Hyvin
A Natural Health and Wellness Blog

Here’s another natural health and wellness tool: writing! There are some very specific research findings relating the practice of journaling with better health for cancer patients. According to HealthDay, “The research suggests that by spending 30 minutes each day for four days to write out their innermost thoughts and feelings, patients can significantly boost mental and physical health. And experts say nearly everyone who tries journal therapy stands to benefit.”

The scientific link between writing and improved health isn’t fully understood, but it’s believed that writing eases stress which improves the immune system. Makes perfect sense to me. I’ve journaled off and on in the past, and recently carried out a commitment to daily journaling (although for five minutes a day only …well, you gotta’ start somewhere). I intend to asssess my stress level and see if I notice a difference!

Natural health and wellness has many facets: good diet, exercise, nutritional supplements, avoidance of toxins and toxic materials, and many other lifestyle choices. Even how we treat others. I recently came across a website dedicated to random acts of kindness. And you guessed it, acts of kindness have significant health benefits! Read a summary here. To be hyvin is to be kind!

Well, the results are in…we’re still not eating enough fruits and veggies in this country. “Enough” is a level defined by the government, and tracked by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national goal is getting 75 percent of the population to eat fruit two or more times a day and 50 percent to eat vegetables three or more times per day by 2010.

Despite the fact that Americans seem to understand the health benefits of eating fruits and veggies, we are WAY below those percentages. It’s hard — other food choices are faster, cheaper and more accessible. The HealthDay report of this recent report card notes that experts are concerned about the health and disease impact of these food choices. And for good reason. I’m glad to see the concern.

Of course, we should all try to eat fresh fruits and veggies every day. But we can also ensure we’re getting a baseline of carotenoids and flavonoids (the phytonutrients that give fruits and veggies their color) through daily supplementation. That is an easy, convenient way to be sure we’re getting an “A” on the F&V report card .

Do you enjoy an ice cold soda pop in the heat of summer?

It’s widely known that Americans consume a lot of pop. So much so that some commentators fear we are making a significant and negative public health impact.

Sugar is the main ingredient of pop, of course. So much sugar is being consumed in pop, that it is virtually impossible to counteract it with good dietary habits to achieve a “balanced diet.” According to the April 2007 edition of American Journal of Public Health, a review of published studies shows that a study of higher intake of sugary sodas goes hand-in-hand with a lower intake of milk, calcium and other essential nutrients, a lower intake of fruit and fiber, and a higher intake of carbohydrates. According to Reuters Health, the review also concluded a direct link between sugary pop consumption and an increased risk of obesity AND diabetes!

And then there are the other ingredients. According to Steve Edwards of beachbody.com:

Beyond the simple sugar rush, these acids and phosphates [also found in pop] alter your body’s pH levels and inhibit absorption of other nutrients. Then there are the effects of certain artificial coloring agents. For example, yellow #5, commonly used in soft drinks, has been linked to attention deficit disorder, hives, asthma, and other allergic reactions in some children.

As for diet sodas, a study released last year showed that drinkers of diet soda gained weight, rather than losing it! Edwards says:

[T]he true effects of these ingredients have not been thoroughly studied. Despite their no-calorie status, diet sodas have been linked to assorted illnesses [and] there is little doubt that the pH balance of diet sodas hinders the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.

We can each make our own effort to STOP the POP. There are good tasting, summer-appealing alternatives that even hydrate instead of dehydrating (as pop does)! Click here for one that contains no artificial ingredients, provides 67% more muscle fuel than the leading commercial sports drink, is low in sugars, and provides the optimal balance of electrolytes. It comes in orange and lemon-lime flavors…very yummy!

One aspirin every day for a year vs. working as a firefighter. Which is riskier??? Believe it or not, those two behaviors carry about the same risk of death!!! Do we really consider the risks involved when we take medications?

HealthDay News tells us: “In an analysis appearing in the May/June issue of Health Affairs, researchers compared half a dozen risky drugs to various occupational, recreational and transportation activities, with sometimes surprising results. For instance, few people know that aspirin carries a high risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.”

It amazes me how readily some folks pop meds, especially the OTC variety. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again —- I believe the power of advertising plays a large role here. Which is fueled, of course, by money. Where is the focus on individual health and wellness??

This seems like pretty big news to me: the same lifestyle choices that decrease your risk of heart disease and diabetes also decrease your risk of cancer! As if additional motivation was needed, that makes exercise, maintaining optimal weight, a healthy diet and nutritional support all that much more appealing.

Of course, high blood sugar levels increase the risk of diabetes and even heart disease. And now,Reuters Health reports on a study in the March 2007 issue of Diabetes Care that points specifically to an association between cancer and high blood sugar levels in non-diabetics.

Like I’ve said before, the body is a unit…what ails one part, is naturally prone to ail the rest. So, maybe the news isn’t all that “big” after all. Maybe I should call it exciting! - there is so much we can do to prevent degenerative disease!! Eat right. Get moving. Lose weight, if needed. And, for some additional help, we can even supplement with a natural blend of minerals, botanicals and antioxidants proven to help retain normal blood sugar levels!

Here is a new plug for antioxidants: they may help with noise-induced hearing loss! At least they did in one animal study reported by Reuters Health. Researchers theorize that “the pre-exposure treatment may have helped by suppressing the development of cell-damaging substances called free radicals. The post-noise doses, in turn, may have lessened harm to the auditory nerves.” The nutrients used in the study were vitamins A, C and E, plus magnesium.

I was SO glad to see recent research on the effect drug sales representatives have on doctors. Do they sway doctors and impact the prescriptions that are handed out? The research says “yes”. And just think about it. If they didn’t, there would be absolutely no reason for the drug companies to have them.

So is this any surprise? Well, according to the Reuters Health report on two recent studies, it is to the doctors! They don’t think they’re influenced by free meals, drug samples, friendly wooing, even coffee mugs and pens. I suggest they are the only ones who don’t think so.

Have you ever been in the doctor’s office and watched a drug rep carry in trays of food while you sit waiting? I have (and I am rarely at the doctor’s office - makes me wonder how often this goes on!). It rubs me the wrong way. How about you?

We’ve talked a lot about the important health benefits of whole grains. Here’s another study looking specifically at whole-grain breakfast cereals (defined as those having at least 25 percent oat or bran content). Eating them is linked to a reduced risk of heart failure. HealthDay reports that the study was reported at the American Heart Association’s annual Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Conference held in March of 2007.