Commit to your Wellness - Part I Written by Lisa Martin
Your nose is running. Your body aches. You know you got that cold from your seven-year-old. The work project you’ve been struggling with is due Friday, and you keep telling yourself, “I just don’t have time to be sick.”No career-committed mother wants to give up her precious time to illness. But truth is if you don’t make time for your health, you will have to make time for illness. And, illness, we all know throws a curve ball at our balance. So how do you fit in exercise, relaxation and all those fresh carrots and green vegetables when time is so limited in your life already? Start by reclaiming ownership of your health. Good health is about integrating all aspects of your life—body, mind and spirit. It’s more than adding three hours a week at gym to your schedule. It’s about obtaining a general sense of well-being. Take a step back and look at your health from a more holistic perspective—exercise is just one part of equation. Examine how you are treating your body. Are you respecting it in terms of nutrition, movement and rest? Are you tuned in and paying attention to how you feel? See Your Doctor(s) Regularly If you haven’t seen your general practitioner lately, make an appointment for a full physical exam. That includes checking your cholesterol and blood pressure levels and, if you’ve been feeling particularly stressed or tired, having your thyroid and adrenal gland checked as well. This will give you a base measurement from which you can go forward.
| | Fish Oil and Disease PreventionWritten by Aaron Wilmont
Fish oil may reduce risk of heart attack and improve overall heart health. Researchers at Vet. Affairs Medical Center report that dha and epa, major components of fish oil, offer substantial protection against coronary heart disease. Their study involved over 6,000 middle-aged men. Researchers working at Veterans Affairs Medical Center state that DPA and DHA, primary components of fish oil, provide substantial protection against coronary heart disease. This study involved more tha six thousand middle-aged men who had samples of their blood taken between 1973 and 1976. During next seven years, 94 of these men had a heart attack or died suddenly due to heart disease. The 94 men were matched with 94 healthy men and fatty acid profile of their blood samples compared. The researchers discovered that 94 men with heart disease tended to have a higher serum level of saturated fatty acid palmitic acid and stated that a high level of this acid increases risk of CHD by 68 percent. Palmitic acid is main saturated fatty acid in most diets. This acid is known to cause an increase in both total cholesterol and low-density cholesterol levels; researchers, however, found that detrimental effect of a high intake of palmitic acid persisted even after allowing for its cholesterol- increasing effect. The researchers also determined that men with a higher blood level of Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid had an almost 50 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than did men with lower levels. Furthermore, researchers found that men with CHD tended to have a higher serum level of Omega-6 fatty acids derived from linoleic acid.
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