Category: Health

Women’s Health Goals for 2023: Consider Consistency and CrossFit

The new year is often accompanied by health-related resolutions. When it comes to your health goals, whatever they may be, professional trainers encourage consistency.

Ben Smith, winner of the Fittest Man on Earth title in 2015, advocates for consistency as a mainstay of physical health: “Consistency is the most important thing. It’s hard because you don’t see the results of that consistency right away. If you can consistently do something for even 15 minutes in the morning, it can add up over time.”

https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a42189977/ben-smith-crossfit-workout-tips/

Smith also sings the praises of CrossFit, which is predicted to see a resurgence in the coming year of 2023. Their website explains that CrossFit is, “constantly varied functional movement at high intensity,” or, in broader terms, a high intensity workout using cardio, weight training and mobility work. CrossFit affiliates claim that their workouts, coupled with a healthy diet, can stave off the global rise of chronic disease, such as Type 2 diabetes.

More women are opting for CrossFit as their workout plan, as it promises both effective strength-building and, as 94% of 500 surveyed women report, a boost in confidence and empowerment. Building muscle does not only yield aesthetically-pleasing results, such as a “toned look,” but it also improves both cardiac and bone health. Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men, and strength training is proven to both slow bone loss and significantly increase bone density and strength.

Even if you have not yet started on your health plan for 2023, it is not too late. While it is clear that strength training yields optimal results, the best workout plan is the one that you will do consistently.

Water: A Key to a Long Life?

Most of us know that water is an important part of our day. Staying hydrated ensures that you can function well throughout the day. What many of us may not have known, until now, is that water can actually be important for lowering the risk of chronic diseases and of dying early. The NIH just published a surprising study that looked at over 11,000 adults for 30 years.

The authors had the hypothesis that hydration may be able to slow down aging from previous studies they had done in mice. In those studies, they found that lifelong water restriction both increased the serum sodium in mice and shortened their lives by six months.

In the current study, they were able to evaluate the serum sodium levels in people and to isolate that those with a higher end of normal range (135-146 mEq/L) had worse health results than did those within range.

Further studies are certainly needed, since the serum sodium levels and health outcomes can’t be proven to have a causal relationship. But the findings are certainly worth noting and considering.

Feeling Down? Pet a Dog

It is no coincidence that dogs are known to be man’s best friend. Playful and interactive; protective and observant – many individuals and families choose to adopt dogs, taking them in as integral members of their household. But, a recent study has shown that dogs are not simply fun playmates. Rather, physical contact with our furry friends serves an important role in our emotional and mental health.

A study published in PLOS ONE last month uncovers a lot of information about dogs and the benefits they provide to their owners. When petting a dog, the frontal cortex of the brain is stimulated. This is the area which regulates our thought processes and feelings. The lead author of the study, Rahel Marti, explains the premise of the study: “We chose to investigate the frontal cortex because this brain area is involved in several executive functions, such as attention, working memory, and problem-solving. But it is also involved in social and emotional processes.”

The fact that physical contact has this effect on human brains is a critical finding. It emphasizes the idea that animal therapy can positively impact cognitive and emotional activity in the brain. It also strengthens existing research on using animal-assisted therapy on people who have experienced trauma related to the nervous system, such as strokes, seizures, certain infections, and more.

Furthermore, the study demonstrated that brain activity increased when participants were physically closer to the pups, and boosted even further when actually touching the dog. It also showed that the brain response was more present when touching a real dog versus a stuffed animal.

So, next time your children beg for a pet dog, you may consider the benefits of giving in to their wishes.

The Danger of Burning the Midnight Oil after 50

It’s always important to get enough sleep – no matter how old you are. One recent study focused specifically on those over 50 and found that those who sleep less than five hours a night are much more likely to put themselves at risk for various health issues.

This study, discussed in an article on CNN, looked at close to 8000 civil servants in the UK who were healthy at the age of 50. After tracking them for many years, they found that those who slept five hours or less were at a 30% higher risk for developing many diseases. By age 60 the risk increased by 32% and by 70 it had increased by 40%.

What is the magical amount of sleep a person should be getting? Typically researchers have found that 7-9 hours of sleep is the right amount to keep the average person healthy.

Read the whole article to learn more – and get enough shut eye for your health!

Coffee Drinking, Just What the Doctor Ordered?

Coffee drinkers can celebrate! A new study authored by the head of clinical electrophysiology research at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and head of electrophysiology at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne has found that coffee just might be helpful to your health. Of course, too much of anything is a bad thing; but they have found that drinking two to three cups a day of certain types of coffee can protect people from both cardiovascular disease and early death.

It’s important to note that the study was observational and that a randomized control trial would be needed to fully prove the relationship. But the information so far is quite promising. The study looked at four groups – ground coffee drinkers, decaffeinated drinkers, instant drinkers and non-coffee drinkers.

Their findings concluded that the largest reduction in early death came from those who drank two to three cups of coffee a day, compared to those who drank none. Ground coffee lowered the risk of early death by 27%, while decaf led to a 14% reduction and instant led to an 11% reduction. The findings for irregular heartbeat were even more surprising with four to five cups of ground coffee a day lowering the risk by 17%; two to three cups of instant coffee lowered that risk by 12%.

Certainly, more exploration is needed into all of these considerations. But it does look promising to drink some controlled amount of coffee a day.

Get Ready for Purple M&Ms, Sort of

Here’s a bit of a weird story. M&M is adding a new character to its lineup in the shape of a purple M&M. She is the first new character to be introduced in 10 years. The purple character’s personality is “quirky, confident and just a little awkward.”

But don’t get too excited thinking you’ll have purple M&Ms waiting for you in the next bag that you rip open. The new character will be showcasing her personality in stores and on the M&M website. She will apparently appear in some limited edition packaging as well – but she will not be in your regular bag of M&Ms. And here is her debut for you to enjoy…