http://www.healthtree.com/news/fitness-and-nutrition/salty-foods-can-quickly-impact-the-heart/
The research, published in this month's issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, sheds new light on the short-term effects salt-laden foods have on the heart. The body's quick response to snacks full of sodium were reportedly similar to how the body responds after eating a meal high in saturated fats.
Bottom Line: Consistently, researchers found that the arteries of people who got the high salt snack widened half as much as the people who got the low salt snack. The body's response was quick and the effect passed after two hours...
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Breathe deeply: breathing practice can boost your heart health and calm your mind
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NAH/is_4_38/ai_n24945334/
MOST OF US never think about our breath. It just happens. But breathing is also one of the few bodily functions we can control, allowing us to, say, swim or play a trumpet. Controlled breathing--taking full, diaphragmatic breaths and exhaling slowly or completely--can also improve your overall health; research shows that it can help lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and cut the risk of heart disease.
breathing relaxes
Breathing fully and completely helps the body by relaxing the nervous system, says Timothy McCall, M,D., author of Yoga as Medicine (Bantam, 2007), a guide to using yoga to treat several chronic conditions including migraines, obesity, and arthristis (See "The Peaceful Path to Weight Loss" in our March 2008 issue or at naturalhealthmag.com). "Many people take short inhales that primarily go to the upper chest, which is like getting tiny shots of adrenaline 15 times a minute," McCall explains.
That kind of shallow, fast breathing can affect the immune system and worsen degenerative diseases. "It can exacerbate anxiety, insomnia, and may potentially contribute to digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome," he says.
breathing relieves anxiety
A core component of yoga, breathing exercises--known as pranayama, a Sanskrit word meaning "lengthening of the prana," or breath--can help reduce anxiety and combat feelings of mild depression, according to clinical research. One long-term study has also shown that yogic breathing can help reduce the stress symptoms connected to obsessive-compulsive disorder: Eight participants at the University of California, San Diego study reported feeling less stress after one year of breath-training classes. Three members of the group went off their anxiety medication, and two others reduced their dosage.
breathing: one woman's experience
A common form of yogic breathing, ujjayi (oo-jai-ee) is done by inhaling and exhaling deeply through your nose while constricting the back of the throat, making a noise some compare to the sound of an ocean. Ujjayi breathing helped Lora Shinn, 32, a writer in Seattle, deliver her nine-pound son without "being overtaken by anxiety." She tried music and aromatherapy, but says ujjayi was what really worked.
try these easy breathing practices
Start benefitting from full, natural breathing. Test these three exercises, suggested by Dennis Lewis, author of Free Your Breath, Free Your Life (Shambala, 2004) and qigong instructor in Scottsdale, Ariz.
1. Mindfulness breathing Sit comfortably, with closed eyes and an erect but relaxed spine. Breathe slowly and gently through your nose. When distracting thoughts, feelings, or external sounds occur, acknowledge their existence then let them go, returning your attention to your breath. Start with ten minutes and work up to 20 or 30 minutes daily.
2. Deep breathing to reduce stress Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, warm your hands by rubbing them together, and then place them on your abdomen. Breathe in through your nose and quietly out through pursed lips (which helps make the exhalation longer than the inhalation). Feel your abdomen expanding with each inhalation and retracting with each exhalation. Once you learn this lying down, do the same exercise sitting or standing whenever you need to de-stress. Start with five minutes, and increase your time as you get the hang of it.
3. "Smile" breathing to reduce pain When you're experiencing pain or stress, try smiling. It may feel forced and unnatural at first, but that will change if you can hold it for at least a couple of minutes. Sense yourself inhaling through your nose and your smile. Direct the combined energy of the smile and your breath to the area that hurts. Exhale through pursed but relaxed lips (as if you were gently blowing on a single candle), and imagine the pain being released. Do this for a minimum of five minutes at a time.
MOST OF US never think about our breath. It just happens. But breathing is also one of the few bodily functions we can control, allowing us to, say, swim or play a trumpet. Controlled breathing--taking full, diaphragmatic breaths and exhaling slowly or completely--can also improve your overall health; research shows that it can help lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and cut the risk of heart disease.
breathing relaxes
Breathing fully and completely helps the body by relaxing the nervous system, says Timothy McCall, M,D., author of Yoga as Medicine (Bantam, 2007), a guide to using yoga to treat several chronic conditions including migraines, obesity, and arthristis (See "The Peaceful Path to Weight Loss" in our March 2008 issue or at naturalhealthmag.com). "Many people take short inhales that primarily go to the upper chest, which is like getting tiny shots of adrenaline 15 times a minute," McCall explains.
That kind of shallow, fast breathing can affect the immune system and worsen degenerative diseases. "It can exacerbate anxiety, insomnia, and may potentially contribute to digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome," he says.
breathing relieves anxiety
A core component of yoga, breathing exercises--known as pranayama, a Sanskrit word meaning "lengthening of the prana," or breath--can help reduce anxiety and combat feelings of mild depression, according to clinical research. One long-term study has also shown that yogic breathing can help reduce the stress symptoms connected to obsessive-compulsive disorder: Eight participants at the University of California, San Diego study reported feeling less stress after one year of breath-training classes. Three members of the group went off their anxiety medication, and two others reduced their dosage.
breathing: one woman's experience
A common form of yogic breathing, ujjayi (oo-jai-ee) is done by inhaling and exhaling deeply through your nose while constricting the back of the throat, making a noise some compare to the sound of an ocean. Ujjayi breathing helped Lora Shinn, 32, a writer in Seattle, deliver her nine-pound son without "being overtaken by anxiety." She tried music and aromatherapy, but says ujjayi was what really worked.
try these easy breathing practices
Start benefitting from full, natural breathing. Test these three exercises, suggested by Dennis Lewis, author of Free Your Breath, Free Your Life (Shambala, 2004) and qigong instructor in Scottsdale, Ariz.
1. Mindfulness breathing Sit comfortably, with closed eyes and an erect but relaxed spine. Breathe slowly and gently through your nose. When distracting thoughts, feelings, or external sounds occur, acknowledge their existence then let them go, returning your attention to your breath. Start with ten minutes and work up to 20 or 30 minutes daily.
2. Deep breathing to reduce stress Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, warm your hands by rubbing them together, and then place them on your abdomen. Breathe in through your nose and quietly out through pursed lips (which helps make the exhalation longer than the inhalation). Feel your abdomen expanding with each inhalation and retracting with each exhalation. Once you learn this lying down, do the same exercise sitting or standing whenever you need to de-stress. Start with five minutes, and increase your time as you get the hang of it.
3. "Smile" breathing to reduce pain When you're experiencing pain or stress, try smiling. It may feel forced and unnatural at first, but that will change if you can hold it for at least a couple of minutes. Sense yourself inhaling through your nose and your smile. Direct the combined energy of the smile and your breath to the area that hurts. Exhale through pursed but relaxed lips (as if you were gently blowing on a single candle), and imagine the pain being released. Do this for a minimum of five minutes at a time.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
NY Times: Can Exercise Keep You Young?
We all know that physical activity is beneficial in countless ways, but even so, Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, a professor of pediatrics at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, was startled to discover that exercise kept a strain of mice from becoming gray prematurely.
But shiny fur was the least of its benefits. Indeed, in heartening new research published last week in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, exercise reduced or eliminated almost every detrimental effect of aging in mice that had been genetically programmed to grow old at an accelerated pace...
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/can-exercise-keep-you-young/
But shiny fur was the least of its benefits. Indeed, in heartening new research published last week in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, exercise reduced or eliminated almost every detrimental effect of aging in mice that had been genetically programmed to grow old at an accelerated pace...
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/can-exercise-keep-you-young/
Saturday, February 12, 2011
How to consume less sodium at Chipotle
http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=food_on_the_run_chipotle_mexican_grill
Burrito Bowl with cilantro-lime rice, chicken, and lettuce
Calories - 335
Fat - 10 grams (3 grams of saturated fat)
Sodium - 520 mg
Carbohydrates - 24 grams
Fiber - 0 grams
Protein - 34 grams
Three Hard Tacos with vegetarian black beans, sautéed peppers and onions
Calories - 320
Fat - 8 grams (2 grams of saturated fat)
Sodium - 450 mg
Carbohydrates - 54 grams
Fiber - 14 grams
Protein - 10 grams
Burrito Bowl with cilantro-lime rice, pinto beans, sautéed peppers and onions and Romaine lettuce
Calories - 285
Fat - 5 grams (0 grams saturated fat)
Sodium - 650 mg
Carbohydrates - 49 grams
Fiber - 11 grams
Protein - 10 grams
Burrito Bowl with carnitas, sautéed onions and peppers, cilantro-lime rice, Romaine lettuce and tomato salsa
Calories - 345
Fat - 11 grams (3 grams of saturated fat)
Sodium - 1300 mg
Carbohydrates - 33 grams
Fiber - 1 gram
Protein - 28 grams
You can use the Chipotle calculator tool to calculate your favorite combination.
Burrito Bowl with cilantro-lime rice, chicken, and lettuce
Calories - 335
Fat - 10 grams (3 grams of saturated fat)
Sodium - 520 mg
Carbohydrates - 24 grams
Fiber - 0 grams
Protein - 34 grams
Three Hard Tacos with vegetarian black beans, sautéed peppers and onions
Calories - 320
Fat - 8 grams (2 grams of saturated fat)
Sodium - 450 mg
Carbohydrates - 54 grams
Fiber - 14 grams
Protein - 10 grams
Burrito Bowl with cilantro-lime rice, pinto beans, sautéed peppers and onions and Romaine lettuce
Calories - 285
Fat - 5 grams (0 grams saturated fat)
Sodium - 650 mg
Carbohydrates - 49 grams
Fiber - 11 grams
Protein - 10 grams
Burrito Bowl with carnitas, sautéed onions and peppers, cilantro-lime rice, Romaine lettuce and tomato salsa
Calories - 345
Fat - 11 grams (3 grams of saturated fat)
Sodium - 1300 mg
Carbohydrates - 33 grams
Fiber - 1 gram
Protein - 28 grams
You can use the Chipotle calculator tool to calculate your favorite combination.
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