Hit the Snooze Button

Posted on August 19, 2013 by JulianC

Credit: www.telegraph.co.uk

Many of us don’t realize the pressure we put on ourselves and the ones we care about. In middle school, some parents put their children on amphetamine salts, such as Adderall, so they can get them into honors courses in high school. In high school, we juggled extracurricular activities and academia so we could get into college. In college, many have to work and pull all-nighters in order to boost our G.P.A. so we could get a decent job. At work, we “willingly” agree to overtime so we could get a promotion. We are rushing through life, replacing healthy essentials with processed foods, prescription medications, caffeine, and anything else that will bring us from point A to point B faster than the next person. Where does it end? Unfortunately, it ends with a large percentage of the population dealing with serious health complications due to sleep deprivation.

Neurological Health

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Chronic sleep loss can damage our overall well-being by negatively impacting the brain. When we sleep, we are giving our brain the opportunity to repair itself, which is the key to proper learning and memory retention. When the average person begins to lose an excessive amount of sleep, it can weaken problem solving skills, creativity, and the ability to remain focused. Ultimately, those who are sleep deficient may have mood swings, problems with impulse and anger, as well as, depression and motivational issues. Ironically, many students think it is more efficient to cram information into our heads in place of getting a good night of sleep.

Immune Function

It only makes sense that when your doctor tells you to get plenty of rest when you are ill, to at least get an average amount to stay well, right? Your immune system also relies on sleep in order for it to function properly. We are taking away our ability to combat disease by suppressing the actions of our killer T-cells when we lose too much sleep. Recent studies have also found that maintaining a healthy sleep schedule may also fight cancer.

Weight Gain

Chronic sleep deprivation negatively modifies our metabolism. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, “Sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin). When you don’t get enough sleep, your level of ghrelin goes up and your level of leptin goes down. This makes you feel hungrier than when you’re well-rested.” Ultimately, it has been found that there is an increased risk with becoming obese with each hour of sleep lost per night, on average.

Heart Disease

Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, irregular heartbeat, imbalanced stress hormones, and other cardiovascular diseases. According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at the University of Chicago claim that, “too little sleep can promote calcium buildup in the heart arteries, leading to the plaques that can then break apart and cause heart attacks and strokes.” In addition, our blood pressure decreases when we sleep; therefore, we are putting our bodies at risk of incessant high blood pressure when we force ourselves to stay awake.

Where to Begin?

While it is difficult to completely change bad sleep habits over-night, we can at least start by making simple lifestyle changes.

Credit: www.sheknows.com

Reduce Caffeine Intake.

Most of us have a cup of coffee before work every morning, some of us have two, maybe even three by the end of the day. No big deal, right? Well, what about the additional cup of tea, chocolate bar, soda, or occasional energy drink? All of these products contain caffeine, which as all know, is a stimulant. While mainstream media encourages you to buy the latest energy drink, in addition to promoting alleged health benefits from drinking coffee, we tend to lose site of the term “in moderation.” A study conducted in 2002 at Duke University found that, “The effects of coffee drinking are long-lasting and exaggerate the stress response both in terms of the body’s physiological response in blood pressure elevations and stress hormone levels.” Lack of sleep is already dabbling with your hormones and blood pressure; submitting yourself to excessive amounts of caffeine can add to those health issues while taking a toll on your physical appearance and increasing anxiety levels.

Keep your Diet in Check

When we are drained from constantly rushing and working, we sometimes forget to eat properly. We end up reducing ourselves to processed meat, lack of vegetables, and items on the “healthy” menu at fast food chains. Start by reserving Sunday nights for family and friends; take the time to make a balanced home cooked meal.

Chronic sleep loss can damage our overall health-wellness by negatively impacting our weight, cardiovascular health, neurological functioning, and immune system. Most importantly, lack of restful sleep results in increased levels of inflammation, which is the underlying cause of many of our current chronic illnesses. Sleep loss education, healthy role models, and proper medical information could change the way the next generation of students and professionals maintain a healthy balance between well-being and the pressure to succeed. Relax every once in a while – Hit the snooze button.

References:

“Caffeine’s Effects Are Long-Lasting and Compound Stress.” DukeHealth.org. Duke Medicine News and Communications, n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2013. <http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/news/5687>.

“Importance of Sleep : Six Reasons Not to Scrimp on Sleep.” Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Jan. 2006. Web. 15 Aug. 2013. <http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/importance_of_sleep_and_health>.

Park, Alice. “Lack of Sleep Linked to Heart Problems.” Health & Family. Time, 23 Dec. 2008. Web. 15 Aug. 2013. <http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1868406,00.html>.

“Why Is Sleep Important?” NHLBI, NIH. U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, 22 Feb. 2012. Web. 15 Aug. 2013. <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why.html>.

Posted By: Axiom Health Care Marketing

Live Longer, Healthier, and Leaner by going Vegetarian

Posted on August 15, 2013 by JulianC

Giving up meat doesn’t sound too appetizing to some people, but the results are well worth it – if it’s done right. Enjoy nature’s best, and start eating more of what your body craves. Find out what researchers are saying when it comes to combating cardiovascular disease, losing weight, and elongating your lifespan with a vegetarian lifestyle.

Posted By: Axiom Health Care Marketing

The DASH Diet

Posted on July 26, 2013 by JulianC

Millions of Americans take prescription medications for hypertension. Find out the right diet can be just as effective a tool for maintaining a healthy blood pressure:

http://www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com/blog/dash-to-lower-blood-pressure/

Posted by: Axiom Health Care Marketing

Achieving Supreme, Ultimate Health

Posted on July 8, 2013 by JulianC

You likely have seen photos or video from China showing large groups in people exercising in public places. The exercise consists of very slow, controlled movements, almost resembling a ballet or dance choreographed in slow motion. You might be surprised to find that this exercise – practiced widely by all ages, even the quite elderly – is an ancient martial art. Known as t’ai chi ch’uan, but usually referred to in English simply as tai chi, it has become one of the most popular forms of exercise among the Chinese. In recent years, its popularity has spread worldwide and tai chi is now practiced around the world.

What is Tai Chi?

“T’ai chi ch’uan” can be expressed several ways in English, including “supreme ultimate fist” “supreme ultimate boxing” or “great extremes boxing”. Not only a fighting technique, tai chi also is practiced as a demonstration art form, for health reasons, and to increase longevity. There are several forms of tai chi training, depending upon the goal of the practitioner. Traditional tai chi training involves five elements:

Taolu – Solo exercises using hands, feet, and weapons
Shanshou – Self-defense routines
Tuishou – Responses and reactions to opponents’ movements
Neigong – Breathing and meditation
Qigong – Awareness and control of breathing and movement

The slow, controlled public exercises one sees in China are an example of qigong. Not all tai chi exercise is slow, however. The most widely practiced styles of tai chi all feature a faster set of exercises and movements in addition to their slowly paced movement routines.

Origins and History

The origins of tai chi are a subject of dispute, finding popular mythology at odds with the historical record. Tradition holds that the art was invented by an alchemist named Zhang San Feng sometime between 900 and 1300 A.D. However, this name does not appear in any written Chinese records until the late 1600s A.D. The earliest written source that claims Zhang San Feng originated tai chi is dated anther 200 years later. A later edition of this same source, however, asserts that the identity of the originator of tai chi is unknown. In fact, before the mid-1800s, the art form did not even have a name and was practiced by a relative handful of individuals.

Tai chi remained a rather obscure martial art until several Chinese martial arts masters began to tout its health benefits in the early 1900s. They and their students helped spread the art to a much wider circle of participants throughout China. During the 1920s the Chinese military adopted tai chi as part of its standard fitness training, although this involved the faster moving martial form of the art. Tai chi later spread into Chinese civilian life with the development of slow-movement forms of the art. Greater Chinese openness to the West beginning in the 1990s and early 2000s exposed a much wider audience to tai chi, and the practice is now more popular than ever.

Health Benefits of Tai Chi

Traditional Chinese medical practitioners have long claimed that tai chi is effective in promoting health and combating a number of chronic conditions. Modern western experimental studies have confirmed many of these claims. Not surprisingly, research has shown that tai chi helps promote greater balance and flexibility and reduce the risk of falls in elderly individuals. However, many people are startled to learn that tai chi burns more calories than surfing and almost as much as downhill skiing. A program of tai chi paired with yoga has even been shown to reduce levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. Other studies have shown the potential for tai chi to boost immune function in response to certain viruses.

A number of studies also have linked tai chi to pain relief. A 2008 study from Tufts University found that tai chi provided better pain relief than regular stretching exercises for elderly patients with severe osteoarthritis of the knee. A study published in the 2010 New England Journal of Medicine found that tai chi provided similar pain reliving benefits for a group of patients suffering from fibromyalgia.

Slow-Motion Stress Control

Proponents of tai chi cite stress-reduction as a principal benefit of the art, and recent medical studies support their beliefs. A 2010 U.S. government review of seven large-scale studies of tai chi concluded that it “significantly increased psychological well-being including reduction of stress, anxiety, and depression, and enhanced mood in community-dwelling healthy participants and in patients with chronic conditions.” Other studies have suggested that tai chi may help regulate production of hormones that affect mood and heart rate.

One of the most appealing aspects of tai chi is that any reasonably healthy individual can participate and share in its benefits. The extremely low impact nature of tai chi, along with its slow and controlled movements, allows people of any age and many different physical conditions to take part. As the studies cited early demonstrate, you don’t need to become a triathlete, marathoner, or “extreme” athlete to lose weight, get fit, and improve your physical and mental well-being. Practicing tai chi can help you achieve all of these goals in a way that fits your life situation.

Find Out More About Tai Chi

If you are interested in learning more about tai chi or taking it up actively, it’s best to start by talking with someone experienced in the art form. In South Florida, Dr. Jorge Bordenave includes tai chi as part of a multifaceted, integrated approach to health care and maintenance that deals with the health of the body, mind, and spirit. Contact Dr. Bordenave today to find out how this ancient fighting form can help YOU return to fighting form as well.

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Super Summer Eating

Posted on May 27, 2013 by JulianC

Good health starts with a good diet. Check out this article to learn about foods that are not only good for you, they’re actually super:

http://www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com/blog/the-bs-have-it-three-superfoods-for-overall-health-2/

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Foods For a Super You

Posted on May 14, 2013 by JulianC

If you want super health, you need to know about super foods. Read this article to find out what foods can help kick start your healthy lifestyle

http://www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com/blog/the-bs-have-it-three-superfoods-for-overall-health-2/

Tired? Suffering? Try Acupuncture

Posted on May 10, 2013 by JulianC

If you’ve tried conventional treatments for pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, or headache without success, consider acupuncture. Read about how this ancient practice can help improve your health and well-being:

http://www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com/blog/5-health-conditions-treated-with-acupuncture/

Take A Deep Breath

Posted on May 8, 2013 by JulianC

Relieving stress can be as simple as breathing, if you know how to do it. This article presents some basic breathing techniques to help you relax.

http://www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com/blog/incorporating-breathing-exercises-with-your-integrative-medicine-treatment/

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What Makes a Food “Super”?

Posted on April 29, 2013 by JulianC

You’ve probably seen quite a few stories in the media in recent years about the health benefits of a group a foods that some people have labeled as “superfoods.” But just what makes a food “super,” and which foods really deserve this label? And how do the positive attributes of these “superfoods” help contribute to good health and longer life?

In fact, while many researchers recognize the benefits of many of the so-called superfoods, the term has no specific medical, scientific, or legal definition. In general, however, superfoods tend to be low in calories while being high in many essential vitamins and nutrients. Many are excellent sources of antioxidants, which are believed to contribute to the prevention of chronic illnesses including cancer and heart disease. Other superfoods have anti-inflammatory properties, which can be helpful in preventing conditions such as cancer, arthritis, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Superfoods have been credited with helping to prevent three of the most debilitating diseases affecting the U.S. population – cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Lets look at each of these diseases and see how superfoods work to prevent them, as well as which foods are considered the most “super” in terms of their beneficial effects.

Cancer

Claims for the cancer-fighting properties of superfoods center around two key compounds – antioxidants and phytochemicals. Antioxidants have been credited with inhibiting the production of free radicals, highly reactive chemical agents that can cause damage to cells that may result in cancer. Common antioxidants found in many superfoods include beta-carotene, vitamin C, and lycopene. Phytochemicals are naturally-occurring compounds found in plants. According to researcher Jed Fahey of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, studies have shown that phytochemicals have the potential to protect cells from damage and mutation that lead to cancer. There are literally hundreds of phytochemicals found in a wide variety of plant foods.

Superfoods identified as particularly powerful cancer prevention agents include broccoli, spinach, berries, tomatoes, and carrots. A review of nutrition studies conducted by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research found that broccoli and all kinds of berries can protect against cancer of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach. A study by the National Institutes of Health showed that spinach also acts a preventive agent against those cancers. Lycopene, a substance found in abundance in tomatoes, has been show in laboratory tests to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in breast and lung tissue.

Heart Disease

The antioxidant properties of superfoods are also considered to help reduce the risk of heart disease, and some of the foods on the list of cancer-preventing agents are also among those thought to be best at preventing heart disease. For example, the antioxidant anthocyanin that is found in blueberries, is thought to reduce the accumulation of LDL cholesterol (or “bad” cholesterol) that can clog arteries and contribute to heart attacks and stroke. Spinach is another cancer-fighting superfood that does double-duty against heart disease. In addition to antioxidants, spinach contains omega-3 fatty acids that prevent blood platelets from clumping together to form clots or buildup on the walls of arteries. It also contains folate that helps reduce the level homocysteine, an amino acid linked to the development of cardiovascular disease. Two other superfoods high in omega-3 fatty acids are salmon and soy protein, both of which are high on the American Heart Association’s list of heart-healthy foods.

Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association has compiled a list of superfoods that help prevent this debilitating disease. One thing all of them have in common is a low glycemic index, or GI, which measures the rise of blood sugar (glucose) after consuming a particular food. Foods with a low GI help maintain healthier levels of glucose, which can help in preventing Type 2 diabetes.

Some old friends among the superfoods that help prevent cancer and heart disease are also on the ADA’s list of diabetes fighters. These include spinach, tomatoes, berries and salmon. Whole grains, which are loaded with nutrients including folate and omega-3 fatty acids, are also recommended by the ADA. Other superfoods highly recommended by the ADA include nuts, sweet potatoes, and citrus fruit such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruit.

References

American Diabetes Association: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/diabetes-superfoods.html

Maeda N, Matsuraba K, Yoshida H, Mizushina Y. Anti-cancer effect of spinach glycoglycerolipids as angiogenesis inhibitors based on the selective inhibition of DNA polymerase activity. Mini Rev Med Chem. 2011 Jan;11(1):32-8.

World Cancer Research Fund / American Institute for Cancer Research (2007) Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. Project Report. The American Institute for Cancer Research, Washington, DC.

What’s So Super About Superfoods?

Posted on April 26, 2013 by JulianC

You’ve probably heard about “superfoods,” but what are they and what makes them “super”? Check out this article, which discusses 3 “superfoods” and how they contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

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Integrative Medicine Blog

With Dr. Bordenave

Category Archives: heart health