Want to Shorten the Length of the Common Cold?

11 May

According to findings published in BMC Family Practice, “High dose zinc acetate lozenges shortened the duration of common-cold associated nasal discharge by 34%, nasal congestion by 37%, scratchy throat by 33%, and cough by 46%.”

Because they observed no major adverse effects related to zinc consumption over three separate studies, the authors of the study conclude, “Zinc acetate lozenges releasing zinc ions at doses of about 80 mg/day may be a useful treatment for the common cold, started within 24 hours, for a time period of less than two weeks.”

Don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in providing you natural pain relief.

More Research Shows Timing a Factor in Type 2 Diabetes

7 May

According to a new small-scale study published in Diabetologia, “The combined consumption of a high-energy breakfast and a low-energy dinner decreases overall daily hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetics.” 

Researcher Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz notes, “We found that by eating more calories at breakfast, when the glucose response to food is lowest and consuming fewer calories at dinner, glucose peaks after meals and glucose levels throughout the day were significantly reduced.” 

In other words, a big breakfast and small dinner helped control blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Here is an interesting finding from the research:  Participants’ blood glucose levels rose 23 percent less after lunches preceded by large breakfasts. Dr. Jakubowicz adds, “By demonstrating that a diet of high-energy breakfasts and more modest dinners is more effective in lowering overall daily post-meal glucose surges, we suggest that such a regimen is a powerful therapeutic approach for improving glycemic control and may potentially reduce cardiovascular complications in type 2 diabetic… It is not enough to tell the diabetic patient what he or she should or should not eat.  It is more important to emphasize that a more advantageous meal schedule should be followed.”

A “Simple” Quote That Can Change Your Life

4 May

Life is complicated.  As you get older and take on more responsibilities, there never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done, which causes stress.

Well, what if all that complexity, stress, and strain was NOT mandatory?  What if most… if not all… of life’s difficulties are actually self-imposed?  What if there was a simple way to shed all the frustration and finally live a much more satisfying and rewarding life? If that’s something you are interested in, then you will love this quote…

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours…. In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness.”

That quote is by Henry David Thoreau, a man whom you may remember from your high school days for living in a small, self-built house in the woods located on Walden Pond for two years. Why did Thoreau spend two years living in the woods?  Here is the reason he gave…

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.  I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary.  I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.”

What does this have to do with you?  Should you go live in the woods? Probably not.  But there are many life lessons that can be learned from Thoreau’s experiences and writings, and the most powerful might be: SIMPLIFICATION.

We all tend to make life much more complicated than it actually is.  We worry about things we do not have to worry about, and we make a big deal out of things that we either cannot change or just don’t matter. Why do we do this?  We do it because everyone else does, which is why so many of us believe it is the only way.

Getting and staying healthy is the same.  We are led to believe that achieving a healthy weight and maintaining an active lifestyle is a complex process.  In fact, for the vast majority, getting and staying healthy is quite simple:  eat simple (avoid processed foods and eat more fruits and veggies, for example); do basic, simple exercise; and simplify other parts of your life to reduce stress and strain.

Practicing simplification is one of the most powerful things you can ever do.

Best,
Dr. Binder

Does Eating Organic Food Make A Difference?

28 Apr

Eating organic food is a very hot topic.  It seems like everyone is talking about it, and everyone has a strong opinion one way or the other.  Some swear by it and say you are poisoning yourself if you do not eat organic foods.  Others say eating organic is nothing more than a waste of money.  Is there really a benefit to eating organic food over non-organic food in regards to actual pesticide levels in the body?

A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives analyzed the dietary exposure of nearly 4,500 people from six cities across the United States to organophosphates (OPs), the most common insecticides used on conventionally grown produce in the country.  OPs are linked to a number of detrimental health effects, particularly among agricultural workers who are regularly exposed to this class of chemicals.  The results of the study showed that among individuals eating similar amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who reported eating organic produce had significantly lower OP pesticide exposures than those consuming conventionally grown produce.  In addition, consuming conventionally grown foods typically treated with greater amounts of pesticides during production (such as apples, nectarines, and peaches) was associated with significantly higher levels of exposure.

Lead author Dr. Cynthia Curl adds, “For most Americans, diet is the primary source of OP pesticide exposure… The study suggests that by eating organically grown versions of those foods highest in pesticide residues, we can make a measurable difference in the levels of pesticides in our bodies.” 

According to this research, it seems like eating organic fruits and vegetables is not a waste of money.  As always, more research needs to be done to determine how much OP exposure may be bad for you and if there are ways to mitigate exposure if you do purchase non-organic produce. But, when in doubt, organic might be the way to go, at least when it comes to apples, nectarines, and peaches.

5 Ways Exercise Can Help Your Brainpower and Mood!

27 Apr

1.     Exercise reverses the detrimental effects of stress.  Exercise boosts levels of soothing brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.  On a cellular level, exercise may even reverse some of the damage caused by stress that can accelerate the aging process.

2.     Exercise lifts depression.  Sustained, sweat-inducing activity can reduce symptoms of depression about as effectively as antidepressants, according to a recent study.

3.     Exercise improves learning.  Exercise increases the level of the chemicals in the brain — called growth factors — that help make new brain cells.

4.     Exercise builds self-esteem and improves body image.  Even simply seeing fitness improvements, like running a faster mile or lifting more weight, can improve your self-esteem and body image.

5.     Exercise leaves you feeling euphoric.  High-intensity exercise can leave you with a feeling of euphoria.  Try running, biking, or swimming as fast as you can for 30 to 40 seconds and then reduce your speed to a gentle pace for five minutes before sprinting again.

Study Shows Meditation Helps Brain Power!

20 Apr

A new study by UCLA researchers found that meditation appears to help preserve the brain’s gray matter, the tissue that contains neurons.  This is extremely important because at some time in the mid-to-late 20s, the brain begins to decrease in size and can often lose some function.

According to the study, the effects of meditation were greater than expected. Study co-author Dr. Florian Kurth writes, “We expected rather small and distinct effects located in some of the regions that had previously been associated with meditating… Instead, what we actually observed was a widespread effect of meditation that encompassed regions throughout the entire brain.”

Dr. Kurth warns that this study does not “prove” meditation preserved gray matter in the brain.  There are many other factors such as lifestyle and genetics that can have an effect, but the results are promising and hopefully more research will give more definitive answers.

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