Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Just because the leaves are changing color and the temperature is dropping, doesn’t mean your motivation should follow suit! If the colder weather and lack of motivation is keeping you from your fitness goals, these 10 fall-inspired fitness tips may help. Make a motivation board …
Photo by Sam Owoyemi on Unsplash Depression is a disorder that affects around 6.7% of adults in the United States each year. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than 300 million people currently live with the disorder. This disorder is not a normal …
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a report in June 2017 that says there is evidence that three interventions may slow cognitive decline and the onset of dementia, though much more testing is needed.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is not a specific disease, but “an overall term that describes a wide range of systems associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities.” Of all dementia cases, Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of all cases. Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells, which interferes with the ability of the cells to communicate with each other.
While symptoms can vary greatly, the Association reports that at least two of the following core mental functions must be significantly impaired to be considered dementia –
Based on the totality of available evidence derived from randomized controlled trials (the gold standard of evidence), three classes of interventions can be described as supported evidence against this claim – cognitive training, blood pressure management (for individuals with hypertension), and increased physical activity.
Programs aimed at enhancing reasoning and problem solving, memory and speed of processing – to delay or slow age-related cognitive decline – is considered cognitive training. According to the study’s evidence, within the last 15 years, evidence shows that cognitive training can improve performance on a trained task, at least in the short term. Mary Schulz, director of education at the Alzheimer Society of Canada, suggests taking up chess or piano lessons or learning a new language can stimulate your brain, helping you to reinvigorate it. “It’s all about doing something new and it wakes up your brain, giving it a jolt and startling it. You’re also teaching it to adapt, to be flexible as you have messages fired around in your brain in a way it doesn’t normally.”
The committee states, “Managing blood pressure for people with hypertension, particularly during midlife – generally ages 35 to 65 years old – is supported by encouraging, but inconclusive evidence for preventing, delaying and slowing clinical Alzheimer’s-type dementia.” Dr. Andrew Demchuk, director of Calgary Stroke program and spokesman for the foundation reports, “Stroke and dementia need to be studied together because, in some ways, they are one in the same. Stroke causes brain cells to die and this can precipitate dementia or worsen pre-existing dementia. There are different causes of dementia, and research now shows that stroke is a major contributor.”
This review mentioned evidence provided by a number of randomized controlled trials that found exercise is “effective in keeping away cognitive decline.”This is because, when exercise gets your heart rate up, it increases blood flow to the brain, nourishing cells with nutrients and oxygen. It also encourages the development of new cells, all factors in reducing your risk of stroke, says Schulz.
The Alzheimer’s Association recognizes that a number of herbal remedies, dietary supplements and “medical foods” are promoted in the support of memory and overall brain health. Specifically mentioned are Capryllic Acid, Coenzyme Q10, Ginkgo Biloba, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Phosphatidylserine.
Coenzyme Q10: No energy in the body can be made without CoQ10, as it supports strength, endurance and is very important for the heart.
Ginkgo Biloba: Support for improved circulation, mental energy, memory and mood.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Found in fish and krill oils, these fatty acids support brain health, memory, learning and mood.
Phosphatidylserine: Very important for brain health, mood, stress, focus and attention span.
Mary Schulz concludes, “The evidence is getting stronger that there are things we can do to potentially lower our risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and another form of dementia.”
Source: The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine
A new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine says that packing the recommended amount of weekly exercise into just one or two workout sessions may lower your risk of death close to risk levels that regular exercise offers. Though WHO (the World Health …
Researchers at the School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University in Japan studied 91 elderly subjects who were fragile and institutionalized in nursing homes for a three month period. One group received counseling on falls, and was given two individualized and one group exercise class …
More than one-third of adults in the United States are obese. With that number on the rise, the risk of developing obesity-related conditions like heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes is on the rise, as well. Your doctor has told you to start following a healthy diet and to begin exercising. But what types of exercises can you do that are both moderate and effective?
The key to losing weight, according to Jun Wang, MS, of InVite® Health, is to create an energy imbalance – eating less and exercising more. Wang states that physical activity is a must for weight loss and weight management. Just thirty minutes of moderate-intensity activity is recommended to reduce chronic disease risk and 60 minutes is recommended to prevent weight gain in adulthood.
In order to gauge your personal moderate level of activity, the CDC recommends using the “Talk Test” – if you’re doing moderate-intensity activity you can talk, but not sing during the activity. If you are doing too vigorous an activity, you will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.
Moderate Physical Intensity VS. Vigorous Physical Intensity
Moderate
Vigorous
Dietary Approach
The first step in getting control over your weight is to monitor your eating habits. You may want to begin to record your food intake from the moment you wake up to the time you go to bed. “This can help assess the calorie count and nutritional value of what you are eating,” reports Wang. Another method is using a calorie counter. If you’re using your phone during your lunch break at work, you have enough time to enter what you are eating into a calorie counter app. This can give you an idea of how many calories you are consuming daily and how many you should consume in order to lose or gain weight. But be careful! Wang warns cutting your calorie intake drastically will not be a quick fix. In order to lose weight, Wang suggests cutting calorie intake gradually and consistently.
Supplements for Weight Management
Here are Jun Wang, MS, recommendations on supplements that can support weight management –
White Kidney Beans: White kidney beans supply a carbohydrate blocker that inhibits the enzyme amylase from breaking starches down into sugar; absorbing less sugar from foods such as bread, potato, pasta or rice helps reduce your intake of calories.
Probiotics: Probiotics are live bacteria that support the activity of the body’s healthy bacterial population. They help burn calories by releasing the appetite-reducing hormone GLP-18,9 . They decrease body fat by increasing levels of the protein ANGPTL4.10 Probiotics can also reduce inflammation and may improve gut health. A meta-analysis of 17 randomized clinical trials in humans indicates that probiotics help treat obesity.11
CLA: Conjugated linoleic acid made from safflower oil helps reduce body fat by inhibiting the activity of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase which normally would transfer fats from the bloodstream into fat cells. CLA also promotes carnitine palmitoyltransferase, which helps burn fat, improving energy. A meta-analysis of 18 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials (the gold-standard of clinical trials) concluded that taking 3.2g/d of CLA effectively reduces body fat in humans.12
A dietary lifestyle change and combination of exercise and premium quality supplements can lead you on a journey to your best health and best weight, naturally.