A BETTER BREAKFAST

   If you are wondering how to select a good breakfast before leaving for work or school, you may be thinking of a bowl of cold cereal.  But how many teaspoons of sugar are in the specified size of serving? The following tip is from a Seattle registered dietician and blogger, Andy Bellatt who says:  “Divide the grams listed on the label by four. That is 7.5 teaspoons per bowl for one supposedly healthy family favourite.”  How about playing it a little safer and stirring up some oatmeal instead and adding dried fruits like apricots, pears, prunes or raisins.  Soak raisins and other dried fruits the night before and the breakfast cereal tastes even better.  Blueberries are wonderful to include because of their benefits to the eyes.  Reading in poor light happens when the eyes’ core is not capturing the light well enough.  The “yellow spot” on the eye is called the macula and contains a high concentration of lutein that plays a central role in detection of visible light.  In Sweden, people utilize blueberries to keep their eyes strong.  Blue Berry Eyebright is the No l selling supplement in Scandinavia, and has been so for almost a decade and available at most pharmacies and health food stores.  Call 1-877-MY NORDIC (696-6734) or www.new nordic.ca.    

  A few grains of sea salt could be added to the hot cereal but remember that a high-salt diet could increase your stomach cancer risk by as much as 68 percent, as compared with a diet containing modest amounts of the mineral, according to a recent study.  Source:  Clinical Nutrition.

  Taking tea three times a day modestly lowers both blood pressure numbers, according to a recent study.  Ninety five regular tea drinkers were randomly assigned to drink either a standard black-tea drink or an identical-tasting beverage containing the same amount of caffeine.  After three months the tea drinkers’ systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom number) readings had dipped an average of 2.7 and 2.3 mm Hg, respectively.  The faux-tea-drinkers readings were unchanged.  Source:  Archives of Internal Medicine.         

HEARING LOSS

   Hearing loss is becoming a problem among adults and at a younger age.  It can begin at any age.  An Ontario man tells of his experience when he was still in his mid thirties.  With nights out and motorcycles revving up their motors, he didn’t notice how much it was affecting his hearing.  When ringing in the ears began he found out that since his job required discriminating hearing he was unable to be employed in his profession in the mechanical field. 

   Another cause is a genetic condition that occurs when there is an abnormal growth of bone in the middle ear called Otosclerosis that interferes with the passage of sound waves where hair cells transform sound vibrations into nerve impulses – creating an earplug effect.  Dr. Arran McAfee, chief of audiology and speech-language pathology at The Ottawa Hospital says if left untouched, can lead to significant conductive hearing loss when a problem in the outer or middle ear stops the vibration of sound from getting to the inner ear.  Gradual hearing loss includes the inability to distinguish between low pitched sounds.  Surgery can be performed to remove the bone growth and replace it with a prosthetic device that allows sound to pass normally.  This can often correct this hearing loss associated with this condition.

   Tinnitus, the Latin word meaning “to ring or tinkle,” is another condition that is experienced by more than 360,000 Canadians.  This ringing, hissing, chirping, roaring, or buzzing occurs at many levels usually begins at age 60 and should be brought to a professional to have it tested.  Impacted cerumen (another word for earwax) can be removed in your doctor’s office.  My doctor suggested that putting a drop of olive oil in the offending ear for several nights could soften the earwax.

   “Beyond limiting the amount of noise you are experiencing, there is not a lot can be done.” Hospital’s Dr. McAfee says.  “Diligently using hearing protection - can helping when around very loud noises – even when mowing the lawn or using power tools can help as well as keeping all volumes low whenever possible, and do not be afraid to use low-sound ear plugs and being aware of all loud noises (like fire drills) during your exposure to them and the amount of time between exposures.  “Avoiding high blood pressure and diabetes and living a healthy lifestyle helps.  Never poke with cotton swabs which can get pushed into the canal and possibly damage the eardrum,” adds Dr. McAfee’s assistant, Cathy Cooke.        

KEEP YOUR POWERHOUSE TUNED UP

   The most important step you can take for heart health is to start with the kind and quality of food you place upon your plate.  Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in this country.  One would expect a cure that could dramatically reduce these deaths would be big news.  “In traditional societies where people do not eat processed foods, heart disease is rare,” says Dr. Arthur Agatston, M.D., author of The South Beach Wake-Up Call.  “If you start with a healthy diet early in life, heart attacks are almost completely preventable.”

   If your “both working” parents try to appease your hunger with French fries and cheap hamburgers you can still have a profound effect on your own life as you make it a point to find out more about what is needed in both your “tummy tank” as well as your car tank.

   For example let’s start with oranges that can reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and heart failure.  Its fiber pectin acts as a giant sponge, cleaning up cholesterol in food and blocking its absorption.  Potassium in oranges helps counterbalance salt, helping to keep blood pressure under control.  New research shows that all citrus foods neutralize a protein leading to congestive heart failure, a condition that is often difficult to treat with drugs.

   Kale is one of the most powerful plants.  The author of the bestseller “Eat to Live” Joel Fuhrman, MD, uses diet and exercise to help patients reverse their cardiovascular disease.  Kale boasts a bumper crop of heart-healthy antioxidants that includes vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and potassium.  “It even contains an unusual compound that coats the arteries to keep plaque from adhering,” says Dr. Fuhrman.

   Garlic also has a significant impact and in three randomized trials.  Matthew Budoff , MD, professor of Medicine at UCLA, found that plaque progression slowed by more than 50 percent in people taking garlic.  Sardines lower triglycerides and raise HDL, the good cholesterol.  Omega 3s can be found in flax seed but that found in sardines is inore powerful, according to a large Danish study.  Wild Planet sells sardines in extra virgin olive oil with lemon.  Lentils, almonds, pomegranates are important to include.  According to government studies the main villains in heart disease are saturated fat in meat and refined carbohydrates in bagels, pizzas, cookies, sodas and other sugar-laden products that include refined flour.                

   

SOUL SHINE

   The sun and the moon tell a silent story through the voice of Gladys McGarey, medical doctor, writer, and worldwide speaker.  In the late 1930s, she and her friend had a baby at about the same time and Dr. Gladys gave her friend a silver baby cup engraved with the name of her new baby.  Her friend was delighted.  When they saw each other a year later she told her friend Dr. Gladys (known to all her clients as Dr. Gladys since her husband was also a medical doctor) that the cup had turned black and she had thrown it away where it remains under tons of landfill.  Her friend did not realize that silver accumulates tarnish unless it is polished to keep it shiny.  

  When flying into Jerusalem in 1969, the sun was just going down as the plane was preparing to land.  Drs. Gladys and her husband looked down on the city with the view center showing Dome of the Rock, a beautiful golden dome that is sacred space for Jews, Christians and Muslims.  It rose into view with the Dome of the Rock as the sun set with St. Ann’s Church as the moon.  We all realize the sun and the moon each have power that is central to life on our Earth.  The sun is golden and the moon is silver.  The sun emits its own light and the moon emits no light from within itself.  Its light comes solely from the reflected light of the sun.  Metals gold and silver reflect the qualities of the sun and moon.  Gold does not tarnish.  Its shine remains clear no matter how much it is exposed to the elements.  Silver reacts to exposure to the elements.  The tarnish hides its radiance so that it no longer shines, but becomes first grey and than black and no longer reflects the light and seems worthless.  It takes work to keep silver shiny as Dr. Gladys compares our lives to the sun as the gold and moon as silver as reflected in our life patterns.

  In life’s experiences, our souls like the moon can tarnish as it accumulates negative patterns but we can apply the tools of the “fruits of the spirit” – love, caring, little deeds of kindness, forgiveness, generosity and hope – all the things our soul desire to really shine forth.  We can use these tools to polish and clean the tarnish off.  Thank you Dr.Gladys Taylor McGarey, MD, MD(H)  for this beautiful analogy.  The indomitable Dr. Gladys celebrated her 90^th birthday in Scottsdale, Arizona on October 29, 2011, and is a pioneer in holistic medicine.  She maintains a consulting practice in Scottsdale, Arizona, and can be reached through 1-800-333-4499 or 1-866-322-8209.  

EXERCISES FOR TIRED ACHING SOLES

   EXERCISES

FOR TIRED ACHING SOLES – Page 2

   Here are the exercises to help tired aching soles. 

l.   Cross the leg with the painful foot over your other leg.

2.     Take hold of the foot and pull your toes back toward your shin.                          

3.     Check for the appropriate stretch position by gently rubbing the thumb on your unaffected side from left to right over the arch of the affected foot.  The plantar fascia should feel taut and firm, like a guitar string.

     

4.     Hold the stretch for a count of 10.  One set is 10 repetitions.

      5.  Do at least three sets of stretches a day.  You cannot do the stretch too               

                      often.  Easing heel pad atrophy is easier.

      

          Place a gel-type heel cushion (or full foot gel pad if the pain is centered on the ball of your foot) in each of your shoes;  (The cushions and pads are sold in drugstores and other retail outlets.)  “The pain should quickly go away,” Dr.Baumhauer says.  “Don’t be bamboozled by doctors wanting to inject fat into your heels.  There is no science behind it, and that fat just gets reabsorbed,” she adds.  

         

HELP FOR ACHING SOLES

  According to the American podiatric Medical Podiatric Medical Association, 40 percent of Americans suffer from heel pain.  Feet withstand the equivalent of 120 tons of pressure for every mile walked.  Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of such pain, but a lesser-known and more easily treatable condition called heel pad atrophy might also take some blame.  Plantar fasciitis is caused by inflammation of the fascia, the tough tissue that wraps around your heel, extends forward to the base of the toes, and cushions every step.  The inflammation occurs when there is excessive stretching at the point where the fascia attaches to the heel bone.  A thick web of fat in the heel works like a shock absorber and extends forward to the base of the toes but can wear down over time, called heel pad atrophy.  “Both conditions make you feel like you’re walking on rocks and are not hard to diagnosis,” says Judy Baumhauer, M.D., M.P.H, president of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society.

   The pain is most severe when you take a step after being off your feet, such as when you get out of bed or stand up after prolonged sitting.  The fascia stretches and the pain usually subsides.  Heel pad atrophy becomes more painful the more you place weight on your heel and it is better when the heel is cushioned.  Plantar fasciitis hurts more towards the inside of your foot, around the heel, while pad atrophy is very focused in the center of the heel, Baumhauer says.  People with atrophy often feel intense pain if they push on the foot’s center.  In addition to the fat pad under your heel, there is another beneath the ball of your feet.  It can also wear down and cause pain, but that mostly occurs in women who regularly wear high heels.  The heel fat pad simply wears down in time.  If you’ve had a cortisone shot or sustained trauma (such as a heel fracture), it can lead to bleeding into the structure, which can cause atrophy and make it lose resiliency. 

   Plantar fasciitis is more complex.  It can be caused by weight gain, worn out shoes, and barefoot walking.  Severe heel pain after vigorous athletics could indicate a rupture of the plantar fascia.  Baumhauer says it will usually go away in less than a year by avoiding the activities that irritate the area.  The tissue can stretch out and become supple over time and advises people to be cautious about surgery since it might cause more significant problems.    Cushioned arch supports can speed up healing and help avoid a recurrence of the condition.  Stretching exercises are important and we will give details about them in tomorrows Blog.  

EASTER INSPIRATION

    Words of inspiration to celebrate Easter can be found close at hand, in your homes, your church, libraries, and even in many hotel rooms.  A favorite one that has withstood the test of time embraces all aspects of living and is found in Luke, Chapter 17 of the Bible, and often referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount.”   A similar message was written in verse form more recently by R.A. Parsons of St. John’s Newfoundland, carries the title, “Curtain Call.”  Of this book Don Jamieson, former Minister of External Affairs says, “Rarely do the words of any one Newfoundland poet combine those qualities which mirror his native land in a manner which is tender, understanding and truthful, while at the same time being wholly worthy of critical acclaim.”   

 “I know not yet what purpose I fulfill,

Or what may be for me, His sovereign will. 

But this of certainty I know I am,

A member of the FAMILY OF MAN. 

But this in turn, am duly bounded, I,

Am duty bounded till I die,

To serve, The Family, and to employ

My talent, if but scant, that I enjoy,

In its behalf, with no attempt to plead,

Its worthlessness, or that it serves no need.”

By Richard Augustus Parsons, Q.C., B.C.L., D.Litt

 

              

    

HONEY BEES

 Two reports about loss in numbers of honey bees came on the news today.  One suggested the loss of the honey bee population was due to the use of a common pesticide that was used mainly in the growth of corn and similar other food products that could cause a worldwide famine.  The use of a common pesticide in growing the corn is thought to be damaging the brains of the bees causing them to be unable to find their way back to their hives.  The other report suggested that hives situated near the area of telephone towers were running into the same problem.

LOSING WEIGHT IMPROVES EMOTIONAL HEALTH

 People with type 2 diabetes who lost an average of 9.2 pounds reported improved self esteem, work performance, and quality of life compared with those who gained weight, according to a survey of more than 14,900 adults.  That is significant, since more than 85 percent of type 2 diabetics are overweight or obese, researchers said.

STROKES AND MEMORY DECLINE

 Your risk for a stroke might also be a good indicator of your risk for memory loss and other cognitive problems, according to a recent study that tracked 23,752 adults over four years.  Fifteen percent of the people who scored at the top of a scale used to measure stroke risk also had cognitive problems compared with just 3 percent of those who had the lowest stroke-risk scores.  Advanced age, high blood pressure, and a thickening of the heart muscle were strongly linked to cognitive decline.  The findings appeared in the Nov. 8, 2011, issue of Neurology. 

GETTING A GRIP ON IMPROVED HEALTH

  Dumbbell wrist curl leads to better strength.  Using a light dumbbell in each hand kneel beside a chair, resting your arms on the seat, turn palms up and bend your elbows about 80 degrees, placing wrists at the chair’s edge, slowly bend your wrists, moving the weights downward, pause, then slowly roll your wrists up.  Squeeze the weights hard during both movements. 

Try this exercise with palms facing down.  Aim for 10 to 15 repetitions.