Healthy Life Newsletter, May 2018
About Vitamin D and Sunshine
Does Your Skin Color Affect Your Chance of Vitamin D Deficiency?
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III shows that non-Hispanic blacks are at more than 10 times greater risk than non-Hispanic whites of being in the lowest quartile of 25(OH) vitamin D serum measurements. Hispanics have 2.5 times the risk, and other races have 3 times the risk. See the chart
What Is UV Index?
The ultraviolet index or UV index is a measurement of the strength of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. It is 0 in the dark of night and 10-11 in the middle of a summer day with no cloud cover. This index was developed by Canadian scientists in 1992. It has now been adopted by the World Health Organization and most government entities as a mechanism to assess the sun’s strength and make recommendations on sun exposure.
At first the numbers may seem random, but it is in fact a linear scale. So, if you determine that you are a skin type II and burn in 30 minutes at a UV index of 6, then you will likely burn in 15 minutes at a UV index of 12.
The UV index is one of the three key factors for managing your sun exposure. You need to know your skin type, which determines your reaction to sun, the UV index, how strong the sun is, and then determine the proper duration to give you a minimal erythemal dose of UV exposure to produce vitamin D and other healthy properties – including nitric oxide – without burning.
One of the easiest ways to know the UV index wherever you are is to download the free dminder app on your phone!
Want to understand your skin type?
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Greater Risk of Diabetes
In a new study published in PLOS ONE, Dr. Cedric Garland and other researchers present their findings that study participants with blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D above 30 ng/ml had one-third of the risk of diabetes and those with levels above 50 ng/ml had one-fifth of the risk of developing diabetes compared to participants with levels less than 30 ng/ml.
The researchers, including Dr. Garland, the Principal Investigator for the GrassrootsHealth D*action project, studied a cohort of 903 healthy adults (mean age: 74) with no indications of either pre-diabetes or diabetes during clinic visits from 1997 to 1999, and then followed the participants through 2009. Vitamin D levels in blood were measured during these visits, along with fasting plasma glucose and oral glucose tolerance.
Read more details at grassrootshealth.net
5 Lifestyle Habits Have ‘Huge Effect’ on Longevity
Harvard Researchers Surprised at How Much of a Difference Familiar Advice Makes
By John Johnson, Newser Staff
(NEWSER) – Harvard researchers say five things will help you live longer, and the list isn’t all that surprising: exercise, eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy body weight, don’t drink too much, and don’t smoke. More surprising is just how much of an effect those five combined factors have on longevity—an extra 14 years for women and 12 for men, according to the study in Circulation. Researchers looked at about 30 years of data on more than 78,000 women and 44,000 men and found that those who were five-for-five on the aforementioned list had a significantly better life expectancy at age 50 than those who didn’t abide by any of the healthy habits. For women, it meant an additional 43 years for the healthiest group, compared to 29 years. For men, it meant an additional 37.6 years, compared to 25.5 years.
“When we embarked on this study, I thought, of course, that people who adopted these habits would live longer,” says co-author Meir Stampfer, per the Guardian. “But the surprising thing was how huge the effect was.” The two big factors: Those with the healthiest lifestyles were less likely to get cancer or heart disease, notes CNN. The Harvard Gazette provides some specifics: Researchers defined regular exercise as 30 minutes or more per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity; moderate drinking is roughly one 5-ounce glass of wine per day for women and up to two for men; and the target body-mass index is between 18.5 and 24.9. Scientists say they undertook the study to better understand why the US has a shorter life expectancy (79.3 years) than most high-income countries.
Research review indicates that chiropractic care may improve balance and reduce falls in older adults. Here is part of the research summary:
Falls are a significant cause of injury, loss of quality of life, and even death in older adults1 and make up more than 80% of injury-related hospital admissions in individuals over 65 years of age2. They are also the leading cause of death due to injury in older adults2. The risk of falls increases with lower limb muscle weakness, gait deficits, balance deficits, a recent history of falling, or in individuals over 80 years of age.3 Most falls are caused by accident and environment-related factors (31%), gait and balance disorders (17%), or dizziness and vertigo (13%).3 A growing body of scientific evidence has suggested that chiropractic care may have an influence on sensory and motor systems and therefore may impact some of the neuromuscular risk factors associated with falls.4 This study looked at the impact of usual chiropractic care on measures of sensorimotor function associated with the risk of falls in older adults over a 12-week period.
Pertinent Results
The chiropractic care group showed significant improvements in joint position sense error, sound-induced flash illusion, and choice stepping reaction time (CSRT) when compared to the control group. The chiropractic care group also showed greater improvements in the physical component of health-related quality of life between the 4- and 12-week assessments. No significant differences were seen between groups in the postural stability test; however, the inability of most participants to complete the test at baseline forced the researchers to switch to a pass/fail version of the test, which may have affected the results. No serious adverse events were reported in either group.
The CSRT test did not show significant improvements in the chiropractic group until 12 weeks. This is important, as it indicates that longer-term chiropractic care may be required to have significant effects on some aspects of sensorimotor function.
Zero Tolerance for Zero-Calorie?
It sounds enticing enough, particularly for anyone trying to lose weight: zero calorie. Over the years, artificial sweeteners have emerged as the popular choice for people who want to prevent weight gain and diabetes without sacrificing the sweet taste of their favorite desserts and beverages. In fact, these days you’ll find artificial sweeteners in a wide range of food and drink products including soft drinks, gum, candy, jelly, yogurt, breakfast cereals, baked goods and many other processed foods.
But is “zero calorie” all it’s cracked up to be? According to new research, consuming zero-calorie artificial sweeteners may have the same impact as consuming good-old fashioned sugar. For the study, presented this month at the American Physiological Society’s 2018 Experimental Biology meeting, researchers gave one group of mice sugar (glucose or fructose) and a second group zero-calorie artificial sweeteners: aspartame (sold under the brand names Equal and NutraSweet) or acesulfame potassium (sold as Sunett and Sweet One).
In less than a month, the group given artificial sweeteners showed significant changes in their metabolism, particularly related to the processing of fat and energy. The researchers suggest these changes could increase the risk of obesity and diabetes in a similar fashion as that produced when consuming excess amounts of sugar.
This isn’t the first study to suggest artificial sweeteners may negatively impact metabolism and how the body processes fat and energy. The moral to the story: Avoid consuming too much sugar, whether it’s natural or artificial! Talk to your doctor about a low-sugar, balanced, nutritious diet that helps you maintain a healthy weight and avoid the health consequences associated with obesity.
Top 5 Healthy Habits (We Tend to Ignore)
For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume you’re exercising regularly and eating a balanced, nutritious diet – the two most common habits people think of when they hear the phrase “healthy habits.” In fact, we’re also not going to delve into the topics of sleep and stress, both of which can dramatically impact health and overall life satisfaction. No, today’s lesson is on the top five healthy habits you probably haven’t adopted yet – and failure to do so is damaging your health and wellness in ways you can’t imagine.
1. Make More Calls (Without Your Phone): There’s a reason we’re starting with this one: With an estimated 270 million mobile-phone users in the U.S. alone as of 2018 (the U.S. population is 325 million, 20 million of whom are under the age of 5 and – we hope – not in possession of their own mobile phone), we are indeed a phone culture, and not primarily for audible talking. Texting, chatting and posting (often in anonymous, disparaging fashion) have become our primary methods of communication. Research suggests mobile-phone use not only has physical consequences (“text claw,” “cell phone elbow,” forward head posture, etc.), but also psychological ones, including anxiety related to receiving (or not receiving) messages, reduced face-to-face communication skills, and even a condition coined “nomophobia” (fear of being without your phone).
So write a letter (yes, on paper) or card to a loved one; set up a regular get-together spot with your best friend (yes, you can use your phone to coordinate it) … and make conscious, deliberate, empowering decisions to leave your phone at home more often (yes, you can do it). It’s one of the healthiest habits you’ll ever adopt.
2. Don’t Misplace Your Keys: No, we’re not talking about the literal keys to your car or house, although misplacing them can cause considerable angst; we’re referring to the keys that open doorways to continually learn, grow and build the life you want. Too many people consider themselves “locked in” to their existing state in life: their job, their home, their routines … even their own body or mind. But dreams don’t have to die, especially when your despair at not fulfilling (or in some cases, even pursuing) them can be equally as life-threatening.
Go back to school. Learn a new skill. Pursue a hobby. Change the way you do anything if there’s a better, more fulfilling way. Think about whether the path you’re on in any aspect of your life is the right one. Life is a journey with many roads, all deserving exploration. Don’t be afraid to try a different route, no matter your age – especially if the road you’re currently on is taking you in the wrong direction.
3. Complete “The List”: We all have lists, whether on paper or in our heads; lists of things we want to do, need to do or both. But how many of us actually complete our lists? Do you find your “to-do’s” traveling from one list to the next, day after day, week after week, or even longer? That’s a problem. Procrastination leads to pressure and guilt, neither of which benefits your health. And when it comes to longer-term goals or “resolutions,” if you will, there’s a reason you wrote “clean out the garage,” “start reading every night” or “take a vacation this year” on a list. If every day is another “why haven’t I done it yet” conversation in your head (or with your significant other), you’ll quickly find yourself in an entirely unhealthy place.
4. Do a Little Prep Work: It’s 9 p.m. and your day has felt like just about every day lately: rushed, overflowing with responsibilities, and with absolutely no opportunity for even a few precious moments of “you time.” Common sense tells you relaxation time has finally arrived … but wait: If you take just a few minutes to prepare for the next manic morning, you’ll lighten your proverbial load and start the day in a better place. Whether that means getting school lunches ready, pre-scrambling eggs for breakfast, picking out tomorrow’s outfit, or getting something else done instead of waiting until morning, you can save considerable time (and stress) by doing a little prep work. And no, this advice doesn’t just apply to busy parents; everyone can benefit from more preparation. Figure out what you could do sooner, rather than later, in your life and then get it done!
5. Believe in the Power of No: This one works in both directions and covers habits 1-4 above. As soon as you learn to say no, your life takes on an entirely new meaning. Can’t leave work on time because you just “have to get everything done”? Guess what: You’ll probably never get it all done (which is what the next workday is for), but if you continually overdo it, you’ll find yourself burned out before you know it. Learn to say no to the constant threats to your moments of “you time.” (Yes, do a little prep work, as discussed above, but not if it means you never get to relax.)
On the other hand, also learn to say no to the tendency to avoid doing the things you know would improve your life (such as these habits). Don’t let fear, comfort (or discomfort) or anything else keep you from achieving what you want and know you can achieve. Learning to find balance in your life– now that may be the ultimate healthy habit of them all.