Healthy Aging: Body, Mind & Spirit

Why do certain songs get STUCK in our heads?

Earworms are songs that get stuck in your head and go round and round, sometimes for days, sometimes for months.   Sometimes it seems you cannot help yourself from humming or singing a tune by Lady Gaga or Coldplay, or horror upon horrors, the latest American Idol reject.  This phenomenon shows to us a part of our mind that is clearly outside of our control, because “earworms” arrive without permission and refuse to leave when we tell them to. They are parasites, living in a part of our minds that rehearses sounds.

According to research, 98% of individuals experience earworms. Women and men experience the phenomenon equally often, but earworms are more likely to last longer for women and to irritate them much more!

Most of us get these musical memories, and people appear to have different ones. True the songs that we get stuck with tend to be simple and repetitive, but it seems we are not all singing the same number one song at the same time.

Neurologist Oliver Sacks wrote in his book Musicophilia that earworms are a clear sign of “the overwhelming, and at times, helpless, sensitivity of our brains to music.”  Music is defined by repetition, which partially explains why earworms can be so hard to shake, they are musical memories that loop, say a particular verse or a hook, forever repeating rather than running to completion.  Some report that by singing an earworm to the end of the song, you can get rid of it.  Others report in frustration that this does not work at all.

As well as containing repetition, music is also unusual among the things we regularly encounter for being so similar each time we hear it.  Fences are visually repetitive, for example, but each time you see the same fence you will look at it from a different angle, or in different light.  Put a song on your stereo and the sound comes out virtually identical each time.   Remembering is powerfully affected by repetition, so maybe the similarity of music engraves deep grooves in our mind. Grooves where earworms can thrive.

Another fact about earworms is that they often seem to have something interesting or usual about them.   Although they will often be simple and repetitive bits of music, tunes that do become earworms have a little twist or peculiarity, something that makes them “catchy”, and perhaps this is a clue as to why they can take hold in our memory system.  If there was nothing unique about them they would be swamped by all the other memories that sound similar too.

Happiness and Heart Disease

I know in the past I wrote about dying of a broken heart…

New research now shows a sunny, optimistic outlook can protect your heart from attacks and strokes!

A new paper by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) suggests that positive psychological well-being may reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other adverse cardiovascular events.  Although many previous studies have shown that negative mental states, like depression, anger and hostility, can be harmful to heart health, this new report which analyzes studies from the past 15 years, is the first large, systematic review of data on positive mood and cardiovascular outcomes.

After reviewing more than 200 studies published in two scientific databases, PubMed and PsycINFO, the authors found that optimism, life satisfaction and happiness were associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and its progression.  The most optimistic individuals had an approximately 50% reduced risk of experiencing an initial cardiovascular event compared to their less optimistic.

This association remained true regardless of factors like age, socioeconomic status, smoking and body weight. “Even if a person is overweight, smokes a lot and has high cholesterol, they can still benefit from positive emotions. It is something unique about well-being itself,” says one of the researchers.

Why exactly positivity may benefit the heart isn’t clear, but the researchers suggest that optimistic people may be more motivated to treat their bodies well.   Having a purpose in life motivates people and gets them thinking about the future and how they can structure their lives.  They want to get out and do things.  They are not sitting at home watching TV.

They found that if you have a positive disposition you’re more likely to exercise, eat well and get enough sleep at night.  This can have positive biological effects in terms of inflammation, cholesterol, blood pressure and lipids.  Engaging in healthier behaviors can lead to healthier body functions.

What does caffeine do to your brain?

Just 325 mg. of caffeine, like that found in a Starbucks Cafe Grande, can make MAJOR differences in your blood pressure and heart rate!

When research watched caffeine’s effect in an MRI, they found a 40% decrease in blood flow to the brain, and large increases in blood pressure and heart rate.

How much does it take the change your brain?  One cup a day is all it takes!   There are lots of positive health effects from coffee, but remember it also raises your blood pressure!

Changing memories can prevent drug relapse

Manipulating memories of drug use may help reformed addicts avoid a return to a life of drug abuse, according to scientists in China.  They say memories linking “cues” – such as needles or cigarettes – and the pleasurable effects of drugs caused cravings and relapsing.  Authors of the study, published in the journal Science, “rewrote” those memories to reduce cravings.

Experts said targeting memories could become a new avenue for treatment.  Repeatedly showing people drug cues without actually giving patients the drug is a part of this therapy for addicts.   It can break the link between cue and craving in the clinic. but this does not always translate to real life.

The researchers at Peking University tried to rewrite the original memory so that it would be as if the link between cue and the craving never existed.   This work relies on the idea that a memory can become malleable after it is accessed, creating a brief window during which the memory can be “rewritten.”

What’s up with dental x-rays and cancer?

Previously, Dr. Oz already cautioned us that too many dental x-rays can lead to thyroid cancer.

Now a new study out of Yale University suggests that those who developed meningioma, the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor in the U.S., recall having three times as many bitewing x-rays and panorex films taken as those without cancer.  Remember this data is based on past exposure levels, and past levels were much higher than today, according to Dr. Elizabeth Claus, the study’s lead author and a professor at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

Regardless of the age when the x-rays were taken, those who had them yearly or more frequently were at between 40 percent and 90 percent higher risk at all ages to be diagnosed with a brain tumor.

I have done EXTENSIVE research on the history of x-ray and radiation exposure levels for previous writing projects. Check out my story called GLOW IN THE DARK TRAGEDY which appeared in American History Magazine in 2007.  The “Radium girls” were young women who applied radium paint to watch faces and instrument panels to make them “glow in the dark” during WWI, until they all started developing horrible tumors and dying a few years later.

We in America have a long history of underestimating how deadly radiation overexposure can be.  Remember the “Pedoscope”?   Ask Madame Curie, who died from overexposure to her famous discovery.

All you really need to know about radiation is that there is no level of human exposure which is safe.  Even the slightest exposure has some effect on the behavior and mutations within the human cell.

I personally see NO reason to have dental x-rays on any pre-set schedule or more than every few years.   I believe dental insurance and greedy dentists who love to bill you for extra tests, have led to this growing problem.   Not to mention radiation exposures at an ever younger age!

Put “overuse of x-rays” into Google and read more!

You are in charge of your health, not your doctor OR your dentist.  YOU decide which tests you want performed on you!  And you choose everyday how much radiation exposure you will receive… cellphones anyone?

What you eat and how you feel

What you eat does effect your mood.

Take just a moment now to think about what you eat and how it makes you feel.  Or better yet, do an experiment on yourself.  Spend a few days eating lots of high quality proteins, veggies and fruits, and see if you don’t feel more energetic and hopeful.  Cut the starch and sugar and replace them with good food, and you will soon begin losing pounds.  When you finally find the discipline to eat right, you will soon feel better!

Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, tryptophan, folate and other B vitamins, low glycemic foods, and chocolate have all been studied, and results show an association between these foods and improved mood.  Of course, these nutrients are all part of a healthy diet, and when you eat healthy, your body reaps the benefits!

When you eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains throughout the day you keep your body fueled and your blood sugar on an even keel.   You’re also getting the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients you need to function properly.  Combining carbohydrates and proteins also enhances the availability of serotonin to your brain, a neurotransmitter which has a calming effect and helps you have good sleep.

In addition, simply knowing you are taking care of yourself can boost your mood.   We’re all familiar with the power of comfort foods.   For example, drinking a glass of milk before bedtime can trigger a comforting memory of your childhood.

Eating healthy has improved my life is so many ways, and helped me lose 50 pounds in the past ten months!   I got on Slimgenics, which helped me to FINALLY begin to eat like I knew I should be: out with all of those mass quantities of starch like potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread, and in with 6-8 servings of veggies and fruits plus over 60 grams of PROTEIN each day.

Improve your diet and see if that doesn’t improve your mood!  Then go take a long walk in the springtime weather…now you’re starting to feel much better!

New study on breast cancer reoccurence and diet

For the nearly 12 million cancer survivors in the US, the toughest part after initial diagnosis and treatment is dealing with fears of recurrence.   New research findings presented this week at the American Association of Cancer Research’s annual meeting in Chicago provide some reassuring news for cancer survivors — and ways to lower their risk of having a relapse.

1.  Nearly half of all cancer survivors do not die of cancer. They instead die of unrelated conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or stroke.   Based on a population study of 1,807 cancer survivors followed for 18 years, the longer cancer patients survive after initial diagnosis, the more likely they are to die from other disease.

Cancer was the cause of death in about two-thirds of the study participants who died within five years of diagnosis, but cancer was the cause of death in only one-third of those who survived for 20 years or longer after their original cancer diagnosis.

It was found that after the detection of cancer, clinicians and cancer survivors pay too little attention to the prevention and treatment of other chronic diseases and complications.  Do not neglect other aspects of your health as you focus on future cancer prevention.

2. Cruciferous vegetables lower risk of recurrence in breast cancer patients. Breast cancer survivors should add more broccoli, cauliflower, and bok choy to their diet.   A Vanderbuilt University study of nearly 5,000 Chinese breast cancer patients found that those who ate the most cruciferous vegetables had the lowest risk of recurrence and of dying of breast cancer over a three year period.

The benefits were modest: a 21 percent decrease in recurrence risk for those who ate one or two servings a day of cruciferous vegetables and a 35 percent decrease for those who ate more.   Still, it’s impossible to say whether the vegetables, themselves, or some other factor led to the reduced risk.

“Breast cancer survivors can follow the general nutritional guidelines of eating vegetables daily and may consider increasing intake of cruciferous vegetables, such as greens, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, as part of a healthy diet,” said study author Sarah Nechuta in a statement.

3. Common diabetes drug may improve prognosis for several cancers. It is possible that metformin — a popular first-line drug to treat Type 2 diabetes — can improve cancer prognosis and lower the risk of relapse.  As of now, this is just a hypothesis being investigated in several studies that were presented at the AACR meeting.

The initial results were positive: A study from MD Anderson Cancer Center that examined medical records from 302 pancreatic cancer patients who also had diabetes found that those who were taking metformin had a three-month longer survival time on average compared to those who were not. At one year, the researchers found that 64 percent of the patients prescribed metformin were still alive, compared to 46 percent of the group not prescribed metformin.

Other studies presented at the meeting found that metformin appears to slow prostate cancer growth in those who were randomly given the drug instead of a placebo in a small clinical trial.   This drug also protected against liver cancer and oral cancers in two studies conducted in mice.

Why sugar is bad for your body

I liked the explanation offered by CBS News this morning.  It’s simple and straight forward.

Think of your blood as water and then imagine pouring sugar into it while stirring.  The water or your blood will thicken up much like syrup, making your heart work harder and your blood pressure to go up as you add more and more.

I also think the description by Dr. Oz is correct.   Too much sugar is like razor blades in your blood stream for your vascular system.

Why do I believe this?  Because I have suffered from the most direct disease created by too much sugar, Candida, which caused awful bubbles of staph infection on my skin a few years ago.  The simple solution?   I stopped eating most sugar for a while, especially sweet drinks.  Instead I used stevia, and consumed sugar only in the form of blueberries and apples, because they deliver so much fiber with their sugar.

Changing my diet improved my health DRAMATICALLY.  Candida on your skin is so itchy and every time I ate sugar I itched even more.  I knew when the Candida fungus was feeding!

It is true that sugar is VERY addictive to your brain, but stevia can help you cut back TODAY!

Sugar toxicity and YOU

From my own experiences in the past few years and what I have learned after suffering from a terrible case of Candida Albicans back in 2008, sugar is one of the worst toxins we consume everyday.

A handful of scientists have recently suggested that sugar is actually the worst thing in the American diet, on some levels even worse than trans fats.  Sugar can be blamed for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even some form of cancers.  According to research led by Robert Lustig of the University of California, sugar is toxic.  He will appear on CBS 60 Minutes this evening to explain his findings.

According to research, the average American person consumes roughly 130 pounds of added sugars, which includes sugar as well as high fructose corn syrup, every year.  While high fructose corn syrup is often vilified more often than sugar, Lustig says that, metabolically, there is no difference.

Taking the idea of the toxicity of sugar even further, Lustig, in an interview with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CBS 60 Minutes tonight, goes so far as to say that sugar should be treated no differently than alcohol or tobacco.

Ironic isn’t it, we try to limit alcohol and tobacco consumption to adults, but push sugar at our children every chance we get.  EASTER candy anyone?

Learn more at:

http://www.inquisitr.com/214109/is-sugar-toxic-dr-robert-lustig-thinks-so/#o2vIATARWfogXemK.99

A new cure for depression!

According to Dr. Oz, TMS or Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is an effective, non-chemical, sometimes “life changing” treatment for depression.

Learn more from his video.