Archive for July, 2009

Emotional Stress and Its Toll on the Body

Friday, July 31st, 2009

I’ve written before about stress, both good and bad and its effects on one’s health. Stress, by definition, is the state of emotional, physical or mental tension or suspense as a reaction to a force (stressor) on the body or mind.

It’s obvious to anyone who knows me, how in tune I am with knowing what stressors can do to both the body and mind. This is because the mind and body while performing separate functions need each other in order to adequately function. A problem with one affects the other and a cycle of negative effects begins.

Emotional stress is sneaky. It can quietly damage your body and mind in severe ways oftentimes, without you even knowing it.

Picture yourself walking down the road and a car careens out of control and speeds towards your direction. In an instant, hormones like adrenaline and cortisal are released in order to give your muscles a sudden burst of energy to get out of the way of the car and save your life.

More than that, though, blood is diverted away from other parts of the body (like the stomach for digestion) to your large muscles, allowing for more strength and speed. Heart rate and breathing increase dramatically in order to accommodate the sudden need for “fight or flight.”

The body does this by design and most of the time we are grateful for its lifesaving skills. Other times though the stressor could be an angry co-worker yelling at you. For some, it’s the driver that cuts you off in traffic.

Even though the stressor is emotional and your mind tells you your life isn’t in danger, the physical manifestations are the same as those mentioned when dealing with an out of control car coming your way.

Even this would be an acceptable body response to a given emotional stressor at any one time. The problem is when these stressors or the mind’s perceived stressors are chronic.

Over time, the “fight or flight” response which leads to neither fighting nor fleeing builds up in our minds and bodies. Physically, side effects include: headache, back pain, TMJ (temporomandibular joint pain due to bruxing or repeated grinding of the teeth), heart palpitations, stomach pain and/or ulcers muscle, joint and even bone degeneration.

In conjunction with the above physical symptoms, chronic stress can lead to emotional and psychological problems as well. Anxiety, anger and depression can be the result.

And here begins the cycle. If you are feeling the above emotions (oftentimes in conjunction, we just say we’re “on edge” and it’s understood), you aren’t likely to exercise to remove the muscle tension and so it just builds up creating larger problems.

Additionally, feeling depressed angry or anxious leads to sleep and eating disorders which can lead to obesity, snoring, sleep apnea, self medicating through alcohol or drugs…you get the picture. Long term, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other life threatening diseases are the result.

Obviously, to remove the stressor is the key to not enduring a particular stressful event, however, reality often gets in the way. Continued stress over a major project at work, unpaid bills or other chronic events is most of the time just a part of life.

What’s important is to deal with the negative emotions as they arise. If you can’t, then it’s time to consider talking to a professional. If you aren’t sure what is making you stressed, I also recommend some sort of breathing and exercise program designed to relax both the mind and body.

My programs have proven to thousands of my clients that they can help relieve stress and increase health. If emotional stress is the culprit, any of my programs can help you (especially the Natural Blood Pressure Program). They can be located on the right hand side of my natural health blog page.

El331002

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Alzheimer’s and Oxygen Deprivation – Explaining the Link

Monday, July 27th, 2009

“Did you hear that there is new research out there indicating that eating a heart healthy diet may help prevent Alzheimer’s?” These are the types of questions which seem to come from nowhere from a good friend of mine. Generally, it’s over lunch and his seemingly off the wall questions lead to many interesting discussions from which I sometimes draw ideas.

My friend, by the way, is not a doctor, nutritionist or the like. Rather, he is an avid reader. He, like many of us, takes more than a passing interest in health issues that could be coming his way in the future.

Of course, he rarely remembers every bit of the article nor does he bother to take note of the journal or magazine name/issue. I must be creative in eliciting information from him. Then, I go home, and perform my own research. This is actually quite easy to do, once I get started, so I never complain to my friend/muse.

Now why would eating a diet to maintain heart health affect Alzheimer’s? For starters, the heart, like the brain is an organ. “You are what you eat,” rings true for so many diseases, why not Alzheimer’s?

Studies have already produced results that indicate that people with a history of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, as well as those in the elderly category of aging were at a risk for Alzheimer’s. Great to know… but why?

In 95% of Alzheimer’s cases, genetic disposition did not play a factor.

New research is telling us that oxygen deprivation is the root cause.

Many studies have produced results supporting the theory that a gene is responsible for converting a harmless protein into a plaque creating protein. This can in turn, cause neuron death.

Consider the plaque as built up trash. Consider oxygen as the sanitation company which sends teams to remove the trash. Reduce the oxygen and you both reduce the number of available “workers” to remove the plaque/trash as well as increase the bad protein which causes the plaque.

While research is ongoing as to the effect of treatment after Alzheimer’s symptoms are developed, what is important about this study is that all evidence points to being able to stave off Alzheimer’s if one can continue to deliver necessary oxygen to the brain!

There is even more to this which I’ll share later.

Although there are many drugs out there to combat the effects of Alzheimer’s as well as new drugs to potentially reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, I must stress that all drugs contain harmful side effects, some of which are life threatening.

Plus no drugs tested today even indicate a cure for Alzheimer’s.

See your doctor to determine if you are at risk for developing Alzheimer’s and don’t be afraid to express concerns about medications, even preventative ones.

My Alzheimer’s program will be available soon and I am very excited about its release. In the mean time, if you are at risk for heart disease due to high blood pressure, or are overweight and therefore at risk for diabetes, both of which put you at a risk for Alzheimer’s, I encourage you to try both my High Blood Pressure program and my Weight Loss Breeze program, respectively.

The results have been amazing for so many of my clients. I would love to add you to their numbers!

EL331002

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Animal Therapy

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Anyone who knows me at all or has read many of my articles knows that as passionate as I am about good health, I am equally intrigued and enamored by the power and sensitivities of animals. In fact, my Hypertension No More Program was inspired by the horse training methods I observed and have used with my own horses.

Growing up on a farm gave me plenty of opportunity to observe and even compare the socialization of animals to human beings. Please don’t misunderstand. I love humans. In fact, I love being one. But I am envious in many ways of the purely genuine nature of the animal world.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, when animals feel something, they simply express it. They don’t try to cover up feelings of pain or anger in order to avoid embarrassment. I suppose they are much like the way we as humans started off in early development.

As babies, we cried when we were hungry or needed a diaper change. We laughed right out loud (no matter where we happened to be) if something struck us as funny. We also didn’t worry about appearing smart, witty or physically attractive to others. At least I’ve never observed a baby trying to figure out if a certain undershirt shows too much back fat or belly overhang.

Something else you don’t tend to find in these two realms (babies and animals) is stress related health problems. While they can certainly be born with certain conditions, relating health problems back to stress for them is unlikely (except when the adult humans create it.)

What makes animals even more amazing is that not only do they tend to be able to fend off health problems related to anxiety but the effect can even be contagious. Interaction with pets is known to actually decrease blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in humans.

Studies have compared non pet owners of similar weight, diet and other habits including smoking or drinking to those with pets. Those with pets had a much higher survival rate after enduring hospitalization due to heart problems.

At least part of the benefit (in the case of those with active pets) may be that the exercise level for pet owners is consistent. I’ve known many people who claim they would not get any exercise at all if not for walking their dogs.

Animals are also known to dramatically decrease depression in humans, especially in the elderly. Pets allow us to have a connection to someone – even when we are not able to leave the home due to mobility issues or other constraints. Here again, studies have shown that those with pets in their homes experience fewer health problems and require fewer doctor’s appointments for minor health ailments.

More fascinating still are people reporting animals that were able to sense or even predict certain health related episodes such as the onset of a seizure in their human care taker. It’s no accident that dogs and even other animals are trained to assist people with health conditions.

While regressing back to infancy in our professional or day to day lives may not be the best option for adults for a number of reasons, take note of what a crying or laughing baby is actually conveying. It may seem they are placed there just to annoy you on a plane or grocery store, but they are actually communicating in the most honest way possible.

And on those evenings when you would really prefer to watch television than walk the dog, remember the health benefits you are actually getting with very little effort.

I also encourage you to explore my all natural programs for everything from snoring to reducing hypertension. Combining these easy, healthy exercises with the benefits your animals offer, you’ll likely extend your life.

EL331001

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Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome – So That’s Why I’m so Tired!

Monday, July 20th, 2009

“I have fibromyalgia,” my friend casually mentioned, over lunch some time back. I knew that she had been suffering from daytime sleepiness and more recently, overt fatigue, dizziness and snoring.

I was actually relieved to know that her doctor had diagnosed her, given the medical community’s difficulty accepting fibromyalgia (a disease characterized by excessive fatigue, overall chronic pain, pain when pressure is applied to the body, joint stiffness or pain, sleep disorders and sometimes difficulty swallowing) as a real medical condition.

What I soon came to realize is that my friend never made it to see the doctor. Rather, she “Googled” her symptoms and decided upon fibromyalgia. While her sleepiness, fatigue and snoring could be considered symptoms, I stated that this was NOT a sound diagnosis.

“But you’re the one who doesn’t like doctors.” This led to a discussion which I feel it necessary to share. I have a great respect for those who study hard and dedicate their lives to both saving and enriching the lives of other people, namely, doctors.

What I don’t agree with is hearing only a few symptoms, providing little to no testing and then prescribing medication to alleviate a condition the patient may or may not actually be suffering from.

I do, however, want to state that doctors are necessary and that rather than decide to forgo them altogether and self-diagnose, one should demand to have one’s symptoms taken seriously and to follow up with the doctor if medication doesn’t work or the side effects of that medication are as bad or worse than the actual condition for which it’s being treated.

This leads me back to my friend. Upon hearing my advice to actually visit her doctor (especially since she was suffering from none of the usual symptoms of pain that fibromyalgia sufferers tend to report), she was sent for further sleep studies and eventually diagnosed with Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome, or UARS.

Like sleep apnea, with UARS, sufferers have their airways restricted when sleeping. This is generally because the airway is already smaller than usual and when sleeping, it relaxes to a point that air is restricted, usually causing (but not always) snoring.

Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, the airway doesn’t completely close so the sufferer doesn’t stop breathing completely. Also unlike sleep apnea, the main cause for concern in UARS is actually low blood pressure, not high blood pressure. This condition tends to affect premenopausal and menopausal women more than others.

This is still of concern to one’s overall health because if one’s blood pressure is too low, it does not provide enough pressure to force the blood through the veins and arteries and onto the organs and permanent organ damage can result.

If you are suffering from UARS, I highly recommend both my High Blood Pressure program and my Stop Snoring program. My High Blood Pressure program is designed to help sufferers of low blood pressure because it’s designed to regulate blood pressure. My friend was able to go from using a CPAP machine every night to only using my all natural programs. I believe this can help you as well!

EL331002

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Erectile Dysfunction – The Secret Struggle

Friday, July 17th, 2009

Expressing emotion and sharing feelings of hurt and shame do not typically describe men. I however am in a rather unique position of receiving such information first hand. I have received countless letters from men who open up about a condition in ways they often just do not feel comfortable sharing with their most trusted allies (wives, partners and good friends.)

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) sometimes referred to as “male impotence” is most simply described as the inability to have or to sustain an erection to such a degree that sexual performance is negatively affected. This basic description is accurate, but it does not even hint at the emotional strain a man or couple suffers as a result.

Unlike off handedly mentioning his cholesterol or blood pressure is up (potentially serious conditions by the way), a man suffering from erectile dysfunction most often feels embarrassment. For one, this condition of course involves a rather private part of the anatomy. For another, masculinity is very often tied to one’s sexual prowess.

ED can have both physical and emotional causes. For instance, a physical problem such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or medication side effects may lead to erectile dysfunction. Most often though, the problem ends up being more emotional in nature.

In fact, I know of numerous cases in which the ED case should have been temporary because the underlying physical condition that caused it was treated or temporary.

But, the emotional impact of suffering from ED during that time period ends up giving way to mental stress that takes over and perpetuates the condition.

It is estimated that at least one in five men will battle ED throughout their lives. I have to question this statistic in terms of it being potentially too low. After all, a man suffering from ED often does not seek treatment or even report it as an issue, thereby continuing the secrecy of the condition.

Meanwhile, his relationship with his sexual partner suffers or he avoids any kind of sexual relationship at all. Who wants to risk that kind of humiliation? Here again, the damage done to his relationships further contributes to the very emotional stress that allows ED to thrive.

This condition though is very treatable whether it is caused by physical or emotional factors.

One way to help determine whether ED is physical versus emotional is if an erection can be obtained alone, or if you awaken with an erection. If either or both of these situations are true for you, then most likely psychological stress is present. Otherwise, both physical and emotional issues are creating the problem.

Aerobic exercise is touted as a very inexpensive and often effective treatment.

Drugs are also available, but this is not often the most desirable route for many men due to the side effects. Plus, they only help around 40% of cases.

Vacuum Therapy is also available and effective in some cases. But, due to the awkwardness of using the device just prior to sexual activity, many men shy away from mechanical equipment. These kinds of devises can also cause damage that can’t be fixed.

Counseling has shown good promise as it helps identify the emotional issues creating or aggravating the situation.

In addition, my all natural Erectile Mastery Program addresses both physical and emotional causes. It works by increasing the blood flow and energy balance in specific areas or the whole body if needed. Whether you choose my program or another form, I encourage you (or the man you love) to seek treatment for this condition because it can be cured!

EL331001

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Alzheimer’s, Sleep Disorders and Migraines

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Any migraine sufferer knows that this is a painful almost crazy making condition. When a person experiences a headache, the veins and cells all around the brain swell up. They push on the nerves around them which actually cause the pain.

Recent studies have shown that after people begin to experience headaches and migraine, their brain demands and gets many times the amount of oxygen from the blood delivered to it. The brain has been starved for oxygen and tries to get an adequate supply.

Research also indicates that migraines leave behind damage to the brain in the form of lesions. A particular type of lesion is commonly found in people who have Alzheimer’s.

In addition to Alzheimer’s being linked to migraines, there are also numerous studies reflecting links between Alzheimer’s and sleep apnea.

This makes a great deal of sense that so many conditions either coexist or even feed each other. I’ve published articles explaining the links between migraines and sleep disorders. Both of these conditions are worsened (or possibly created) due to a lack of oxygen in the brain. Alzheimer’s too is linked to an oxygen starved brain.

In the case of sleep disorders, Alzheimer’s is also known to contribute to restless sleep which in turn makes the disorder even worse.

The encouraging news though is that researchers have found that people who obtain treatment for sleep apnea, also find some relief for Alzheimer’s symptoms especially when some form of oxygen therapy is used (such as a CPAP machine.)

Cognition is improved as is memory. This is important as these are aspects seriously affected with Alzheimer’s.

Additionally, better sleep contributes to lessened migraines and symptoms as well. Therefore, acknowledging the link between all of these conditions and most importantly seeking treatment can make a huge difference in a person’s physical and emotional well being.

I am proud to share that I will be releasing my all natural Alzheimer’s Program in the near future. I also encourage you to check out my very effective Stop Snoring and Headache and Migraine Programs. All are focused on increasing the oxygen supply, but with easy to use exercises that require no special tools or equipment.

EL331001

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Does Metabolism Really Affect Weight?

Friday, July 10th, 2009

Awhile back I spent some much needed family time in Perth. There, we ended up watching an Australian version of a show called The Biggest Loser.

Reality shows don’t usually appeal to me, but this one caught my attention. They performed calculations about the competitors’ chronological age versus their body’s age.

Given that intense health research was involved in this program, I could not help but stay tuned in. They literally calculated the “body age” of people and it was rather scary. One man was 32 years old when he joined the show, but his body was 56 years old. Given his health issues, he would very possibly die within a few years.

After spending three months of dieting and working out, his body was 39 years old. He added 17 years to his life! Another woman was 27 years old - real age, but at the end of the three months, her body age was 22 years old.

Working out and dieting cannot be denied as part of a healthy lifestyle. A question or term though that arises often in conjunction with weight loss is metabolism. What in the world does this concept really mean and how does it relate to Weight Loss?

At the core, metabolism is actually a combination of chemical reactions necessary to maintain life. It is further categorized into catabolism which breaks down matter for energy harvesting and anabolism which creates proteins and nucleic acids from energy.

While there is much more involved in metabolism (including a lot of lengthy scientific words and concepts) – what most of us really want to understand is how it relates to weight loss and weight gain.

One aspect of metabolism as it applies to weight is TEF or “thermic effect” or “thermic effect of food” as well as “specific dynamic action” or SDA. In simple terms, TEF can describe the measurement of energy required to process food. SDA presents the concept in terms of caloric percentage. For instance, a common but variable example would be that 10% of the caloric intake is used in processing food.

This of course is why certain foods are much more appealing if one is trying to lose weight. The ten percent mentioned above is just an overall estimate. Certain foods like fats digest quite easily. So, very few calories from those foods are used up during digestion. Proteins on the other hand are much more difficult to process.

Some foods are even claimed to result in negative net calories in that they contain fewer calories than required to digest such as celery.

Aerobic activity can also play a part in the thermal effect though at the rate of less than 8 calories per hour. This does not mean that exercise does not affect weight; only that it plays less of a roll in the calculation of energy in food digestion.

Energy is the key component as part of metabolism when it comes to weight. The more calories you are burning, the more energy is needed. So, as it turns out we have little ability to change our metabolism directly. We are however, able to impact the energy we use.

Again exercise does not greatly affect the calories burned in food digestion, but it does burn calories directly due to the need for energy. This is due in large part to the increase in oxygen obtained when exercising.

Increase your oxygen supply, increase your energy. Increase your energy and burn more calories. Combining that with nutritious foods and the result will be a healthy weight.

My Weight Loss Breeze Program is a phenomenal way to increase your oxygen and energy level to shed pounds. It’s not a work out program. You won’t even break a sweat when doing my exercises. They are designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to increase the oxygen and energy level in the body and therefore increase metabolism.

While proper nutrition is recommended, my program actually does not require any special diet and the exercises are easy to do.

EL331001

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Can Anything be Done to Treat Alzheimer’s?

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Alzheimer’s is a type of progressive dementia. Key nerve cells in the brain die off which results in severe memory problems as well as other vital brain function. It is degenerative, so it gets worse as time goes on.

Because of the adverse affects on the brain, the ability to complete formerly basic day to day activities declines.

There are a number of possible symptoms, but these should not be confused with regular signs of aging. One might forget such things as the names of people who he or she doesn’t see very often. Hobbies or mood can change based on specific causes. These are things that normally occur as we get older.

The inability though to recall the name of a near and dear loved one, or unexplainable mood changes could be indicative of Alzheimer’s symptoms. I stress could be here as this is not something that should be self diagnosed. These are simply hints that a visit to your physician may be in order.

While a cure is not yet in place, there is very good research indicating issues that relate directly to the condition (as well as others.) Oxygen deprivation affects the brain and body in many adverse ways. If certain parts of the brain in particular are starved for oxygen, it stands to reason that health issues will arise.

Since our brains use 30 to 40 percent of the blood in our bodies, it is critical that the blood flow to this area is not inhibited.

The good news is that there are ways to greatly improve the blood flow - hence oxygen supply.

As I stress in general and specifically in regard to Alzheimer’s, deep breathing over shallow breathing is critical in delivering oxygen to the brain. Most of us use only the upper part of the lungs which is simply not capable of taking in an adequate air supply.

Physical exercise does wonders for getting blood pumped up to the brain. It can happen through walking or jogging or more strenuous exercises for those who are able.

The brain itself will benefit from regular work outs too. I know of a retired couple who take advantage of various trivia game shows on television. With the advent of digital recording devices, they actively engage in trying to come up with the answers by placing the program on pause.

This kind of mental stimulation can lead to happiness too. As with the couple mentioned, they are not only practicing regular brain stimulation, but enjoying each other’s company. Laughter also increases the oxygen level by pumping blood up to the head. What a fun way to help improve the blood flow!

I am delighted to let you know that I will be introducing my Alzheimer’s Exercise Program shortly. Whether you have in fact been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or want to improve mental acuity and help prevent the disease, this program can change your life.

EL331001

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