doing differently?   No computer.  No iPhone.  No TV.  I went to sleep around 10 o'lock, & I was able to get 8 hours of sleep.  I felt amazing.

The first week back to work, I reverted to my old habits.  Stayed up too late.  Was on the computer in the evening, right before I went to bed.  I got up at 5:30 or 6:00 am, so I only got around 6 hours of sleep, at best.

On Wednesday night after a long day at work, I willpowered myself to take a walk when I got home, even though it was late, 7:20 pm.  

I brought along my iPhone & serendipitously selected a People's Pharmacy podcast from last December:  Dr. Kelly McGonigal, on "The WIllpower Instinct".   

McGonigal is a treasure trove of research & evidence on how to change habits, and she motivated me to try to improve my sleep time.  I need my 8 hours of sleep a night and I wasn't getting it! 

What's McGonigal's advice on changing a habit--and improving your willpower to do it?

Start small.  Don't try to do too much at once.  Pick something, & be consistent.

Read more about McGonigal on her Psychology Today, "Science of Willpower Blog"  and a recent NYT article about her.

My simple sleep improvement plan:

1.  Turn off my computer & iPhone at 9:00 pm

2.  Up to bed at 9:30.  Read until I'm sleepy.  Lights out at 10:00 pm

We'll see.

Here's what I posted on Facebook yesterday:

I've got the diet & exercise habits pretty well mastered.

Here's my next habit to use my willpower on: Going to Sleep no later than 10:00 pm so I can get 7 1/2 or 8 hours of sleep. Nothing feels better than being well-rested. 

I often stay up later than I should--& before I know it, it's 11:30. Big mistake.

Everything goes better with sleep! That's my new motto. Anyone care to join me working on this habit?  (lots of you said, "Yes!")

 

Here's what I posted this morning, after my first night:

Sleep Challenge--Night 1: My goal--get 7.5-8 hours good quality sleep.

The Plan (at least on Sunday through Thurs.)

1. Computer/iPhone is OFF at 9:00 pm.

2. Lights dimmed if I watch any TV before going to bed.

3. Up to bed to read at 9:30 pm. 

4.  Lights out at 10:00 pm.

Honestly, this NEVER would have happened if I didn't go public about trying this. Glad I did.

What happened?  Success. I followed the plan. By 10 I was ready for lights out. Fell right to sleep. Woke up at 3 & 5 (normal for me) & went right back to sleep. I feel so well rested & raring to go. Ah, sweet sleep! 8 hours of it.How did you do? I'm determined to keep this up.

Hope you join me.

The research on sleep is unequivocal. We need more than we think. Turning off the computer early matters! Going to bed early (if you have a day job) makes a difference!

 

 

What Our Body Clock is Trying to Tell Us

 

Here's an excerpt from one of my all-time-oldie-but-goodie posts:  

Maximize Your Energy-Match Your Tasks To Your Daily Energy Levels

• 8-10 pm: Time to wind down & relax.  Melatonin rises quickly at this time. 80% of our serotonin, our "perky hormone", comes from the sun.  So when the sun fades, so do we. Suddenly we go from awake to drowsy.  We're like Cinderellas approaching midnight.  That's why you always feel better when you get home early from work, instead of fighting the "hormone flow" & working late or attending evening meetings.  We need this time to wind down.  It's true for me.  Now is the time to slow down and not feel guilty about it.  The brain is tired. It's time for a "mindless" activity like TV or a relaxing activity like knitting. Stay away from the computer or brain stimulating games or books. It will mess with your sleep!  I guess if I'm going to flop  down on the couch, I better stick to a novel, the newspaper or magazines.  Tip #1: Dim the lights a little to insure that you keep your melatonin high. Tip #2: Beware of alcohol this late in the day.  It will disturb your sleep.


• 10 pm or later:  Get to bed! There's no way around this if you want to be sharp and in a good mood the next morning! Get your 7-9 hours without exception.  This is not an option.  Your brain needs the time to consolidate memories and learning.  Your body needs the time to repair and rejuvenate. Lack of sleep will impair your mood, memory, logical reasoning, motor dexterity,  attention, executive function, appetite, and immune system.  Enough said.  Nod off with a book.  Keep your room dark or use eye shades (really!), to keep your melatonin high.  For previous posts on sleep, click here  and here!

 

My Zeo:  Topol's Digital Sleep Coach Trial

 

Dr. Eric Topol tested this device out on himself, & it coached him to better quality sleep.  Imagine having your very own EEG device, tied to an alarm clock & a head band that monitors your brain waves while you're sleeping?

It gave tech-geek Topol lots & lots of personal sleep data; charts, graphs & a Z-Q Score to let him know how well he slept.  The higher the score, the better the quality of sleep.  Starting out, he got a 67.  By turning off his computer an hour before sleep, & getting to bed earlier, he boosted his score to 90.  

It also showed him how he compared to other people in his age group.

Can't vouch for the device, but, the cost is fairly reasonable, starting at $99 on up.   

Read about My Zeo here.

 

Dr. Eric Topol's TED Tech Talk

 

The  2 minute segment on My Zeo starts at 8:35 minutes into the video

If you don't see the video on your screen, click here

 

 

Sleep: Without 7 or 8 Hours You Won't Be at the Top of Your Game

 

A repost from February 10, 2008--three weeks after starting Happy Healthy Long Life

Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds.  ~JoJo Jensen, Dirt Farmer Wisdom, 2002

 

Dr. Eve Van Cauter, a sleep researcher and professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, says Americans have got it all wrong.  We take pride in how little sleep we get, as if getting 8 hours of sleep was for slackers.  Oh how wrong we are!

Only 10% of us can get by on 5  hours a night.  That's for the Bill Clintons & Martha Stewarts of the world.  But then Dr. Van Cauter reminds us that Clinton had heart surgery in his 50s with no obvious risk factors.

The plain truth is, we all need 7 hours at the minimum, and 8 to 9 hours to really shine.  Sleep is necessary to restore our bodies, regulate our hormones, consolidate learning, keep our immune system functioning, and keep us emotionally stable. It is not an option!  Dr. David Dinges of the University of Pennsylvania, says if he put you in his sleep lab, and deprived you of sleep, it would only take a few days until you showed some serious impairments.  But the strange thing is, some people think they're just fine.  It's like a Catch-22, Dr. Dinges explains:

 

People (who have been deprived of sleep) often say, oh I'm good to go.  And it is the disconnect between your ability to introspect your alertness and impairment and how impaired you actually are cognitively is why we think a lot people believe that they're doing just fine when if fact they're not...

 

Dr. William Dement, chief of Stanford University's Division of Sleep, describes some of the devasting consequences of all the sleep-deprived people walking among us.  Aside from all the innocent victims of fatal truck accidents caused by sleep-deprived truck drivers, he reminds us of all the serious mistakes made at the hands of sleep-deprived workers.  A biggie was someone who forgot to convert inches to centimeters in the $6 billion mistake in the Mars mission!

So, what can we look forward to if we actually go to sleep early and get those 8 hours?  Besides actually feeling rested, in a good mood, more apt to lose weight, better concentration, patience and getting fewer colds?  Dr. Dement may convince you with this:

 

We've actually been studying this very closely in recent years, that if you take any individual and have them get extra sleep, their performance improves.  It's always like here's my personal best. I'm at my personal - well, it gets better (with the extra sleep). And that's a big surprise.

 

Dr. Dement is concerned that people feel they have too much to do to take the time for a good 8 hours, but yet they aren't knowledgeable enough about sleep to know that if they compromise the hours they get each night, their abilities to do what they have to do are severely decreased.

 

We were studying basketball players recently, and as you know, they have a personal best.  I can shoot 7 out 10 foul shots, and that's my absolute best.  They get extra sleep, it becomes 8 out of 10... People need to know that!

(so here it is folks)...the choice is going through life losing an hour of sleep at night, going through life as a zombie, or - giving up that one hour of being a zombie, for being wide awake, alert and at your peronal best all day long.  And I think the main thing is, a lot of people just haven't experienced that since they were kids.

 

And Dr. Dement's parting words, the take home message:

 

So when we actually do our sleep debt reduction maneuvers, people say, oh my God, I haven't felt this great in years! I didn't realize - and they are motivated to maintain it- and maintain the schedule.

What helps me:

Knowing that we actually sleep in two phases. It's a myth that we sleep 8 solid hours. There are 2 phases of 4 hours each, with a semi-wakeful state in the middle.  This is supposed to happen. When you wake up at 3 in the morning, resist the urge to get up, or look at the clock, or start thinking too much.  You will fall back to sleep. Give it some time.

Wishing you all sweet dreams! Do you notice a difference when you get a good night's sleep?  Do you need 8 hours to be at your best?

 

 

 

Want More Sleep Tips?   Dr. Mark Hyman's Sleep Rules

Excerpted from a January 12, 2010 HHLL Post

Dr. Hyman recommends these "rules" to get us back to our natural sleep rhythms.  "It may take weeks or months, but using these tools in a coordinated way will eventually reset our biological rhythms." 

Hyman learned the hard way that even doctors can't compromise on sleep.

 

1.  Prioritize sleep, or suffer the consequences.

2.  Wind down, dim the lights, reduce mental stimuli, get off the computer two hours before sleep!  Do something more mentally relaxing. Take a little "holiday" before getting to bed in order to get your system physically and psychologically ready for sleep.  I've found this practice makes a major difference in my sleep quality.

3.  Practice the regular rhythms of sleep--go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.  Every single time I have to change my regular wake-up schedule in order to start work at 7:00 am, I have a terrible night's sleep!

4.  Use your bed for sleep and romance only--not reading or television. (I disagree! Reading in bed makes me sleepy)

5.  Create total darkness and quiet--consider using eye shades, earplugs, or a white noise machine.

6.  Avoid caffeine--it may seem to help you stay awake but it actually makes your sleep worse.

7.  Avoid alcohol--it helps you get to sleep but causes interruptions in sleep and poor-quality sleep.

8.  Get regular exposure to daylight for at least 20 minutes daily--the light from the sun enters your eyes and triggers your brain to release specific chemicals and hormones like melatonin that are vital to healthy sleep, mood, and aging.  Consider using a special light in the morning, like the Philips goLite BLU in the winter.

9.  Eat no later than three hours before bed--eating a heavy meal prior to bed will lead to a bad night's sleep.

10.  Don't exercise vigorously after dinner--it excites the body and makes it more difficult to get to sleep.

11.  Write your worries down--one hour before bed, write down the things that are causing you anxiety and make plans for what you might have to do the next day to reduce your worry.  It will free up your mind and energy to move into deep and restful sleep.

12.  Take a hot salt/soda/aromatherapy bath--raising your body temperature before bed helps to induce sleep. A hot bath also relaxes your muscles and reduces tension physically and psychologically. By adding one-and-a-half to one cup of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) and one-and-a-half to one cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to your bath, you will gain the benefits of magnesium absorbed through your skin and the alkaline-balancing effects of the baking soda, both of which help with sleep.  This was something I remember both my parents used to do, and neither had sleeping problems.

13.  Get a massage or stretch before bed--this helps relax the body making it easier to fall asleep.

14.  Warm your middle--this raises your core temperature and helps trigger the proper chemistry for sleep. Either a hot water bottle, heating pad, or warm body can do the trick.  My heated mattress pad works well for pre-heating my bed in the winter.

15.  Avoid medications that interfere with sleep--these include sedatives (these are used to treat insomnia, but ultimately lead to dependence and disruption of normal sleep rhythms and architecture), antihistamines, stimulants, cold medication, steroids, and headache medication that contains caffeine (such as Fioricet).

16.  Use herbal therapies--try passionflower, or 320 mg to 480 mg of valerian (valeriana officinalis) root extract standardized to 0.2 percent valerenic acid one hour before bed.  On occasion I've tried the valerian/hops combo and lemon balm recommended by herbal expert Dr. Tieraona Low Dog and they worked well.  Click here to read more. 

17.  Take 200 to 400 mg of magnesium citrate or glycinate before bed--this relaxes the nervous system and muscles. If you already take a magnesium supplement, just take it before bed, instead of in the morning.

18.  Other supplements and herbs can be helpful in getting some shuteye--try calcium, theanine (an amino acid from green tea), GABA, 5-HTP, and magnolia.

19.  Try one to three mg of melatonin at night--melatonin helps stabilize your sleep rhythms. I've taken melatonin on occasion, and it definitely helped me.

20.  Get a relaxation, meditation or guided imagery CD--any of these may help you get to sleep.

 

A big thank-you to Betsy K. for the heads-up about Topol & sleep!

 

Are You In?

I Hope So.

Share How It's Going & What Works for You.

Help, I've Got Too Much on My Plate! Time for a Giant Serving of Rock & Siegel's "Healthy Mind Platter"

 

 Packed & Ready for My Dawn through Dusk "Too-Busy" Day.  Calgon--Take Me Away!

 

Arriving at work with a change of clothes, lunch, dinner, a Green Smoothie, & my Mac for my after-work Keynote lesson at Apple.  

Did I forget anything important, like underwear?  

I may be smiling, but inside, I'm thinking, "Gee, a week-long silent meditation retreat or a week at the beach is where I'd rather be right now."

 

 

"[I]t seems we've entered an ERA of OVERWHELM. 

A time when too many people's mental well-being is being stretched through multi-tasking, fragmented attention and information overload.

The trouble is, we are short on simple, clear information about good mental habits.

Few people know about what it takes to have optimum mental health, and the implications of being out of balance.

Without good information about the mind and brain, we may be stretching ourselves in ways that may have bigger implications than poor eating habits."

-Dr. David Rock, the executive director of the NeuroLeadership Institute, writing for the Harvard Business Review blog, "Maintain Your Mental Well-Being"

 

If you received this via email, click here to get to the web page with all the links, & to leave a comment. I love comments.

 

First off, a GIANT THANK YOU, for all the wonderful suggestions, stories, & advice so many of you sent me about "Centenarian Strategies".  I can't tell you how much I appreciated everything you generously shared.

If I didn't get back to you personally, please forgive me.  I read & appreciate every email & comment--but sometimes I just plain old "run out of time" to write back to everyone.  I always intend to--it just doesn't always happen.  If you didn't get a chance to read all the comments--and they're worth reading--click here.

 

I Need to Whine!  Sorry.

You all know how it is.

You already have barely enough time in your day to finish what you absolutely need to do.

Throw in one more thing, and it can instantly propel you into SERIOUS OVERLOAD!  AKA, STRESS.

Well, that's how I've been feeling this past week--ever since I started to learn Apple's Keynote presentation software & get my "Centenarian Strategies" presentation put together.

Now that I'm obsessed with learning all of Keynote's bells & whistles, I'm staying up way too late, & getting up way too early.  I don't do well with sleep deprivation.

On Tuesday night, I got totally obsessed with changing the presentation's template, and figuring out how to make tables, insert video into the presentation, incorporate moving shapes, and all kinds of cool gizmos--I really didn't have time to fool with.  Like an addict--I couldn't stop.  

I never got to bed until 1:30 am--and I had to be up at 5:30 am to get to work on Wednesday.   And I'm someone who must get her 7-8 hours of sleep!   Amazing what the lack of sleep can do to one's mood, patience, & disposition.  Hint: It's not recommended.

Then on Thursday, I was up early to get to the gym before work, and then after work, I had to head to the Apple Store for a One-on-One Keynote session, which further filled my brain with even more information--that I didn't think I needed to know--but I did.  Aaarggh!!

By the time I got home at 9:00 pm the Lab Rat was calling me from Nicaragua (yeah, he's all relaxed, enjoying a beer & having a fine old time in Nicaragua).  That's a whole other story.

Meantime, I'm starving.  I need food fast!  And I still have to water all of his flower, vegetable, & kale seedlings in the basement--and then practice what I had learned at Apple before I forget it all.  

Good thing I slept like a rock last night. 

 

Here's What My Thursday Looked Like

 

 

Breakfast: Chocolate Oatmeal with Berries, Chia, & Walnuts Before I Left Home

 

Hitting the Gym Before Work for a One Hour Heart-Thumping Weight Work-Out

 Got My Green Smoothie Packed in My Lunch Box

 

Homemade Chipotle Hummus on Pita to Munch On While I Work

 

It's a full work-day at the library.  Literature searches, tracking down unusual papers, articles, & books that could be anywhere in the U.S. or Canada.  The usual assorted library problem-solving. A long meeting.  Answering some complicated research questions.  The routine daily stuff.

 

My Mid-Afternoon Late Lunch.  An OMG Fabulous Salad with Upton's Chorizo Sauteed in Salsa, Along with Tomatoes, Roasted Corn, Avocado & Topped with My Crazy Chia Southwestern Lime Dressing--Highly Recommended

 

 

My Kitchen Island is Piled High with Articles & Books Nagging Me to Work When I Just Want to Go Outside & Play

 

Help!

I've got giant dust bunnies under my bed!

I've got laundry to do!

The chair in my bedroom is draped with 3 days worth of clothes!

I'm way overdue for a haircut & color.

I feel badly that I haven't written a blog post in a week and a half.

I need to get this presentation finished ASAP!  

My sister-in-law is coming to visit this week & I don't even have time to take off to just play with her.

And it's Spring.  It's 70+ degrees outside.  I don't want to work inside.  I don't want to read another thing today.

I don't want to learn another thing.

I just want to play!

Prescription:  I need a Hefty Serving of "Rock & Siegel's Healthy Mind Platter",  pronto!!

So what did I do this morning?   I closed my computer.  I headed out to the park with my friend Janet & her 2 Labs, & we walked & talked for an hour in the woods--trying to dodge mud puddles and horse poop, & crossing a creek or two.  Check out my only pair of athletic shoes.

Do I feel better?  Well, a little.  But, I know I won't feel totally "chill" until I've mastered Keynote (but I'm getting closer), & put this presentation puppy to bed! 

 

 

 Spring is Here!  Daffodils in My Front Yard

 

Walking in the Woods with My Friend Janet, & Halle & Callie

Crossing the Creek - Halle & Callie Lead the Way

 

Stuck in the Mud - Can You Wash Shoes in a Washing Machine?

 

 

Centenarian Strategy Number Three--This One's the Hardest & Maybe the Most Important of All

 

I have no problem making time for focused learning, or exercising, or working.  Why is that?

But, when I have too much to do, it's hard to stop, & take time out for these FIVE activities.  And, let me tell you--if you skip them, you do so at your own peril.  It will make you cranky, nasty, & unhappy.

As far as I'm concerned, the Healthy Mind Platter rocks, & it's as necessary to our health & happiness as diet & exercise is.

1. Get enough sleep!

2. Connect with friends!

3. Quiet reflection & meditation.

4. Down time!

5. Play Time!

 

 

Brain Food: Rock & Siegel's Healthy Mind Platter of the Seven Essential Daily Activities for Maintaining Well-Being

I originally posted this on June 24, 2011.

While working on the "Centenarian Strategies" presentation, I knew the Healthy Mind Platter was going to be an important part of my message.  As far as I'm concerned, it's right up there with diet & exercise, for a Happy, Healthy, Long Life!

 

Every now & then I read something that's so wise, yet so simple--that rings true to my own experiences--that helps me to better understand my everyday reactions & feelings--and then gives me clear directions on how to make positive change happen in my life.

That's exactly what discovering Dr. David Rock & Dr. Daniel Siegel's, "Healthy Mind Platter"  has done for me.  Riffing off of the USDA's brand new Choose My Plate  recommendations for a healthy diet--Rock & Siegel have incorporated the latest neuropsychological research to visually share with us the 7 daily  activities needed for  "good mental nutrition."  

Sometimes you just have to hear common sense advice from an "expert" to really believe it!

 

• Ever notice how cranky, impatient, & fuzz-thinking you feel after a night of too-little sleep?
• Is there any comparison between a long walk & heart-to-heart talk with a close friend versus connecting via emails, texts, or phone calls?
• What about all those constant interruptions at work--or at home--when you're trying to complete a project that takes a lot of mental focus?  The emails, phone calls, barrage of questions, comments, and the daily work chatter.  Can anyone really concentrate in a cubicle office?  What about the sheer joy you feel when you're so focused on a project that you completely lose track of time?
• And how often do you allow yourself the luxury of 100% do-nothing piddle around unscheduled time at home?   Rarely--I'm guessing.  Whoever just sits on a park bench, their couch, or in their backyard--or drives in their car or "ambles about"-without being connected or plugged into something that takes up all their attention--like the radio, an iPhone or iPod, a cellphone, a laptop,  a book/magazine/newspaper, or a companion?  I'm talking about 100% quiet time to just think or reflect.  No one I know.

This is a topic close to my heart--and one that I've written about often.  How can we find the right balance between purposeful work, family, friendships, self, obligations, & health?  How do we fit everything into our lives without making ourselves crazy busy, unfocused, stressed out, feeling put-upon, or unhealthy?

What can we cut out?  What should we add in?

 

Rock & Siegel's Seven Essential Mental Activities for Optimum Mental Health

 

"This platter has seven essential mental activities necessary for optimum mental health in daily life. These seven daily activities make up the full set of 'mental nutrition' that your brain needs to function at its best.

By engaging regularly in each of these servings, you enable your brain to coordinate and balance its activities, which strengthens your brain's internal connections and your connections with other people."

 

The seven essential mental activities are  (click here to go to Rock's full blog post):

 

Focus Time. When we closely focus on tasks in a goal-oriented way, taking on challenges that make deep connections in the brain.

Play Time. When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, playfully enjoying novel experiences, which helps make new connections in the brain.

Connecting Time. When we connect with other people, ideally in person, richly activating the brain's social circuitry.

Physical Time. When we move our bodies, aerobically if possible, which strengthens the brain in many ways.

Time In. When we quietly reflect internally, focusing on sensations, images, feelings and thoughts, helping to better integrate the brain.

Down Time. When we are non-focused, without any specific goal, and let our mind wander or simply relax, which helps our brain recharge.

Sleep Time. When we give the brain the rest it needs to consolidate learning and recover from the experiences of the day.

 

Consider this, folks!  Four of the activities essential to mental health involve No Purposeful Action!  That's right--to feel our best we need to carve out daily time to wind down, chill out, play, & sleep!  All activities that aren't goal-oriented.

 

Big thanks to my daughter-in-law who emailed Rock's HBR Blog post to me yesterday--at work--completely interrupting my focus (just kidding!) 

Apologies to all of you if this is "old news"--the HBR post came out on June 3, 2011.

As for me, it's totally liberating to learn that Down Time "doing absolutely nothing,"  Time In  "taking time out to just sit quietly & think", Play Time, and Sleep Time are as important to my well-being as are healthy food, exercise, purposeful work, and friendships.  Doing nothing will never more be considered  a "guilty pleasure"--it's an essential one!

And it's so validating to learn that what I know in my heart to be true for me: Focus Time, Connection Time, & Exercise Time are all key players for happiness & well-being.

 

Got any good advice for those times when you have "Just Too Much to Do"?  

How Do You Fit in "Time-Out" When You're Working Under a Deadline?

 

 

 

What a Way to Start the Work Week! A Totally Unexpected Perfect Rock & Siegel Healthy Mind Platter Day! Focused Work, Plant-Based Meals, Play Time, Exercise, Connect Time, Down Time and Sleep

 

Real Life Adventures 10/24/11 by Gary Wise & Lance Aldrich

 

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links.

It was my first full week back at home since Oct. 1.

Monday morning didn't exactly start out like I had planned.

I stayed up way too late on Sunday night.  And I had to be up at 6:00 am to get to work on time.  I really need 8 hours of sleep at night--not 6--to be at the top of my game.  What was I thinking going to bed at midnight?

The morning was pitch black, rainy, cold, and I would have loved nothing better than to just stay in bed an hour longer.  But, I couldn't.

So, I got out of bed, & went down to the basement to get my gym clothes.  That's when I spotted a dead mouse on the floor--and it wasn't in a trap!  Ugh!  Was this an omen for the day?  I screamed and my husband came running.   Gotta love that guy!

Not enough time to wash my hair--you know how all that blow-drying-styling routine is a huge time suck. Only enough time for a shower and a quick spritz of water on my flat hair & hope no one notices.  Why didn't I wash my hair at night?

 

 But Then My Day Got a Whole Lot Better!

 

1.  I made fresh coffee.  That always helps.

2.  I had a big batch of delicious "already-made" oatmeal in the fridge.  My quickie version of Mike's Quick Kick A** Thai Peanut Butter Chili Oatmeal with Greens.  Get the recipe here!

3.  Lucky me, I also had all the fixings ready to make a quick lunch.  Ezekiel Bread, avocado, tomato, & a batch of scrumptious tempeh "bacon".  Get the Fakin' Tempeh Bacon recipe here!

 

4.  My husband had made a big batch of Green Smoothies in the VitaMix, and said, "Help yourself!"  Gotta love that guy!  He's not always this generous with his Green Smoothies.

 

 

5.  I packed my gym bag & headed out the door.  My plan was to make a 6:00 PM  class after work. This is a new offering--and the perfect combo for me.  My favorite instructor--Beth.  45 minutes of spinning, following by 30 minutes of serious strength training.  Just so you know--I hardly ever make "after work" exercise classes.  I rarely leave work on time.

6.  The ride in to work.  For once, traffic flowed.  No slow trucks.  No school busses.   I made the lights. And decided to take a detour that avoided a huge traffic jam down the hill into work.  Things were looking up.

 

How Monday Played Out - Like a Rock/Siegel Healthy Mind Platter Kind-of-Day

 

 

Focus Time. When we closely focus on tasks in a goal-oriented way, taking on challenges that make deep connections in the brain.  (Rock & Siegel)

I've been away from work a lot this month.  Needless to say, I had a lot of work to catch up on, and getting behind always makes me feel crazy-anxious-impatient.  But, I somehow lucked out, & was able to cross off quite a bit of the tasks on my must-do list yesterday.  

• I made a huge dent in my backlog of work projects yesterday--which cleared out some brain space for "new projects"--not to mention the on-going projects that have been on the back-burner with all my recent traveling.
• When a physician asked me yesterday if I could help him with the background research for a study to find out if a plant-based no-added oil diet could benefit rheumatoid arthritis, guess what I said?  And at the end of the day, I even had some time to start working on it.

 

Play Time. When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, playfully enjoying novel experiences, which helps make new connections in the brain.   (Rock & Siegel)

• I'm excited!  I finally registered for the Wellness Forum's Fall Weekend coming up  on November 11-13.  A weekend with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell & Ann Esselstyn, Dr. Janice Stanger, Dr. Ralph Moss, Chef AJ, and more.  Read more here.   Dr. Campbell will be talking about his new book and Dr. Esselstyn will share the results of hundreds of patients who have followed his diet.
• This really will be a "play time" weekend, because yesterday I found out that 5 or 6 of my friends have also registered for the weekend.

 

Physical Time. When we move our bodies, aerobically if possible, which strengthens the brain in many ways.  (Rock & Siegel)

After running on 6 hours of sleep, by 5 o'clock I was ready to skip that planned  "after work" workout. But I forged ahead. To get to the Spin/Strength class I needed to be changed into my workout clothes, and leaving work by 5:10 pm.

It didn't happen.  A co-worker stopped by to share happy news.  I wasn't going to interrupt her.  

I barely got out the door by 5:25 pm.  I figured I wouldn't find a parking place in the gym's crowded-mini-lot.  I figured that all the bikes would be taken--if I got there late.  

But, I found a parking space.  And there was one bike left.  

I knew I was going to sleep well last night.  And I did!

 

Connecting Time. When we connect with other people, ideally in person, richly activating the brain's social circuitry.   (Rock & Siegel)

I don't know about activating the "social circuitry" part of the brain--but I do know that talking to my kids always makes me happy.

Just as I turned onto my street after my workout, me cellphone rang.  It was son #1, the new dad.  I was anxious to hear how the new baby was doing, how the "big brother" was doing, and how the new parents were doing.  

And I wanted to hear all about his "other baby"--the project he'd been working on for the past ten months--the one that finally hit "show time" last week.  

The news was all good!  The grandkids were doing well.  The parents were getting a little more sleep. The "project" was a smashing success--and the weather cooperated!   And a short paternity leave would start soon.

 

Dinner Time.  When you know dinner is already prepared--and you don't have to cook--life is good!  (The Healthy Librarian)

Who cares if I didn't get home until 7:30.  I was starving by then--but dinner was already made.  Left-overs from yesterday.  Plant-Based Italian Wedding Soup Rapido--an old-favorite.  It's an easy-to-make delicious meal in a bowl.  And my husband had the salads ready-to-go.  I poured myself a glass of wine. Heaven!  Click here for the Vegan Italian Wedding Soup Rapido recipe!

 

Plant-Based Italian Wedding Soup Rapido

 Spinach Carrot Tomato Salad with Lemon Balsamic Dijon Mustard Honey Dressing

 

Down Time. When we are non-focused, without any specific goal, and let our mind wander or simply relax, which helps our brain recharge.   (Rock & Siegel)

Does watching Halloween, MSNBC, & munching on a big bowl of air-popped barbecue popcorn count as downtime?  I think so!  After dinner, that's exactly what I did.

 

Air-Popped Popcorn

How to make Barbecue Air-Popped Popcorn: 

• Use a hot air-popcorn popper. 
• As the popcorn comes out, mist it with water (yes, it really works & it's not soggy) from a water spray bottle, and at the same time sprinkle on Bone Suckin' Sauce Seasoning & Rub (or the seasoning of your choice)  It works a lot better than spraying the popcorn with cooking oil spray (which is what I used to do), with none of the fat!  The water just evaporates on the hot popcorn.

 

 

Sleep Time. When we give the brain the rest it needs to consolidate learning and recover from the experiences of the day.  (Rock & Siegel)

I knew I was going to sleep well last night.  And I did.  Eight solid hours.  No staying up late for me.  At 10:30 pm I was out like a light. 

 

Time In. When we quietly reflect internally, focusing on sensations, images, feelings and thoughts, helping to better integrate the brain. (Rock & Siegel)

That's exactly what I'm doing now.  Thinking about yesterday.  Savoring it.  And realizing how an average Monday can sometimes surprise you--and unexpectedly have all the elements of a perfect day!   With absolutely no planning!  Well, maybe a little.

 

 

Brain Food: Rock & Siegel's Healthy Mind Platter of the Seven Essential Daily Activities for Maintaining Well-Being

 

Brain Food: The Seven Ingredients for Mental Well-Being

 

"[I]t seems we've entered an ERA of OVERWHELM. 

A time when too many people's mental well-being is being stretched through multi-tasking, fragmented attention and information overload.

The trouble is, we are short on simple, clear information about good mental habits.

Few people know about what it takes to have optimum mental health, and the implications of being out of balance.

Without good information about the mind and brain, we may be stretching ourselves in ways that may have bigger implications than poor eating habits."

-Dr. David Rock, the executive director of the NeuroLeadership Institute, writing for the Harvard Business Review blog, "Maintain Your Mental Well-Being"

 

 

Click here to go to the web version if you received this via email.

Every now & then I read something that's so wise, yet so simple--that rings true to my own experiences--that helps me to better understand my everyday reactions & feelings--and then gives me clear directions on how to make positive change happen in my life.

That's exactly what discovering Dr. David Rock & Dr. Daniel Siegel's, "Healthy Mind Platter"  has done for me.  Riffing off of the USDA's brand new Choose My Plate  recommendations for a healthy diet--Rock & Siegel have incorporated the latest neuropsychological research to visually share with us the 7 daily  activities needed for  "good mental nutrition."  

Sometimes you just have to hear common sense advice from an "expert" to really believe it!

 

• Ever notice how cranky, impatient, & fuzz-thinking you feel after a night of too-little sleep?
• Is there any comparison between a long walk & heart-to-heart talk with a close friend versus connecting via emails, texts, or phone calls?
• What about all those constant interruptions at work--or at home--when you're trying to complete a project that takes a lot of mental focus?  The emails, phone calls, barrage of questions, comments, and the daily work chatter.  Can anyone really concentrate in a cubicle office?  What about the sheer joy you feel when you're so focused on a project that you completely lose track of time?
• And how often do you allow yourself the luxury of 100% do-nothing piddle around unscheduled time at home?   Rarely--I'm guessing.  Whoever just sits on a park bench, their couch, or in their backyard--or drives in their car or "ambles about"-without being connected or plugged into something that takes up all their attention--like the radio, an iPhone or iPod, a cellphone, a laptop,  a book/magazine/newspaper, or a companion?  I'm talking about 100% quiet time to just think or reflect.  No one I know.

This is a topic close to my heart--and one that I've written about often.  How can we find the right balance between purposeful work, family, friendships, self, obligations, & health?  How do we fit everything into our lives without making ourselves crazy busy, unfocused, stressed out, feeling put-upon, or unhealthy?

What can we cut out?  What should we add in?

 

Rock & Siegel's Seven Essential Mental Activities for Optimum Mental Health

 

"This platter has seven essential mental activities necessary for optimum mental health in daily life. These seven daily activities make up the full set of 'mental nutrition' that your brain needs to function at its best.

By engaging regularly in each of these servings, you enable your brain to coordinate and balance its activities, which strengthens your brain's internal connections and your connections with other people."

 

The seven essential mental activities are  (click here to go to Rock's full blog post):

 

Focus Time. When we closely focus on tasks in a goal-oriented way, taking on challenges that make deep connections in the brain.

Play Time. When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, playfully enjoying novel experiences, which helps make new connections in the brain.

Connecting Time. When we connect with other people, ideally in person, richly activating the brain's social circuitry.

Physical Time. When we move our bodies, aerobically if possible, which strengthens the brain in many ways.

Time In. When we quietly reflect internally, focusing on sensations, images, feelings and thoughts, helping to better integrate the brain.

Down Time. When we are non-focused, without any specific goal, and let our mind wander or simply relax, which helps our brain recharge.

Sleep Time. When we give the brain the rest it needs to consolidate learning and recover from the experiences of the day.

 

Consider this, folks!  Four of the activities essential to mental health involve No Purposeful Action!  That's right--to feel our best we need to carve out daily time to wind down, chill out, play, & sleep!  All activities that aren't goal-oriented.

 

Big thanks to my daughter-in-law who emailed Rock's HBR Blog post to me yesterday--at work--completely interrupting my focus (just kidding!) 

Apologies to all of you if this is "old news"--the HBR post came out on June 3, 2011.

As for me, it's totally liberating to learn that Down Time "doing absolutely nothing,"  Time In  "taking time out to just sit quietly & think", Play Time, and Sleep Time are as important to my well-being as are healthy food, exercise, purposeful work, and friendships.  Doing nothing will never more be considered  a "guilty pleasure"--it's an essential one!

And it's so validating to learn that what I know in my heart to be true for me: Focus Time, Connection Time, & Exercise Time are all key players for happiness & well-being.

 

 

What's your opinion of the Essential Seven?

Any tips on how to make time for them all?

Do you agree or disagree with Essential Seven?

 

 

 

Can't Talk Now, But Just Wanted to Tell You About: Dr. Dean Ornish, The Slate Hive/Cleveland Clinic Childhood Obesity Summit, the Appalachian Health Summit, the Single Best Exercise, Why You Shouldn't Sit So Much, and Why You Need More Sleep! Whew!

Photo by Vincent Van Der Pas

 

 

If you received this via email, click here to get to the web version of this post with graphs, links, & comments.

I hate to start a phone call with,"Sorry, I only have two minutes to talk.  But, I just had to tell you, that: 

• Jon finally got a job. 
• Bruce Springsteen's coming to town & you have to order the tickets tomorrow. 
• Aunt Susie is in the hospital--but don't worry, she'll be OK. 
• Mary just got engaged.  The wedding's in August. 
• Come for dinner tomorrow.

"Sorry, I'll call you later with details.  Gotta run."

 

I have no business posting anything today.   I've got to clean my house, shop for Monday's seder, and start cooking, now!  Then it's off to the Banff Mountain Film Festival tonight.  Woo Hoo.  I'm excited.  Probably won't have any time to post until next Friday. 

This is my two-minute "gotta run--I'll call later", but-I-just-had-to-tell-you-now post!

Oh, and BTW, HHLL just hit over a million blog post views this morning--with readers in 191 countries!

 

Just Sharing the News- Three Upcoming Events That Can Change Lives

 

Event #1

On Tuesday, April 19th I have the opportunity to hear Dr. Dean Ornish speak on "The Power of Personalized Lifestyle Changes"  at a "closed to the public"  Wellness Grand Rounds.  Can't wait.

 

"We tend to think of advances in medicine as a new drug, laser, or surgical procedure--something high-tech and expensive.

This presentation will discuss the power of comprehensive lifestyle changes, reviewing more than 30 years of research using high-tech, state-of-the-art measures to prove the power of low-tech, low-cost, and often ancient interventions.

Also, the lecture will describe proven strategies for motivating people to make and maintain comprehensive lifestyle changes, as well as how to personalize a way of eating and living based on an individual's needs, genes, and preferences. 

Finally, the presentation will describe many of the health policy implications of comprehensive lifestyle changes as both medically effective and cost effective."

 

Event #2

On Thursday, April 21st I'm attending the following Slate "The Hive"/Cleveland Clinic: Fighting Childhood Obesity National Forum--8:30-12:15 am.   Registration is open & online.  Click here.

Read more about the background behind this event, here.

 

Event #3

Consider attending a 3-day low-cost wellness weekend event in beautiful Athens, Ohio on May 19-21,  that's open to the public, and co-sponsored by Ohio University Colleges of Health Professions & the Ohio University College of Osteopathics Medicine.  Click here for more information.

It's an opportunity to see & hear many of the pioneers who are responsible for newest trend in "low-tech" "low-cost" disease reversal through plant-based nutrition: Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Jeff Novick, MS,RD, Dr. Hans Diehl,  Rip Esselstyn, and many others.

 

Appalachian Health Summit   May 20-21, 2011

 

Health Summit Links:
  Our Speakers
  Conference Registration
  Accommodations
 

Friday Conference for:
  Employers
  Health Professionals
  Social Service/Community
 

Free Saturday Conference:
Healthy Living Workshops

Summit Speakers

Roger L. Greenlaw, MD

Dr. Greenlaw is founder and president of a prominent gastroenterology group since 1975. He received his MD in internal medicine from the University of Missouri, completed a gastroenterology fellowship at Yale, and served on the faculty of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, attaining the rank of Clinical Professor of Medicine. Dr. Greenlaw is board certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Holistic Medicine. Dr. Greenlaw practices holistic gastroenterology with an emphasis on lifestyle medicine. www.rockforfgi.com

John H. Kelly Jr, MD, MPH

Dr. Kelly completed an MD/MPH degree program at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 2000 and his Master's of Public Health in Epidemiology in 2002. Dr. Kelly is the primary architect and Founding President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and was a recipient of the AMA Foundation's Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award in 2004. Dr. Kelly's lifestyle medicine practice is located in Rocky Mount, Virginia. www.lifestylehealthdoc.com.

Dr. Michelle May, MD

Author and recovered yoyo dieter, Dr. May delivers her crucial and timely message with passion, energy, and humor that transforms the way her audiences view weight management. She is the award-winning author of Am I Hungry? What to Do When Diets Don't Work and Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle which reinforces her powerful message for lasting change. She founded Am IHungry?(r) Workshops, and won the Excellence in Patient Education Innovation Award. She has trained over 170 Am I Hungry?(r) Facilitators worldwide. www.amihungry.com.

Jeffrey Novick, MS, RD, LD, LN

With over 24 years of experience as a nutritionist and dietitian, Mr. Novick offers an insightful and humorous approach to nutrition and health. He holds both bachelor and graduate degrees in Nutrition from Indiana State University. Currently, Mr. Novick serves as Vice President for Executive Health Exams International, Adjunct Professor at the School of Health Sciences for Kaplan University, and lectures at the McDougall program in Santa Rosa, CA. www.jeffnovick.com

Jim Pshock

As a consulting company, Bravo Wellness offers services and tools to business partners desiring results-based wellness programs. Their successes have been unequaled in the industry. Bravo's founder, Jim Pshock, has been at the forefront of the use of result-based wellness incentives since 2004. Mr. Pshock has worked closely with the Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service and Centers for Medicaid and Medicare to understand the practical application of these new regulations and is uniquely positioned to lead this initiative. www.bravowell.com

Rodney Snow, M.D.

Dr. Snow is a third year Endocrinology and Metabolism Fellow at the University of Virginia, where he has helped to start an insulin resistance clinic in 2009 to treat patients who have type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and obesity with lifestyle interventions and a vegan diet. He received the National Institutes of Health Ruth R. Kirschstein National Research Service Award for his ongoing study of the impact of plant based nutrition on insulin resistant type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Micheal O. Thorner, M.D.

Dr. Thorner is a David C. Harrison Teaching Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia, is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of the Royal College of Physicians (London), and Master of the American College of Physicians. His current research is on the epidemic of diabetes and obesity with patients who have these conditions and their responses to supervised lifestyle changes which have allowed them to stop insulin therapy. Dr. Thorner, Dr. Snow and others are assembling a model of how the normal homeostatic mechanisms are subverted by a modern lifestyle and the Western diet.

Steven G. Aldana, PhD

Dr. Aldana has published over 60 scientific articles on the prevention, arrest, and reversal of America's most common chronic diseases. He has written 7 books on the ability of healthy lifestyle habits to prevent cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, and many chronic diseases. His most recent book, The Culprit and The Cure is currently being used by over 4,500 companies and corporations in an effort to boost productivity and reduce employee related health expenses. The Harvard School of Public Health says this book is "better than the best medicines". www.stevealdana.com

T. Colin Campbell, PhDdwd

For more than 40 years, Dr. Colin Campbell has been at the forefront of nutrition research. His legacy, the China Study, is the most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever conducted. The study was a partnership project between the Chinese and American governments that produced statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease. Dr. Campbell is a Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. He received his master's degree and PhD from Cornell, served as a Research Associate at MIT, and taught at Virginia Tech for 10 years before returning to Cornell Chair. www.tcolincampbell.org.

Antonia Demas, Ph.D.

Dr. Demas has a Ph.D. in education, nutrition, and anthropology from Cornell University. She is the founder and director of the Food Studies Institute, based in Trumansburg, New York, a non-profit devoted to improving the long-term health and education of children. Her curriculum, Food Is Elementary, has been used successfully in more than 2,000 schools in 33 states. She consults, trains, and certifies teachers as food educators in the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Demas is a Visiting Scholar at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and at the University of Illinois Medical School. www.foodstudies.org

Hans Diehl, DrHSc, MPH,CNS

Dr. Diehl is an epidemiologically trained lifestyle interventionist with a doctorate in Health Science and a Masters in Public Health Nutrition, both from Loma Linda University, where he is a Clinical Professor of Preventive Medicine. Dr. Diehl directs of the Lifestyle Medicine Institute in California and is founder of the CHIP Program (Coronary Health Improvement Project). With more than 50,000 alumni, CHIP advocates a healthier lifestyle to prevent and reverse diseases. His book "Health Power" has sold over 2 million copies. www.chiphealth.com

D. W. Edington

Dr. Edington is the director of the University of Michigan's Health Management Research Center. Dr. Edington's research focuses on the precursors of disease and vitality. His interest is in the relationships between healthy lifestyles, vitality and quality of life, as they benefit both individuals and organizations. He is specifically interested in how individual health promotion, worksite wellness activities and programs within organizations impact health care cost containment, productivity, and human resource development. www.hmrc.umich.edu

Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr, MD

Dr. Esselstyn has been associated with the Cleveland Clinic since 1968. During that time he served as President of the Staff and as a member of the Board of Governors. In 2005, he became the first recipient of the Benjamin Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine. In 1995, he published his benchmark long-term nutritional study: arresting and reversing coronary artery disease in severely ill patients. Twelve years later he updated and published the study in his book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. www.heartattackproof.com.

Rip Esselstyn

Rip was born in upper New York state and moved to Austin Texas to become an All-American swimmer. After spending 10 years as a professional triathlete Rip joined the Austin Fire Department in 1997. His New York Times bestseller "Engine2 Diet" contains a groundbreaking nutritional program with indisputable, dramatic results in lowering cholesterol and losing weight in just 4 weeks. For more information log on to: www.engine2diet.com.

Frank Schwartz, MD

Professor of Endocrinology, Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM), Dept. of Specialty Medicine; J. O. Watson, D.O., Chair for Diabetes Research and the Director; ARHI Diabetes Endocrine Center at OU-COM. His clinical practice addresses all diseases related to the endocrine system; pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, ovary, testis and metabolic diseases such as diabetes or metabolic bone disease. The center was designed to meet the complex health care challenges of the diabetes epidemic in the country and specifically in Appalachia. Under his direction the ARHI Diabetes/Endocrine Center has established outreach programs in several underserved cities in the region.

Tania Basta, PhD, MPH, CHES

Panel Discussion Moderator: "Putting it all together: Action Steps for a Healthier Appalachia"

 

 

 

 

 

This Week's Reading List:   Is Sitting a Lethal Activity?  What's the Single Best Exercise?  How Much Sleep Do You Need?

 

How Much Do You Move?

 

 

Getting the Most Bang for Your Exercise Buck

 

 

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

 

 

AMERICAN SLUMBER Number of hours of sleep (self-reported) on weeknights.

 

 

I wish I had time to write about these great reads--but responsibilities await.  Learn & enjoy!

From this week's New York Times:

Is Sitting a Lethal Activity?  James Vlahos  Or, why some of us can't seem to shed a pound?  A quick worthwhile read.

 

What's the Single Best Exercise?, by Gretchen Reynolds.   For me it's the combo-pak of spinning, yoga, weights, & walking!   Aerobics, flexibility, balance-training, weight-bearing, & strength-training.

 

How Little Sleep Can You Get Away With?  by Maggie Jones.   I had to get up at 4:30 am on Friday morning to go to an out-of-town meeting--and it turned me into a crabby impatient brain-dead librarian. That's what operating on 4 hours of poor quality sleep does to me.  I need 7-8 hours of the restful stuff to feel my best.

 

If you missed my Wednesday post, be sure to read, the Sunday's New York Times Magazine article:  Is Sugar Toxic?  Gary Taubes.    It's eye-opening & controversial.

Eat, Sleep, Exercise. The Rules. Michael Pollan, Dr. Mark Hyman, and Dr. Oz.

 

If I want to be on top of my game, energetic, happy, nice, patient, healthy, and clear-headed, I need to EAT HEALTHY FOOD, GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP, AND EXERCISE.  It's that simple.

I'm also a sucker for lists.  So, when I came across these three "Rules Lists" I wanted to "capture them" for future reference.

• Food Rules: Your Dietary Do's and Don'ts, by Michael Pollan, New York Times Magazine Food Issue, October 11, 2009.  Earlier in the year Michael posted a request for readers' rules on Tara Parker-Pope's Well blog.  He received 2,500 responses, and offered his favorite 20 in this issue.  Click here for Pollan's full list.  He has recently published a short-useful-funny paperback--with 64 short simple rules--Food Rules.  An Eater's Manual based on his now famous saying, "Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly Plants."  For a short interview about the book, click here.  I've provided a "mash-up" of my favorites. Some from NYT's readers and some from Michael's book.

• Sleep Tips:  How to Sleep Better, Lose Weight, and Live Longer, by Mark Hyman, MD, practicing physician and pioneer in functional medicine.  Huffington Post, Jan. 9, 2010.  Click here for the full list.

• Realistic Resolutions From Dr. Oz, by Tara Parker-Pope, Well Blog, New York Times Dec. 29, 2009.  Click here for the full list.

Eat.  Michael Pollan's Food Rules

 1.  Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human being would keep in the pantry.

2.  If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.

3.  Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.  Aim for a pound or more of fruits and vegetables a day.

4.  Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food.  And when & if you do--Eat animals that have themselves eaten well.

5.  Eat your colors.

6.  Eat well-grown food from healthy soil.

7.  Eat some foods that have been predigested by bacteria or fungi.  Many cultures swear by the health benefits of fermented foods: yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, natto, and tempeh.

8.  Pay more, eat less.  

9.  Eat less.  Eat slowly.  Stop before you're full.

10.  Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods.

11.  Try not to eat alone.

12.  Cook.  

13.  Don't leave the table until you've finished your fruit.  "My parents are both from Italy & one of our family rules was that you could not leave the table until you had finished your fruit.  'Non si puo lasciare la tavolo fino che hai finito la frutta.' It was a great way to incorporate fruit into our diets and also helped satiate our sweet tooths, keeping us away from less healthful sweets."  Marta C. Larusso

14.  "Don't eat anything that took more energy to ship than to grow."  Carrie Cizauskas

15.  "Never eat anything that is pretending to be something else; e.g. 'textured vegetable protein' or veggie burgers (fake meat), no artificial sweeteners, no margarine (fake butter), no 'low fat' sour cream no turkey bacon, no 'chocolate-flavor sauce' that doesn't contain chocolate, no 'quorn'.  If I want something that tastes like meat or butter, I would rather have the real thing than some chemical concoction pretending to be more healthful."  Sonya Legg  (I'm still sticking with my Field Roast sausages and Gardein.  See rule #22)

16.  "Make and take your own lunch to work.  My father has always done this, and so have I.  It saves money, and you know what you are eating."  Hope Donovan Rider  (love this one!)

17.  "If you are not hungry enough to eat an apple then you are not hungry."  Emma Fogt  (needless to say--this one is my favorite!)

18.  "The Chinese have a saying, 'Eat until you are seven-tenths full and save the other three-tenths for hunger'.  That way, food always tastes good, and you don't eat too much."  Nancy Ni

19.  "One of my top rules for eating comes from economics.  The Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility reminds me that each additional bite is generally less satisfying than the previous bite.  This helps me slow down, savor the first bites, stop eating sooner."  Laura Kelley

20.  "No second helpings, no matter how scrumptious."  Karen Harmin

21.  "It's better to pay the grocer than the doctor' was the saying that my Italian grandmother would frequently use to remind us of the love and attention to detail that went into her cooking."  John Forti.

22.  Break the rules once in awhile!

 

Sleep.  Dr. Mark Hyman's Sleep Rules

Dr. Hyman recommends these "rules" to get us back to our natural sleep rhythms.  "It may take weeks or months, but using these tools in a coordinated way will eventually reset our biological rhythms."  Hyman learned the hard way that even doctors can't compromise on sleep.

1.  Prioritize sleep, or suffer the consequences.

2.  Wind down, dim the lights, reduce mental stimuli, get off the computer two hours before sleep!  Do something more mentally relaxing. Take a little "holiday" before getting to bed in order to get your system physically and psychologically ready for sleep.  I've found this practice makes a major difference in my sleep quality.

3.  Practice the regular rhythms of sleep--go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.  Every single time I have to change my regular wake-up schedule in order to start work at 7:00 am, I have a terrible night's sleep!

4.  Use your bed for sleep and romance only--not reading or television.

5.  Create total darkness and quiet--consider using eye shades, earplugs, or a white noise machine.

6.  Avoid caffeine--it may seem to help you stay awake but it actually makes your sleep worse.

7.  Avoid alcohol--it helps you get to sleep but causes interruptions in sleep and poor-quality sleep.

8.  Get regular exposure to daylight for at least 20 minutes daily--the light from the sun enters your eyes and triggers your brain to release specific chemicals and hormones like melatonin that are vital to healthy sleep, mood, and aging.  Consider using a special light in the morning, like the Philips goLite BLU in the winter.

9.  Eat no later than three hours before bed--eating a heavy meal prior to bed will lead to a bad night's sleep.

10.  Don't exercise vigorously after dinner--it excites the body and makes it more difficult to get to sleep.

11.  Write your worries down--one hour before bed, write down the things that are causing you anxiety and make plans for what you might have to do the next day to reduce your worry.  It will free up your mind and energy to move into deep and restful sleep.

12.  Take a hot salt/soda/aromatherapy bath--raising your body temperature before bed helps to induce sleep. A hot bath also relaxes your muscles and reduces tension physically and psychologically. By adding one-and-a-half to one cup of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) and one-and-a-half to one cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to your bath, you will gain the benefits of magnesium absorbed through your skin and the alkaline-balancing effects of the baking soda, both of which help with sleep.  This was something I remember both my parents used to do, and neither had sleeping problems.

13.  Get a massage or stretch before bed--this helps relax the body making it easier to fall asleep.

14.  Warm your middle--this raises your core temperature and helps trigger the proper chemistry for sleep. Either a hot water bottle, heating pad, or warm body can do the trick.  My heated mattress pad works well for pre-heating my bed in the winter.

15.  Avoid medications that interfere with sleep--these include sedatives (these are used to treat insomnia, but ultimately lead to dependence and disruption of normal sleep rhythms and architecture), antihistamines, stimulants, cold medication, steroids, and headache medication that contains caffeine (such as Fioricet).

16.  Use herbal therapies--try passionflower, or 320 mg to 480 mg of valerian (valeriana officinalis) root extract standardized to 0.2 percent valerenic acid one hour before bed.  On occasion I've tried the valerian/hops combo and lemon balm recommended by herbal expert Dr. Tieraona Low Dog and they worked well.  Click here to read more. 

17.  Take 200 to 400 mg of magnesium citrate or glycinate before bed--this relaxes the nervous system and muscles. If you already take a magnesium supplement, just take it before bed, instead of in the morning.

18.  Other supplements and herbs can be helpful in getting some shuteye--try calcium, theanine (an amino acid from green tea), GABA, 5-HTP, and magnolia.

19.  Try one to three mg of melatonin at night--melatonin helps stabilize your sleep rhythms. I've taken melatonin on occasion, and it definitely helped me.

20.  Get a relaxation, meditation or guided imagery CD--any of these may help you get to sleep.

 

Exercise.  (and Eat and Sleep) Realistic Rules From Dr. Oz

Dr. Oz needs no introduction  This short list of 7 rules covers all the basics.

1.  Commit to family night.  Resolve to eat as a family at least once a week.  My kids are all grown-up, but this rule still works for empty-nesters.  For kids, its benefit is in healthier eating, home-cooking, and conversation. Research also shows it lowers the risk of behaviors like drug abuse and alcohol use.  Oz recommends cooking with your kids.  Works for empty-nesters, too--and when the "kids" are visiting!

2.  Do seven minutes of yoga a day.  We  can all spare seven minutes a day.  Dr. Timothy McCall, the medical editor of Yoga Journal, says 15 minutes of yoga done daily at home trumps going to one or less classes a week.  Oz advises if you haven't tried yoga, try one class to understand what it's all about.  "It centers me and allows me to loosen my limbs up so I don't have nagging small injuries."  I think yoga is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

3.  Go to bed earlier.  To figure out what time you need to go to bed--choose a wake-up time, and count back seven and a half hours.  No compromises.  Oz strongly advises turning off all electronics one half hour before bedtime.  He never sacrifices this rule-ever. 

4.  Always keep nuts or a healthful snack in your purse or pocket.  It's the key to prevent overeating.

5.  Make a space in front of your television.  Since very few of us are ready to give up TV, Oz recommends that we "use it" to improve our health.  Do stretches, use your treadmill or exercise bike, lift weights or do core exercise while you watch TV.  That's where I do my core exercises.  It's where my husband lifts weights.

6.  Floss.  It reduces the risk for heart attack, inflammation, and periodontal disease.  Just do it!

7.  Give it two weeks.

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's Brain Backup: Is Your Cell Phone Safe? - Keeping Facebook Private - The High Cholesterol Osteoporosis Connection - Why Pregnant or Breastfeeding Moms Need Flu Shots - Fat & the Brain Chemistry Connection and more

"Once You're Through Learning, You're Through"

-John Wooden, retired UCLA basketball coach, 98 years old-

So, how do I decide what I'm including in my brain back-up?  Simple.  If it's something new to me--something I'd never heard about before--or if it's a piece of information that brings new understanding to something I already know, "I back it up".

I'm trying to make these just "Info Nuggets" with links to the source if you want to know more.

How Safe Is Your Cell Phone?  Check Out the New Environmental Working Group Report 9/11/2009

Cell phone safety is near the bottom of my worry list, which is why I took the cheapest phone Verizon was offering when I needed a new phone & wanted one that with a keyboard for texting.  Big Mistake!  Turns out my phone (the LG EnV2) is on the lower end of the safety scale (Maximum radiation 1.28 W/kg) and the EWG suggests I ought to replace it with something safer, or start using a head set.

Why should we care about our cell phones?  Although the research is still ongoing, four billion people around the globe own cell phones, and more of us are choosing to use cells over landlines. 

What are the risks from the radiation cell phones emit?  There are significantly higher risks for brain and salivary gland tumors among  people using cell phones for 10 years or longer.  Children are at a greater risk--and men carrying phones clipped to their waist or in a front pocket put their sperm at risk--where soft body tissues absorb radiation.

This was news to me. Ways to limit radiation exposure:

1.  Listen More, Talk Less:  Your phone only emits radiation when you talk or text, but not when you're receiving messages, or listening.

2.  Choose Texting Over Talking:  Phones use less power (which means less radiation) when you text--and when you text, the phone is away from your head.

3.  Poor Signal? Stay Off the Phone:   Fewer bars on the phone means that it emits more radiation to get the signal to the tower.  Make and take calls when your phone has a strong signal.  I never gave this a second thought!

Check out how safe your cell phone is here.  There's no "search screen", so click on your Edit button on the top toolbar, and type in your cell phone name.  Keep hitting "next" until your model number appears.

To look at the Environmental Working Group's Best & Worst Phones, read a summary of their report, get tips on limiting your radiation exposure, click here.

Five Easy Steps to Stay Safe (and Private) on Facebook.  Read Sarah Perez' step-by-step guide to changing your Facebook settings

Full Disclosure:  I don't use Facebook, (so I'm in no position to have an opinion here) but now that I've read Sarah's article I'd feel a lot more in control of my privacy if I decide to sign up.  Read her original article--the one posted on ReadWriteWeb on 9/16/09 for an easy-to-understand graphic step-by-step guide on how to change your settings and restrict access in very specific ways.  You can be as safe and as private as you like!

This version, beats the New York Times version of her article, hands down!

Step 1:  Why You Need to Make Friend Lists (and no--your friends won't know what lists they are on)

Step 2:  Restrict Who Can See What's On Your Profile

Step 3:  Restrict Who Can See Your Address & Phone Number

Step 4:  How to Change Who Can FIND You on Facebook via Search

Step 5:  How to Stop Sharing Personal Info With Unknown Applications

And be sure to scroll down to read comment #12 which basically warns against using any apps (like quizzes) & how your information is still vulnerable if your friends use apps--regardless of your settings.

"There are two separate privacy concerns with apps:

1) If you personally run any app, like our (ACLU) quiz, that app has access to almost all of the information in your profile, on your wall, and so forth. Currently, there is NO privacy setting that limits what the apps you choose to run can access - every app you run has access to almost everything (contact info being one of the few exceptions).

2) If your friend runs an app, like our quiz, that app has access to your information based on your "application privacy settings" (see step 5 above). You can opt out, but (as Sarah said) if you don't the default is that your friends' apps have access to most of your information."

--Chris,creator of the ACLU Quiz application, ACLU Northern California-

If You've Got High Cholesterol, You Might Want to Consider a Bone Density Test

Scientists at UCLA have figured out exactly how a fatty diet and high cholesterol contribute to bone loss--which helps to explain why bone fractures are reduced when cholesterol levels are reduced.

Here's the deal:  That nasty oxidized LDL cholesterol causes our immune T cells to pump out a chemical--called RANKL--which in turn causes bone damage.  Eating a diet high in saturated fats increases the level of oxidized LDL--and in turn signals the T cells to produce a higher level of bone-damaging RANKL---and when RANKL is manufactured for long periods of time it results in excessive bone damage.

Dr. Rita Effros, a UCLA professor led the study, and published it in Clinical Immunology on 8/20/09.  Read about it here.  One more reason to ditch a high-fat-cholesterol-producing diet.

Why Women Who Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding Need to Get the Seasonal Flu Shot and the H1N1 When It's Available

1.  Pregnant women in South America, Central America and Australia fared less well than others during their recent outbreak of H1N1.  CDC data from April 15-May 18, 2009, on the first US cases of H1N1 in pregnant women, showed 32% of pregnant women infected with H1N1 were hospitalized, and by June, 6 had died.  Read the Lancet article here

2.  Pregnancy puts women at a higher risk of complications from flu because as a woman advances in her pregnancy her immune system becomes compromised.

3.  Both the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) & the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology recommend pregnant women get both the seasonal flu shot--which is available now--and the H1N1 shot when it becomes available in mid-October.

4.  120 expectant women around the country are currently participating in a clinical trial with the H1N1 vaccine.  Those results are expected in the beginning of October.

Excerpts From the Empowered Patient: Surviving H1N1 With Baby in Belly 9/17/09   click here for this excellent review

If I get the vaccine while pregnant, will this also protect the baby when he/she is born?

"One of the things the body does very well is give antibodies to the babies," says Dr. Buddy Creech, a researcher conducting clinical trials on pregnant women at Vanderbilt University. "It's one of the greatest reasons we vaccinate pregnant women."

Creech says past flu studies have found that when women get flu shots before giving birth, they help build immunity for their child that is particularly helpful during the infant's first few months of life.

"If we're going to protect those children, it'll be with vaccines rather than drugs," Creech says.

Is it safe to get vaccinated while breastfeeding? Should my newborn also be vaccinated?

According to the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, the H1N1 vaccine will be recommended for children ages six months and older. Newborns and infants younger than 6 months cannot receive the vaccine.

Health officials say breastfeeding is one way a mother might be able to help protect her baby. "The vaccine is safe if she breastfeeds, and she may even pass along some immunity to her infant," says Tepper of the CDC. "It will also reduce the chance that [the mom] will get the flu and pass it to her infant."

According to the CDC:  Mothers who are breastfeeding should continue to nurse their babies while being treated for the flu. Breast milk passes on antibodies from the mother to a baby. Antibodies help fight off infection.

Be sure to read the CDC seasonal & H1N1 site for pregnant & nursing mother!  click here

Sabriya Rice's CNN Empowered Patient article on H1N1 & Pregnancy  click here for this excellent review

Ice Cream on the Brain.  How Eating Tasty High Fat Foods Like Meat, Milk, Butter, & Cheese Changes Our Brain Chemistry and Makes Us Just Want to Eat More

I found the summary of this "fat addiction" research fascinating.  It was led by Dr. Deborah Clegg, out of the University of Southwestern Texas Medical Center.  Reminds of Dr. David Kessler's book.  Here's an excerpt:

Dr. Deborah Clegg and colleagues suggest that fat molecules from certain foods can change brain chemistry in a very short period, causing appetite-suppressing signals to be ignored.

“Normally, our body is primed to say when we’ve had enough, but that doesn’t always happen when we’re eating something good,” said Clegg, senior author of the rodent study appearing in the September issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

“What we’ve shown in this study is that someone’s entire brain chemistry can change in a very short period of time. Our findings suggest that when you eat something high in fat, your brain gets ‘hit’ with the fatty acids, and you become resistant to insulin and leptin,” Dr. Clegg said.

“Since you’re not being told by the brain to stop eating, you overeat.”

The foods that are responsible for this brain chemistry change contain Palmitic Fat--and it's found in ice cream, butter, cheese, milk, and meat.  Not exactly a big surprise.  Maybe that explains why I have no self-control with ice cream or cheese. 

To read the PsychCentral article, click here

To read the UT Southwestern Medical Center press release, click here.

A Poor Night's Sleep Can Give You a Cold.  More Proof of What We Already Know

No excuses!  It's cold & flu season.  No matter how busy you are, make sure you get a good night's sleep.  Plain & simple, and coming out of the Archives of Internal Medicine:  If you don't get enough sleep prior to exposure to cold viruses, you are lowering your resistance and have a better chance of getting sick.

Read the study here

Read Anahad O'Connor's article in the NYT's  Really? The Claim: Lack of Sleep Increases the Risk of Catching a Cold.  Click here 

Sleep is part of my research-backed method to knock-out colds--if you missed that post, click here.

Worried About Your Tap Water and Don't Won't To Invest In A Water Filtration System?  Give Up Bottled Water with the Z-Pitcher from ZeroWater

For $40 you can get a BPA free water filter pitcher that outperforms Brita.  I heard about this a couple months ago from Beth Greer, of SuperNaturalMom, and it's recommended by The Daily Green, Consumer Reports, Bottlemania author, Elizabeth Royte and more.  

The company's effective demo showed Houston, TX water at 271 ppm and Bensalem, PA water at 157 (New York City's was at 11 ppm--phew!). After running the water through a ZeroWater filter, a follow-up TDS meter test read 000 for all samples.  -from the Daily Green-

It is a five-stage unit that takes almost everything out of the water- it is certified to meet the highest standards for removal of lead, iron, zinc and mercury. Although there are no standards to certify it for antibiotics, hormones and perchlorate, they tested it and it removed almost all of them as well. -from the Tree Hugger-

Read More Reviews on ZeroWater & the Z-Pitcher here

The Healthy Librarian's Brain Back-Up on a Better Brain: Midlife Cholesterol, Belly Fat, Grape Juice, Berries, Blood Sugar, Naps, and Better Sleep

Once You're Through Learning, You're Through"

-John Wooden, retired UCLA basketball coach, 98 years old-

My piles of interesting health-related articles for my blog have been growing exponentially this crazy busy summer. Now it's time to either blog about it--or dump the piles in the recycle bin. 

This time I'm zeroing in on the brain--how to keep it going for as long as possible.  Here's my brain prescription based on my piles of files:

• Make sure your cholesterol numbers are down earlier than your 40's--or you risk both vascular dementia or Alzheimer's.
• Keep that waist whittled when you're middle-aged.  Banish the belly fat.  Weight in your middle during middle-age ups your dementia risk.
• Bring on the berries and the Concord grapes to protect your brain through old age.  Research shows both protective benefits from aging, and improvements in learning and motor skills.
• Keep your blood sugar stable (even if you're healthy) by exercising and eating high-fiber low-glycemic foods like beans, nuts, oatmeal, and quinoa.  Blood sugar spikes damage the memory center of the brain.
• Indulge in a mid-day nap of at least 1 hour.  Mid-day REM sleep enhances problem-solving.
• For the best sleep, keep your bedroom cool.

Dementia Risk is Linked to Even Slightly High Levels of Cholesterol at Midlife

I was all ears when I read this study.  As far as I'm concerned--it's all about protecting the brain as we age, trumping heart disease and cancer.  This study out of California underscores the advice we've been hearing for years:  If it's good for the heart--it's good for the brain.

Alzheimer's Disease gets all the attention, but tiny silent strokes diminish the blood supply to the brain resulting in a slow progression of vascular dementia.  Both diseases are years in the making.  Too bad we wait until it shows its ugly face in our 70's or 80's before we scramble to do something about it. 

Finally, we have a large study of almost 10,000 multi-ethnic participants who were followed for almost 40 years through Kaiser Permanente in California to provide epidemiologic evidence that even modest increases in cholesterol at midlife result in a substantially increased risk of dementia 20 to 40 years down the road.

Bottom line:  Those with blood cholesterol levels over 240 in their mid-40's were 57% more likely to develop dementia than those who were at optimal levels.  Even borderline cholesterol levels between 200 and 239 were at a 50% greater risk of developing dementia.

If you don't take statins--or if you don't want to take statins--now you have one more good reason to consider a plant-based diet to prevent both heart disease and dementia is one fell swoop.  The cholesterol drops are considerable with a plant-based diet.  "Yes, You Can Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, But Are You Up for the Challenge?  Let, Dr. Esselstyn Convince You!"

Source:  Whitmer, RA, Solomon, A. et al.  "Midlife Serum Cholesterol and Increased Risk of Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementia Three Decades Later,"  Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders; 2009 Aug. 4;28:75-80.

Read more about the study here.

 Rachel Whitmer--Kaiser Permanente's Dementia Guru.  A Fat Belly at Midlife Increases the Risk of Dementia

Bells went off when I read about the Kaiser cholesterol-dementia-midlife study.  Rachel Whitmer--the senior epidemiologist--sounded so familiar.  Where had I heard that name before?

Sure enough, Dr. Rachel Whitmer, who was the chief investigator in the cholesterol study, was also involved in a 2008 study linking excess belly fat to dementia.  I wrote about it in April 2008.  It bears repeating.

Belly Fat & the Dementia Connection.  Rachel Whitmer, a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California, reported in the March 26 2008 online issue of Neurology on her study that followed 6,583 Kaiser Health Plan members.  The study began in the late 1960s and early 1970s and measured the abdominal fat of this large group of 40 and 45 year olds.  She followed up with them between 1994 and 2006 when they had reached their 70s and beyond.

Back in 2005 Whitmer had previously reported that senior citizens who were overweight at middle age were 74 percent more likely to develop dementia.  This new study specifically looked at whether belly fat was the culprit.

• Those people who were obese and had the most belly fat in their 40s were 3.6 times more likely to develop dementia than those with the least amount of belly fat.
• Those who were overweight--a step below obese--and had large bellies in their 40s, were 2.3 times more likely to develop dementia.
• 21 percent of those with high levels of belly fat developed dementia.
• The belly fat dementia connection persisted, even when researchers adjusted their statistics to take into account the effect of stroke & diabetes.
• Other recent studies found that obese middle-aged adults have decreased brain volume compared with those of normal weight, decreased hippocampal (the memory center) brain volume and greater brain atrophy. These findings imply that the harmful effects of belly fat on the brain may start long before clinical signs of dementia appear and are not limited only to those whom are overweight.  Rather chilling, I'd say!
  

Waist circumference guidelines:

Women-Keep it at 30 inches or under

Waist of over 31 inches (about 80cm) indicates slight health risk.
Waist of over 35 inches (about 90cm) indicates substantially increased risk.

Men-Keep it at 36 inches or under

Waist of over 37 inches (about 94cm) indicates slight health risk.
Waist of over 40 inches (about 102cm) indicates substantially increased risk.

Read more:  This Belly Fat Is Going to Be the Death of Me and Now I Understand Why.

Source: Whitmer, R. et al.  "Central obesity and increased risk of dementia more than three decades later,"  Neurology; 2008 Sep 30;71(14):1057-64. Epub 2008 Mar 26

Read more of Rachel Whitmer's articles on the relationship between dementia & cholesterol, body fat, type 2 diabetes, and exercise.

It's Grape Juice and Berries to Improve the Aging Brain

James A. Joseph is the Director of the Neuroscience Lab at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.  He is THE expert in the health effects of berries & grapes.  Check out some of his research projects, here.  I had heard him speak on brain nutrition on a People's Pharmacy podcast back in April 2009.  Click here to hear it.

So, when my friend Anna told me he had a "just published" review article in The Journal of Nutrition called "Grape Juice, Berries, and Walnuts Affect Brain Aging and Behavior",  I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

Yes, we all know that berries & grapes are full of potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that both protect & enhance the brain--at least in lab rats--but does this research translate to humans?

Joseph's own lab studies have suggested that blueberries, strawberries, walnuts and Concord grape juice can decrease the damaging oxidative stress and inflammation in the aging brain, as well as improve the ability of neurons to communicate with each other--faster thought processing and word retrieval.  In this hot-off-the-press article he reviews the extensive brain-berry-grape research.

In a "walnut" shell, here's the real exciting news:

• Concord grapes & humans. Dr. Robert Krikorian of the University of Cincinnati  "has shown that older adults with memory declines, but not dementia, had significant improvements in several measures of cognitive function when supplemented with 12 ounces of Concord grape juice a day  for 12 weeks compared with the placebo.
• Berries and grapes in animal studies. Rats enhanced their cognitive, spatial, and motor skills when their diets were supplemented with strawberries, blackberries, and Concord grapes.  There's evidence that supplementation even reversed age-related cognitive dysfunction, as well as improving balance and coordination.  Stay tuned to see how well this translates to humans. 
• Berry protection for the brain in animal studies. Rats who feasted on blueberries and strawberries were able to protect their brains when they were irradiated to simulate the kind of cognitive & memory damage the brain sustains through normal aging.  The interesting point:  the blueberries and strawberries actually protected different parts of the brain--so diversify your berry munching.
• Blueberries & humans.  Once more, Dr. Robert Krikorian is the man doing the research on people.  He has recently shown that a number of learning and memory skills improve when humans supplement with blueberry juice.  He's planning to also assess the effects of blueberries on behavioral skills.
• Berries & grapes may increase the "health span" (better than "life span") by reversing the damaging effects of aging on cognitive and motor behavior.  According to Joseph, if you are waiting for a molecular biologist to come up with a magic pill to protect you against the diseases of aging you'll be waiting a long time.  His advice:  eat a diet high in anti-oxidant rich berries, fruits & vegetables, get plenty of exercise, and exercise your brain by staying engaged & challenged throughout life!

Source:  Joseph, JA et al, "Grape Juice, Berries, and Walnuts Affect Brain Aging and Behavior," The Journal of Nutrition first published ahead of print July 29, 2009 as doi:10.3945/jn.109.108266.

Keep Your Blood Sugar Stable--Even Moderate Spikes Are Responsible for Memory Decline

The damaging effects of spiking blood sugar just may be one of the reasons for the widespread memory declines we see as we age.  Turns out that up & down blood sugar damages the "dentate gyrus", which is within the hippocampus--the part of the brain responsible for forming memories.

Using a high-resolution functional MRI to map the brain regions of 240 elderly subjects, the Columbia University researchers (lead by Dr. Scott Small) found that when blood sugar (glucose) was elevated, the cerebral blood flow in the brain's memory center was reduced.

Then, the researchers cleverly played with the blood sugar levels of mice & monkeys to confirm this association between rising blood sugar & damage to the dentate gyrus.

The disturbing part of the study is that even slight elevations of blood sugar--less than those seen in type-2 diabetes can cause memory decline.  Because blood sugar tends to rise as we age--even in healthy people--this study is a wake-up call to take steps to keep the blood sugar stable.

Earlier studies have shown a link between type-2 diabetes & damage to the "dentate gyrus", but this study demonstrated the hippocampal damage in people who are other-wise healthy.

What's the antidote for keeping a stable blood sugar and protecting the brain? 

"This is news even for people without diabetes since blood glucose levels tend to rise as we grow older. Whether through physical exercise, diet or drugs, our research suggests that improving glucose metabolism could help some of us avert the cognitive slide that occurs in many of us as we age," reported lead investigator Scott A. Small, M.D., associate professor of neurology in the Sergievsky Center and in the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University Medical Center.

Exercise.  Regular physical activity has been shown to offset the damaging effects of type-2 diabetes on cognitive function.  Because exercise improves the ability of muscles to process glucose, it makes sense that it helps protect cognitive function as we age, according to Small.

Low-Glycemic Diet.  Eat high fiber low-glycemic foods like beans, nuts, oats, and quinoa.  Dr. David Jenkins' study found that low-glycemic foods were superior to even whole grains, like whole-wheat bread and brown rice when it comes to keeping the blood sugar stable.  And processed foods should definitely be avoided.

The University of Sydney maintains a Low-Glycemic website and database with a wealth of excellent information on the subject.  Take a look at their FAQs if you want to learn more.  Click here.

Sources:  Jenkins, DJ et al, "Effect of a low-glycemic index or a high-cereal fiber diet on type-2 diabetes: a randomized trial,"  JAMA 2008 Dec. 17; 300(23):2743-53.

Small, SA et al, "The brain in the age of old; the hippocampal formation is targeted differenially by diseases of late life,"  Ann Neurol 2008 Dec;64(6):698-706.

Do Your Brain a Favor--Take An Afternoon Nap

This is my kind of study--the benefits of napping.  As far as I'm concerned, naps are revitalizing and reading Dr. Sara Mednick's nap study that was published June 8th in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences made my day.

Here's the scoop:  The right kind of nap--one that is long enough to include dreaming (REM sleep) will enhance creative problem-solving and "foster the formation of associative networks in the brain."   REM sleep directly enhances creative processing  more than any other sleep or wake state and it helps the brain to make new and useful associations between unrelated ideas.

Mednick found that a nap with REM dreaming improved creative task performance by almost 40% over quiet rest or non-REM sleep. 

The catch:  to have REM sleep, your nap will need to last at least an 1 hour long.

"Dreams are fanciful.  They incorporate strange ideas that you would never have put together in waking life.  In REM sleep, it becomes more likely that ideas might come together in a solution,"  according to Dr. Mednick.

Source: Mednick, SA et al.  "REM, not incubation, improves creativity by priming associative networks,"  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Jun 23;106(25):10130-4. Epub 2009 Jun 8. 

For the Press Release, click here.

Check out Dr. Mednick's 2007 book, "Take a Nap! Change Your Life"  I really enjoyed this reviewer's comment:

"This book has made a big impact on how I view my study time. Medical school is difficult and exhausting. If I attend all my lectures, eat three meals day, maintain good hygiene, commute to/from the university and get 7 hours of sleep, I only have 3 hours on the weekdays to study. I used to hardly be able to keep my eyes open during that study time and I couldn't remember anything I studied.

After reading Take a Nap! Change your life, I have the skills to use napping as part of my study routine. I used to feel guilty when I napped because I thought I was wasting valuable study time. I was just too tired to study. Now I plan naps into my study schedule and it is amazing how much better I recall everything. My test scores in Pathology have improved an average of 8 points since I started napping and my scores keep improving despite no other changes to my study routine. If you subtract out my naps, I'm actually studying less but getting better grades! As I prepare for my USMLE Step 1 Board Exam, consolidating memories and enhancing recall is especially important. I now consider napping a study skill and regular naps are part of my board prep study schedule. Naps have truly changed my life."

For a Good Night's Sleep--Keep the Room Cool

If I want to feel and think my best I need a good night's sleep.  In the winter we lower our heat to 55 degrees and I sleep great.  But come the summer--and even with the air-conditioning on--our bedroom temperature often climbs to over 82 degrees and my sleep starts slumping.

Check out Anahad O'Connor's August 3rd piece in the New York Times, "Really?  The Claim: Cold Temperatures Improve Sleep"

"Studies have found that in general, the optimal temperature for sleep is quite cool, around 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit."

Bingo!  As of 2 weeks ago, my husband and I came up with a solution.  We purchased an easy-to-use-portable-on-wheels room air conditioner with enough BTUs to cool our bedroom down to a comfortable 73 degrees.  Now we can turn off the useless-at-night whole house air conditioner and enjoy a peaceful sleep--and hopefully conserve on fuel costs.

The added bonus:  it has just enough white noise to block out the morning shower and kitchen sounds of the early risers in our house.

Money Well Spent: In the Pursuit of Health, Calming Quiet, Cozy Warmth & Excellent Dental Care

#6 on Gretchen Rubin's Ten Tips for Being Happier:  Buy Some Happiness

I’ve learned to look for ways to spend money to stay in closer contact with my family and friends; to promote my health; to work more efficiently; to eliminate sources of irritation and marital conflict; to support important causes; and to have enlarging experiences.

-Gretchen Rubin, author & blogger-

Look, I know this is not the time to advocate spending money--but then again--a lot of businesses will be helped greatly if we can loosen up our purse strings a little.

I don't spend money easily.  I don't like excess.  And I don't like to shop--except for food & books.  My parents were young adults during the Great Depression, so their lessons of thrift definitely have rubbed off on me.

But...this year I've purchased a few things that I would describe as MONEY WELL SPENT!

I use them almost everyday, & they've brought me and my husband:

• Good health with little effort
• A quiet home where it's easy to read & think
• A warm cozy bed even with our thermostat set to 58 degrees
• Excellent dental care with germ-free toothbrushes

In Pursuit of Health - The Vita-Mix 5200

• Yes, I know you are all ready to shoot me if I say one more thing about my Vita-Mix & green smoothies--but believe me, I too, was once a skeptic!  And I don't part with money easily.
• We use this blender everyday, and at a hefty $450 I figure that at $1/day for a year & 3  months it's worth it.
• There is no way is the world that I could eat 5 cups of kale, spinach, Swiss chard or spinach; an orange; a kiwi; mixed berries; 5 carrots; an apple; some pomegranate juice & 2 TBS. of ground flax seed in one day.  But I can put it all into this incredible blender, add some water or ice & VOILA--I have a delicious drinkable, portable breakfast & mid-day snack.  You cannot believe the power of this contraption.
• I use it to make salad dressings, to instantly puree vegetable soups, make my own tahini, hummous, all-fruit sorbets, and more.
• It cleans in seconds & there are no annoying parts to take apart like in a food processor.
• To read more of my annoying green smoothie discoveries, click here and here

 

In Pursuit of Quiet - The Acoustic Research 900 MHz Wireless Stereo Headphones with autotuning - Model AW772

• My husband loves his TV time--especially loud WWII videos, like The Band of Brothers--Seinfeld reruns & anything on SPIKE.  I like to sit in our cozy Library/Den with him, but honestly, the noise is so annoying!
• My sister clued me in to the idea of wireless headphones that allow one to watch TV or listen to  music--have the volume as high one likes--and not disturb anyone else.  She bought a pair of these for my brother-in-law #1 for Father's Day.  He said it was a gift for her, not for him--but Oh Well--that's my sis!
• Back in September I wrote about  My husband's promise:  He's buying wireless headphones to use when he wants to watch TV & I want to read or write. Or vice versa.  Why be mad, distracted, or have to read the same page over & over again when you can buy wireless headphones for your TV?  Viva the silence!
• He bought them--he loves them--and so do I!  I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it is to not have a loud TV in the background when I want to read, write or think.  In fact, I can cook in the kitchen while listening to the radio (NPR of course), while hubby is less than 5 feet away in our den watching Seinfeld.  It's AMAZING!
• Another plus--since they are wireless, he can walk into his office, go get a snack, wash some dishes & keep listening to whatever he wants to listen to.
• Only downside:  When he has his headphones on he can't hear me (I guess that's an upside for him) unless I get right next to him & tap him on the shoulder.
• He picked the Acoustic Research brand by going to our small town's electronics store so he could support the local economy & get some expert advice on a reliable model.  Expect to pay between $65-$120 for a good pair--I think.
• I think wireless stereo headphones would also be the perfect solution for anyone who has to share a tiny 1 bedroom or studio apartment with a roommate.

In Pursuit of Warmth - The Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad with dual controls

• We set our thermostat to go down to 58 degrees when we go to sleep.  Natural gas prices are sky high. Even with a sheet, a quilt & a down comforter, last winter I had to resort to crawling into a down sleeping bag to get warm enough.  Needless to say, my husband wasn't too happy with this.
• This Fall, I spotted a queen-sized Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad at Costco for about $75 & thought I'd give it a try.  After all, Costco will gladly accept returns if you are dissatisfied with a product.
• We both LOVE this mattress pad--which I know sounds slightly looney.  It's got a nifty Preheat setting that we set fifteen minutes before crawling into bed, & each of us has preset our preferred temperatures--I'm comfortable with Low, and hubby who doesn't wear PJs likes #3.
• Now we only need a light-weight quilt to stay warm through the night.  No need for the down comforter.  And the house is a cool 58 degrees.  We could probably even go lower!
• There's even an automatic shut-off that turns the pad off, should you forget, after (I think) 10 hours.  And of course it has multiple adjustable temperature settings for both sides.
• Save Energy & Save Money.  Calculating with March 2008 Energy Information Administration forecasting---if you can lower your thermostat 8 degrees, 24 hours a day, 25 weeks a year, you save up to $131 a year.  That's a pretty good dollar return for a $75 investment, not to mention a cozy warm bed!

In Pursuit of Excellent Dental Health - Phillips Sonicare Flexcare 2 Handle Toothbrush All-in-one Sanitizing Charging and Storing Unit

• Full disclosure here.  My husband is a dentist and we've used the original Sonicare model for years.
• This new Flexcare model came out about 6 months ago--and there's no comparison to the older model.
• The pluses:  There is a timed Maxcare mode that keeps that toothbrush oscillating in your mouth for a full 3 minutes.  The average person brushes for less than a minute with an old-fashioned toothbrush.  If you want a quick brush between meals--there's a 1 minute Go-Care setting.
• Ultra-violet light sanitizer is included & it kills up to 99% of E. Coli & streptococcus Mutans, not to mention assorted cold viruses.  Since we all keep our toothbrushes in the bathroom & flush the toilet with the seat up--I think you get the picture.  The sanitizer is a closed-door unit keeping your toothbrush away from any nasties.
• If you travel, the set includes a portable travel charger--a nice convenience.
• My last dental check-up was absolutely the best I have ever had.  My dentist could not believe it.  It was as pretty close to perfect as you can get.  He would not conclude that it's the Flexcare--but I've done nothing else differently.  Again Full Disclosure:  I floss my teeth daily.  I apparently hold my toothbrush at the correct angle (a must do!) & I Only Brush My Teeth Once a Day in the Morning.  I say it's the Sonicare Flexcare  that is giving me excellent dental health.
• This unit is not inexpensive.  I saw it online at Costco for $160.00.  But with new research coming out weekly about the connection between good dental health, inflammation & heart health--I think it's a small price to pay.  It's all about prevention in my book!

Healthy Librarian's Brain Back-Up: Music for a Healthy Heart, Vitamin D and Body Fat, Nuts, Happiness Tips, Unhealthy Vegans and more

Once You're Through Learning, You're Through"

-John Wooden, retired UCLA basketball coach, 97 years old-

I started this blog as my own computer back-up for everything I learn about living a healthy happy long life.

I soon found out that there is no way I can capture everything that comes my way via podcasts, NPR, books, websites, newspapers and magazines with twice a week postings.

For a change of pace I'm backing up my brain by downloading the mass of swirling (but useful) health & happiness tips that have come my way this week.  Instead of long posts, you're getting the "blog bytes".

So here goes:

• Music, like laughter benefits the heart.  According to Dr. Michael Miller of the University of Maryland, if you're listening to a song that makes you feel "joyful or euphoric", your blood vessels will dilate 26%, improving blood flow--which is an effect similar to that of exercise.  Miller says:  "The inner lining of the blood vessels--the endothelium--serves as the gatekeeper to vascular health."   Keep them dilated & keep them healthy. Just don't listen to the same songs all the time, or it won't work.  Mix up your play list--2 week intervals are best.  What's on my play list?  Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" & Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" & about a million others. Now I'm alternating joyful music with my NPR fix.

• Low Vitamin D levels are linked to increased body fat.  Looking at young Californian women (age 16-20)--where there's plenty of sun--researchers found overweight women had a much lower level of vitamin D, as measured by the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D test (under 29 ng/mL is too low).  It's hard to tell if the excess fat is preventing the vitamin D absorption, or if the low D is somehow causing the excess fat.  With vitamin D so important to the prevention of osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression & more, everyone should ask their doctor for the inexpensive serum-hydroxyvitamin D test!

• A healthy vegan diet is all about eating whole real foods--like greens, beans, fruits, veggies, nuts & seeds.  This takes preparation & planning. Watch out if you stick to fake soy meat, fries, Fritos, & peanut butter!  Read Megan McArdle's piece about her vegan experience here. She's a blogger/writer for the Atlantic Monthly.

• Unusual Suspects. Everyday foods that will cause inflammation.  Increase your diet with foods high in Omega-6s & you increase your body's inflammation--a risk factor for heart disease, arthritis, cancer, cognitive dysfunction & more.  Just cut these out: any mayonnaise, except for a low-fat version made with canola oil; anything made with safflower, cottonseed, corn, soybean, unnamed vegetable & sunflower oils; Take Control Spread (it's supposed to benefit the heart-but it's loaded with Omega 6s--use Canola Harvest with Flax instead); Smart Balance mozzarella cheese shreds; many granola bars; McDonald's Grilled Chicken; vegetarian cheeses made with oils; soy hot dogs & burgers; salad dressings made with soybean oil.  Here's a link to a free website with data on the omega-6s in everyday foods: Click here.  Read Evelyn Tribole's The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet.

• Ten Tips for Being Happier. This comes from one of my favorite blogs Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project.  My 4 favorites: 1. Realize that anything worth doing is worth doing badly--you have to be willing to try new things & not be afraid of failing if you want to grow.  2. Buy some happiness--sometimes you need to spend some money to keep in touch with friends & relatives, to just make life easier or to eliminate sources of irritation: like plane tickets, a heated mattress pad or wireless earphones to silence the TV. 3. Don't insist on the best--don't waste time & drive yourself crazy trying to make the perfect decision. Be a satisficer not a maximizer!  4. Stop Nagging--not worth it & it only makes matters worse.
  

• An ounce or two of nuts a day is a good thing.  At 160-200 calories an ounce you have to go easy, but Spanish researchers found that adding nuts to your diet will reduce the likelihood of metabolic syndrome (belly fat, type 2 diabetes, high triglycerides, low HDLs); and Purdue researchers found that nuts keep you full, satisfied & better able to control your weight.  My link has a great recipe & specific nut by nut benefits from the Berkeley Wellness Letter.

• For maximum learning you need a good night's sleep.  Howard Nussbaum of the University of Chicago conducted a study that trained college students on video games & clearly showed how learning something new only improves after a good night's rest. Our brains consolidate the new learning during sleep & we actually practice our new skills while we dream.  But it's best to be well rested before you learn something new and then "sleep on it"!

• 38% of us use alternative or complementary therapies.  According to a recent report from the National Center for Complementary Medicine and Alternative Therapies, the top alternative therapies include the use of fish oil/omega 3/DHA, glucosamine, echinacea, flaxseed oil or pills, and ginseng.  More people are also practicing deep-breathing, meditation, yoga & following it up with a relaxing massage!