Colon Cancer Prevention

In light of actress Kirstie Alley’s recent death from colon cancer, the topic of screenings and cancer prevention has come to the light again. Approximately 1 in 25 women in the United States will be diagnosed with colon cancer during their lifetimes, and screenings truly can save lives.

What should you do? The American Cancer Society has recommendations that all adults 45 and over get regular colon cancer screenings. These can be either stool analyses or colonoscopies, based on what your doctor recommends in your individual situation.

Of course, should you have any symptoms, you should immediately get things checked out with a doctor. Symptoms can include changes in bowel movements, rectal bleeding, dark stools, unexpected weight loss or extra fatigue. The symptoms often only appear after the cancer has already spread, so the preemptive screenings are incredibly important.

In addition, if you have a family history of colon cancer, you should start screenings 10 years before your youngest relative with cancer was diagnosed.

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…

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.