Swanson Health Products - Daily Tips

How to Eat to Help Your Acne

Acne can be a problem for people of any age. Even well into adult hood and beyond, people can suffer the visible signs of pimples, blackheads and whiteheads. Heredity, stress and hormones also appear to influence the appearance of inflamed hair follicles, which result in breakouts. While cleaning your skin with a mild soap and using a natural topical solution like tea tree oil can help with the blemishes, consuming a healthy diet can also help.

 

• Eat lots of fruits and veggies and other antioxidant-rich foods (this actually includes dark chocolate!)
• Stay hydrated by drinking enough water
• Make sure you get omega-3 fatty acids from fish or flax or dietary supplements
• Stay away from fatty, greasy processed foods and snacks

 

Play Games to Keep Your Mind Sharp

There is a growing interest in what impact video games (and other games, too) have on your mental health. Most people think playing video games just makes a person fat and lazy. Well, like most stereotypes, that may not be true. Researchers are investigating whether games that involve strategy, problem-solving and other mental stimulation may actually help slow the natural progression of cognitive decline as one ages. Memory loss is a natural part of the aging process, but scientists are hoping that keeping the mind stimulated will help keep those brain cells young and vibrant. So if you’re worried you’re losing your mind, pick up a game and challenge yourself.

 

Tips for Getting to Sleep

Thousands if not millions of people struggle to fall asleep each and every night. And when they do manage to fall asleep, they can’t stay asleep for more than a few hours before waking up. Then, it’s a struggle all over again to fall back asleep. The problem may not necessarily be physiological, and you don’t have to turn to prescription drugs that knock you flat on your back for help. Maintaining a simple routine at bedtime can go a long way in training your body to know when it is time for sleep. Just like training a dog to obey commands, you can train your body to obey sleepy time. Here are a few tips to getting a healthy sleep routine in order:

 

• Don’t eat anything within about two hours before you want to fall asleep. You may feel like a nap every day after lunch, but gorging yourself before bedtime isn’t the best approach for a soothing night’s sleep.
• If you have a TV in your bedroom, take it out or don’t turn it on while trying to fall asleep. Many people claim it helps them fall asleep, but it can disrupt your sleep more than you know.
• Make sure your bedroom is a warm inviting place. It may sound odd, but if your room is messy it could disrupt your sense of peace and calm.
• Try to get to bed at the same time every night, even on the weekends. This may be hard at first, but it really helps train your body, and you will notice how easy it is to fall asleep after a few weeks.

 

Volunteering and Mental Vitality

There is a strong correlation between health and volunteering. Studies show that people who volunteer experience what is called a “helper’s high”—that warm, positive feeling that comes from donating one’s time without expectation of compensation. The research reveals that altruism not only improves emotional and physical health, but mental health as well by putting a sense of social purpose back into a person’s life.

 

Some volunteers hand out food to the homeless. Many older volunteers use their experience to mentor and tutor children and provide ongoing nurturance. Many retired business people use their expertise to counsel small business owners helping them to come up with a plan of action and develop management skills. A lot of volunteers assist at health clinics. Some teach Internet use to other seniors who need instruction in computer skills. All of these endeavors utilize the skills and talents that the volunteers have developed over the years, which keeps them mentally agile and feeling vital.

 

Stay Engaged

Social isolation is the fast track to Age-Related-Cognitive-Decline. It’s profoundly important to stay engaged. Staying home all the time alone or with a spouse turns into a life of seclusion. Not only can that negatively affect memory, it can make people downright peculiar. They fold in on themselves and their perspective becomes narrow. Even getting out of the house to garden is a big help since it reminds the recluse that there is a larger world and they might even get into a conversation with a neighbor.

 

There are many ways to stay engaged. Going to church. Attending church functions like bake sales, carnivals and even bingo. Attending community events and fund raisers. Staying connected to family and going to family gatherings. Going to political events and giving voice to one’s political opinions. In addition, many people who are retired are enlivened by going back to work. It may be challenging but working helps keep the memory intact. There is actually a part of the brain called the striatum, which is near the brain stem that literally thrives on challenge. It stimulates neuronal activity and generates mental growth. There are even government agencies designed to get people back to work, including training.

 

Stimulating Memory with Music

Music has been found to enhance and stimulate memory. That should come as no surprise since when we hear a familiar song it may well trigger a recollection from the past…another time. However, it’s not just reverie and nostalgia at work here. An actual memory connection has been found in the medial pre-frontal cortex of the brain that can actually track chord and key changes. Perhaps this is why a popular recommendation for keeping the brain active and the memory intact is to take up a musical instrument, or resume playing an instrument from one’s youth.

 

Cognition is richly enhanced by the intricacies of music whether playing or merely listening to it. As author Oliver Sacks points out in his book Musicophilia, “The aim of music therapy in people with dementia…seeks to address the emotions, cognitive powers, thoughts and memories of the surviving “self” of the patient, to stimulate these and bring them to the fore. It aims to enrich and enlarge existence, to give freedom, stability, organization and focus.” While that is profound, the average person just wanting to keep mentally sharp could listen regularly to music, be it classical or country—and maybe dig out that piano book from the 4^th grade as a special memory challenge.

Brain Food

Eat with brain nutrition in mind—foods that reduce Age-Related-Cognitive-Decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s and stroke. Wild salmon is an especially brainy food. It’s a great source for Essential Fatty Acids—the Omega 3s in particular—while being low in saturated fat. It’s very high in protein too, good for mood and good for synaptic connections. The salmon must be fresh-caught though, not farm-raised. Another brain food rich in Omega 3s is the popular Acai Berry, which is also richer in antioxidants than either blueberries or blackberries!

 

In terms of vitamin content and brain health, a deficiency in B12 can lead to poor memory. In fact, it has been reported that many people who have been put in nursing homes for memory problems turned out to be deficient in B12. Foods rich in this vitamin include meat, fish, poultry and eggs, in addition to dairy products like milk and cheese. Yet another source of brain food is nuts and seeds, which are rich in vitamin E. Studies indicate that people who get enough vitamin E are as much as 40% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

 

Staying Mentally Fit During the Mature Years

Consider the brain nutrient: Phosphatidylserine, also known simply as PS, which is biochemically know as a phospholipids. In plain terms, it is a vital lipid that works in the nerve cells known for boosting memory. It is well documented in Dr. Parris Kidd’s book: “PS: Nature’s Brain Booster.” Studies indicate that it may reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Research indicates that PS can not only improve memory, but learning as well, and it is also known to improve mood and ease anxiety.

 

Add to that some “smart herbs.” There is an herb called Vinpocetine that comes from the leaves of the periwinkle plant that has a reputation as being a “brain rejuvenator.” Research shows that it improves memory retention and the power of concentration. And then there’s Ginkgo Biloba, an herb used in China for over five thousand years as a memory enhancer. Rich in antioxidants, Ginkgo appears to increase dopamine, which in turn increases mental alertness and memory retention.

 

High Levels of Vitamin D Linked to Healthy Breasts

Women with high levels of vitamin D in their blood appear to have healthier breasts, according to a study in Britain. In the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology, researchers compared blood levels of vitamin D, calcium and parathyroid hormone in 279 women. They found that women with the healthiest breasts had the highest levels of vitamin D and low levels of parathyroid hormone. Calcium levels did not differ significantly. Researchers completing the study in London noted that vitamin D appears to boost the activity of certain key genes and curbs activity in others.

 

Journal of Clinical Pathology Published online.

 

Kicking the Habit!

Anyone who has tried to quit smoking is familiar with the old trick of carrying carrot sticks instead of cigarettes. This old hand-to-mouth substitute makes even more sense in the wake of a study published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research. Scientists analyzed the impressions of 209 people regarding the palatability of cigarettes following the ingestion of a variety of foods. They found that fruits and vegetables worsen the taste of cigarettes while meat products, alcohol and caffeine enhance the flavor.

 

Nicotine & Tobacco Research 9(4):505-510, 2007