Alzheimer's: Prevent It With Nutrition?

Alzheimer's: Prevent It With Nutrition?
September 21 was “World Alzheimer’s Day.”
I didn’t hear anything about it in the press, but
it’s just as well. What would celebration
accomplish? Awareness? Walk-athons, and more money pumped
into the same type of research that’s been done for
years that hasn’t produced anything?

In honor of the day, a press release,
“Neutraceuticals offer hope on World
Alzheimer’s Day” suggested it’s worth
reflecting on the potential of research into food and
dietary ingredients to stave off the disease. Could this be
good news?

Research into dietary supplements to prevent Alzheimer
’s disease has been going on for a long time with
some very promising results. But that’s where it
ends: “Promising results.” Research that
produces truly promising results usually dies for lack of
funding and lack of support by advocacy organizations.

It is of interest that the supplements and food mentioned
in the press release as of possible benefit – vitamin
E and the Mediterranean Diet are nothing new. What is also
of interest in the release is there is no mention of the
most promising of all supplements – the anti-oxidants
alpha lipoic acid, N-acetyl cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine,
and others.

There is very encouraging research that indicates these
anti-oxidants, taken well before cognitive decline begins
can be brain savers.

Dr. Julian Whitaker discusses the Alzheimer’s
situation in his September 2007 “Health and
Healing” newsletter and he doesn’t paint a
pretty picture. According to Whitaker, nearly 1 in 8 of
those over 65 and nearly half of those over 85 already have
Alzheimer’s. By mid century, up to 16 million people
will be afflicted. That’s more than the total
population of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago
combined.

Now while you still have your cognitive health is the time
to take steps to save your brain. There are supplements you
can take, if taken in adequate amounts that may save you
and your family a lot of grief down the road. Dr. Whitaker
suggests a daily supplement regimen:

DHA, 50 mg (3-4 fish oil capsules); Curcumin, 900-1,800 mg;
Natural vitamin E,800-1,600 IU; Vitamin C,3,000 mg; Natural
beta-carotene, 15,000-20,000 IU; N-acetyl cysteine NAC),
500-1,500 mg; Alpha lipoic acid (ALA), 200-400 mg; CoQ10,
200-400 mg; Acetyl l carnitine (ALC), 1,000-2,000 mg;
Phosphatidylcholine, 250 mg; Phosphatidylserine, 100 mg;
and a good multivitamin and mineral supplement.

For many, if not most people, the above list of
anti-oxidants is forbidding. “I can’t swallow
that much” and “I can’t afford it”
are common objections. If we can eat a mouthful of food,
we can swallow a handful of supplements a couple at a time.
If we have enough money to spend on trinkets and
entertainment, perhaps reorganization of spending
priorities is in order.

You can fall prey to conflicting reports about the safety
and usefulness of supplements or you can educate yourself
and do what you have to do to maintain your cognitive
ability. If you don’t take care of yourself, who will?

----------------------------------------------------
Barbara Morris is a pharmacist and author of Put Old on
Hold. Visit her web site, http://www.PutOldonHold.com and
sign up for her free content-rich newsletter and receive a
complimentary copy of special report, "Thirteen Diva Tested
Tips for Fabulous Skin."

Children and High Blood Pressure

Children and High Blood Pressure
Did you know that babies can develop high blood pressure?
Many might think of this as uncommon but it really isn't.
When babies have high blood pressure it is usually because
they are premature or have a kidney or a heart problem.
When older children have high blood pressure it is usually
a result of their family history.

As you might have noticed there is an increase in obesity
in children today. This also increases their chances of
developing high blood pressure, putting them at a greater
risk of developing health problems. A great way to prevent
this is to have your child's blood pressure checked often
as they get older.

Some other ways to help are by watching your child's diet
and making sure they get plenty of exercise. Some kids are
not as active today what with video games and all. Try to
get your child involved in activities on a regular basis
from an early age. It will benefit them health wise as well
as boost their self esteem later down the road.

Just like adults, it is easy to control your child's blood
pressure. Watch their diet, especially in the area of snack
foods. Be sure they are getting the right nutrition and
limit their intake of salt. Get them eating fresh fruits
and vegetables. While many children don't like vegetables,
there are many ways to overcome this. You can spice up any
recipe that involves vegetables.

Physical activity is a big key to any healthy lifestyle.
Getting your child involved in physical activity while
young will help ensure they stay active and healthy as they
get older. Involve them in a sport of their choosing and
take walks with them. Both of you will benefit from this.

If your family has a history of high blood pressure, be
sure your children get routine check ups. This will help to
ensure they do not develop high blood pressure and if they
do, you can start controlling it. Remember stress can raise
blood pressure and while children shouldn't be stressed,
many of them are.

Children deal with stress just like adults, just in
different ways. Talk with your child and stay active in
their life and what goes on. You want them to have a happy
and healthy life and you can help them achieve that goal.

If you are unable to control your child's blood pressure
through their diet and exercise, you might have to turn to
medication. Talk with your doctor and let them know what
you have already tried. Sometimes this is not enough alone,
but with medication, you can help control it.

Try to exercise with your child every day. Exercising alone
sometimes is harder for children and adults alike. You can
get involved with your child this way and it will benefit
both of you.

Talk with your teenager about not smoking and drinking.
These both cause high blood pressure and once they know the
risks they are less likely to try them. Do not think your
child is immune from developing any health problems along
with high blood pressure.

Remember that blood pressure increases with age until you
are around fifty. If you get a head start on watching yours
and your child's at an early age, you will both benefit
very well in the end.

----------------------------------------------------
The author is a graduate of Mississippi State University
and maintains a health blog at
http://theluckyberry.blogspot.com

Motivation and planning: the keys to muscle gain success

Motivation and planning: the keys to muscle gain success
When you first decide to begin a weight gaining program,
the first things that you think about are probably the
workout routines, the supplements, and your nutrition plan.
However, before you get too involved in the details of
gaining weight and building lean muscle mass, you should
take some time to identify your motivation and set some
goals for yourself. Obviously, you're going to need a lot
of knowledge to succeed in this new endeavor, and that
knowledge will focus around what to eat, what supplements
to take, and what kind of workout program you should
follow. Despite the need for such knowledge, you may be
setting yourself up for failure if you don't stop and think
about what it is you're trying to achieve. That's because
lack of knowledge is only one cause of failure in weight
gain and in every kind of new endeavor. A major cause of
failure is the lack of planning and unclear motivation.

Before you race off to the gym or fill your pantry with
high calorie foods and protein drinks, you need to ask
yourself what exactly it is you are trying to accomplish.
Do you know exactly how many pounds you would like to gain?
Perhaps you should ask your doctor how much weight you can
gain and how quickly you can do so without harming your
health. Based on this advice, you can then set a timetable
for achieving your goal. If you break your goal into small
chunks it will seem less daunting and more easily
attainable.

Knowing what you want to accomplish before you start your
weight gain program is very important for your success.
You can visualize what you will look like at the end of
your program and how long it'll take to get there. The
other pillar of success, however, is proper motivation.
When things get tough on your journey, as they inevitably
will, you will probably begin to doubt your goals. Even if
you set your goal properly, you'll wonder if you really are
capable of achieving your objectives or if you even want to
achieve them.

When this happens, you must return to the original reason
that you wanted to gain muscle. Did you want to look more
attractive? Do you want to be more physically fit so you
could participate in sports? This is where you have to
decide for yourself what exactly your motivation is. By
the way, intrinsic motivation is far superior to extrinsic
motivation. What does this mean? It just means that you
need to have your own reasons for wanting to achieve
something along with a deep desire to overcome obstacles.
You are far more likely to succeed in achieving your goal
if it is truly your goal and not just the result of peer
pressure or some other outside motivation. If you keep
these things in mind, you are well on your way to muscle
gain success.

----------------------------------------------------
Jon Cardozo, from Jcardozium research, writes on how to
build muscle naturally, nutrition, and general fitness.
Visit his website for more information on how to gain
muscle at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com

7 Powerful Blood Pressure Changes

7 Powerful Blood Pressure Changes
High blood pressure tends to sneak up on many people
especially as we get older. Heredity plays an important
role if you are inclined to develop high blood pressure.
An increasing sedentary lifestyle coupled with the love of
"feel good" foods is escalating the number of people
diagnosed each year. It is important we recognize, monitor
and control an early high blood pressure reading.

There are obvious and not so obvious steps that you can
take to effectively control and manage to lower your risk
of heart disease, stroke and lower your high blood
pressure. Here are a few practical things to consider as
part of your routines and regimens:

1) Take it off and keep it off! Being overweight is a large
factor in high blood pressure. Not only will you feel
better with less weight to bear on the knees and ankles,
but you will take the first step in lowering the pressure.

2) Shed all extra pounds and unnecessary weight that you
are carrying around. Some of us could be classified as
skinny fat people. A small framed body with a large body
mass index equals an overweight person.

3) Park further from the front door when shopping and go
for regular daily walks during lunch or after dinner.
This is a little known "secret" for weight loss. It works!
Stopping fighting for the parking space that is at the
front door, walk it.

4) Lower alcohol and caffeine intake - these are empty
calories. I know, some of us really love our drinks but
you are paying a price in wasted calories.

5) Healthy eating is a conscious decision and will not just
happen randomly. Left up to our own devices we will tend to
over-eat, indulge, choice the wrong food and treats and
having our attempts at eating a healthy diet just simply
tank.

6) Get moving and tap into what your body was designed for
- TO MOVE! Be more physically active and start taking the
stairs, not the escalator or elevator. How many people
work on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th floor in a building and take an
elevator? Again, start slow and great things happen.

7) Choose foods that are very low in saturated fat,
cholesterol and salt. This is about avoiding temptation
more than not knowing what is good for us. Motivation is
the key here.

Added Bonus - Take your blood pressure readings at grocery
stores, drug stores and other retailers where available.
Try to use the same machine(s) for comparison because the
machines can vary depending on their maintenance. The next
time you visit the doctor's office, take a machine for home
use and calibrate to their readings. Once you have a
baseline established then monitor the blood pressure
regularly for best results.

The fact that your symptoms might not be severe or
noticeable at all, does not mean that you are immune or not
at risk! This is in most cases and for all intents and
purposes and invisible disease, illness and medical
condition.

Learning and mastering how to take charge of lowering your
own blood pressure, effectively, learning how to monitor it
properly, regularly and make the necessary changes, even
the harder ones, in your life and lifestyle to get success
and results that will last and ensure a lifetime!

----------------------------------------------------
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