Did you know You Have Two Brains?

18 Mar

You have neurons in your brain, but did you know you also have neurons in your gut, including neurons that produce neurotransmitters like serotonin (also found in your brain) that can affect your mood? Your gut literally serves as your second brain, and even produces more serotonin than your brain does.

In other words, you have two nervous systems: the central nervous system (composed of your brain and spinal cord) and the enteric nervous system (the intrinsic nervous system of your gastrointestinal tract). Both are actually created out of the same type of embryonic tissue. During fetal development, one part turns into your central nervous system while the other develops into your enteric nervous system. To put this into more concrete terms, you’ve probably experienced the visceral sensation of butterflies in your stomach when you’re nervous, or had an upset stomach when you were very angry or stressed.

The flip side is also true, in that problems in your gut can directly impact your mental health, leading to issues like anxiety, depression, and perhaps even more serious neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.

Research: Blind Mice See Again After Stem Cell Transplant.

18 Mar

You’ve probably heard of the three blind mice. Well, now the classic rhyme just changed: Three blind mice, three blind mice, NOW-THEY -CAN-SEE! At least, that seems to be the case…

According to research done at Oxford University and published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, blind mice can see again after researchers transplanted developing cells into their eyes and discovered the mice grew a new light-sensitive layer of the retina.

This may lead to a possible treatment to restore vision in retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. It is most common for patients to lose vision when the outer retinal photoreceptor (light sensitive) layer is lost, and so it would be best to attempt to restore vision at this stage of the disease.

The study used mice that were blind from a total loss of retinal photoreceptor cells so they’d be as similar to humans with retinitis pigmentosa as possible.

According to Science Daily: “After two weeks, the researchers showed the cells transplanted into the eye had re-formed a full light-detecting layer on the retina and the mice could see. The cells used were mouse ‘precursor’ cells that are on an initial path towards developing into retinal cells.

“A pupil constriction test showed that, of the 12 mice that received the cell transplant, 10 showed improved pupil constriction in response to light. This shows that the retinas of the mice were sensing the light once more, and this was being transmitted down the optic nerve to the brain.”

There is a lot of work to be done, but this research gives a lot of promise for the future.

A Tasty Way To Lose Weight and Lower Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Hypertension, and High Cholesterol.

18 Mar

No matter who you are, this is great news…

New research shows a high-calorie breakfast not only helps weight loss, but it also might protect against diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular problems.

It is not just WHAT you eat but WHEN you eat it. The body follows a 24-hour cycle called the circadian rhythm, and this cycle has a big impact on your metabolism.

Accordingly, the time we eat will drastically affect how our bodies process food and if it is used for energy or stored as fat.

To determine the impact of meal timing on weight loss and health, researchers conducted a study in which 93 obese women were randomly assigned to one of two isocaloric groups. Each consumed a moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-fat diet totaling 1,400 calories daily for a period of 12 weeks. The first group consumed 700 calories at breakfast, 500 at lunch, and 200 at dinner. The second group ate a 200 calorie breakfast, 500 calorie lunch, and 700 calorie dinner. The 700 calorie breakfast and dinner included the same foods.

Results: Participants in the group that ate the biggest meal at breakfast had lost an average of 17.8 pounds each and three inches off their waistline, compared to a 7.3 pound and 1.4 inch loss for participants in the group that ate their big meal at the end of the day.

What’s more, the big breakfast group also showed a more significant decrease in insulin, glucose, and triglyceride levels than those in the big dinner group. The big breakfast group did not experience spikes in blood sugar levels.

The researchers also found that participants in the big dinner group increased their levels of bad triglycerides.

In other words, according to this study, eating the biggest meal for breakfast was superior to eating the biggest meal for dinner.

Researchers also mention that late night snacking appears to be more harmful than previously thought. So, it looks like eating a big breakfast, small dinner, and no late night snacking might be the way to go.

Sitting On THIS Reduced Back Pain By 58% In Teens

17 Mar

Sometimes the simple things work the best. At least, that’s what it seems like according to the results of a recent back pain study. In the study, 97 teenaged students (most with back pain) took part in a four week study. 51 students sat on a hard foam wedge for three weeks in almost all of their classes, 46 students did not.

Results: Both groups were the same after the first week, but after that, the wedge users started reporting improvements in pain.

Both groups had increased pain at night as compared with the morning, but the wedge users had a significantly lower increase.

Researchers believe the wedge increased the forward tilt of the pelvis, taking pressure off the joints and disks.

Even though this study is relatively small, it accentuates a very big point in back pain. Many experts believe POSTURE is one of the biggest causes of back pain and neck pain.

If bad posture can affect resilient teenagers, imagine what it can do to a middle-aged spine?

Too many people think back and neck pain comes from ONE BIG INJURY like a slip and fall, sports injury, car accident or something similar. Many cases of back and neck pain DO come from such traumas, but MANY cases of back and neck pain come from very small stresses placed on the body and spine over long periods of time.

These stresses are called “micro-traumas” and are often not felt for YEARS. If you have ever simply bent over to pick up a pen or piece of paper and had your back “go out,” then this is what might have happened to you.

A healthy, strong spine doesn’t just go bad all of a sudden. Just like a cavity in your tooth, it slowly breaks down over time. You usually have symptoms years after the damage started to accumulate.

That’s why it is important to try to minimize the bad stress on your back, neck, and spine. Have good posture, exercise, eat right, limit stress, and get a Chiropractic check-up to stay tuned-up. 

What’s Better To Lose Weight: Cardio or Resistance Training?

17 Mar

Here’s an inconvenient truth: Many people do not believe based on facts. They pick a side based on any number of other things (what sounds right to them, a celebrity endorsement, their past experiences, etc.) and then emotionally defend their stance… NO MATTER WHAT.

The examples of this are endless, and not the point of this newsletter. The point IS to separate fact from fiction, which is often much more difficult than one would think.

For example, a new study (done at Duke University Medical Center) is out that compared aerobic training, resistance training, and a combination of the two to determine the optimal mode of exercise for obesity reduction.

Researchers said that few studies have compared the effects of similar amounts of aerobic and resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight adults.

The study, published in the December 2012 edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology, started with previously sedentary overweight or obese males and females between the ages of 18-70. 119 completed the study and had collectable data.

There were three groups: Group 1 did resistance training (RT) only 3 days a week, 3 sets a day, 8-12 repetitions/set. Group 2 did aerobic training (AT) only – calorically equivalent to approximately 12 miles/wk at 65-80% peak VO2. Group 3 did aerobic training PLUS resistance training (A T/RT). Aerobic was calorically equivalent to approximately 12 miles/wk at 65-80% peak VO2 Plus Resistant: 3 days/wk, 3 sets/day, 8-12 repetitions/set.

RESULTS: The groups assigned to aerobic training and aerobic plus resistance training lost more weight than those who did resistance training only.

Fat mass and waist circumference significantly decreased in the A T and A T/RT groups, but were not altered in the RT group. However, measures of lean body mass significantly increased in the RT and A T/RT groups, but not in AT group.

Having the benefit of both modes of exercise allowed the A T/RT group to decrease body fat percentage significantly more than either the AT or RT groups, due to decreased fat mass combined with increased lean body mass.

One researcher said that after seeing the results of this study, “it may be time to seriously reconsider the conventional wisdom that resistance training alone can lead to weight and fat loss.”

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How Do You Eat An Elephant?

16 Mar

The answer to that old saying, of course, is: One bite at a time.

Once you read the inspirational story posted last week, you’ll know just how powerful that can be.

I don’t want to spoil it for you, but the story is about a man who lost 111 pounds in 101 days. He put video updates on YouTube every now and then to show his progress.

Most people think the weight loss came from the juice fast he was on. We beg to differ. There are many ways to lose weight.

The real secret to his success was making the decision in his life to make a change, and then taking action. He started with a small, attainable goal (his original goal was only 10 days) and then he expanded on it.

He attacked his goal one day at a time. It was no different from how you would eat an elephant or take on ANY seemingly huge or daunting task.

One bite. One step. They all lead into the next, which leads into the next. Before you know it, 111 pounds, or an entire elephant, or whatever it is you want to accomplish is completely finished.

The same is true about EVERYTHING in life, including your health.

The only way to true health is by eating right, exercising, relieving stress and seeking the proper health care when the need arises.

This all may seem like eating an elephant. But if you make small goals and take action, just one day at time, the results you achieve can be amazing.

Maybe make a goal to cut out junk food and go for a short walk tomorrow. Make it your goal to do that for 3 days. Just make it through those 3 days. That’s it. And see what happens.

And if you have any aches or pains, make it a goal to come in and get them checked out and taken care of.

Whatever goal you want, break it into small chunks and TAKE ACTION RIGHT NOW. Not next week. Not tomorrow. RIGHT NOW.

Who knows how great your life could be? The possibilities are practically limitless.

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