Arthritis

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints. Symptoms of arthritis include joint pain and stiffness. The two main types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis involves wear-and-tear damage to cartilage in the joints. In rheumatoid arthritis, it is the body’s immune system attacking lining of the joint capsule. This disease could eventually destroy cartilage and bone within the joint.

Ways to improve arthritis

Exercises helps increase strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and fights fatigue. People may think that exercise will only worsen the pain, but actually it only benefits arthritis. Any type of range-of-motion exercise would be helpful in relieving stiffness and increasing movement. Strengthening exercises help build strong muscles to help support and protect joints. Weight training is an example of a strengthening exercise. Aerobic exercise can help improve overall fitness. Aerobic exercises that are easier on the joints include walking, bicycling, and swimming. Any type of movement can help! Paying attention to your diet can help you lessen the symptoms of arthritis. Omega-3 has proven to be anti-inflammatory which can help with arthritis flare-ups. Avoid omega-6 fatty acids because it has been shown to actually boost inflammation. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Adding broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts to your daily diet can decrease inflammation. Fruits that decrease inflammation include cherries, blueberries, and strawberries.

International Day of Yoga

Not only is tomorrow World Alzheimer’s Day, but it is also International Day of Yoga. Remember to wear purple for Alzheimer’s Day! Yoga has many benefits for the mind and body. It helps build strength, flexibility, and mind-body awareness. It is an excellent method of reducing stress. So tomorrow make sure to wear purple, spread awareness for Alzheimer’s, and attend a yoga class!

Looking to lose a few pounds? Eat fiber

Did you know government experts from the National Academy of Science recommend that most people consume at least 25 grams of fiber a day? 25 grams of fiber look like eating 5 large apples in one day. It is equal to eating about 80 baby carrots or eating 7 cups of blueberries. There are many different ways to fulfill this recommended fiber amount. An excellent way to help reach your goal of 25 grams a day is to have Complete by Juice Plus+. Complete is a natural whole food based shake mix that provides a delicious, healthy burst of balanced nutrition in every serving including 13 grams of minimally processed soy and other natural protein and 8 grams of fiber. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is found mostly in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It has many benefits such as reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease, lowering cholesterol, possibly reducing the risk of some cancers like colon, ovarian, and breast. By adding fiber to your diet, you are able to stay fuller for a longer period of time. It actually promotes weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight. If you want to lose weight, consider a diet with a bit more fiber.

Juice Plus Tower Garden

The Tower Garden is a vertical, aeroponic growing system. The system is space and energy efficient. It is so efficient that you can grow 44 plants per tower with 90% less space and water. Research has shown that aeroponic systems grow plants three times faster and produce 30% greater yields on average. The Tower Garden is an excellent way to grow your own fruits and vegetables and to support a healthy lifestyle! Also, the Tower Garden uses water and nutrients in replace of soil. This is helpful because there can be many problems with soil such as chemical fertilizers. Also, it produces crops in less time than it takes to grow them in soil.

Everyday Health Tips!

1. Drink plenty of water

We must drink water to keep our bodies running smoothly, optimize metabolism, boost energy levels, and promote good digestion.

2. Meditate

Meditation can help decrease stress. It also increases immune function and decreases inflammation at a cellular level.

3. Snack on nuts

Nuts are loaded with magnesium, vitamin E, fiber, and several other nutrients.

4. Eat fatty fish

Fish an excellent source of high-quality protein and healthy fat. For example, Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and several other nutrients.

5. Get enough sleep

Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, disrupt your appetite hormones, and reduce your mental and physical performance.

6. Eat vegetables and fruits

Vegetables and fruits are loaded with prebiotic fiber, vitamins, minerals, and many antioxidants.

7. Do aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise is one of the best things for mental and physical health.

8. Eat breakfast

Eating breakfast in the morning is the most important way to start your day!

9. Exercise

Each person should exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

10. Have a balanced diet

It is important for a diet to contain protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and iron.

11. Drink tea

Drinking all-natural green tea is a great way to boost your weight loss and your health.

12. Laugh more

Studies from the University of Maryland show that while relieving stress, laughter promotes a smooth blood flow and healthy blood vessels.

13. Eat dark chocolate

Dark chocolate has been shown to lower risks of heart
disease, help stop blood clotting, and prevent cancer.

Breast Cancer Prevention and Awareness

Breast Cancer Prevention

1. Limit alcohol

The more alcohol you drink, the greater the chance of developing breast cancer.

2. Do not smoke

Studies have shown there is a link between smoking and breast cancer risk.

3. Control your weight

Being overweight or obese increases the likelihood of developing breast cancer.

4. Be physically active

Being physically active will help you maintain a healthy weight, thus lowering the risk of breast cancer.

5. Breast-feed

Breast-feeding may play a role in preventing breast cancer. The longer you breast feed, the greater the protective effect.

6. Limit dose and duration of hormone therapy

Combination hormone therapy for more than three to five years increases the risk of breast cancer.

7. Avoid exposure to radiation and environmental pollution

Some research shows a link between breast cancer and cumulative
exposure to radiation over your lifetime.

Information provided by Mayo Clinic.

Breast Cancer may be linked to Alzheimer’s

Since 1994, it has been well known that mutations in the BRCA gene can contribute to higher risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. However, recently researchers say that the gene may also play a part in the nerve death that is responsible for Alzheimer’s. Studies have found that the BRCA1 gene not only affects cell growth, but also interferes with nerve cells’ ability to repair their DNA.

Information provided by TIME.

10 tips on how to keep brain cells healthy!

1. Mental Stimulation

Scientists have found that brainy activities stimulate new connections between nerve cells and may even help the brain generate new cells. Any mentally stimulating activity should help your brain. Examples of activities include: reading, taking courses, solving word problems, completing math problems, drawing, painting, and other crafts.  

2. Filling your body with lots of fruits and vegetables

 Filling your body with fruits and vegetables will allow antioxidants to help fight against free radicals. Every fruit and vegetable is very important and does different things for your body. For example, an apple is a very good source of boron, a trace mineral that affects the electrical activity of the brain, increasing mental alertness and boosting estrogen in postmenopausal women. It also helps reduce cholesterol and contains many cancer-fighting phytochemicals. As the saying says, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

3. Physical Exercise

Studies have proved that using your muscles have a direct correlation to your mind. Exercise helps your mind. Scientists have found that animals who exercise regularly increase the number of tiny blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood to the region of the brain that is responsible for thought. Exercise is also found to increase the connections between brain cells, which are called synapses. Exercise also has lots of other benefits for your body, not just for your brain. It lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, helps blood sugar balance, and reduces mental stress.

4. Improve your diet

Improving your diet will help your mind and body. Studies have found that people that eat a Mediterranean style diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and unsaturated oils like olive oil, and plant sources of proteins are less likely to develop cognitive impairment and dementia.

5. Improve your blood pressure

High blood pressure can increase the risk of cognitive decline in old age. Try to keep your blood pressure as low as possible. Stay fit, limit your alcohol intake, reduce stress, and eat right.

6. Improve your blood sugar

Diabetes has proven to be an important risk factor for dementia. By eating right and exercising daily, one can help prevent diabetes.

7. Improve your cholesterol

High levels of LDL, which is known as “bad” cholesterol, are associated with an increased risk of dementia. Managing your diet, exercising daily, and avoiding tobacco will help improve your cholesterol levels.

8. Stop excessive intake of alcohol

Excessive drinking is a major risk factor for dementia. If you chose to drink, limit yourself to two drinks a day.

9. Protect your head

Make sure to wear a helmet if using a bike or other vehicle that requires a helmet. Moderate to severe head injuries increase the risk of cognitive impairment.

10. Build strong social relationships

Studies have shown that strong social ties are associated
with a lower risk of dementia, lower blood pressure, and longer life
expectancy.

Information found by Harvard Health.

Dr. Paul Milone was at our event last night!

Last night we had Dr. Paul Milone speak at our event. It was exceptional! The audience was so excited to hear about all the new information he provided. He explained that in our body we have over 30 billion cells that we need to keep healthy. Also, there are a lot of important factors to help prevent disease like eating lots of fruits and vegetables and finding ways to reduce stress levels such as through meditation. Thank you to Dr. Paul Milone for providing an abundant amount of useful information. Thank you to everyone that joined us last night!

Alzheimer’s Awareness Day! June 21st!

The month of June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness month!
On June 21^st, which is known as the longest day, everyone will be
focused on bringing awareness to Alzheimer’s. Please join us in wearing purple
to spread awareness for this disease. Alzheimer’s is a slowly progressive
disease of the brain that affects one’s memory. Risk factors include age, genetics,
and possible estrogen. More research is being conducted to determine the role
of estrogen in Alzheimer’s disease. It is believed that this disease results
from an increase in the production or accumulation of a protein called
beta-amyloid that then leads to nerve cell death. Alzheimer’s affects more than
5 million Americans. Every 65 seconds, someone in the United States develops
this disease. Please help us spread awareness for this disease not only during
the month of June, but every month.  

10 Tips for Healthy Aging!

Living a Healthy Lifestyle is vital for healthy aging! We
need to keep our bodies, our hearts and our minds healthy in order to live,
laugh and love longer. Here are 10 very simple yet important steps.

1. EAT WELL.
   It is an undeniable fact that we live in a country with a plethora of
   everything. BUT a low fat diet, filled with fruits, vegetables and fiber is
   crucial.
2. STAY
   ACTIVE – KEEP MOVING. Physical activity (even 30 to 40 minutes of walking)
   increases blood flow to the brain. It improves your mood and it positively
   impacts your overall well – being. Exercise is also important for brain health,
   a healthy heart rate, strength and flexibility.
3. LEARN NEW
   THINGS. Challenge your brain by learning new things. Read an interesting
   book, start a foreign language, a new hobby. The more you learn, the more you
   keep your brain active and prevents its incline.
4. GET
   ENOUGH SLEEP. Seven to eight hours of daily sleep are imperative for your
   overall health. Insomnia and sleep deprivation can have a negative effect on
   the immune system, on memory, concentration and thinking.
5. STOP
   SMOKING AND LIMIT ALCOHOL. Smoking can increase the risk of a serious
   illness. Similarly, too much alcohol can also increase the risk of liver
   cirrhosis, it can impair judgement, alertness and potentially lead to
   accidents, crashes, falls and broken bones.
6. STAY
   CONNECTED. Social interaction and an active social life are pivotal for
   brain health, cognitive stimulation and your overall mood. Humans are social
   beings and they need people around them. So invite your friends and family over
   for a dinner, a barbeque party, board games or just a “hang-out” coffee. You
   might want to organize a neighborhood event and get to know your community
   better. It will all work to your advantage and benefit your psychological and
   physical well-being.
7. KNOW YOUR
   BLOOD PRESSURE. Check your blood pressure regularly and make sure that it
   is within the normal range. If at any point you feel like it is not, visit your
   doctor! Irregular blood pressure can be an indication of a heart issue which
   you would want to prevent and avoid. It can also impact cognitive function so
   GET TO IT!
8. GET YOUR
   DOCTOR. It is really important to keep your doctor informed on all and any
   changes regarding your health. Get regular checkups and do not miss your
   doctor’s appointment.
9. GET A
   MEMORY SCREENING. A memory screening test is a simple and safe tool that
   checks memory and other evaluation skills. It assesses memory, language skills,
   thinking ability and other intellectual functions.
10. REDUCE
    STRESS. Unfortunately, we all get stressed and anxious more than a few
    times during the day. However, stress and anxiety have a very negative effect
    in our health. They can contribute to many health issues, among others, high blood
    pressure and heart disease. So aim to find active ways to reduce your stress
    since it will make you feel better!