Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash At the start of a new year, healthy resolutions are a common goal. From weight loss to healthy nutrition, these resolutions may seem like a great idea, but by mid-February your motivation begins to slow down. The reason is …
Photo by Emma Matthews on Unsplash If you’re like many others, you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to get your health back on track. Whether your goal is to lose weight, eat healthy or just to remember to take your vitamins daily, here’s what you …
The word adaptogen in herbal medicine refers to an herb or plant extract that helps the body adapt to stress and fatigue, while promoting or restoring normal physiological (bodily) functioning. Rhodiola is just such an herb. It’s the root of the Rhodiola plant which contains the highest concentration of Rosavins and Salidroside that has the greatest impact on restoring or supporting wellness.
Rhodiola is a plant that grows in the northern-colder parts of Europe. It has been used for centuries to help cope with the cold winters in Norway, Sweden, and Iceland and may have been used by the Vikings. According to Jerry Hickey, R.Ph, It is currently the best selling supplement in Norway, where people use it to improve energy.
Rhodiola increases your energy and helps you handle stress, while improving your mood and reducing mental fatigue. It promotes a soothing, calming effect, while steadily improving a sense of wellbeing. This herb also supports endurance so you can achieve more with exercise or for sports performance. Rhodiola may also support healthy immune system function over the winter and during times of prolonged stress.
Stress is an unfortunate fact of life. Everyone experiences stress to some degree, but many of us are under very high amounts of stress on a daily basis. This excessive level of stress that so many people currently experience is not normal – it contributes to emotional overload, behavioral changes, and physical manifestations throughout the body. Poor quality of sleep, muscle tension, headaches, overeating or not eating enough, alcohol and drug abuse, and increased risk of infections and illness are just some unpleasant results of stress when it is not properly managed.
Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna tested the effects of Rhodiola rosea root extract on 118 people aged 30 to 60 suffering from symptoms of burnout. It was a 12 week study and the participants were given 400mg a day of Rhodiola. Improvements were measurable within the first week and over the study there was a good level of improvement in fatigue, emotional exhaustion, lack of joy, lack of zest for life, and depersonalization. Compliance was high and the herb was very safe. The multicenter study is published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.
In order to achieve peak performance, athletes need good nutrition and specific vitamins and minerals to keep their bodies in optimal health. Female athletes have special nutritional needs, due to hormones and menstruation. The three commonly suggested minerals for female athletes are iron, copper and …
Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash A protein, FKBP51, has been associated with anxiety and diabetes, as it contributes to the regulation of the stress system. Diabetes Diabetes is a life-threatening disease that causes your blood sugar and triglycerides to become continuously and severely elevated. …
According to Penn State College of Medicine, researchers have found that using technology before bed was associated with less sleep, poor sleep quality, greater fatigue, and high body mass indexes (BMI).
Previous research points to technology impacting sleep patterns. But new research shows that 40% of children have cell phones by grade 5, and many of those previous studies have not targeted the effects of technology on the younger population. As we all know, sleep is critical to a child’s development.
The researchers asked the parents of 234 children between the ages of 8 and 17 years old questions regarding their children’s sleep and technology habits, sleep patterns, nutrition and activity.
Results found several adverse effects associated with using different technologies before bed.
Caitlyn Fuller, medical student from Penn State, says, “We found an association between higher BMIs and an increase in technology use, and also that children who reported more technology use at bedtime were associated with less sleep at night. These children were also more likely to be tired in the morning, which is also a risk factor for higher BMIs.”
According to the study’s results, children who reported watching TV or playing video games before bed got an average of 30 minutes less sleep than those who did not, while kids who used their phone or a computer before bed averaged an hour less of sleep than those who did not. An association between using technology before bed and increased cell phone use at night, such as waking up to text someone, with watching TV resulting in the highest odds.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents create boundaries around technology use, like no devices at dinner. Dr. Marsha Novik, associate professor of pediatrics and family and community medicine, said that while more research is needed to determine whether multiple devices at bedtime results in worse sleep than just one device, the study can help pediatricians talk to parents about the use of technology. “Although there are many benefits to using technology, pediatricians may want to counsel parents about limiting technology for their kids, particularly at bedtime, to promote healthy childhood development and mental health.”
This research was supported by the Bedrick Family Medical Student Research Program Award and the Penn State Clinical and Translational Research Institute.
Lutein has been nicknamed “the eye vitamin” – and for good reason! Lutein and Zeaxanthin are powerful antioxidants naturally found in vegetables like kale, broccoli and citrus fruits. Think of them as built-in sunglasses for your eyes. The antioxidant abilities of Lutein has allowed it to fight against free radical damage cause by blue light and sun exposure. Cell phones, televisions and computer screens all emit blue light, so it is more important now than ever to protect the retina.
According to Nicole Crane, BS, NTP, former Director of Nutrition for InVite® Health, the human body cannot make the Lutein and Zeaxanthin it needs, which is the reason why colorful vegetables are essential to good nutrition, especially for the eyes and brain. If you aren’t getting enough leafy greens and other colorful veggies, it is ideal to supplement with these essential nutrients. “The average American is getting just 10% of the amount of Lutein and Zeaxanthin (about 2 mg combined) that is required by the eye to stay healthy for a lifetime. An early study showed that just 6 mg of Lutein per day has been shown to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration by 43%.”[1]
[1] https://www.invitehealth.com/Article-antioxidants-eye-lutein-zeaxanthin.html