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Alcohol, PTSD, and the Leading Cause Of Preventable Birth Defects.

5 Mar

A new study has been released that shows alcohol use might increase trauma victims’ chances of getting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Heavy drinkers are at an increased risk to have traumatic events like car accidents and domestic violence, but now research is showing that drinking may affect the brain’s “circuitry” and recovery speed.

According to Andrew Holmes, PhD, at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, “A history of heavy alcohol abuse could impair a critical mechanism for recovering from a trauma, and in doing so put people at greater risk for PTSD… The next step will be to test whether our pre-clinical findings translate to patients currently suffering from comorbid PTSD and alcohol abuse. If it does, then this could lead to new thinking about how we can better treat these serious medical conditions.”

In another study reported by the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Kathleen K. Sulik, PhD, reports, “We now know that maternal alcohol use is the leading known and preventable cause of birth defects and mental disability in the United States… Alcohol’s effects can cause a range of cognitive, developmental and behavioral problems that typically become evident during childhood, and last a lifetime.”

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8 Interesting Facts About Dreams.

28 Feb

Dreaming is one of the most mysterious and interesting experiences in our lives. During the Roman era, some dreams were even submitted to the Roman Senate for analysis and dream interpretation. They were thought to be messages from the gods. Dream interpreters even accompanied military leaders into battles and campaigns! But, what do we actually know about dreams? Here are a few interesting facts about dreams:

  1. Within 5 minutes of waking, half of your dream is forgotten. Within 10 minutes, 90% is gone.
  2. Every human being dreams (except in cases of extreme psychological disorders).
  3. In our dreams, we only see faces that we already know. Our mind does not invent faces. We see real faces of

    real people whom we have seen during our lifetime but may not know or remember. We have all seen hundreds of thousands of faces throughout our lives, so we have an endless supply of characters for our brain to utilize during our dreams.

  4. The most common emotion experienced in dreams is anxiety. Negative emotions are more common than positive ones.
  5. You can have four to seven dreams in one night.
  6. Animals dream too. Studies done on many different animals show the same brain waves during dreaming

    sleep as humans. Watch a dog sleep. Their paws move like they are running and they make yipping sounds

    as if they are chasing something.

  7. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a normal stage of sleep characterized by rapid movements of the eyes.

    REM sleep in adult humans typically occupies 20-25% of total sleep, or about 90-120 minutes of a night’s sleep. During REM sleep, the body is paralyzed by a mechanism in the brain in order to prevent the movements which occur in the dream from causing the physical body to move. However, it is possible for this mechanism to be triggered before, during, or after normal sleep while the brain awakens.

  8. Dream Incorporation. Our mind interprets the external stimuli that our senses are bombarded with while we are asleep and makes them part of our dreams.
  9. Dream interpretation has many forms. In one technique, everything in your dream in considered an aspect of you, including people, places and events. If your mother shows up in a dream, it may be a symbolic representation of the mother (care giver or nurturer) inside of you.
  10. Dream Control. Lucid dreaming is a technique that can be practiced over time,           acquiring the skill to make decisions in a dream. This technique may be useful in helping individuals avoid conflict an negative emotions associated with their dreams.

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Did You Know?…

22 Feb

Every day, we are confronted with a myriad of food choices. I am sure you know oily fries, cheesy pizzas, and greasy burgers are definitely not at the top range of nutritious foods. On the other hand, fruits, nuts, and vegetables bring heaps of life preserving, health-giving nutrients to our bodies.

The origin of the word “vegetable” comes from the Latin “vegetare”, meaning “to enliven or animate”.  It is certainly appropriate, as there is growing evidence that the nutrients contained in vegetables can help prevent, and even treat, many diseases. Scientific tests have shown encouraging results for treatment and prevention of chronic degenerative diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Vegetables provide the broadest range of nutrients, including carotenes, fiber and phytochemicals of all food types. Besides, they are also a rich source of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and even protein (soy). Vegetables have minimal fat and even when they do, it is usually in the form of essential fatty acids.

Fruits, in general, are an excellent source of many important antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals, i.e. Vitamin C, carotenes, polyphenols, and flavanoids. Fruits also contain natural fiber, which helps clear toxins from our bodies. However, fruits do contain a fair amount of fruit sugars (i.e. fructose). For the same weight, fructose is also 1.5 times sweeter than sucrose (white sugar). Our bodies handle fructose differently from sucrose. For our bodies to use fructose (fruit sugar), it has to be changed to glucose by the liver. As a result, blood sugar (glucose) levels do not rise as rapidly after fructose consumption compared to other simple sugars. Conversely, consuming sucrose (white sugar) results in an immediate rise in blood sugar levels. Most diabetics cannot tolerate sucrose, but most can handle moderate amounts of fruit (and fructose) while their bodies can still control the blood sugar levels. In fact, fruits have a lower glycemic index than white bread and other refined carbohydrates.

 

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Did You Know?…

20 Feb

The average red blood cell lives for 120 days.

There are 2.5 trillion (give or take) red blood cells in your body at any moment.

A red blood cell can circumnavigate your body in less than 20 seconds.

Nerve Impulses travel at over 25 mph (40 km/hr).  

A sneeze generates a wind of 100 mph (166 km/hr).

A cough moves out at 60 mph (100 km/hr). 

Our heart beats around 100,000 times every day.

Our eyes can distinguish up to one million color surfaces and take in more information than the largest telescope known to man.  

Our lungs inhale over two million liters of air every day.

When we touch something, we send a message to our brain at 124 mph. 

We exercise at least 30 muscles when we smile.

We make one liter of saliva a day. 

Our nose is our personal air conditioning system: it warms cold air, cools hot air and filters impurities.

In one square inch of our hand, we have nine feet of blood vessels, 600 pain sensors, 9,000 nerve endings, 36 heat sensors and 75 pressure sensors.

A person can expect to breathe in about 40 pounds of dust over his/her lifetime.

20 Fun and Amazing Health Facts.

1 Jan

1.) Women have a better sense of smell than men. 2.) When you take a step, you use up to 200 muscles. 3.) Your ears secrete more earwax when you are afraid than when you aren’t. 4.) The human brain has the capacity to store everything you experience. 5.) It takes twice as long to lose new muscle if you stop working out than it did to gain it. 6.) The average person’s skin weighs twice as much as their brain. 7.) Every year your body replaces 98% of your atoms. 8.) On average, there are 100 billion neurons in the human brain. 9.) The lifespan of a taste bud is ten days.  10.) Dentists recommend you keep your toothbrush at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles caused by flushing.  11.) Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end. 12.) Your stomach produces a new layer of mucus every two weeks so that it doesn’t digest itself. 13.) It takes about 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the whole body. 14.) The pupil of the eye expands as much as 45% when a person looks at something pleasing. 15.) Your heart rate can rise as much as 30% during a yawn. 16.) Your heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood each day. 17.) Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day. 18.) Your hair grows faster in the morning than at any other time of day.  19.) Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second. 20.) You’re born with 300 bones, but when you reach adulthood, you only have 206!

Great Autumn Fruits and Vegetables.

31 Dec

Fall is upon us, and with that comes beautiful fruits and vegetables that are ready to be harvested and consumed. When produce is consumed at its ripest (when it is in season) more nutrients are delivered into the body. Here are some delicious foods you can get your hands on to enjoy the beauty of autumn (in the Northern Hemisphere at least):

Apples: Even though apples are available 365 days a year in grocery stores, fall is their time to shine. Apples are full of fiber and vitamin C. Due to the anti-oxidant properties found in apple skin, they are also great for reducing inflammation.

Squash: Fall gourds like butternut squash are low in fat, high in fiber, and full of potassium. Not only is squash great for you, it is also highly versatile. Whether you are a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned professional, you can make an awesome fall meal involving squash.

Carrots: Whether you munch on carrots as a mid-day snack or use them as a key component in a comfort-filled fall stew, carrots are an absolute treasure when it comes to nutrients. Carrots have an incredible amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A assists in maintaining vision, a healthy immune system, and cell growth.

Eggplant:  These strange and beautiful vegetables are harvested in late summer and can be found at their best in early fall. The phytonutrients in eggplant have been found to protect cell membranes against free radicals. Want more reasons to eat eggplant? One cup contains only 19 calories!

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