But, before you decide to add an extra cup of coffee to your morning ritual, let me warn you that also on the website, under “Related Stories,” were a couple of articles about studies that showed the negative effects of caffeine, “Morning Jolt of Caffeine May Mask Serious Sleep Problems,” and “Coffee Consumption Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Attack For Persons With Certain Gene Variation.”

Nearly every angle of thought, I’ve noticed, particularly when it has to do with age-related health issues, can be corroborated, or at least given credence, by a number of specific studies. The “good/bad” studies related to caffeine certainly aren’t, of course, the only ones. Nonetheless, it did get me to pondering about the reasonableness that there will never be simply “one thing” that will absolutely help we, humans, to live longer, healthier lives. We are dynamic, biological creatures. We are free to engage in life. We’re not confined to a cage! And, furthermore, though Alzheimer’s disease may be on the rise, obviously we, cage-free humans, have not been “singled out to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t going to be the “one thing” that will reverse or prevent it.

Our body is an exquisite, involved system that is based on homeostasis (balance). It makes sense, then, that good health has more to do with a healthy, balanced attitude towards living, rather than our being briefly convinced by the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one particular thing in the hope that it will reverse all of the other over-indulgent and unwholesome things we have done to our bodies.

As a chiropractor, I believe that every moment of the day we have an opportunity to make healthy choices for our body, to decide what will assist us to live longer, healthier lives. We know what truly “feels” life enriching and what doesn’t when it comes to what is good for our body. So, I just wanted to pass along a little something for you to keep in mind the next time you consider having that extra cup of coffee or second glass of red wine. Neither one of those things is the “one thing” that will do “everything” for your age-related health issues.

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As our age-related risks of chronic disease increase, regular physical activity can actually slow down the trend. In addition, research has shown that people who have already developed coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Type 2 diabetes, and other age-related chronic diseases can benefit substantially by increasing their physical activity and, therefore, often can manage their chronic illness with fewer medicines.

Furthermore, some studies suggest that the cardiovascular benefits an individual gets from physical activity may also help the brain stay healthy. “Physical activity influences the frontal region of the brain,” says Dr. Bradley Hatfield, professor of Sports Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. So, if you’ve been wondering what the best thing is that you can do to keep your brain young, the answer may be for you to take a long walk. A key factor is that exercise thickens the brain tissue and builds more synapses in the brain. The brain has 10 billion nerve cells, called neurons, and on average, neurons are connected to each other through 10,000 synapses. Every time we exercise, more synapses form and the active brain gets stronger.

On a regular basis, being physically active increases the quality of life (period). Some of the benefits include improved energy levels, mental sharpness, balance, strength, flexibility, and weight control. Moreover, regular aerobic exericise has been shown to help in the management of depression, anxiety, and stress.

So, even though the facts point conclusively to the validity of the “move it or lose it!” warning, they also confirm that it is never to late for you to “move it” and regain your health!

Technorati Tags: chiropractor, chronic disease, exercise, health

Any movement is a step towards better health and physical fitness. Walk a lap (or two) around your house or apartment. Put that TV remote away and get up to change the channels. As your body becomes accustomed to moving again, you will probably discover that you actually want to move more. Then you can slowly add additional movement to your daily routine. Increase the walk around your house to a walk around the block, a walk in the park, or even a walk through the shopping mall. Walking with a friend can often help to keep you on track(especially on those days when you’d rather sit and veg, then get your body moving). If you are physically able, take the stairs instead of using the elevator as often as you can. Park farther away from the entrance to the supermarket and make it a goal to put more and more parking spots between you and the entrance.

After a few weeks of regular physical activity, you will begin to feel the healthful benefits of movement. Then you’ll be ready for new ways to build flexibility, fitness, and muscle strength. Your chiropractor can advise you on how to become more physically active and help you to development an individualized program.

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Add to the growing list of chemicals showing up in human blood, chemicals called diPAPs. They’re found in the compounds that make food wrappers grease-proof. These chemicals are fairly new and scientists don’t know yet if they are harmful to human health. But diPAPs break down into another worrisome chemical, called PFOA (perfuorooctanoic acid), which is in a class of compounds called perflurochemicals, and may be carcinogenic.

PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate, another perflurochemical) are resistant to oil and water, which makes them perfect for use as fast food wrappers, and as liners on nonstick pans, microwave popcorn bags, and pizza boxes, not to mention carpets clothes, and electronics among many other applications. The problem is that these compounds end up in the environment, our food and our bodies.

“The take-home message is that some chemicals that make our lives easier, better and more satisfying end up in our bloodstream with unknown toxicological consequences,” said Scott Mabury, a chemist at the University of Toronto. “We should be smart enough to design chemicals that do what we want them to do without causing a chemical pollution problem.” Imagine that — designing chemicals that wouldn’t harm our bodies or pollute the environment. I wonder why no one has thought about that until now?

For the complete article, go tohttp://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/15/food-wrapper-chemical.html?campaign=w01-101-ae-0001

Technorati Tags: diet, fast food, health, pollution