Americans Most Medicated!

Now, if only Americans were the healthiest, people could conclude that more drugs=better health but that is far from true. Nearly 50% of Americans now use prescription drugs on a regular basis according to a CDC report (09/10). Nearly a third of Americans use two or more drugs, and more than one in ten use five or more prescription drugs regularly."

Exercise Reduces Obesity

The August 31, 2010 issue of PLoS Medicine found that physical activity can reduce the genetic tendency towards obesity by 40%.

According to Ruth Loos, the senior researcher at Great Britain's Medical Research Council in Cambridge, England..."Our findings challenge the popular myth that obesity is unavoidable if it runs in the family. We see this as a hopeful message."

You can get the benefits without running marathons, according to the researchers. "Being active about 30 minutes a day is a good start in reducing the effects of the genes."

U.S. experts say the study adds to the data on the importance of exercise for weight control. "This is more evidence that behavior can modify genetic predisposition," says Tim Church, director of preventive medicine research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA.

According to John Jakicic, director of the Physical Activity and Weight Management Research at the University of Pittsburgh, "just because someone has the genes does not mean that they will become overweight or obese. "Lifestyle such as physical activity can modify the effect."

US Government guidelines say that adults need at least 2 hours of moderate-intensity activity (brisk walk) weekly or 1 hour of a vigorous-intensity activity (jogging or lap swimming) or a combination of the two types. These activities should be done for at least 10 minutes at a time spread throughout the week.

For even more health benefits, the US Government recommends that people engage in 5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week or 2 hours of vigorous activity. They also recommend that adults include strength training for all major muscle groups two or more days a week. For those of you that are paying attention...they are not recommending exercise... they are recommending that exercise become part of your healthy lifestyle. Healthy eating helps too!

Experts Claim 7 hours of sleep is Optimal

A Calm Brain = Better Memory

Brains in a state of relaxation are better able to remember new information, according to a study conducted by researchers from the California Institute of Technology and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and published in the August, 2010 issue of the journal Nature.

According to a study published in the August 1, 2010 edition of the scientific journal , SLEEP, getting seven hours of sleep is optimal for maintaining heart health.

Getting too much, or too little, sleep can increase a person's chances of developing cardiovascular disease, according to the research.

What the researchers discovered was that people who sleep only five hours a day, with naps included, have TWICE the risk of suffering from angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke, compared to people who sleep seven hours a day.

In addition, it was reported, that people who sleep nine or more hours a day have a ONE AND A HALF times the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Those that slept either six or eight hours had only an "elevated but less dramatic risk" according to the report.

More findings included a sub-group of people over the age of 60. Researchers found that people over the age of 60 who sleep five hours or less a night are at the highest risk of developing cardiovascular disease. People in this category are at THREE TIMES higher risk than those who sleep seven hours a night.

And, women who get only five hours of sleep a night are at TWO AND ONE HALF TIMES the risk compared to those who get seven hours a night.

Why 7 hours seems to be the magic number is anyone's guess so "get a good night's sleep."

We have always maintained that many factors can contribute to or detract from one's health and quality of life including rest, exercise, diet, clean air and water, a healthy nervous system and positive mental attitude. In this sleep study, an explanation was provided about how sleep duration affects metabolism and how too little sleep can impair glucose tolerance, reduce insulin sensitivity and increase blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease. Get your 7 hours!