Post festive fasting could it help your heart

With all the food we eat over the festive period, and much of it not too healthy, it may be time to try an ancient method of health care – fasting. New research reported in the American Heart Association™ Scientific Sessions in November 2007 seems to indicate that people who skip meals once a month are 40%less likely to have clogged arteries as those who do not fast on a regular basis.

This data was collected as a result of work done in Utah, where about 70 percent of the population are Mormons, who fast during the first Sunday of each month as part of their religious observance. The study was undertaken after researchers discovered that only 61% of Mormons had heart disease compared with 66% of non-Mormons. After surveying 515 people about Mormon’s typical religious practices, which included a weekly day of rest, not drinking alcohol or smoking, donating time and money to charity, avoiding tea and coffee, and monthly fasting, only fasting made a significant difference in heart risk.

Only 59 percent of those who skipped meals regularly were diagnosed with heart disease, compared with 67 percent of non- fasters. The researchers suggested that periodic fasting forces your body to burn fat and also gives it a break from making insulin to metabolise sugar. Fasting for one day a month may therefore help to re-sensitise insulin-producing cells and make them work better.

However, fasting does not work for everyone, and in fact can be counterproductive for some. If your diet consists of fast food, junk food and other processed items that are high in sugar and grains, then not eating those foods for a period will likely cause improvements to your health. This is because this type of diet is causing surges in your insulin and levels, and even giving your body a break from this cycle temporarily will be beneficial.

This is the principle that calorie restricted diets work on, because reducing calories definitely helps to slow down aging, reduce chronic diseases and even extend your lifespan. When you restrict your calories, as you do during fasting, it reduces your metabolic rate and oxidative stress, lowers your insulin levels and improves insulin sensitivity.

BUT, if you are already eating healthy foods designed for your nutritional type, then you will probably not experience benefits, and may even have some problems, such as hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). Fasting seems to work best for those who thrive on a high-carbohydrate diet such as vegetarians and those who nutritionally thrive best with a high-protein diet don’t do nearly as well on a fasting regime.

Is there a middle way? Well, yes there is now increasing evidence that you’re actually better off on the ‘little and often’ diet plan where you nibble and graze small amounts frequently throughout the day. Eating small amounts of healthy foods at regular, frequent, intervals has been found to lower cholesterol, reduce appetite, and cause the least amount of disturbance to your body’s natural balance.

Blinking for eye health

You know the saying ‘blink and you’ve missed it’; well if you don’t blink what you could be missing is your best chance to take care of your eyes and depriving them of nourishment and cleansing. If you want to take up a new habit this year, then practice frequent and gentle blinking because it is essential to the health of your eyes and vision because it allows your eyelids to regularly coat your eyes with three beneficial layers of tears and this will help prevent eye strain.

1. The first layer of tears lies right up against the whites of your eyes, and provides an even coat of protein-rich moisture for the second layer to adhere to.

2. The middle watery layer helps to wash away foreign debris. It also nourishes the cornea of your eyes with minerals, a variety of proteins, and moisture.

3. The third outer layer of tears is a little oily so it helps prevent the middle watery layer from evaporating quickly. This gives you much-needed lubrication between your eyes and your eyelids.

If your eyes are not regularly coated with the three layers of tears described above, they will be deprived of ‘essential maintenance’ in the form of nourishment and cleansing. The side effect of this is that by not blinking enough you are potentially subjecting your eyes to eye strain. What can you do? Well for the best results, you need to blink softly every two to four seconds. It will seem odd and unnatural, but if you consciously make an effort to do this then, over time, your body will turn your conscious efforts into a subconscious habit.

Don’t stare fixedly at the television, computer screen or when reading. I am a speed-reader so my blink rate is very low and I have been working to increase it by ‘fluttering’ my eyelashes at the screen – happily only my cats are around to see it and I am feeling the benefit. One other suggestion is to close your eyes whenever you are thinking about something; it will also have the benefit of improving your concentration. Try it when you are stuck when in the middle of composing an e-mail message, close your eyes while you think of your next sentence, or any other time you can rest your vision.

By the way, if you wear contact lenses then it is very important you either lubricate your eyes or make sure you blink frequently. Contact lenses can discourage frequent blinking because the back surface of your eyelids is not designed to rub over an artificial surface and can result in dry eyes.

Microsoft develop camera to help with memory loss

Microsoft is collaborating with a number of UK and worldwide studies in developing the use of an automatic wearable camera that takes photos continuously through the day. Researchers claim it can transform the life of patients with memory loss, and they are developing the ‘SenseCam’ camera at Microsft’s Cambridge laboratory.

SenseCam is a wearable digital camera that is designed to take photographs passively, without user intervention, while it is being worn. Unlike a regular digital camera or a cameraphone, SenseCam does not have a viewfinder or a display that can be used to frame photos. Instead, it is fitted with a wide-angle (fish-eye) lens that maximizes its field-of-view which ensures that nearly everything in the wearer’s view is captured by the camera.

It was in 2005 that Microsoft first started a trial with a 63-year -old patient from the Memory Clinic and Memory Aids Clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, in Cambridge. This patient had amnesia resulting from a brain infection and typically would forget everything about an event within five days or less of it happening.

The patient was given a SenseCam and asked to wear it whenever the sort of event that she would like to remember was happening. After wearing SenseCam for the duration of such an event, she would spend around one hour reviewing the images every two days, for a two-week period. During the course of this period of assisted recall using SenseCam, her memory for the event steadily increased, and after two weeks she could recall around 80 percent of the event in question. What is perhaps more remarkable is that following the two-week period of aided recall, Mrs. B appears to have a lasting ability to recall the event even without reviewing the images.

Following the success of this first trial and the excitement it generated in both the research and clinical rehabilitation communities, Microsoft initiated a number of additional trials and are currently working with over half-a-dozen patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, and while these trials are ongoing the results to date are promising.

The programme has been funded with grants worth £220,000 for academics to investigate its health and medical applications. Among others, the money is going to the University of Exeter for a study of memory in Transient Epileptic Amnesia and to the Medical Research Council in Cambridge and the University of Bangor, Wales to study facilitated recollection in patients with dementia. Overseas, the University of Toronto and Columbia Medical School are collaborating on a trial with Sensecam to see if it could enhance quality of life in Alzheimer’s patients and the Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury in Alberta, Canada is studying if it could help with Memory recovery in brain injury patients.

Medical speak and massage for post-op pain relief

Sometimes the blindingly obvious seems to pass mainstream medicine by. A recent research project in the USA got funding to run a trial that established that massage can reduce the amount of painkillers patients need after having an operation. Based, I believe, on the well tried and tested old folk remedy of mum rubbing it better after you had fallen off your bike, it is automatic and natural to us to rub where we are hurt. It helps blood flow to the area for faster healing and the therapeutic effect of touch from another human being in a kind and compassionate way will relieve stress so it would seem obvious that massage could be helpful. Indeed several hospitals in the UK employ massage with lavender oil for patients as a means of cutting down on sleeping pill prescriptions and it does appear to be very effective.

The researchers found, as any of us could have told them at a fraction of the cost, that “Pain can affect physical functioning, including the ability to cough and breathe deeply, move, sleep, and perform self-care activities. This may contribute to unintended and serious postoperative complications. Furthermore, ineffective pain relief may result in significant psychological distress.” Being in pain is certainly distressing so along with the bottle of lucozade and bunch of grapes you might want to treat the patient to an in-hospital visit from a qualified masseur – check with the hospital first though to get permission. The study authors concluded, in a wonderful example of how to make a simple statement almost impenetrable, that “massage may potentially be a safer alternative as-needed form of pain relief. With proper training, health care providers at the bedside (especially nurses) may now have a powerful non-pharmacologic tool to directly address their patients’ pain and anxiety.”

In other words massage works, and it’s non addictive.

Natural help for gum disease

Noticed your gums are inflamed and tender or bleed slightly when brushing your teeth? These, together with receding gums, chronic bad breath and loose teeth or widening space between gums and teeth are symptoms of gum disease.

Gum disease starts with plaque on the teeth which is formed when bacteria in the mouth mixes with saliva and residues from starchy foods and sugar in your diet. If you don’t remove it properly then it accumulates and hardens underneath the gumline into tartar. That is much more difficult to remove than everyday plaque and will mean a visit to the dentist. If you have bleeding from the gums with pain, called periodontitis, then that is a sign that the infection and inflammation has spread to the deeper tissues and bone. After the age of 30, periodontitis is responsible for more tooth loss than cavities. Brushing your teeth after every meal, and especially after eating anything containing sugar, is a good preventive programme but there is also natural help on hand.

Vitamin C
The link between vitamin C deficiency and gum disease is well known and is one of the reasons that back in the 18th century, sailors ate limes during long trips at sea to keep their gums from bleeding. It probably helped the taste of the rum as well. There is research showing a link between low intake of vitamin C and higher rates of gum disease, particularly gingivitis, so make sure you have a minimum of 250mg a day and eat foods rich in vitamin C, such as grapefruit, oranges, kiwi fruit, mango, papaya, strawberry, red pepper, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cantaloupe melon. If you are taking supplements, don’t get the chewable vitamin C because the acidity may promote the erosion of tooth enamel over time.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects and may reduce susceptibility to gum disease, again research by Boston University shows a link between low levels of vitamin D and gingivitis. Being out in sunlight is one of the best ways to boost levels of this vitamin so get out into the sun wherever you can and no need for sun block at this time of year, unless of course you are off to the Caribbean for the winter.

Stress reduction
Of course stress affects virtually every aspect of your health and wellbeing, but in this context it contributes to gum disease by increasing plaque accumulation. A University of Dusseldorf study examined how exam stress would impact plaque and gum bleeding. All students had a professional tooth cleaning 4 weeks prior to exams and then 4 weeks after exams. They found that students had significantly higher rates of plaque and gingivitis after their exams compared to a control group of students that didn’t take exams. I suspect they didn’t take into account the fact that under stress our diets also lean heavily on sugar and chocolate which also increases plaque.

Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil has so many uses it’s invaluable in my natural first aid box and as it has proven antibiotic properties it can help reduce gingivitis and bleeding, but it won’t reduce the amount of plaque. You must NOT use neat tea tree oil in the mouth or anywhere else. You can get tea tree toothpaste from a health store or you can put one drop in a cup of warm water and rinse it round your gums. DO NOT SWALLOW but spit it out immediately and I suggest you don’t eat or drink for at least 15 minutes as it tastes pretty grim.

Broccoli can relieve inherited skin condition

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) comprises a group of inherited disorders in which the skin blisters extremely easily and can be extremely painful to the sufferer. The problem lies in the genes that hold the instructions necessary for production of certain proteins in the top layer of skin. These instructions have a minor fault, rather like a typing error, with the result that the proteins are incorrectly formed, and unable to fulfil their role as scaffolding for the topmost layer of skin. The result is that the top layer of skin does not ‘stick’ securely to the layer beneath it, and where the two layers separate a blister develops.

Even the mildest form of EBS can leads to blistering of the hands and feet and the condition is more common than you might think. If only one of the two parents has the condition then there is a 1 in 2 chance it will be passed on their children.It may be obvious from birth, or develop during the first few weeks of life. Sites of blistering respond to areas where friction is caused by clothing and frequently appear around the edges of the nappy, but may not be noticed until the child begins walking, when foot blisters start to appear. There is currently no effective treatment that can cure it, though a number of measures can be taken to relieve the symptoms. However, a new study that was reported at the American Society for Cell Biology 47th Annual Meeting shows that eating broccoli could be of great benefit. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, found that the natural compound sulforaphane, which is present in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, can help treat this disorder. Sulforaphane has already been lauded for its cancer-fighting powers and so the researchers carried ouit an experiment where they found that mice with EBS who were exposed to sulforaphane, had significantly reduced skin blistering. Patient trials have not yet been conducted, but in the meantime anyone suffering from this condition could benefit from eating broccoli at least 2-3 times a week.

Abandon antibiotics if you have sinusitis

If you have a blocked, painful nose, throbbing cheeks and forehead it could be sinusitis. It often comes with a cold. The mucus in your sinuses, air filled spaces in your cheekbones and forehead, can become infected causing inflamed sinuses. You can get acute sinusitis, a one-off nasal infection or chronic sinusitis where you keep getting infections. It normally clears up on its own or with the help of decongestants or painkillers, but antibiotics may be prescribed although recent research shows they are ineffective.

Trials undertaken at University of Southampton, showed that the antibiotic Amoxicillin was no more effective than a placebo in altering the symptom severity, the duration, or the natural history of the condition was the researchers conclusion. This is concerning, as up to 92% of patients with acute sinusitis in Britain and 85% to 98% of such patients in the U.S.A. receive antibiotics, even though doctors rarely confirm a bacterial infection for which they would be effective.

If you do suffer from sinusitis and want some natural relief, then this suggestion might help you stay well, or at least cut the duration of the condition.

Good old fashioned steam inhalation is still one of the most effective ways of clearing your nose, and chest. Try adding five drops each of the aromatic oils of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and sage (Salvia officinalis) to a bowl of hot water and cover the bowl and your head with a large towel to trap the steam. Do this twice a day and just relax and breathe in until the steam has evaporated. The aromatic oils from eucalyptus and sage leaves help halt bacterial growth and reduce the risk of getting secondary infections. These herbs have both decongestant and antibacterial properties and are an excellent remedy for respiratory problems, including chest congestion, bronchitis, bronchial cough and sinusitis. You could also try adding a couple of crushed garlic cloves in the water as garlic has great antiviral and antibacterial properties.

Natural help for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Whether you suffer from a mild, or acute, form of IBS you will probably have worked out a strategy or have medication to deal with. However, there are also many herbs and spices which have a pacifying effect on the stomach and digestive process and it would be fairly easy to add these into your normal diet.

When cooking, bear in mind that all these herbs could help: dill, clove marjoram, rosemary, and black pepper. Parsley, that all-time garnish favourite, is also good as long as you remember to eat it!

Try a daily cuppa containing some of these herbs: aniseed, peppermint, spearmint, chamomile, fennel and lemon balm. You can buy them individually, but they are often used in combination so check the label and of a good natural, preferably organic, tea range and your digestive system will definitely thank you. I don’t have IBS, but I always have a peppermint tea after meals as it helps counteract rich foods, and any potential indigestion.

Although ginger is a stimulant, there is a herbal remedy for IBS that suggests you have a tea with peppermint and chamomile with a little sliced fresh ginger added. I would start with just one slice, and drink this 2 to 3 times a day.

If your IBS is really troublesome, then talking to a nutritionist can help as there are specific vitamins and minerals that help reduce stress, and that helps with IBS symptoms. Commonly used for this purpose are a good vitamin B complex with extra biotin, and also extra vitamin B5 but don’t self prescribe = see an expert.

If you want to find a nutritionist in your area, then you can visit www.nutripeople.co.uk to find a local practitioner. You just input your postcode and a number of suggestions will come up, if you see one that interests you then click on the more detail button to the right of their name and full contact details will come up.

As will all natural remedies, take it slow and monitor your response. If you feel fine then keep taking it, but if it makes any of your symptoms worse, then stop immediately.

The value of water

In December we have a natural tendency to eat and drink more, particularly alcohol as we attend more social functions than usual. One result is that we put more stress on our bodies and can neglect one of the most simple ingredients we need to stay fit and healthy. Water is absolutely a prime requirement for health, there is virtually no function in our bodies that doesn’t require it in one way or another, and it is the simplest, cheapest thing we can do to stay healthy. Your body starts out comprised of 80% water when you are born, but by the time we die we average only 50% water. In fact 48% of older people admitted to Emergency Rooms showed signs of dehydration in addition to their other symptoms. Chronic dehydration can lead to many serious health problems as well as exacerbating conditions such as allergies, asthma, diabetes, hypertension and arthritis. The common tiredness and headaches many people very frequently experience is often just dehydration as we have drink more tea and coffee, which are diuretic in action and remove water from our systems rather than adding to it. The old 1.5 to 2 litres a day rule of drinking just plain water (don’t include tea, coffee or soft drinks in your daily total is not a dietary fad, it is good sound medical sense. Water is needed for fat metabolism, to remove waste from cells, and to keep your brain healthy.

We also use it for transporting nutrients and wastes, lubrication, temperature regulation, and tissue structure maintenance and recently uncovered research adds some fascinating water facts.

A French medical doctor, specialising in immunology, discovered something truly fascinating about water. Dr. Jacques Benveniste died in 2004, but he discovered certain scientific properties of water that no one else had found. He called this particular brand of science digital biology, and so far no one has duplicated his experiments, but I thought you would like to hear about them.

His first discovery was that when a substance is diluted in water, the water can carry the memory of that substance even after it has been so diluted that none of the molecules of the original substance remain. Secondly, he found that the molecules of any given substance have a spectrum of frequencies that can be digitally recorded with a computer, then played back into untreated water (using an electronic transducer), and when this is done, the new water will act as if the actual substance were physically present. It sounds like something a science fiction writer would come up with, but Dr. Benveniste’s findings about the ‘memory’ of water may go some way to showing why homoeopathic treatments work though no one can ‘[prove’ why the more the substance is diluted the more potent it’s effects are. A remedy that is marked 6x does not mean it is six times as effective but that it has been diluted 6 times. So a remedy marked 30x has been diluted 30 times and it that level where it is actually ‘stronger’ and more effective.

Whatever your thoughts about water, believe me you will benefit from drinking more of it. Try drinking a large glass of water every morning and top up throughout the day and see what a difference it will make.

Toning Up Your Digestive Tract

December usually is the start of the ‘out of the window’ with sensible eating plan. It’s a sociable time; office parties, Christmas lunches and dinners with friends and neighbours and what they all have in common is rich food and usually some alcohol. It is of course great fun, but if you are not used to eating that sort of diet in such quantity and with such regularity it can put a real strain on your digestive system and one of the results can be constipation and bloating. There are of course numerous products you can buy to help you with it, often expensive, usually with additional additives in terms of chemicals, sweeteners and colourings.

How about something incredibly cheap, natural and yellow? It’s called a lemon and is the simplest way to help your system stay toned and ready to cope with that additional load. All that extra food and drink puts a large strain on your liver, gallbladder, and pancreas and so you don’t digest your food properly and the result is discomfort. One of the great things about lemons is that they are the most amazing cleaners for your body and a great source of Vitamin C and potassium. How do they do that? First by building up enzymes in your liver, so it can detoxify toxins in your blood, and then they help to prevent kidney and pancreatic stones forming by combining with calcium in your body.

All you need to do to get these great health benefits is to drink the juice of a lemon in a large cup or mug of hot water every single morning after getting out of bed. Make it the first thing you do, and don’t eat anything before it or for at least 30 minutes afterwards. If that sounds too sour for you then add some honey or maple syrup to sweeten it but however you drink it I promise you will feel the benefit – oh and it helps keep your skin clear too!

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