How Is Your Nerve Supply?

There are 24 moveable bones of the spine. Collectively they are called the spinal column. Between each of these bones is where nerves exit to give electrical energy or life force to the rest of the body ( heart, lungs, muscles, glands, etc.). The brain communicates through these nerves to the rest of the body.

Research at the University of Colorado in Boulder discovered that the pressure on spinal nerve roots of as little as 45mm of mercury (about the weight of a quarter) decreased nerve transmission by 60% in just a matter of minutes.

What would happen if your heart, lungs, muscles, kidneys, liver, glands, etc. only received 60% of the nerve transmission? Make sure the entire family is getting regular chiropractic care as part of there lifestyle.

Green Tea Gets a Boost

Green tea is rightly known as one of the healthiest beverages around, due to its rich content of unique antioxidants. A new study has now upped the ante by suggesting we add vitamin C to green tea, which significantly boosts the tea's antioxidants by making them more available to the body.

"Although these results are preliminary, I think it's encouraging that a big part of the puzzle comes down to simple chemistry," says Mario Ferruzzi, assistant professor of food science at Purdue University.

It turns out that catechins, the green tea type of antioxidants, have many health-promoting qualities, including an anti-cancer skill set, but they're not as readily absorbed by the body in a non-acidic environment. In fact, typically less than 20 percent remain effective after digestion.

By testing a variety of juices, creamers and other additives commonly drunk in green tea, Ferruzzi found that citrus juices, such as lemon or lime, or alternately, the ingestion of a vitamin C supplement, greatly enhanced the staying power of catechins. Ascorbic acid, a form of vitamin C, increased the effective levels of green tea antioxidants up to 13-fold.

Taking lemon in one's tea has never looked better.

How Is Your Memory?

Some of the memory erosion that comes with aging can be slowed or even reversed. For example, when aging cells in the front part of your brain, known as the prefrontal cortex, shrink, it causes a loss of "executive function," skills that let you multitask and focus intently on what you are doing. But you can improve executive function through physical exercise, which increases the blood flow and the availability of oxygen and glucose to your brain cells.

To do this, you need at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, such as aerobics or fast walking, three times a week. Even if you have been sedentary for a while, your ability to focus can improve markedly within a few months of starting an exercise program

Boosting Your Child's Brain Power

A new study published in the Journal of School Health (2008;78:209-15), found that a high-quality diet is linked to a higher level of academic performance in school children.

Children who had the highest diet quality scores and therefore the healthy diets were 41% less likely to fail a standard literacy test than children with the lowest diet quality scores (indicating a poor diet). Variety and adequate nutrition were linked to academic performance, and children who ate more fruits and vegetables and fewer calories from fat did better on the test.

Previous research has shown that eating a healthy breakfast can help children do better in school. Other studies have found that being overweight has a negative impact on academic performance. So, both healthy eating and physical exercise might have the best effect on raising achievement in school.

Many Cancer Survivors Ignore Lifestyle Changes

Cancer survivors who make healthy lifestyle changes and alter their diets to eat more fruits and vegetables, stay physically active and avoid tobacco have a higher quality of life than those who do not do these things.

The bad news, according to a study published in May 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, is that many cancer survivors are not eating right and aren't exercising enough.

"We all know that living a healthy lifestyle, eating well, being physically active and not smoking reduces the risk of physical problems and improves overall physical health," said Kevin Stein, director of Quality of Life Research at the American Cancer Society's Behavioral Research Center and lead author of the Clinical Oncology study. "Here we have additional evidence that it not only reduces disease burden but also improves emotional health and quality of life and, moreover, the effect appears to be cumulative. The more you comply, the better your quality of life."

Unfortunately, the message doesn't seem to be getting through enough so that people can really grasp the importance of what they do in their lives in terms of how it affects what happens to them. This includes behaviors engaged in both before and after a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

After dodging a bullet, having a second chance to live a healthy lifestyle, reduce the risk of a second cancer and improve their quality of life, it seems old bad habits die hard.

Don't Sweat It

Did you know that underarms can absorb applied substances directly into the bloodstream? Most conventional deodorants contain artificial fragrances, harsh chemical antiperspirants and preservatives. Natural deodorants, on the other hand, use herbs or salts found to be very effective at reducing odor-causing bacteria. Nor do they contain the type of aluminum-based chemicals suspected for various health issues. What do you want to absorb?

Double Whammy

What's good for the heart is good for the prostate.

New research suggests that men who eat a diet low in fat and red meat and high in vegetables and lean protein, and who drink alcohol in moderation, are doing both their hearts and prostates a favor.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 2008