Author: James Fishman

James Fishman has been involved in the world of online magazines for more than 15 years. He helped launch Sunstone Online and continues to improve the magazine as site editor and administrator. His writing focuses primarily business and technology. To be in touch with James, feel free to contact him at james[at]sunstoneonline.com.

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…

Amazing Hiking Trail Adventures

If you love to hike, now is the time to get ready for the beautiful of Fall. The weather is starting to cool and the leaves will soon change in many places. And while the summer months were crazy at airports, things should be calming down a bit more now as children go back to school.

This list offers choices around the world. The two in the United States featured here include the Appalachian Trail and the Tahoe Rim Trail.

The Appalachian Trail runs all the way from Georgia to Maine and includes 2200 miles of footpath trails. Some of the most beautiful areas of the trail are in Virginia as part of the Shenandoah National Park. The trail is marked well enough and has enough campsites that it can be navigated by individuals seeking long-term adventure. There are companies that can also help people to pre-book accommodations and to navigate the trail.

The Tahoe Rim Trail is a 165 mile loop around the Lake Tahoe Rim Basin. The trail was started in 1981 and offers absolutely breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevada and Carson ranges while it passes through six counties and four national forests.

Of course, for those looking to leave the United States on a grand adventure, the list also includes offerings such as the Basho Wayfarer in Japan, the Refugio Frey and Cerro Catedral in Argentina, and Mount Toubkal in Morocco.

Walk Your Way to Better Brain Health

Walking to a place of better brain health

Anyone who knows anything about dementia, or has seen it firsthand, is highly motivated to avoid developing this dreaded disease in themselves or in their loved ones. Although at the moment there seems to be no way to mitigate the risk of developing dementia down to zero, there are actions people can take to reduce the risk.

It turns out that one of the simplest activities a person can engage in to reduce the risk of developing dementia is walking. According to researchers in Denmark, people between 40 and 79 years old were able to reduce their risk by 50% within seven years by taking just 9,826 steps every day. It was possible to cut the risk even further by walking at a faster pace, for a shorter distance. Those who walked at a pace of at least 40 steps per minute only needed 6,315 steps per day to get a 57% reduction in risk.

Even people who didn’t “power walk” every day, or did not walk as many steps achieved results. The researchers found that walking only 3,800 steps per day, no matter how fast or slow, could still cut their risk by 25%.

The head of the study emphasized that even sedentary people could be persuaded to begin with a very doable 4,000 steps per day if they knew they could reduce their risk of dementia. Once these people got out of their chairs, the hope is they can build up to longer and faster walks to achieve further protection.

As one might expect, going even faster was shown in the study to further increase protection from dementia. By walking at a brisk pace of 112 steps per minute for 30 minutes subjects achieved a 62% reduction in risk.

 The researchers concluded that people who wish to reduce their risk for dementia try to increase their pace rather than their distance. However, risk reduction is a positive step in the right direction, no matter how fast or how many steps taken.

Meditations for Body & Soul

The sun is shining, the kids are frolicking in the playground, and the ice cream truck jingles are playing in the streets. Getting outside is attractive in the summer months, and doing so is beneficial to your health, mind, and overall wellbeing. While outdoors, there are many meditations that can be practiced to further benefit the body and soul. Whether you are prepping for a demanding day ahead at the office or unwinding after a tiresome outing with the family, these meditations can help you pause, reframe, and focus in a myriad of ways.

Exercising Gratitude

A gratitude meditation can be done in any setting, even while you are in active motion. Focus on things in your life for you which are grateful, and actively think about the feeling of thanks. If you’re exercising and running laps, think about one item or person you appreciate during the first round, and shift to another thing you are grateful for during the next one.

Using Your Imagination

Visualization is a meditation where you use your imagination to transport yourself to a different environment. If you’re taking a walk in the city, while you turn the block with cars honking and lights flashing, visualize a scene that you associate with relaxation and calm. If your tranquility zone is a secluded forest, listen to the birds in the trees and feel the breeze in your hair. As you continue walking, be sure to concentrate on feeling at peace while honing in on the physical effects that has on your body.

Activating the Sense of Smell

We are surrounded by nature’s perfumes. Seat yourself in a grassy park or flowery garden to perform this smelling meditation. Inhale through your nose, taking in those surrounding scents, then hold your breath for a couple seconds and exhale. For the next breath, inhale while counting to four, hold your breath and count to two, then exhale as you count to four. Repeat as desired.

Utilizing Your Words

This breathing meditation can be practiced while in motion, making it very practical. As you inhale through your nose, concentrate on one word that positively describes your feeling at the moment. For example, “content” or “rejuvenated.” During the exhale, focus on pushing out any feelings that may be detrimental to the positive one. For example, feelings of disappointment or stress. Repeat as many times as you’d like.

Keeping these meditation tools in mind as we drift through summer can help keep things feeling more manageable. As with most new endeavors, it’s simply a matter of getting into the grind and using the methods at your disposal. Once you do, you are sure to enjoy the new sense of calm and focus.