Lifestyle Changes That Can Save Your Life
LIFESTYLE CHANGES TREAT SPECTRUM OF MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
Researchers report that a number of therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLCs) have the generally unrecognized ability to treat schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, stress, cognitive decline, age-related memory loss, other mental and emotional problems – and even help prevent strokes and the common cold – sometimes as effectively as drug therapy (with fewer complications) or psychotherapy. 
The complete TLC list includes:
- exercise (boosts cognitive performance and reduces memory loss);
- a diet rich in fruits, vegetables & fish (improves cognitive function and reduces affective and schizophrenic symptoms);
- spending time in nature (promotes cognitive function and well-being);
- maintaining good, social relationships (reduces many risks, from colds to strokes to mental illness);
- pursuing recreation & fun (reduces defensiveness and fosters social skills);
- relaxing & stress management (treats numerous anxiety, insomnia and panic disorders);
- meditating (boosts empathy, emotional stability, cognitive function and brain size);
- being religiously or spiritually involved (can reduce anxiety, depression and substance abuse); and providing a service to others (promotes mental and physical health and may extend lifespan).
This study was released February 17, 2011 by American Psychologist but will not appear in the journal until a future issue. It is available at http://bit.ly/hvlDlc.
Fitness Fridays at Advantig
Fitness Friday: exercise 1 day a week?
Not exactly. I’ve declared “Fitness Fridays” at Advantig not just to encourage regular exercise, but to use Fridays as an assessment day to review goals, find & plan something active to do on the weekend & review the meal plan (going out & quick meals) – for the sake of good mental & physical well-being. Not only does it make me feel great, but I notice that everyone around me feels more motivated and productive.
So if you need time for a brisk walk, make it and bring your furry friend too. Fido is dependent upon you for his healthy longevity!
You Can Tell When People Exercise Regularly or Occasionally!
And not just from their body tone, but also from the tone of their voice and mental outlook. Exercise is the catalyst for important physical and brain chemistry that keeps your engine running smoothly. (OK, I love cars and love to listen to “Car Talk” on NPR)
The Mayo Clinic has posted a nice article on the benefits of exercise that we’ve summarized below or you can read in detail here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676.
(Condensed Version) 7 Benefits of Exercise
- Exercise improves your mood. Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or brisk 30 minute walk can help you calm down.
- Exercise combats chronic diseases. Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent osteoporosis? Physical activity may be the ticket.
- Exercise helps you manage your weight. Want to drop those excess pounds? Trade some couch time for walking or other physical activities.
- Exercise boosts your energy level. Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues which helps your entire cardiovascular system. You’ll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.
- Exercise promotes better sleep. A good night’s sleep can improve your concentration, productivity and mood. Physical activity is sometimes the key to better sleep helping you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep.
- Exercise can put the spark back in your sex life. Are you too tired or out of shake to have sex? Physical activity to the rescue.
- Exercise can be – gasp – fun! Physical activity doesn’t have to be drudgery. Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Find a physical activity you enjoy and go for it!
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A note from the doctor…
It doesn’t matter if you’re an accomplished athlete or just value regular activity, Advantig has products to help your body hydrate & your muscles recover more efficiently. I recommend drinking ProSport or ProSport MAX 30 minutes before exercise or any physical activity that will push your body. If you’re working for more than 2 hours, drink 1 more to optimize muscle recovery and nutrient replenishment.
Stay away from artificial colors, flavors, sugar & salt marketed as “electrolytes” that don’t nourish the body and deliver far more salt than you typically need.
http://www.advantig.net/products/prosport
Healthy Immune Response
If your family is like mine, you’re probably receiving messages from school and various authorities on how and what to do this flu season. I like to be proactive and so I would like to share some tips on how to support your family’s immune health.
Don’t Stress
Stress adversely impacts the immune system. So try to stay balanced, exercise, eat a diet that includes whole grains, lean meat, unprocessed carbohydrates and fresh fruits & vegetables. Try to stay focused on the big picture. I know that is easier said than done, but now that you’ve been reminded, work at it.
Stress Induces Immune Dysfunction
Nat Rev Immunol. 2005 Mar;5(3):243-51. Stress-induced immune dysfunction: implications for health. Glaser R, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology & Medical Genetics, College of Medicine & Public Health and Institute for Behavioral Medical Research, Ohio State University, USA.
Folk wisdom has long suggested that stressful events take a toll on health. The field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is now providing key mechanistic evidence about the ways in which stressors–and the negative emotions that they generate–can be translated into physiological changes and how the immune system communicates bidirectionally with the central nervous and endocrine systems, impacting health.
Stay Positive
While stress impacts immune health, so do negative thoughts. Just visualize that every negative thought is a like a hammer & chisel chipping away at your immune and mental health. The average person has over 60,000 thoughts a day, many of which majority of which are negative. While conscious attempts to reverse this trend are beneficial, I like to recommend a natural product that supports positive, proactive mood, attitude. InSight Natural combines cocoa flavonoids with important B-vitamins and cofactors that are naturally supportive of a more positive state of mind.
Clinical and professional experience has demonstrated InSight Natural’s beneficial impact on mood repeatedly. In fact InSight’s “Winning State of Mind” description was coined by an endurance athlete who uses InSight Natural to train for competition to avoid “hitting the wall” – which is a mental state in training when a person’s mind leads them to believe that they can’t go on.
Research suggests that Cocoa Flavonoids impact brain function/circulation with the result being a calmer, more relaxed state of mind and positive attitude. We hear this from patients, physicians and athletes all the time.
De-Stress
If you want the “attitude adjustment” of InSight Natural but need more intensive stress management support, try InSight HT. InSight HT contains 3 additional ingredients that really help your body’s stress management skills. To learn more about InSight HT, click here: http://www.advantig.net/products/insight-ht.
Wash Smarter Not Harder
The best defense against germs is simply to wash thoroughly with good old fashioned soap and water. The research on antibacterial vs. regular soap is still not definitive. In fact, some research shows that people are sensitive to some of the chemicals found in antibacterial soap. So just remember that the best way to rid your skin of bacteria is exfoliation. Lather up, rub hard and sing “Happy Birthday” – which takes about the 10 seconds – the time you need to make sure your hands are clean.
I suggest patients avoid soaps containing drying chemicals and harsh perfumes that can make your skin dry, rough and irritated with more frequent washing. Look for emollients like coconut and olive oil, glycerin, aloe leaf extract, natural vitamin E and shea butter which help nourish the skin with regular washing. Avoid irritating detergents in common soap like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Some liquid soaps contain formaldehyde-releasing preservatives like Soft Soap, Gerber Baby Wash with Lavender, Irish Spring Body Wash (Icy Blast & Aloe) Palmolive Aroma Therapy Liquid Handsoap & more. For a more complete list, go to click on the HHS List here or below: http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/htmlgen?page=advancedsearch&option=health.
Be sure to remember that dyes, parabins & fragrances can also be irritants.
Try: If you’re lucky enough to have a Trader Joe’s in your community, look for their “French Liquid Soap with Orange Blossom Honey & Vitamin E” which offers great natural ingredients at a reasonable price.
Dept. of HHS List
To search the US Dept. of Heatlh & Human Services database, click on the link below, chose “Personal Care Products” and try typing “Irritants”: http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/htmlgen?page=advancedsearch&option=health
Support a Healthy Immune Response
I designed On-Guard for my family. It is my personal product and I rely on it at the first sign of immune stress. On-Guard contains evidence-based ingredients with published, scientific references on their benefits for supporting a healthy immune response. Doctors have relied On-Guard clinically for over a decade to help keep their patients in optimal immune health during the toughest challenges.
On-Guard replaces over 11 classes of immune support products which can be categorized as follows:
- Stabilized Allicin
- Transfer Factors
- Colostrum/Immunoglobulin/Lactoferrin
- Nutraceutical Mushroom Extracts
- Larch Arabinogalactan & Other Important Polysaccharides
- Andrographolide
- Oregano Oil
- Astragalus, Rhodiola & related Botanicals
- Olive Leaf Extract (specifically Hydroxytyrosol)
- High Molecular Weight Aloe Vera Fractions
- Isatis, Withanolides, Curcuminoids, Forsythia & more
Stabilized Allicin: Stabilized Allicin represents a technological breakthrough in the delivery of garlic’s broad spectrum activity. Allicin is what you momentarily smell when a garlic clove is crushed. Allicin is also one of the most important health constituents in garlic. Up until now, preserving Allicin has been impossible. A new patented process makes it possible to stabilize Allicin. On-Guard contains certified, stabilized, pure Allicin.
If you would like more technical information on the science behind On-Guard, leave a comment or a question.