According to the most recent data, people are living longer. In 1950, there were 14.5 million people in the world who were age 80 and older. In 2009, that number climbed from 14.5 million to nearly 102 million. Experts project that by 2050, there will be 395 million people who are 80 or older. Many could be engaged, alert, active members of society with relatively few disabilities.�
Lifestyle choices definitely affect longevity. It’s also true that genes play a role. Most experts believe that only about 30% of how long we live is determined by our genetic makeup and up to 70% of lifespan differences may be explained by lifestyle choices that include our activity level, whether or not we smoke, alcohol consumption and if we are a healthy weight.
Why do we need vitamins and minerals?
Vitamins and minerals are essential for human development. Our bodies consist of millions of cells that are constantly being regenerated. To perform optimally and to stay healthy, each cell needs a certain amount of vitamins and minerals. Vitamins are necessary for the production of red blood cells and to maintain the nervous, skeletal and immune systems while minerals are needed to help regulate body functions, release energy and assist growth. In the US today, poor or inadequate diets are associated with 4 of the 10 leading causes of death (coronary heart disease, certain types of cancer, stroke and type 2 diabetes).
Why is water essential for good health?
- Water gives our cells their shape and form.
- Water helps our body’s delivery system.
- Blood, kidney, heart and lungs are made of about 80% water.
- Since blood is 83% water, it regulates our body temperature when moving from hot to cold or when affected by flu and viruses.
- Bones contain about 22% water.
- Brain tissue is about 85 per cent water.
- Muscle, spleen, brain, intestines, & skin are 72 to 75% water.
- Fat tissue (or adipose tissue) is about 10% water.
- Water is vital to healthy digestion.
- Water rids the body of waste during weight loss and helps metabolize fat more efficiently.
- When the body gets enough water, the feeling of hunger diminishes, eliminating the need for snacking.
Tips to Keep Your Home Environment Green and Your Children Safe
Children are particularly susceptible to environmental hazards in our daily living. Potentially toxic chemicals show up in our food, as contaminants in air and water, in common household and personal care products, in packaging, and in furniture. It has been estimated that the average home may contain 1,500 compounds that may be weakening our vitality and increasing our health costs. Although children should be the first to be protected from environmental hazards, the truth is they are at the greatest risk for chemical exposures. In order to protect our children’s health as well as our own, we can build a healthier, safer home environment and take simple, everyday steps to minimize chemical exposures from common household and personal care product ingredients. We can become informed consumers and look for safe and effective alternatives to traditional products without sacrificing our children’s long-term health: Read the rest of this entry »
1. Healthy Greens - Chlorophyll, present in all green plants, has anticancer and detoxifying properties. Green, leafy vegetables are high in vitamins and minerals that naturally reduce inflammation and help protect against cognitive decline. Many green foods contain calcium, which helps build strong bones and teeth and improve vision. It is recommended you eat at least one serving daily of leafy green vegetables. Alfalfa is becoming increasingly popular as a nutritional supplement that is rich in chlorophyll. If you choose to supplement with alfalfa, it is best to select a product that is made from premium alfalfa leaves (Medicago sativa) grown under carefully controlled conditions. Read the rest of this entry »
- Make adequate sleep a priority- Getting to bed a little earlier will help protect your mood and your health. Most of us need about 8 hours a night. Chronic sleep deprivation has also been linked to the development of obesity, impaired immunity, heart disease, and several kinds of cancer. You’ll know you are getting enough sleep each day if you wake up feeling refreshed. If you find that you have trouble staying focused, or it takes only a few minutes to fall deep into sleep, or that you ‘nod off’ during the day, chances are you’re not getting enough sleep. Sleep also helps us in less visible ways. During sleep, the body secretes a hormone that repairs and regenerates tissue throughout the body. It may also be instrumental in reinforcing our memories. Read the rest of this entry »
January 25th, 2010
Did your mom tell you to always eat your breakfast because it is the most important meal of the day? Well, she was right. Eating a healthy breakfast is important for both short term and long term mental and physical health. Read the rest of this entry »
Poor bone health and Osteoporosis are not just concerns for the elderly. Most of us think that this is something to worry about later in life. However, we should pay attention to bone health at every stage of life.
We may think of bones as a hard brittle skeleton, but actually our bones are living organs made up of cells and body fluids just like other organs. Bone tissue is constantly being built up and torn down. This process is called remodeling and goes on for our entire life. Between ages 25 and 30, our bones reach their maximum density. Throughout adulthood, this process of building up and tearing down is at a finely tuned balance to maintain bone mass. Read the rest of this entry »
People are referring to H1N1 as the swine flu, however, H1N1 Virus is not the pure swine flu virus of 1976. This virus has chunks of DNA that are consistent with human seasonal flu (influenza type A) and pieces that are consistent with avian flu or bird flu, so it is a new viral entity that has the backbone of swine flu, with chunks of human flu and avian flu inserted into it. The concern is that our antibodies (our T cells and our B cells) haven’t seen it before, so our immune system has to mount a full immune response the first time we are exposed to it. Read the rest of this entry »
- Avoid Soda… sugar sweetened or artificially sweetened, it doesn’t matter. This is NOT a beverage that kids should be drinking. Water should be their principle beverage outside of milk.
- Avoid Sugar sweetened cereals. If you are using these, start to change things by adding multi grain cheerios into that box so they’re getting a little bit and then keep on adding it until you have all multigrain cheerios. Start to add a more protein centered breakfast such as eggs, yogurt or protein shakes.