Sugar

Many people this time of year try to get into shape by exercising more often and giving up their sugar habits in search of better health. In the article titled, "11 Weird Things Sugar's Doing To Your Body" by Leah Zerbe, she discusses how sugar can negatively affect your overall health. Zerbe explains that Americans currently consume about 130 pounds of added sugars each year, which equals about 22 teaspoons a day. The American Heart Association recommends a much smaller amount of sugar. Fructose, an element found in sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, can cause fats to store up around your liver. This can cause nonalcholic fatty liver disease, and this condition was typically not seen before 1980. The American Heart Association recommends only 5 teaspoons a day for women, 9 teaspoons for men and 3 teaspoons for children.

Diabetes and heart-related diseases are typically related. When consuming a high amount of sugar, extra insulin is released in the body. With the extra insulin, it can cause artery walls to become tense and increased blood pressure. Stroke and heart disease have been found to be the number one cause of deaths in those that suffer from type 2 diabetes. Suzanne de la Monte, who is a neuropathologist, has a term called "type 3 diabetes" which is a link between insulin resistance, high-fat diets and Alzheimer's disease. She suggests that Alzheimer's disease affects the brain's ability to properly use glucose and energy. High-sugar diets can also cause the body to be unable to feel hungry so you are continually overeating. Sugar-laden foods also cause a large blood sugar spike and subsequent crash, causing fatigue. Sugar can also create a build-up of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) which are caused by sugar combining with proteins in the bloodstream. These AGEs attack and damage other proteins including proteins in collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin help to keep your skin firm and when sugar is overconsumed, these AGEs can cause wrinkles. 

Some tips to avoid high sugar throughout the day are consuming smoothies made at home. It is best to avoid ones bought from stores because they typically contain more added sugars. Try eating whole fruits because it can dampen the effect sugar has on the body. It has been found that those who consume an extra 150 calories a day solely from sugar can have their diabetes risk increase by 1.1%. To reduce sugar intake, avoiding sugar laden foods and beverages like soda can help. Whole grain products and natural sweeteners are typically deemed as healthier, but these items can still cause a blood glucose increase in the body. 

To find out more ways to keep yourself and family healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com.

Source: http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/weird-effects-sugars-having-on-your-body/slide/9

Grandparents and Caregiving

Grandchildren can be a wonderful part of life and can even extend the length of a grandparents' life. According to the article titled, “Grandparents Who Help Care for Grandchildren Live Longer Than Other Seniors” by Madeline Kennedy studies have been shown that grandparents who provide childcare or support for their own community typically live longer than older adults who don’t care for others. Although having sole responsibility of grandchildren has been found to have a negative impact on health of seniors, those that care for grandchildren occasionally obtain health benefits. On the other side of this issue, those that do not have a relationship or see their grandchildren can experience negative impacts. The reason behind this may be due to the evolutionary past when taking care of children was critical for the survival of humans. 

These findings are from a study called the Berlin Aging Study completed with over 500 people over the age of 70. Those that participated in this study were given medical tests and participated in interviews every two years between the years 1990 and 2009. The participants were grandparents that only cared for their grandchildren occasionally. The other groups studied were older adults who gave support for friends or neighbors and those who don’t provide care for anyone. When accounting for the participants’ age and overall health, the risk of dying over a 20-year period for those that cared for grandchildren was one-third lower than those that did not provide childcare. In the initial ten years of the study, half of the grandparents who provided care for their grandchildren were still alive as were grandparents who gave support to their adult children with activities such as housework. It was found that the participants that did not provide care to others, died within the first five years of the study. Caregiving can give people a purpose in their life because they are more apt to feel useful to others. It also keeps people mentally and physically active. Although caregiving can be beneficial, it is important to consider the grandparents’ other responsibilities and willingness to help with childcare. Caregiving can potentially take away from other beneficial activities like volunteering, working or participating in social groups. As long as the grandparent does not feel stressed about the amount and intensity of caregiving, providing care of grandchildren can be beneficial for all people involved. To find out more ways to keep you and your family healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-grandparents-idUSKBN14J1TG

Reducing Stress This New Year

As we finally ring in the new year, many people can feel overwhelmed with the previous year's lack of completed tasks and having not done them well. Alli Joseph discusses in her article how to reduce stress this year. Stress is one of the top three health care costs in the United States, only behind heart disease and cancer. 80 percent of visits to the doctor's office are due to stress-related issues. It has been found that only 3 percent of healthcare providers discuss with their patients how to reduce stress. Typically stress management counseling is used last when remedies such as nutrition, exercise, weight loss and smoking are used first. 

Dawn Lorentz, who is meditation expert, aids large companies and their employees in learning yoga and breathing techniques to reduce stress. She believes that stress management is the ability to take charge of your life, thoughts, emotions and the techniques that you use to deal with issues that may arise. Dawn Lorentz dealt with her own stress-related health issues for quite some time but found techniques to heal her body. 

Lorentz explains that the body can deal with short-term stress for a certain amount of time, but if it continues it can lead to long-term health issues. As the body experiences stress, it releases adrenaline and cortisol to release stress hormones that in turn signal to the liver to produce more sugar in the body to help surge energy to deal with the perceived danger. This increased level of blood sugar can lead to weight gain, diabetes and disrupt the immune, cardiovascular, digestive and musculoskeletal system. To combat stress, Lorentz suggests taking short breaks throughout the workday. Some techniques are doing breathing exercises, shoulder rolls and arm movements. These short breaks have been found to decrease medical costs, less missed work days and increased productivity. She suggests taking 30-minute walks or yoga/spinning classes during lunch or between meetings. When other nutritional measures such as eating whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and legumes and avoiding processed food, this can also aid in overall wellness. When wellness programs are included in work environments such as yoga, meditation or chiropractic care the companies found a 28 percent decrease in employees calling in sick. Participants of these programs have also been reported to have increased happiness, health, energy and weight loss. Lorentz states that keeping a journal to monitor your diet, exercise, water intake and practicing mindfulness can all aid in making sure this new year is filled with less stress and more joy.

To find out more ways to stay healthy this new year, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com.

Source: http://www.salon.com/2017/01/01/looking-forward-to-a-calm-healthy-2017-here-are-some-practical-approaches-to-fighting-workplace-stress/