Category Archives for "health"
June 10, 2016
- in guest/interview , health by linda
Start here | Eric Langshur & Nate Klemp
In this episode, we talk with Eric Langshur and Nate Klemp about their new book, Start Here: Master the Lifelong Habit of Wellbeing.
Eric Langshur, a seasoned corporate executive and entrepreneur, is the founder of Abundant Venture Partners. Years of research into the intersection of philosophy and neuroscience have established him as a thought leader in optimizing wellbeing.
Nate Klemp, PhD, is a Stanford-Harvard-Princeton trained former philosophy professor and an expert in understanding how the tools of ancient and modern wisdom can be used to improve individual wellbeing. They have founded Life Cross Training together to foster a greater sense of wellbeing at work, home, and in all areas of life.
We’ve heard of cross training in fitness, such as sprinting for cardiovascular conditioning, and weight training for strength. Eric and Nate believe that just like in fitness and popular physical fitness training programs, they believe that you can cross train for the skill of wellbeing.
Eric and Nate discuss the guiding theme of the book is that wellbeing is a skill that can be trained. The science community has taught us that the brain does not have a fixed number of neurons, but that our brains can change and we can use our minds and certain sets of practices to change our experiences at life and at being alive. They structure the book with a structure of recommended practices for well-being. We also discuss how good practices lead to good habits and the benefits of meditation. Exercise is also discussed and its benefits on emotional as well as physical well-being.
Start Here: Master the Lifelong Habit of Wellbeing is a thought provoking book that is well researched and scientific, yet it is also filled with simple and basic guidance for taking care of both our physical and mental well-being. Additional information, including a training course, can be found at starthere.life.
June 8, 2016
- in guest/interview , health by linda
The end of heart disease | Dr. Joel Fuhrman
Today we talk to Dr. Joel Fuhrman about his philosophy of the nutritarian diet and his new book, The End of Heart Disease: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. Dr. Fuhrman is a Board-certified family physician with over 25 years experience in nutritional medicine. Through his medical practice, as well as his New York Times best-selling books and PBS specials, Dr. Fuhrman has helped thousands of people lose weight permanently and reverse chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and chronic pain syndromes, including migraines, using a nutrient-dense, plant-rich eating style that he calls the Nutritarian diet.
Grounded in the latest scientific research as well as his years of clinical experience treating heart disease, Dr. Fuhrman’s book outlines a plan that can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, reduces your weight, heals obstructive coronary artery disease, and can even eradicate advanced heart disease. His philosophy is that all of this can be corrected without the prescription pad, as Dr. Fuhrman believes the most powerful drug on the planet is food.
According to Dr. Fuhrman, while heart disease and strokes are the leading cause of death in the United States, most heart disease-related deaths are preventable with diet and nutrition. Dr. Fuhrman coined the term “Nutritarian” to describe a diet that is nutrient-dense and plant-rich, and includes anti-cancer superfoods, which also facilitate weight loss. These foods supply both the right amount of macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) and the vital micronutrients (vitamins, phytochemicals and minerals) that unleash the body’s incredible power to heal itself and slow the aging process, giving the body renewed vitality.
Dr. Fuhrman is also the author of other NY Times best-selling books, Eat to Live, Super Immunity, The End of Diabetes, The Eat to Live Cookbook, and The End of Dieting. Additional information about the nutritarian diet and Dr. Fuhrman can be found on his website (https://www.drfuhrman.com).
Weak handshake, early grave
Is it true that there is a correlation between grip strength and longevity? Could the quality of a handshake really tell more about how long one will live? Actually, an April 2007 study in the American Journal of Medicine examined this very idea. Among men and women ages 45 to 75, there was in fact a correlation between a weaker grip strength and a higher likelihood of passing away.
Perhaps grip strength is a proxy for overall body strength. After age 35, the body reduces its muscle mass through natural processes. It can become difficult to open jars or hold onto things when they’re heavy. This is why it’s so important to continue building your strength, including grip strength, as you age.
One technique is to use strength gripping tools designed specifically to help your grip strength. This is especially great to consider if you sit at a desk all day or if you don’t have access to a gym. If you use the bars at the gym, you can opt to wrap a towel around the bar to make it bigger, thus requiring a larger grip and building better grip strength. You can also purchase actual grips that can be placed around the bar, instead of using a towel.
Other exercises or techniques can be incorporated such as basic compound carries, dead lifts, hanging from a bar, and a farmer’s carry. These will not only improve grip strength, but work to increase your overall body strength as well.
A handshake can be very telling, as it is a window into one’s level of grip strength. Grip strength may even become a limiting factor in the ability to get stronger, if the grip gives out before the larger muscles. Improving grip strength will not only help you build overall strength, but it may even help you live longer.
June 3, 2016
- in guest/interview , health by julie
Sleep smarter | Shawn Stevenson
Shawn Stevenson is the creator of The Model Health Show, the number one fitness and nutrition podcast on iTunes. He also founded the Advanced Integrated Health Alliance and is the author of Sleep Smarter.
In his early 20s, Shawn was diagnosed with degenerative disc and bone disease. At age 20, he had the spine of an 80 year-old person and couldn’t change positions in his sleep without waking up. This had a critical impact on the quality of sleep he was getting. He made a decision to take action and was able to completely regenerate the tissues in his spine. As a result, he began working with thousands of others in similar situations through his clinic.
However, some patients were not seeing results. Once Shawn quizzed those patients about their sleep patterns, he wondered if there might be a connection. Shawn helped these clients employ proven strategies to improve their sleep, and interestingly enough, they began seeing positive results in their health.
Shawn explains that sleep is very important to our overall health, noting that sleep deprivation is one of the biggest factors that can reduce our lifespan. Additionally, taking 20 Ambien pills per year doubles one’s risk of dying early. While the true impact will be different from person to person, everyone can use documented, natural methods to improve sleep. Medication should be used only where deemed extremely necessary.
One factor that can be detrimental to sound sleep is inner chatter. While the bed should be a place of calm and relaxation, often times the brain is hyperactive at night. This can make it difficult to go to bed early. The key is to train your brain to calm down, which is typically achieved through meditation. An effective treatment for insomnia, meditation enables you to channel your focus. Incorporating deep breathing exercises can also help you feel more at peace and more present.
Sleep Smarter contains 21 sleep strategies and 14-day makeover plan—everything you need to reboot your sleep. To connect with Shawn Stevenson directly or to get the book, visit www.sleepsmarterbook.com or http://www.themodelhealthshow.com/.
Something else from 40+ Fitness Podcast you may enjoy
June 1, 2016
- in guest/interview , health by julie
Healthy habits | Dr. Cris Beer
Dr. Cris Beer studies biomedical science and integrative medicine. She is a health consultant for the Biggest Loser retreat, a personal trainer, and the author of Healthy Habits.
Dr. Beer explains that we are creatures of habit, and that what we practice most will become a habit. Some of these habits enter our lives by chance, but then with repetition they are incorporated into our lifestyles. When this repetition occurs consistently, new pathways are formed within the brain that makes this new habit a sort of automated process. Typically, it takes 21 to 40 days to form a new habit.
One of the ways to help form a habit is through positive association. If the act is making you feel good, you will want to keep doing it. Another factor is ensuring that the act is achievable. This will help to set you up for success. Similarly, to avoid certain habits, make them inaccessible. Accountability is another important factor in building habits. It is helpful to have someone or something to hold you accountable. This will prevent you from talking yourself out of doing what you have committed to doing.
Dr. Beer also shared the top five habits to incorporate in order to make a big difference to one’s overall health in a short period of time.
The first is to avoid a shrinking brain by avoiding caffeine and alcohol, as these can dehydrate you and cause anxiety. Alcohol in particular is a sugar that can impact your overall health as well. The second habit is to sleep well consistently, ideally getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Additional habits include eliminating toxic stress, balancing your blood sugar, and learning to breathe properly.
By adopting these healthy habits, you can truly take control of your health and see real change in your life. For more information on Healthy Habits or to contact Dr. Cris Beer directly, visit www.drcris.com.au.
May 30, 2016
- in guest/interview , health by julie
The estrogen window | Mache Seibel
Dr. Mache Seibel is a leading expert on women’s wellness, estrogen, and menopause. He is also the editor of My Menopause Magazine, creator of mymenopause.com, and the author of The Estrogen Window.
Dr. Seibel explains that many once thought that having too much estrogen could lead to breast cancer. This was actually the result of a misguided study from 2002 called the Women’s Health Initiative. Though this was supposed to be an age-matched, controlled study, that was not the case, which led to inaccurate information being produced and disseminated.
Since then, other studies have refuted these findings by showing a 23% lower risk of breast cancer and heart disease, and a 25% lower risk of dementia in those who take estrogen. For those who enter menopause early and don’t take estrogen, they have shown to have a 70% increased risk of dementia. Lowering the risk of osteoporosis is another benefit.
Dr. Seibel explains that the benefits of taking estrogen are evident when estrogen is taken at the proper time or during the estrogen window. This is a window of opportunity where women can optimize their treatment, which begins with the onset of menopause. After all, the timing of menopause among women is quite varied. Five to 10% of women go into menopause before age 45, though the mean age is 51. However, symptoms can start up to a decade before menopause begins.
When women begin taking estrogen at the time of menopause, they can lower the risk of chronic illnesses and see the potential for the greatest benefit. To see where you are in menopause, take a quiz at www.menopausequiz.com. You can also get great feedback and tips at this site. To connect with Dr. Mache Seibel, visit his website at www.drmache.com or learn more about The Estrogen Window at http://www.estrogenwindowbook.com/.
May 27, 2016
- in guest/interview , health by julie
Vision for life | Dr. Meir Scheider
Dr. Meir Schneider is the founder and head teacher of the School for Self-Healing in San Francisco, and the author of Vision for Life. Dr. Schneider was born blind and taught himself to see, and now shares his remarkable findings and results regarding vision and eyesight.
Dr. Schneider explains that your flexibility and strength, including that within your eyes, depends on you. As people have begun staring at computer screens and using fluorescent lights over the years, eyesight has declined. In the 1970s, 25% of children wore glasses. This figure is 48% today.
To combat this, Dr. Schneider explains that there are nine principles of vision that people can improve to aid their vision. First, Dr. Schneider states that people are not relaxing their eyes enough. Emotional tensions and overstimulated vision can cause fatigue of the visual system. Palming is a technique that can be used to relax the eyes.
Dr. Schneider recommends not wearing sunglasses, as they tend to weaken the pupils. He also suggests looking into the distance for four to six minutes at a time throughout the day. This is a great way to prevent cataracts and drain fluid from the eyes. People should also pay more attention to visual details and their periphery. Balanced use of each eye is also important.
People also need better blood flow to the eyes. Unless there is enough blood flowing to the optic nerve, brain, and the whole visual system, the eye exercises will not be successful and vision may be hampered.
To improve overall vision and eyesight, Dr. Schneider recommends blinking often, taking frequent breaks from the computer, and integrating the periphery. Never strain to see. Rest your eyes on a regular basis by rubbing your hands over the eye orbits and visualizing darkness. Don’t let fatigue build up throughout the day. Look out into the distance. These practices will give the eyes life again. To learn more about Dr. Meir Schneider or his book, visit www.self-healing.org.
