Then and now, LSD is followed by controversy. Considered mind-altering, some proponents believe it lowers brain barriers and opens consciousness.

But, it’s illegal, and not without risk. It can cause hallucinations that can persist and may be linked to schizophrenia, rapid heart rate, increased body temperature, delusions and even psychosis.

That hasn’t stopped researchers from exploring the potential health benefits of the drug. It’s been tested as a treatment for stroke-related brain damage as well as for depression, anxiety and addiction — because it can shift blood flow in the brain, reduce negative emotions and induce blissful states.

Obviously, it would be great if there were a way to get the benefits of LSD without any of the risks. One research team may be onto how — and it’s literally as easy as breathing…

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Breathwork could reduce psychological distress

Use of breathwork as a therapeutic tool for psychological distress is becoming more popular because some versions of it can lead to altered states of consciousness (ASCs) similar to those evoked by psychedelic substances like LSD.

High-ventilation breathwork (HVB), which involves gradually increasing the rate and depth of ventilation, has strong potential as a non-pharmacological alternative for treating psychological distress.

However, the neurobiological mechanisms and subjective experience underlying HVB’s impact on taking the mind to an altered state haven’t been studied extensively.

To fill this information gap, Amy Amla Kartar of Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the United Kingdom and colleagues characterized ASCs induced by HVB in experienced practitioners. They did so by analyzing self-reported data from 15 individuals who participated online, eight who participated in the lab, and 19 who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

They participated in a 20- to 30-minute session of cyclic breathing without pausing while listening to music. Then they answered a series of questionnaires within 30 minutes of finishing the breathwork session.

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The results were impressive. During all experimental sessions, participants reported reduced fear and negative emotions, with no adverse reactions. Across participants and experimental settings, HVB reliably enhanced ASCs dominated by Oceanic Boundlessness (OBN).

OBN is a term describing a set of feelings that include spiritual experiences, insightfulness, a blissful state, positively experienced depersonalization, and the experience of unity. It’s considered a defining aspect of ASCs evoked by psychedelics like psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms.”

The intensity of ASCs evoked by HVB caused a profound decrease in blood flow to parts of the brain implicated in representing the internal state of the body, including breathing, while increasing blood flow to brain regions involved in the processing of emotional memories. These blood flow changes correlated with psychedelic experiences, meaning they may be the source of the positive effects of the breathwork.

Interestingly, the intensity of HVB-induced ASCs was proportional to cardiovascular sympathetic activation, as indicated by a decrease in heart rate variability. This suggests a potential stress response, indicating that the positive changes induced by ASCs may occur even while the body’s stress response is activated.

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Getting started with breathwork

In short, this type of breathwork, combined with music, appears to induce altered states resembling those of psychedelics, calming negative emotions while reshaping brain activity.

The researchers caution that more research is needed. Still, the research—the first to use neuroimaging to map the neurophysiological changes caused by breathwork—indicates that breathwork may be a powerful tool in addressing psychological conditions.

You can find plenty of information online to practice breathwork. However, it’s not recommended to practice high-ventilation breathwork on your own, at least not until you have become adept at it.

It’s more intense, and without an experienced therapy guide during a session, you could experience dizziness, hyperventilation, fainting, or even become emotionally overwhelmed.

Seek a referral from a functional medicine clinic, specialist, counselor or wellness spa in your area to connect with a knowledgeable therapist  — and get ready to feel the bliss.

Sources:

Scientists reveal how breathwork unlocks psychedelic bliss in the brain — ScienceDaily

Neurobiological substrates of altered states of consciousness induced by high ventilation breathwork accompanied by music — PLOS One

LSD — Drugs.com

What is ‘breathwork’? And do I need to do it? — University of Wollongong Australia

High ventilation breathwork practices: An overview of their effects, mechanisms, and considerations for clinical applications — Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

The post Unlock bliss to relieve anxiety, depression and more appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s a devastation I’ve seen first-hand, since my mom was diagnosed with the disease when I was still in elementary school.

However, she had been living with constant challenges for close to a decade before she was ever diagnosed…

For years, she was shuffled from doctor to doctor looking for answers to why she was so exhausted she couldn’t get out of bed, why she cried for no apparent reason or why her eyes bothered her.

It was almost a relief when she was diagnosed because at least there was a name for the issues plaguing her life.

And it meant that she could finally start looking for treatments that might help, rather than just trying to survive each day.

Now, researchers are revealing that not only does MS start sooner than doctors believed, but that there are three types of issues patients commonly experience that could help identify the disease and offer access to early interventions.

As it turns out, my mom suffered from all of them…

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A vague confluence of symptoms

Researchers at the University of British Columbia started with the health and insurance data of more than 12,000 people. One thing stood out: People with MS began using healthcare services at elevated rates 15 years before their first obvious neurological symptoms appeared.

Some of the most common complaints they sought help for in the decade and a half leading up to a diagnosis included fatigue, anxiety and pain.

But because symptoms like these are considered vague, they’re often ignored or mistaken for other conditions.

Fortunately, because this study went further back into patient history, these findings may help doctors recognize early warning signs that could lead to earlier detection and intervention.

Compared to the general population, patients eventually diagnosed with MS had a steady buildup of engagement with healthcare providers that looked like this:

• 15 years before recognized symptom onset: Visits to general practice physicians increase, especially for symptoms like fatigue, pain, anxiety, dizziness and depression.
• 12 years before: Visits to a psychiatrist increase.
• Eight to nine years before: Visits to neurologists and ophthalmologists increase, possibly due to issues like blurry vision or eye pain.
• Three to five years before: Emergency medicine and radiology visits increase.
• One year before: Doctors’ visits reach a peak, with trips to neurology, emergency medicine and radiology.

“These patterns suggest that MS has a long and complex prodromal phase, where something is happening beneath the surface but hasn’t yet declared itself as MS,” said Dr. Marta Ruiz-Algueró, a postdoctoral fellow at UBC and the study’s first author.

“We’re only now starting to understand what these early warning signs are, with mental health-related issues appearing to be among the earliest indicators.”

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Get the support you need

If you recognize this pattern in yourself or a loved one, have a serious discussion with a doctor.

Though there is no single test for diagnosing MS, there are several that, together with patient history, can aid in diagnosis.

It’s unknown exactly what causes MS, but some researchers believe a combination of genetic and environmental factors triggers the disease. 

Some studies have found significant differences between the gut microbes of patients with MS and those without the disease. However, the mechanism through which these microbes may influence the disease is still unclear.

But research over the years has suggested ways to support your body against the ravages of MS:

• Supplements – Vitamin D, Omega 3’s, melatonin and antioxidants (CoQ10, vitamin E, quercetin and lutein-zeaxanthin) have been researched for positive impacts on autoimmune issues and some specifically on MS. Also, an acid found in fruit peel was found to reverse the myelin damage of MS in mice.
• A simple sugar – N-acetylglucosamine, a form of glucosamine that’s shown to be effective for joint discomfort and often used in supplements, was found to reduce multiple inflammation and neurodegeneration markers in MS patients in research done at the University of California, Irvine.
• Diet – Dr. Terry Wahls is a physician and also a patient with progressive MS. To fight back against the disease, she created The Wahls Protocol, in which she credits diet and lifestyle interventions with helping her leave her wheelchair behind.

Sources:

Fatigue, anxiety, pain? They might be MS in disguise — ScienceDaily

Early Detection and Treatment — National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The post 3 common complaints may be the earliest signs of MS appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

No matter what you call it, most of us have experienced those unsettling feelings of dread and anxiety in anticipation of the beginning of another long, busy, likely stressful week.

Even though the feelings may intensify Monday morning, we march on, able to dismiss them — until Sunday night rolls around again.

Unfortunately, it’s a cycle that evidence connects to dangerous physiological processes…

One meta-analysis of data from population statistics found a 19 percent increase in the incidence of confirmed heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths on Mondays.

Now, another study appears to validate the biological components associated with Monday-related stress…

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Mondays acts as a ‘stress amplifier’

Researchers led by Tarani Chandola of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) wanted to determine whether the association between anxiety and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis — the body’s central stress response system — was greater on Mondays.

The HPA axis regulates stress hormones, such as cortisol, which can contribute to hypertension, insulin resistance, and immune system dysfunction if they’re chronically elevated.

The researchers took a look at 3,511 adults aged 50 and older living in England who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The participants submitted hair samples and were asked about their anxiety levels and on what days they experienced anxiety.

The results were striking. Participants who felt anxious on Mondays showed significantly higher long-term stress hormone levels up to two months later. Their hair samples showed a 23 percent higher level of cortisol compared to peers who were anxious on other days of the week.

What’s more, this “anxious Monday” effect was observed in both working and retired participants. This indicates a deep-seated link between the start of the week and dysregulation of the body’s stress response, one that lingers well after retirement.

Prior research has observed higher cortisol levels on weekdays versus weekends. But this is the first study to single out Mondays as particularly disruptive.

“Mondays act as a cultural ‘stress amplifier,’” Chandola says. “For some older adults, the week’s transition triggers a biological cascade that lingers for months. This isn’t about work — it’s about how deeply ingrained Mondays are in our stress physiology, even after careers end.”

About 75 percent of the Monday effect was due to the greater impact of feeling anxious on Mondays compared to other days.

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Ways to battle ‘anxious Mondays’

The study emphasizes how the anxiety around Mondays can become biologically embedded in our bodies, with chronic stress hormone dysregulation posing long-term cardiovascular risks.

By addressing the stress specific to Mondays, the researchers hope to unlock new strategies to combat heart disease in aging populations.

“The cumulative life course effects of feeling anxious on Monday, to which people do not adapt, suggests the need to identify why some people do not adapt to the Monday effect, while others are more resilient,” the researchers write in the study.

One reason some people may handle their Monday stress better is that they have a system in place to address the beginning of the week. If you find yourself battling the “Sunday scaries,” here are some tips for starting the week off right (and lowering your stress levels in the process):

• Sleep: Make sure you stick to your usual sleep schedule over the weekend. Sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday can disrupt your usual sleep-wake cycle, and that in turn can raise your cardiovascular risk.
• Support your gut. Oscillations of gut microbes throughout the day are crucial for regulating the secretion of stress hormones. An imbalance in the gut microbiome leads to a hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
• Meditation: Try meditating on Sunday evening, even if it’s just for 5 minutes. Meditation can help reduce stress and support your cardiovascular health.
• Exercise: Get some exercise first thing Monday morning. It will help clear your mind, elevate your mood and reduce your stress levels. Plus, it’s great for your heart.
• Fun: Schedule something enjoyable on Monday, whether it’s time for reading your favorite book, having coffee with a friend before work or walking at lunch with office mates. This will help you look forward to Monday instead of dreading it.
• Natural stress-relieving adaptogenic herbs, like holy basil and ashwagandha, are effective at helping balance your system during stressful periods.

Sources:

New research shows Monday stress is etched into your biology — ScienceDaily

Are anxious Mondays associated with HPA-axis dysregulation? A longitudinal study of older adults in England — Journal of Affective Disorders

The post A biological reason to hate Mondays: It’s a stress amplifier appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Take, for example, the connection between gum disease and conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and kidney disease.

Many of us think of oral health as a separate entity from the rest of the body, because that’s exactly what the medical community has done. But this simply isn’t the case.

Your mouth is the gateway to the rest of your body. Keeping it clean prevents bacteria from fermenting and circulating throughout your body, triggering inflammation and disease.

And as if this weren’t enough, we’re finding that oral health and mental health are linked as well.

For people over 65, keeping your mouth healthy could lower your risk of experiencing depression and anxiety in your “golden years.”

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A healthy mouth = lower odds of depression and anxiety

A study of elderly adults in China found that people with better oral health were less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.

They explored data from 3,188 people aged 65 and older who participated in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, a long-term project that tracks the health and well-being of senior adults.

Here are some of their interesting findings:

• People who brushed their teeth two or more times a day had a 22% lower chance of experiencing anxiety compared with those who brushed infrequently.
• People who ate fruits and vegetables daily were significantly less likely to develop anxiety.
• People who had undergone dental procedures to repair missing teeth had a 42% lower chance of experiencing depression.
• People who brushed their teeth regularly and ate fruits and vegetables daily were also less likely to suffer from dementia.

The study authors concluded that “oral health and dietary behavior are closely related to the susceptibility of middle-aged and elderly individuals to depression, anxiety, and dementia.”

But they are also quick to note that it cannot be assumed that poor oral hygiene causes depression or anxiety. In fact, the opposite relationship may exist, i.e., depression and anxiety may reduce a person’s ability to maintain good oral hygiene.

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Tips for added oral health benefits

Regardless of which causes which, we know that good oral hygiene is essential.

In case you’re not yet convinced that bad oral hygiene can be dangerous to your health, consider this:

• Skipping your brush-and-floss routine for just 24 hours can kick off periodontitis — severe gum disease that can lead to tooth damage or even tooth loss
• Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium commonly found in the human mouth but rarely in the gut, can cause bowel disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Clinical trials have found that hospital patients who brushed their teeth twice daily had lower rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP).

But what else can a person do besides brush and floss?

Plenty. And as with many things, it starts with nutrition:

• Bleeding gums may signal a vitamin C deficiency. Make sure you’re including citrus fruits, berries and cruciferous vegetables in your diet.
• DIM (diindolylmethane) supplements can help maintain a healthy oral microbiome (DIM is found in broccoli, but you’d have to eat TONS of it to have any effect on your oral health).
• Other supplements are also effective in preventing gum disease, including grape seed extract and echinacea.

The moral of this story: Take good care of your mouth and you’ll set yourself up for a longer, healthier and happier life.

Sources:

Better oral health linked to lower risk of depression and anxiety in older adults — PsyPost

Modelling analysis of dietary behaviors and oral health status to assess the impact on the mental well-being of elderly individuals: a cross-sectional survey study — Frontiers in Nutrition

The post The oral health-mental health connection for happy aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It exposes our bodies to hormone-disrupting heavy metals, including arsenic and lead. It can raise the risk of certain cancers, like non-Hodgkin lymphoma — by 41 percent. Its harm can even be passed down to future generations, including our kids and grandkids.

But it seems those worries were just the tip of the iceberg…

Research is now revealing that not only can the poison cross the blood-brain barrier, but glyphosate exposure can lead to neuroinflammation, anxiety, accelerated Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology, and even premature death.

Even worse, the study warns that the presence and impact of glyphosate’s byproducts in the brain last long after exposure ends, posing harm to the brain.

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Three serious glyphosate warnings

In a groundbreaking study, Arizona State University researcher Ramon Velazquez and his colleagues at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, revealed for the first time that even brief contact with glyphosate can cause persistent and lasting damage.

Their experiments exposed mice to glyphosate for over 13 weeks, followed by a six-month recovery period, to determine whether or not a brain can heal from exposure to the so-called “safe” herbicide.

The researchers even tried to make the test as fair as possible, trying out two levels of glyphosate exposure. The first was a high dose used in earlier research that concluded glyphosate was dangerous, and the second was a low dose similar to the limit the EPA says is acceptable in humans.

So, how did the glyphosate rate on the safety scale?

Here’s what the scientists say happened:

#1 – Lasting brain inflammation

Exposure to the poison increased inflammatory markers in the brain and blood that remained even after six months with no further contact with glyphosate. This is especially concerning since the scientists say that this brain inflammation could drive the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

#2 – Byproduct accumulation

The results also showed that the main byproduct of glyphosate in the body, aminomethylphosphonic acid, built up in the brain tissue of the mice exposed to the herbicide. This occurred in mice with previously healthy brains and mice with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s.

#3 – Anxiety and death

Finally, the scientists say that glyphosate exposure in mice even resulted in premature death and anxiety-like behaviors. Seems like it’s the gift no one ever wanted that just keeps on giving.

Tests of randomly selected foods have found that about 96 percent of domestic food samples and 90 percent of imported samples have pesticide residues below the levels the E.P.A. considers safe.

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Dangers persist at low levels of exposure

What may be even more concerning is that it didn’t take a high level of exposure for these dangers to take effect.

The research determined that even the lower, ‘safer’ dose resulted in harmful effects in the brains of mice, even after exposure ceased for months.

“Our work contributes to the growing literature highlighting the brain’s vulnerability to glyphosate,” says researcher Ramon Velazquez. “Given the increasing incidence of cognitive decline in the aging population, particularly in rural communities where exposure to glyphosate is more common due to large-scale farming, there is an urgent need for more basic research on the effects of this herbicide.”

So, just say no to using glyphosate on your yard and ask your friends and neighbors to do the same. If you frequent parks and golf courses, be aware that those are places of exposure, too.

Tests of randomly selected foods have found that about 96 percent of domestic food samples and 90 percent of imported samples have pesticide residues below the levels the E.P.A. considers safe.

I highly recommend buying only organic fruits, vegetables and grains. One study found that opting for organic foods could lower glyphosate levels by 70% in as little as a week and significantly lower the levels of a handful of other pesticides.

Certain supplements can also help with detox. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) helps remove heavy metals and herbicides and supports the liver, your body’s primary detox organ.

Sources:

Glyphosate triggers generational toxicology that could harm your family line — Easy Health Options

Alarming: Common Herbicide Linked to Lasting Brain Damage — SciTechDaily

Is Glyphosate in the Food Supply Harming Your Health? — The New York Times

The post The longlasting harm of brief glyphosate exposure appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Before that, the only singing I’d done was in the shower or driving with the windows open on a beautiful spring day (exactly when I got the hunch!).

Now, ten years later, it’s the centerpiece of my life.

Singing magnificent music with my “chorus family” has not only eliminated the periodic bouts of depression I was prone to, but also given me a sense of belonging and community.

Moreover, I’ve developed deep friendships with people my age that will carry me well into my 70s and beyond.

So when I read a study from the United Kingdom proving that older adults can relieve depression and anxiety by “doing art” together, I wasn’t just reading a study. I was reading a confirmation of what I’d already experienced first-hand.

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It’s the togetherness that matters

Older adults are at a higher risk for developing depression due to factors like physical health issues, social isolation and loss. For similar reasons, they can also fall victim to anxiety.

Group arts interventions are already part of the UK’s social prescribing initiative, which connects patients to community activities to improve their well-being.

But so far, there has been limited evidence to support the use of group arts interventions for mental health.

Elizabeth Quinn, a PhD candidate at Queen Mary University in London, headed a meta-analysis – that is, an examination of data from studies on the same subject – drawing data from 39 studies in 21 countries.

The studies involved over 3,360 participants with depression and 949 participants with anxiety.

The results are quite remarkable. Not only were group arts interventions found to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, but these reductions were comparable with more traditional treatments, including antidepressant drugs, talk therapies or physical activity.

Older adults who lived in care homes (what we here in the U.S. call nursing homes) saw a significant reduction in depressive symptoms compared with those living in their own homes in the community.

Since adults in nursing homes are typically more vulnerable to depression, this means that the use of group art experiences could have a significant effect on their quality of life.

Most importantly, the benefits were consistent whether the art experience was painting, dancing, or making music, suggesting that the “magic” lies in the shared experience of creating together rather than in one specific art.

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An “artistic” alternative to drugs

Given the fact that antidepressant drugs are known to increase the risk of stroke and heart problems, wouldn’t it be worth giving “the arts” a try?

Mind you, this isn’t about how good a painter or singer you are. It’s about being with others and enjoying an activity where you create something and send it out into the world.

It could be a song or a painting that lives on your kitchen counter. Every time you look at it, you’ll remember the enjoyment and togetherness you felt while you created it.

If you’re wondering where to find a group to create with, Google could be your best friend.

Just a quick search for “group arts for older adults” turned up groups in Washington D.C., Missouri, California, and my home state of Maine. Community Centers and Local Commissions on Aging (usually at the county level) may also point you in the right direction.

Here’s a small painting I did in a group I found in my community. Nothing museum-worthy, but I smile every time I see it.

Sources:

The art of well-being: group activities shown to ease depression and anxiety in older adults — Eureka Alert

Group arts interventions for depression and anxiety among older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis — Nature Mental Health

The post Art by the numbers boosts seniors’ mental health appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But honestly, nothing beats that warm glow I get when I give a gift I’ve put so much thought and effort into to a friend or family member.

I love watching them open the gift and seeing their faces light up when they uncover what I’ve given them.

I’ve often wondered if everyone feels that way about gift-giving. The answer is, they do.

It turns out the old adage “it’s better to give than to receive” is true — and the reason is based on science…

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The love hormone: an unexpected benefit of gift giving

When you give a gift, particularly to someone you have a close relationship with, it activates key reward pathways in your brain, says Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director at the Greater Good Science Center, a research center at the University of California, Berkeley.

Over the past decade, several studies have shown that spending money on someone other than yourself promotes happiness. And here’s why…

When we are generous — whether donating money to a charity or giving a loved one a present they really want — it creates more interaction between the parts of the brain that process social information and feel pleasure.

“Oftentimes, people refer to it as the ‘warm glow,’ this intrinsic delight in doing something for someone else,” Simon-Thomas says.

You can thank your brain for that — and for activating pathways that release the neurotransmitter oxytocin, the “love hormone” that signals trust, safety and connection.

Studies have indicated that oxytocin may have potential to treat conditions like osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and tinnitus, and may have benefits that impact addiction, depression, anxiety, anorexia, autism spectrum disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. It also improves life satisfaction.

These feel-good effects on the brain begin long before you even hand over the gift. It starts when you start thinking about what to get and extends to shopping for and wrapping it. The whole experience activates those same reward pathways, Simon-Thomas says.

Studies suggest receiving a gift could engender a similar response in the brain. “If you’re given a gift from someone who cares about you a lot and you really love what they have gotten you, that is going to yield a very similar oxytocin-laden reward response,” Simon-Thomas says.

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Stress may offset that effect

While gift-giving and receiving can often lead to hopefulness and excitement, it can also bring up other emotions, including stress and anxiety, says Dr. Scott Rick, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

“When it goes right it can be a wonderful thing but can also come with a lot of anxiety over how much you’re spending or whether or not they will like the gift,” Rick says.

And when gift-giving becomes stressful, it can suck the joy out of the gift-giving experience.

“If you are really stressed that is overwhelming your ability to anticipate or savor the experience, then dopamine and oxytocin aren’t what’s being released in your brain,” Simon-Thomas says. “You’re probably just feeling stressed the whole time.”

In this case, she adds, it’s important to shift your mindset. If you’re stressed about finances, set expectations with friends and family up front. Instead of spending money, consider giving the gift of your time, whether to perform a needed task for them or to do something together. You can even give a handmade book with coupons that can be redeemed for one event, such as going to a movie together or washing the dishes for the giftee.

“A good gift involves some sacrifice — money, time or both,” Rick says. “It shows that you understand and know the person and can surprise them.”

As long as you’re giving from the heart, you could probably expect loads of the love hormone in return. But to boost oxytocin and other “good feel” hormones year-round, try these tips.

Sources:

What happens in your brain when you give a gift? — American Psychological Association

A neural link between generosity and happiness — Nature Communications

Does spending money on others promote happiness?: A registered replication report. — APA PsychNet

The post The scientific reason it really is better to give than receive appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But often, these issues are caused by something physical within our bodies. For instance, raised levels of the hormone cortisol can lead to anxiety, stress and/or depression.

Then there are other physical conditions that on the surface may not seem connected to mood but have a definite link. Take blood sugar, for instance…

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Blood sugar impacts cortisol levels and leads to mood swings

You’ve probably heard the term “hangry” before. More than just a catchphrase made famous by advertisements for a popular candy bar, this term describes something very real: A link experts have found between blood sugar fluctuations, cortisol and mood and stress levels.

In fact, Everest Goldstein, a functional psychiatric nurse practitioner in Dallas, told Integrative Health Practitioner that spikes or drops in blood sugar, can lead directly to corresponding changes in cortisol levels.

A jump in blood sugar can make us feel jittery and anxious, and when cortisol levels change too, it exacerbates anxiety, disrupts sleep, and makes us feel irritable and overall, stressed.

Unstable blood sugar levels can also cause brain fog, affecting concentration. These symptoms can often appear similar to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Interestingly, stabilizing blood sugar levels in children with ADHD, autism, mood disorders or behavioral issues often alleviates these symptoms, Goldstein said.

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Healthy ways to balance blood sugar and your mood

One of the biggest mistakes Goldstein said some practitioners make is to order their patients to cut out all sugar in an attempt to stabilize blood sugar levels. She recommends an approach that includes balanced meals and snacks, exercise and a limit on caffeine consumption.

For a blood sugar-balanced diet, Goldstein suggests including the following:

• Protein: mainly from meats, beans, tofu and eggs
• Healthy fats: mainly from avocado, olive oil, salmon, nuts and seeds
• Fiber: mainly from non-starchy vegetables.

Eating these components in balance helps create a more stable blood sugar response, leading to fewer mood swings and energy crashes. For example, eating a banana with almond butter instead of a banana alone can help prevent a spike in blood sugar.

In addition, it’s probably a good idea to avoid foods that raise blood sugar, especially highly processed foods and those with added sugar like sodas, candy and packaged baked goods.

For exercise, Goldstein recommends walking for five to 10 minutes after consuming big meals or sugary foods. This helps the muscles move glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells.

If you are going to consume caffeine, Goldstein advises against doing it on an empty stomach, since caffeine can raise cortisol and blood sugar levels. To moderate this effect, drink your coffee while consuming a meal high in protein and fat.

Sources:

Key to Managing Mood Swings: Blood Sugar Regulation — Integrative Practitioner

What’s Causing My Mood Swings? — WebMD

The post What ‘hangry’ says about your cortisol and blood sugar appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Both these individuals can achieve mindfulness. And so can you…

When you’re being mindful, your awareness is focused on the present moment. At the same time, you’re calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations without judgment.

When I think of mindfulness, it’s usually as a tool or an exercise to calm and focus my mind. But recent research suggests the benefits of mindfulness can go even further…

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Mindfulness improves well-being

Researchers from the University of Bath and the University of Southampton recruited 1,247 adults from 91 countries, most of whom were new to mindfulness.

Each participant was randomly assigned to either a 10-minute daily mindfulness routine or to a control group that listened to excerpts from Alice in Wonderland. The mindfulness sessions were delivered through the free mobile app Medito and included relaxation exercises, intention setting, body scans, breath-focused attention and self-reflection.

Over the course of the 30-day program, participants in the mindfulness group reported significant improvements in their mental health compared to the control group. Specifically, they experienced:

• A 19.2 percent greater reduction in depression
• A 12.6 percent greater decrease in anxiety
• A 7.1 percent more positive attitude toward health
• A 6.9 percent greater improvement in overall well-being
• A 6.5 percent greater increase in behavioral intentions to maintain a healthy lifestyle

What’s more, these benefits weren’t short-lived. Follow-up studies conducted one month after the program’s conclusion showed that participants maintained improvements in well-being, depression and healthy behaviors, including better sleep quality.

These results suggest the psychological skills developed through mindfulness — including increased awareness, self-control and intention setting — can help individuals adopt and maintain healthier habits ranging from regular exercise to improved sleep.

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Technology is taking mindfulness global

This study was one of the first to show the well-being and mental health benefits of mindfulness could arise from the changes to lifestyle behaviors it encourages. Next, the team is eager to research the potential of mindfulness for promoting regular exercise.

“It’s exciting to see the benefits of mindfulness extending beyond depression, well-being and anxiety and into other health behaviors such as sleeping better and building stronger intentions to live a healthy lifestyle,” says lead researcher Masha Remskar, a psychologist based at the University of Bath. “Mindfulness builds the psychological skills you need to build healthy habits — we hope to show in future work that once you’ve got those skills you can use them to improve several health behaviors from exercising regularly to stopping smoking.”

According to the study’s co-authors, digital technology has the potential to make mindfulness accessible to a global audience.

“The research underscores how digital technology — in this case, a freely available app — can help people integrate behavioral and psychological techniques into their lives, in a way that suits them,” says Dr. Ben Ainsworth, who leads the Digital Intervention Group at the University of Southampton.

Luckily, there’s no shortage of mindfulness apps to choose from. Some examples to try include Medito (the free app used in the study), Calm or Headspace.

Suppose you prefer to take a non-tech-based approach to mindfulness. In that case, there’s always this simple technique developed by Dr. Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine. It only takes 10 to 20 minutes twice a day and can be completed without any special equipment.

1. Find a quiet place in your home (or favorite outdoor spot) where you can sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed.
2. Allow your muscles to relax and choose a word, phrase, sound, short prayer or mantra to focus on and repeat over and over.
3. If stray thoughts disrupt, let them come and go but return to your chosen word, phrase, or prayer to regain focus.

Sources:

Just Ten Minutes of Mindfulness a Day Significantly Enhances Well-Being, Study Shows — Integrative Practitioner

Just 10 minutes of mindfulness daily boosts wellbeing and fights depression — University of Bath

Mindfulness improves psychological health and supports health behaviour cognitions: Evidence from a pragmatic RCT of a digital mindfulness-based intervention — British Journal of Health Psychology

The post Boost well-being and fight depression in 10 minutes a day appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

On one hand, low-carb, high-fat diets like paleo, keto and carnivore have been linked with weight loss and improved inflammation, cholesterol, blood sugar and insulin levels — not to mention a 20 percent reduction in glaucoma risk.

On the other, there is a proven link between a high-fat diet and several serious health threats.

Diets high in fat, particularly saturated and trans fats, also can lead to heart disease, metabolic syndrome and an unhealthy gut environment.

Now, there is another disorder to add to the “bad” side of high-fat dieting…

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High-fat diet, leaky gut and anxiety

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder used an animal model to see the impact of a high-fat diet on the gut microbiome and behavior. Half the rats in the study were fed a standard diet of about 11 percent fat for nine weeks, while the others got a high-fat diet of 45 percent fat, consisting mostly of saturated fat from animal products. 

The typical American consumes a diet of about 36 percent fat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

After nine weeks, the group eating a high-fat diet gained weight, as expected, compared to the control group. The high-fat diet group also showed significantly less diverse gut bacteria and hosted far more Firmicutes bacteria and fewer Bacteroidetes bacteria. A higher ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes is associated with obesity.

These rats also showed higher expression of three specific genes (tph2, htr1a and slc6a4) involved in the production and signaling of serotonin, particularly in a region of the brainstem associated with stress and anxiety.

We usually think of serotonin as the “feel-good” brain chemical. However, when activated, certain subsets of serotonin neurons can prompt anxiety-like responses in animals, notes lead author Christopher Lowry, a professor at CU Boulder.

Notably, heightened expression of tph2 in the brainstem has been linked with mood disorders and suicide risk in humans.

In short, the study found a diet high in fat appears to influence brain chemicals in ways that trigger anxiety.

“To think that just a high-fat diet could alter expression of these genes in the brain is extraordinary,” Lowry says. “The high-fat group essentially had the molecular signature of a high anxiety state in their brain.”

According to Lowry, an unhealthy microbiome may compromise the gut lining. This can result in a condition known as leaky gut and may enable bacteria to enter the body’s circulation and communicate with the brain through the vagus nerve, a pathway from the gastrointestinal tract to the brain.

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Get the “good” dietary fat

So, is fat good or bad for you? As Lowry stresses, it all depends on the type of fat. Healthy fats like those found in fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds — the essential omega-3 fatty acids — can be anti-inflammatory and good for the brain.

Lowry advises us to ditch pizza and fast food and eat as many different fruits and vegetables as possible. Ultra-processed foods are also sources of saturated fat. He recommends adding fermented foods for a healthier gut microbiome.

If you do indulge in the occasional burger, Lowry suggests adding a slice of avocado to it. Some research indicates “good” fat can counteract some of the “bad” fat, and avocado is loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats.

Also, you could take the antioxidant resveratrol to help counteract the effects of unhealthy fat, since it’s almost inescapable. According to previous research resveratrol can correct the harmful effects of a high-fat diet on the brain and may be a potential therapeutic agent against obesity-related disorders.

Editor’s Note: You’re invited to join a tiny handful of Americans who enjoy rare, fresh-pressed olive oil all year long. Take my word for it, there’s a difference in taste, quality and benefit! Click here to learn more…

Sources:

Study shows a high-fat diet may fuel anxiety — EurekAlert!

High-fat diet, microbiome-gut-brain axis signaling, and anxiety-like behavior in male rats — Biological Research

The post Explained: How a high-fat diet fuels anxiety appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yes, I’m being sarcastic here.

We all know at this point that, staying active is just as essential as eating the right foods or getting enough sleep.

Nevertheless, there are lots of mornings when I need some serious convincing to get out of bed and take that walk. Remind me again… how, exactly, will it improve my life?

A recent study has answered that question for me in terms I can understand. Perhaps it will also motivate you as well to make exercise more of a priority…

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Measuring activity on quality of life

A group of scientists at Cambridge University’s School of Clinical Medicine set out to connect changes in physical activity with quality of life (QoL) in adults over age 60.

To do this, they used accelerometers to examine activity levels among 1,433 participants aged 60 and older. They tracked not only how much they exercised, but how much of their time was spent sedentary as well.

But how to define and measure quality of life?

Participants were given a questionnaire about their health-related quality of life, which included aspects like pain, ability to care for themselves, anxiety and mood.

Based on their responses, each participant was given a score between zero (worst quality of life) and one (best).

Six years later, researchers followed up to see if there were any changes in both activity levels and QoL scores…

Physical activity matters, especially after 60

If you had to guess, do you think the participants maintained their activity levels? Unfortunately, that’s a big old “no.”

Both men and women were doing around 24 minutes less moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. Compounding the decrease in activity was the fact that their total sedentary time increased by an average of around 33 minutes a day for men and around 38 minutes a day for women.

For every minute that their amount of physical activity level dropped, their quality of life scores dropped by 0.3. And according to the researchers, a decrease in activity of just 15 minutes translated to a drop of 0.45 in quality of life. Sitting for 15 minutes more each day saw their QoL score drop by 0.18 points.

You would probably like to know how those QoL scores and the drop in physical activity could impact your daily life…

Well for starters, a 0.1 point improvement in quality of life scores has previously been associated with a 6.9 percent reduction in early death and a 4.2 percent reduction in risk of hospitalization.

That means older adults who remain more active have a better quality of life.

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How to secure your quality of life

This is yet another piece of research showing that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity regularly is the best thing you can do to increase your healthspan — the amount of time you get to live a healthy, disease-free life. If that’s not the quality of life goal to aim for, I’m not sure what else is.

If you haven’t been active, it’s never too late to start…

What do we mean by moderate-to-vigorous activity? Well, how about brisk walking? You might remember the report involving 400,000 subjects that found brisk walking slowed biological aging, directly impacting a key marker of aging — telomeres.

But if that’s not your thing, there are plenty of other moderate-to-vigorous activities you might try…

• Biking
• Gardening
• Dancing
• Tennis
• Stair climbing
• Treadmill walking

Even washing windows qualifies! And for someone like me, who is no great fan of sweating, exercise “snacking” is the way to go.

So, I’ve found my motivation. Every day is a new adventure. I’ve got a long “bucket list.” As I lace my sneakers in the morning, I remind myself that this “snack” I’m about to have will help me stay around long enough to check them all off my list — and feel great while I do!

Sources:

Older adults who remain more active have a better quality of life, study finds — Science Daily

Associations between change in physical activity and sedentary time and health-related quality of life in older english adults: the EPIC-Norfolk cohort study — Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Examples of Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity — Harvard School of Public Health

The post Over 60? 15 minutes can make or break your senior years appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Being a “take-control” kind of person, I did some research, and am happy to report that there are many antidotes to the fear of flying (actually, taking control of your environment is one of them).

If you’re at all anxious about flying, I hope you’ll find at least a few of these to be useful if you’re planning a trip this summer.

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Tackle your fear of flying a day early

Dial A Pilot. You may not be a TikTok fan, but there’s a channel on TikTok called “Dial A Pilot.” There are dozens of videos of an actual pilot explaining everything from how planes stay aloft to flying in bad weather, to turbulence. You can even have a 15-minute phone chat with a pilot about your specific fears.

One fearful flyer says, “they’ll show you what they’re doing in the cockpit, and what the noises are. That way if you’re sitting near the wing and you see part of it go down, you’re not like, ‘Wow, we’re going to lose our wing.’ It’s actually just part of what it’s supposed to do to keep you in the air.”

Turbli. Turbli is a website where you can check the expected turbulence for a flight you’re taking, up to 36 hours ahead of time. Type in your departure and arrival airports, and you’ll get a list of all flights going between the two, the expected turbulence, wind speed and chance of thunderstorms.

Things to do at the airport

This is where those intrusive, anxious thoughts can really kick in. This is called anticipatory anxiety: the anxiety that builds up before a flight and it can often be more intense than the flight itself. If you see it coming, use simple in-the-moment coping strategies like resonant breathing or journaling.

Once on board, establish some control over your environment. Bring your own pillow, blanket, and/or slippers. Wear a comforting eye mask. Pull down the window shade. During take-off, use earbuds to listen to music that’s familiar and calming.

Then, practice one of these two mindfulness techniques that can physiologically reduce your anxiety response.

Havening technique. That’s haven, as in creating a “safe haven” for yourself. You’re reinforcing the sense that you have control over your own body, says Dr. Christine Gibson, a family doctor and trauma therapist in Calgary, Canada.

“Havening” involves using one hand to gently brush your palms, shoulders, and face in an up-and-down motion. Start by lightly rubbing your right hand across the palm of your opposite hand, then gently stroking from your shoulder down to your elbow, and across your forehead and cheekbones. You might rub both arms at once, for example, which mimics hugging yourself.

Tapping. Tapping derives from traditional Chinese medicine. Dr. Gibson calls it “self-acupuncture.” No needles involved, though, so you can practice it before you board and during your flight if needed.

First you’ll need a “set-up statement,” something like, “Even though I’m anxious and my heart is pounding right now, I’m actually safe.” Repeat this to yourself as you use two fingers to tap on the acupressure points associated with stress relief: the top of your head, the spot between your eyebrows, the middle of your cheekbones, and the spot between your nose and lip. Repeat this as often as you need to.

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More in-flight tips to tame fear of flying

Watch a funny video or movie. A couple of days before your flight, download a funny video onto your phone or tablet and start watching it as the plane takes off (in airplane mode). Studies have shown laughing is the quickest way to release natural opioids in your brain that can help regulate fear and anxiety.

Pack a weighted blanket in your carry-on. Weighted blankets have been shown to even ease anxiety in the dentist’s chair!

Supplements that reduce anxiety

Vitamin B6 has been shown to increase the body’s production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical that blocks impulses between the brain’s nerve cells and also promotes relaxation and sleep. In one study high levels of GABA in the hippocampus were best at suppressing unwanted thoughts.

L-theanine is an amino acid found in green and black tea that also boosts GABA. It’s available in supplement form which may be better to reduce caffeine.

Vitamin D is one deficiency you want to avoid if you occasionally have bouts of anxiety. Multiple studies have shown people with deficient amounts are prone to anxiety.

When using supplements to help with anxiety, you should start taking them regularly a few weeks before your trip to allow them to build up in your bloodstream.

Sources:

Effective Ways to Handle Fear of Flying — The Getaway

6 Tricks to Try to Calm Your Fear of Flying — Time

https://turbli.com/ — Turbli

Havening Technique video — TikTok

The post Don’t let ‘fear of flying’ anxiety ruin your summer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Having to worry about your blood pressure, taking medicines, going to multiple doctor visits and even spending time in the hospital can skyrocket your anxiety level.

And the physical limitations that come with heart issues can leave you feeling depressed.

Yet, these are symptoms that the medical community tends to ignore – a mistake that could worsen your outcomes and even increase your risk of death.

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Poor mental health, poor heart health

Research from a team of scientists at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center may be the first to reveal the powerful connection between mental health and heart disease.

“Heart disease and anxiety/depression interact such that each promotes the other,” said lead study author Philip Binkley, MD.

“There appear to be mental processes that link heart disease with anxiety and depression that are currently under investigation. Both heart disease and anxiety/depression are associated with the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. This is part of the so-called involuntary nervous system that increases heart rate, blood pressure and can also contribute to anxiety and depression.”

He and his team followed over 1,500 adults with heart disease for three years who had hospital admission for blocked arteries or heart failure and had two or more health insurance claims for an anxiety disorder or depression.

To see how treating their mental health might impact their heart health over that time, some participants received both antidepressant medications and psychotherapy, others were given psychotherapy or medication for depression alone and about a third received no mental health treatment.

The results were impressive…

Up to a 75% reduction in hospitalization and ER visits

The best results were achieved by patients who were given both antidepressant medication and talk therapy.

The study showed that compared to participants who received no mental health treatment, people who benefitted from this dual approach were:

• 68 – 75% less likely to be re-hospitalized for a heart-related issue
• 67 – 74% less likely to have to return to the emergency room for their heart
• 67% less likely to die from any cause

Talk therapy alone reduced the risk of hospital readmission almost by half and reduced emergency room visits by up to 53%.

Medication alone was also successful, reducing hospital readmission by up to 58% and ER visits by up to 49%.

Clearly, caring for your heart means caring for your mental health.

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Simple tips to reduce anxiety and depression

So if you’re living with heart disease, it’s time to start addressing any feelings of anxiety and depression you might have. It’s something you and your doctor can discuss.

But remember that Dr. Binkley explained that heart disease, anxiety and depression are associated with activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for the “fight or flight” response during any potential danger. On the other hand, the parasympathetic nervous system inhibits the body from overworking and restores the body to a calm and composed state.

Stimulation of the vagus nerve has been known to help restore that balance.

In addition, these practices could help:

• Boost your dopamine levels – This happiness hormone is linked to the nervous system and low levels can result in depression.
• Conscious movement – Yoga is a great way to reduce both depression and anxiety. Here are three of the most effective poses anyone can do.
• Foods – Researchers have found that certain foods can help DASH symptoms of depression. So be sure to put the right diet to work for you. Foods that contain the prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (like legumes and nuts) are especially helpful at reducing anxiety levels.
• Supplements – If you’re deficient in certain amino acids or minerals, it can amp up your depression. Two of the most important are arginine and magnesium.

Be sure to discuss any new supplements with your heart doctor.

Sources:

Treating anxiety, depression significantly impacts heart disease outcomes — EurekAlert!

The post How heart disease, anxiety and depression feed off each other appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In other words, if you suffer from MCI how likely are you to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and will you or family members be able to see it coming?

Now, a new study has shed light on exactly what symptoms to be on the lookout for that can predict whether the problems with memory, language and judgment that go along with MCI will turn into an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

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The Neuropsychiatric Symptom Index

The research, performed at the Medical University of South Carolina, set out to quantify the connection between neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and the journey from MCI to dementia.

For the study, the scientists recruited 300 patients with MCI, aged 65 and older, from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database.  

Each participant underwent a Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) assessment to document NPS symptoms — such as anxiety, depression, delusions, hallucinations, abnormal movement behavior and sleep disorders — as potential early signs of preclinical AD to establish a prediction model for AD.

And while the outcome showed that more than a quarter of the MCI patients went on to develop Alzheimer’s, those who experienced more neuropsychiatric symptoms were far more likely to end up in the Alzheimer’s group when everything was said and done.

The study showed that for each one-point increase in NPI score, there was a three percent increase in the risk of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

In fact, the study showed that paying attention to NPS symptoms was a better predictor of mental decline than other established Alzheimer’s risk factors, which include heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

When asked about the real-world implications of their research, the team had this to say, “If you feel down or anxious and you experience memory issues as you age, it is important to seek help early and get a thorough evaluation for both cognitive and mental health concerns.”

Evaluating the risk to you or your loved one

So if you or your loved one is living with MCI, evaluation of neuropsychiatric symptoms is key.

Your doctor should use the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire to understand not only which symptoms are present, but also their severity and the distress they cause to the caregiver.

By understanding the risk of progression from MCI to Alzheimer’s, both patients and families can be better prepared for the journey ahead.

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In addition to understanding progression risks, there are also steps you can take to reduce those risks at home. These include:

#1 – Exercising

Research, performed at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea, showed that physical activity can help prevent the slide from MCI to Alzheimer’s. Their study found that people with MCI, who exercised at a moderate or vigorous level for at least 10 minutes, more than once per week, had an 18 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

#2 – Using pink noise

Certain sounds when you sleep, known as ‘pink noise’, have been shown to result in memory improvement in subjects who suffer from mild cognitive impairment.

#3 – Eating mushrooms

Mushroom eating has been found to slash MCI in half! According to researchers, this is likely due to a specific compound in mushrooms known as ergothioneine, which fights free radical damage throughout the body.

#4 – Improving head-to-toe blood flow

A study found that men taking prescriptions for ED medication were 18 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. That little blue pill works by increasing a molecule known as nitric oxide (NO) in the lining of the blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to widen, increasing blood flow and boosting oxygen to all the body’s organs and tissues — including the brain.

Sources:

Neuropsychiatric symptoms predict which patients with mild cognitive impairment develop Alzheimer’s disease – EurekAlert!

The post The symptoms that predict whether MCI turns to Alzheimer’s appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The first thing to understand is that blood pressure is not static. It varies throughout the day — minute by minute. 

What it’s really doing is oscillating, sometimes quite profoundly, around a mean — and what we’re really interested in is what that mean is. So one reading in a doctor’s office does not a hypertension diagnosis make…

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Taking things into your own hands

What we really need are multiple readings that give us more information.  This is why I always ask my patients to get their own blood pressure cuffs and start taking their own readings at home. Home BP monitors are widely available and relatively inexpensive, and can be invaluable tools for facilitating BP evaluation and management.

The second thing to know is that there are multiple factors that can contribute to high blood pressure that are reversible: excess weight, inactivity, smoking, stimulants (like caffeine and alcohol), non-restorative sleep/sleep apnea, and high sodium intake/poor diet. 

These are not necessarily factors that are chip shots to solve or change, but it’s all doable. Most importantly, making inroads here – even if they’re only partial — can help reduce your readings enough that you can avoid medications or, at the very least, lower the drug doses needed to control them.

How anxiety and depression impact blood pressure

Finally, know that there is a significant connection between mental health and hypertension. Not just anxiety. Depression too can be linked. One recent study found a connection between depressive symptoms and high blood pressure years before hypertension was diagnosed.

The relationship between mental health and blood pressure is complex. On one hand, anxiety and depression may cause people to avoid taking medications or even skip medical appointments altogether. On the other hand, some antihypertensive medications, such as beta-blockers, can have depression and fatigue as side effects. 

High blood pressure causes low-grade inflammation. And inflammation can interfere with mood-regulating chemicals. Left untreated, hypertension can also increase stress-related hormones. And stress, of course, is not good for your mental health.

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We tend to think of mental and physical health separately, but they are so intertwined that it can be hard to tell what is the cause and what is the effect. Is stress making your blood pressure rise, or is hypertension causing your stress? While the answer isn’t always clear, the good news is that treating one should improve the other as well.

The best part is, the treatment doesn’t need to be just drugs, drugs, and more drugs! What we eat has a TREMENDOUS impact on both physical and mental health — including mood and blood pressure readings.  Consuming more whole food fiber, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats is the key.  Sound familiar?

We’ve had lots of customers tell us their blood pressure has improved as a consequence of eating Step One Foods. But I’ll never forget the day that a customer marched into our offices and demanded to know if we put anti-depressants into the foods — because he had never felt better! Not everyone will have such dramatic improvements, but shouldn’t we all feed our bodies in a way that supports health on every level?

The post The significant link between blood pressure, anxiety and depression appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

My children have finally left the nest, and I relish my time alone. I have plenty of neighbors right outside my door to call on when I feel the need for some social contact.

So, even though I live alone, I am far from lonely. But there are those who live alone and feel it.

That’s a problem because chronic loneliness can kill you.

It causes tissue damage and inflammation that lead to Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure and heart disease. In fact, research has suggested that the effects of loneliness and social isolation are more detrimental to your health and wellness than smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Not only that, but the emotional pain of feeling lonely is leading more and more older adults to seek help from someone they trust — their doctors.

And that’s putting them in a dangerous situation that may not be aware of: taking drugs that are especially risky for them…

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Loneliness and dangerous prescriptions go together

According to researchers at the University of California San Francisco, older adults who self-identify as lonely are nearly twice as likely to be prescribed opioids for pain, and two-and-a-half times more likely to take sedatives and anti-anxiety medications from their doctors.

The researchers used data from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, a population-based study of health and social factors.

They found that seniors who identified as moderately lonely or very lonely were eight to eleven percent more likely to use prescription opioids than non-lonely seniors.

And 23 percent of the “very lonely” group used anti-anxiety medications and sedatives — including anticholinergic drugs known to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s — compared with only nine percent of those who said they were not lonely.

In addition to taking drugs that could steal their memories and their lives, these prescriptions are on the danger list for seniors for other reasons as well…

They can increase the danger of falls and other accidents that can leave seniors with life-threatening broken bones or fractures — not to mention drug dependency.

Medications can also contribute to vitamin deficiencies…

Vitamin deficiencies can sneak up on older adults in two ways: The body becomes less efficient at metabolizing the nutrients we receive from food and many medications we rely on in our older years can interfere with nutrient absorption.

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What is social prescribing?

Dr. Ashwin Kotwal of the UCSF Division of Geriatrics says that, instead of prescribing psychotropic drugs for older adults who are lonely, doctors should be “social prescribing” to local resources in the community.

Social prescribing is an approach that seeks to fill in the gaps by connecting people with community resources.

For seniors, especially, that may be the only prescription they need. That’s because, according to Dr. Kotwal, older people are more socially active than other age groups and frequently play major roles in community.

When they are not socially active, he adds, we need to recognize there is a problem. But the first step should be social prescribing instead of medication.

“We don’t want to pathologize loneliness. Most people experience loneliness at some point in their lives, but when experiences of loneliness persist for many months or years, it can cause physiologic changes, such as a ramped-up stress response, sleep problems, and even heart disease,” said Kotwal. “And, a lack of social contact can erode our social skills, making it more difficult over time to connect with others and creating a vicious cycle.”

When health professionals practice social prescribing, they refer patients to sources in the community to improve their health, rather than turning to drugs as a first course of treatment, or risk the pitfalls of polypharmacy (when someone is taking multiple medications and sometimes from different doctors).

For example, study after study has shown that music is medicine. One study proved that singing in a choir could increase one’s lifespan by fifty percent.

Source:

65+ and lonely? Don’t talk to your doctor about another prescription — Eureka Alert

The post ‘Loneliness’ prescriptions are putting older adults in jeopardy appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And although the surgery itself went well, the pain of recovery kept me from getting the sleep I needed to truly feel better. The longer I went without rest, the more stressed I felt and the more pain I felt.

It was a cycle that seemed to build and build — until finally I had enough and broke down in tears.

Luckily, I had a doctor that recognized what was happening and addressed not only my pain, but my sleep issues, so that I could start feeling like myself again pretty quickly.

But not everyone is so lucky, especially those that live with chronic pain, rather than an acute condition, like I experienced.

In fact, according to researchers at the Regenstrief Institute, although symptoms of the body and mind seem to go hand-in-hand, doctors all too often neglect signs of depression and anxiety in patients suffering from chronic pain.

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The relationship between pain and mood

According to Kurt Kroenke, M.D., of Regenstrief Institute, pain, which is the most common symptom that takes a person into the doctor’s office, is inextricably linked to depression and anxiety — making it vital that a physician delve deeper than the just muscles and nerves.

“One of the reasons for the bi-directional linkage between pain and depression, as well as anxiety, is the existence of a feedback loop,” says Kroenke. “Individuals with pain don’t sleep well and their resulting tiredness affects their mood, making them vulnerable to depression and anxiety. Having problems with depression or anxiety can increase susceptibility to pain.”

Additionally, studies have proven that areas in the brain that control the level of pain a person experiences are also connected to regions that work to regulate mood.

This creates a close association between mental and physical symptoms.

It also explains why researchers have long known that successfully treating depression and anxiety can result in an improvement in pain.

And while reducing pain has not been found to have as profound an impact on anxiety and depression as improving mental health does on pain, taking an active approach to both ends of that feedback loop can bring big benefits.

“Symptoms of the body and the mind are frequent fellow travelers,” Dr. Kroenke reminds us. “But patients seeing their primary care physician for a headache, back or muscle or leg pain or stomachache often neglect to mention the symptoms commonly associated with depression and anxiety that they are also experiencing such as fatigue, lack of motivation, nervousness and moodiness. And physicians don’t always ask about symptoms beyond the ones which brought the patient into the office.

“Un- or under-treated, these emotional symptoms can cause long-term suffering and impaired quality of life.”

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Breaking the feedback loop

So if you want to feel better, don’t forget to care for your emotional health, as well as take steps to reduce your pain.

To improve pain symptoms, consider these 10 natural pain relievers backed by science.

And to help overcome mood problems that are keeping you down, try taking a few small steps that can add up fast like:

• Move for just 10 minutes a day – As little as 10 minutes of exercise each day can offer powerful relief from depression.
• Downward dog – Yoga is great medicine for depression. And as an added bonus, it can help ease chronic pain too!
• Natural anti-inflammatories – Omega-3s offer big benefits against both depression and pain thanks to their anti-inflammatory properties.
• Magnesium power – A study of 126 adults with mild to moderate depression showed that just six weeks of taking 248 milligrams of elemental magnesium per day resulted in a significant improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms.

Sources:

Symptoms of the body and the mind are frequent fellow travelers — ScienceDaily

The post Break the feedback loop that fuels pain appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They may come when we’re stressed, or after or during heavy exercise.

But your run-of-the-mill heart palpitations are different from a more serious heart irregularity known as atrial fibrillation, or AFib.

In this post, I’ll describe ways you can tell the difference…

But first, I’d like to tell you a bit more about AFib, and about some research showing how a vitamin you may already be taking could reduce your risk for this serious condition.

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What is AFib?

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is the most common heart arrhythmia (an irregular or abnormal heartbeat).

Quite simply, the cause of AFib is a “misfire” of electrical signals to the heart. This misfire causes the heart’s upper chambers (the atria) to beat at an abnormally fast pace. Blood pools in the atria, rather than moving to the lower chambers as it should.

This stagnant blood can form clots, and if one of those clots breaks free and travels to the brain, it can cause a stroke. The risk of this happening is greater the older we get.

Vitamin D might prevent AFib

Past research has shown that Vitamin D supports the electrical functioning of the heart.

That’s why the results of a recently published study aren’t all that surprising.

They suggest that vitamin D, taken in the right dosage, may very well prevent atrial fibrillation.

The Finnish Vitamin D Trial, or FIND, was conducted at the University of Finland from 2012 to 2018.

The researchers knew that vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher atrial fibrillation risk. But to their surprise, they’d found only limited evidence that taking vitamin D supplements could lower that risk.

The 2,495 study participants were men 60 years or older and women 65 and older. Subjects were randomly divided into three groups:

• one placebo group
• one group taking 40 micrograms (1600 IU) of vitamin D daily
• another group taking 80 micrograms (3200 IU) of vitamin D daily

Over the five-year study period, the risk of atrial fibrillation was 27 percent lower in the 40 micrograms group, and 32 percent lower in the 80 micrograms group, when compared to the placebo group.

According to the researchers, further confirmation of their results is needed before doses of vitamin D that significantly exceed current recommendations can be recommended for preventing atrial fibrillation.

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Is it palpitations or AFib?

It’s important to know how to differentiate between “normal” heart palpitations and a potentially life-threatening problem.

The easiest way to distinguish between the two is to pay close attention to your heartbeat.

With atrial fibrillation, your heartbeat will be very erratic. On the other hand, palpitations make your heart speed up, but in a steady pattern, and will slowly return to normal.

Other factors:

• If you are in a tense or anxious situation, it may be heart palpitations. Under stress, your brain releases hormones that can make your heart beat faster.
• Consider your age and general health. If you have a thyroid condition, you may be at a greater risk of AFib. The same applies if you are over the age of 65.
• Pay attention to the symptoms. Palpitations caused by AFib typically last longer than those brought on by anxiety. They may also be accompanied by other symptoms like nausea and sweating.

If your heartbeat changes erratically without warning or apparent reason, and if it’s accompanied by chest pain or difficulty breathing, seek medical help immediately.

Never be embarrassed or hesitant that it “might be nothing.” If it is, you’ll have peace of mind. But if it isn’t, you could end up saving your own life.

Sources:

Taking higher-than-recommended doses of vitamin D for five years reduced the risk of atrial fibrillation — Science Daily

The effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on atrial fibrillation in generally healthy men and women: The Finnish Vitamin D Trial — American Heart Journal

Heart Palpitations or Atrial Fibrillation? How to Tell the Difference — Orlando Health

The post The vitamin that reduced atrial fibrillation appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Moving your body is good for your mental health.

Regular exercise can lift your mood. The endorphins that are released during moderate exercise, cardio and weight training are like a natural “happiness drug,” one with no side effects.

Still, many people are skeptical. Can a round of cardio really replace my antidepressant?

That’s why it’s good to see a large-scale review that pulls together evidence of just how effective exercise is at alleviating depression and anxiety.

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Large-scale review shows exercise more effective on mental health

Antidepressants and anxiety medications have a long list of side effects…

They don’t always work, they’ve been linked to dementia and they can cause weight gain.

But exercise has nothing but good side effects…

“Physical activity is known to help improve mental health. Yet despite the evidence, it has not been widely adopted as a first-choice treatment,” says Dr. Ben Singh, lead researcher of the University of South Australia review.

The review is the most comprehensive to date on this subject, encompassing:

• 97 reviews;
• 1039 trials;
• and 128,119 participants!

The findings showed that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than counseling or the leading medications for managing depression–and the effects were fast…

The review showed that exercise interventions that were 12 weeks or shorter were the most effective at reducing mental health symptoms, highlighting the speed at which physical activity can make a change.

The largest benefits were seen in people with clinical depression, HIV and kidney disease, in pregnant and postpartum women, and physically healthy individuals.

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It doesn’t take much to start seeing results

Some comments from Dr. Singh about the review’s findings will make them both relevant and easily applicable for most of us.

“Higher intensity exercise had greater improvements for depression and anxiety, while longer durations had smaller effects when compared to short and mid-duration bursts.

Translation: Short sessions of high-intensity exercise alternated with rest (better known as high-intensity interval training, or HIIT) are better for depression and anxiety than long exercise sessions.

HIIT increases blood flow to the brain, which may have something to do with its positive effects on your mental state. It also helps lower dementia risk.

 But if that seems too strenuous, Dr. Singh has good news…

“We also found that all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercise such as walking, resistance training, Pilates, and yoga.

Translation: you can easily find the exercise that suits you and reap the same benefits.

 “Importantly, the research shows that it doesn’t take much for exercise to make a positive change to your mental health.”

In fact, the review showed that exercise interventions of just twelve weeks or less were the most effective.

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Some exercises give your mental health an extra boost

While a range of physical activities can reap benefits for your mental health, as noted above, one study found that three, in particular, were especially good:

• Team sports. Exercising with a team improved mental health the most. It reduced the number of lousy mental health days per month by 22.3 percent.
• Cycling. The simple act of hopping on a bike reduced bad mental health days by 21.6 percent.
• Aerobic/gym exercise. Heart-pounding, sweaty exercise sessions were effective as well. They led to a 20.1 percent decrease in days each month where you just don’t want to get out of bed.

Here’s another thought: when and where weather permits, take your exercise routine outdoors

In her 2019 book, The Joy of Movement, Stanford University health lecturer Dr. Kelly McGonigal cites a study showing that “green exercise” can reduce depressive symptoms.

“So many people who struggle with anxiety, grief or depression find a kind of relief in being active in nature that they don’t find any other way,” she says.

“It actually alters what’s happening in your brain in a way that looks really similar to meditation,” she says. “People report feeling connected to all of life … and they feel more hopeful about life itself.”

Sources:

Exercise more effective than medicines to manage mental health — Eureka Alert

Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews — British Journal of Sports Medicine

Association between physical exercise and mental health in 1·2 million individuals in the USA between 2011 and 2015: a cross-sectional study — The Lancet Psychiatry

The post Exercise relieves depression better than medication appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The American Diabetes Association supports it as an acceptable sugar replacement, even though it has generated 75 percent of consumer reports on adverse reactions to artificial sweeteners.

If you use the artificial sweeteners Nutra Sweet or Equal, you’re eating aspartame.

And if you drink diet soda or chew gum, you’re getting a good dose of aspartame. It’s also found in cereals, yogurt, synthetic vitamins and even some pharmaceutical drugs… and that’s just the shortlist!

We’re already aware of the health risks associated with aspartame.

But that list keeps growing…

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Multi-generational anxiety: not so sweet

Researchers at Florida State University worked with mice to explore the possible trans-generational effects of aspartame consumption.

That is, if you consume artificial sweetener, how does it affect your children? Your grandchildren?

This research was a follow-up to a previous study where nicotine was examined similarly.

“We were working on the effects of nicotine on the same type of model,” says co-author Dr. Pradeep Bhide. “The father smokes. What happened to the children?”

For twelve weeks, mice were given water that contained aspartame at about 15 percent of the FDA-approved maximum human daily intake, the equivalent of six to eight cans of diet soda.

The study tracked these exposed mice and those bred from them over a four-year period.

What the researchers saw astounded them.

“It was such a robust anxiety-like trait that I don’t think any of us were anticipating we would see,” says lead author Sara Jones  “It was completely unexpected. Usually, you see subtle changes.” 

Through a variety of maze tests, the mice exhibited pronounced anxiety-like behavior across multiple generations.

Moreover, when they were given diazepam, a drug used to treat anxiety disorder in humans, the anxiety-like behavior ceased, across the board.

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Where aspartame hides

“Extrapolation of the findings to humans suggests that aspartame consumption at doses below the FDA recommended maximum daily intake may produce neurobehavioral changes in aspartame-consuming individuals — and their descendants,” the researchers say.

“Thus, the human population at risk of aspartame’s potential mental health effects may be larger than current expectations, which only include aspartame-consuming individuals.”

In plain language, there are probably a lot more of us than we thought walking around out there living with aspartame-induced anxiety. And aspartame is already known to cause a range of symptoms from headaches and nausea to memory loss, slurred speech and gastrointestinal disorders.

If you do decide to avoid aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, you’ll need to read labels religiously, especially if you shop at big-box or conventional grocery stores. The number of products filled with aspartame, sucralose, erythritol and other artificial sweeteners in these stores is astounding. Here are some of the most common culprits:

• Zero-sugar or diet sodas.
• Sugar-free gums.
• Diet drink mixes.
• Reduced-sugar condiments, including pancake syrups and ketchup.
• Sugar-free gelatin and yogurt.
• Some gummy or chewable vitamins, cough syrups, cough drops and cold/flu relief over-the-counter medications.
• Some toothpaste and mouthwash products.

Basically, if you avoid anything labeled “diet,” “reduced calorie,” “light” or “sugar-free,” you’ll be well on your way to an aspartame-free life.

Sources:

FSU research links common sweetener with anxiety — Florida State University

A Popular Sweetener Had A Worrying Impact on Generations Of Mice — Science Alert

Transgenerational transmission of aspartame-induced anxiety and changes in glutamate-GABA signaling and gene expression in the amygdala — PNAS

The post Aspartame: The artificial sweetener linked to anxiety appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

One says, “Don’t suffer imagined troubles.”

The other says, “Be present.”

For the past year or so, I’ve tried to live by the combined meaning of these two sayings. Instinctively, I know that they are good for my mental and physical health.

Well, I guess my instincts were right because the research I’m reading now totally backs me up…

What is anticipatory stress?

Which one of us can honestly say we’ve never experienced stress about something that might happen in the future?

There’s a name for this: anticipatory stress.

As the name implies, anticipatory stress isn’t stress in the present moment. Instead, it’s anticipating that we’re going to feel stress in the near future.

Politics and the election cycle provide the perfect opportunity for “anticipatory stress.” What if the wrong candidate is elected, and enacts policies that affect our life adversely?

These days, that’s not an unreasonable thing to anticipate.

But a recent study shows that subjecting ourselves to this particular form of anticipatory stress is really bad for our physical health.

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Anticipatory stress over elections is harmful

New research from North Carolina State University finds that simply anticipating stress related to political elections causes adverse physical health effects.

“This is the first study to show that anticipatory stress related to elections can harm our health,” says Shevaun Neupert, professor of psychology at NC State.

“It’s well established that stress can adversely affect our health. This study tells us that thinking we’re going to feel stress in the near future can also adversely affect our health.”

In the study, 140 adults from across the United States filled out an online survey every day from October 15 to November 13, 2018 – the weeks immediately before and after the 2018 midterm elections.

Participants reported worse physical health on days when they also experienced high levels of anticipatory stress.

You may be questioning the reliability of a study that relies strictly on self-reporting about health.

But Professor Neupert comments that “this is a well-established and widely used approach that has consistently proven to be an objective indicator of physical health and well-being.”

How to prevent anticipatory stress

So, how do we fight anticipatory stress?

One way is called problem analysis.

For example, if you think you’re going to argue about the election with an acquaintance in the next 24 hours, you might think about why that’s going to happen, and what exactly the argument will be about.

According to the researchers, on days when study participants anticipated stress, but were also actively engaging in problem analysis, participants reported no decline in physical health.

“One reason we think problem analysis is so important is that it’s a necessary first step for many additional coping strategies,” Neupert explains. “For example, problem analysis may help people think of ways to avoid having an argument they’re anticipating, or help them think of ways to make the argument less heated.”

Another way to take down that stress may be as close as your local baseball diamond…

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Head for the ball field

I’m not a big sports fan, but I do love watching my local Little League teams hit the diamond each spring.

Apparently, this could be an antidote to anticipatory stress (and stress in general) and could improve my health in other ways, too.

A recent study found that attending live sporting events (amateur as well as professional) results in higher scores on two major measurements of subjective wellbeing — life satisfaction and a sense of “life being worthwhile.”

The study was carried out by faculty from Angela Ruskin University’s School of Psychology and Sports Science.

Researchers used data from 7,209 adults ages 16 to 85 who participated in the Taking Part Survey, commissioned by the British government.

Besides finding higher scores in life satisfaction and life being worthwhile, the study found lower levels of loneliness in those who attended live sporting events.

So, instead of doom-scrolling Facebook for political news or sitting glued to the nightly news, grab a friend and catch a game!

Sources:

Study finds worrying about election stress can harm your health and what you can do about it — Science Daily

Combatting Election Stress: Anticipatory Coping and Daily Self-Reported Physical Health — Psychological Reports

Attending live sport improves wellbeing: Study — Science Daily

Attending live sporting events predicts subjective wellbeing and reduces loneliness — Frontiers in Public Health

The post Anticipatory stress: How worry over politics is harmful appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Almost by definition, depression can cause fatigue and lack of motivation, which in turn can get in the way of making behavioral changes that might help, like exercising regularly.

We’re finding out that the long-standing theory of a serotonin imbalance being the cause of depression is little more than a myth, which is why medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are often of little use.

But there is another way around depression, a natural pathway within our bodies that may hold the key.

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The gut-brain axis: key to mood regulation

We talk about having a “gut  feeling.” Research has shown that this association between our gut and our brain may have crept into our language by way of a biological pathway known as the gut-brain axis.

The gut-brain axis is like a two-way road of nerves that connects the central nervous system (our brain and spinal cord, controlling thought and movement) with our enteric nervous system, a web of nerves that regulates our gastrointestinal tract.

The teeming mass of microbes that make up a healthy gut microbiome play a major role in this connection between brain and gut. They control the production of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that influence the immune system, metabolic functions and even mental health.

Take the bacteria Lactobacillus for example. Many species of this bacteria produce the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which plays an important role in inhibiting brain activity and controlling unwanted thoughts — which can be a problem in both anxiety and depression.

We know that we can regulate debilitating anxiety by controlling the bacterial environment of our gut. So what about depression?

Probiotic use alters brain neurons to relieve depression

Scientists at the University of Basel have shown that taking probiotics as an add-on therapy resulted in an improvement of depressive symptoms.

The clinical trial involved patient volunteers from the University’s psychiatric clinic who were currently having depressive episodes.

They were randomly assigned to either receive a formulation of live microbes or a placebo for 31 days while continuing to take their antidepressant medications. The study participants nor the study staff knew which patients were taking probiotics or the placebo.

The researchers used a clinical scale to measure depression at the start of the trial (as a baseline) and again upon conclusion.

They found the probiotic group showed fewer depressive symptoms than the placebo group.

But most impressive of all?

Compared with those who took a placebo, brain imaging in those who took probiotics revealed less neural activity in the putamen, a brain area involved in emotional processing and associated with depression.

In other words, adding probiotics to the gut affected actual changes in the brain.

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Be selective when shopping for a probiotic supplement

The makeup of the bacteria in our guts has been linked to high blood pressure and dozens of other conditions, so even if you’re not dealing with anxiety or depression, it’s a good idea to support your gut microbiome.

But just as everyone’s gut is different, all those probiotic supplements you see in your health food store are different, too.

In this particular study, the researchers used a specific formulation of eight strains of bacteria. Some of the strains in the formula were:

• Lactobacillus paracasei     
• Lactobacillus plantarum     
• Lactobacillus acidophilus  
• Bifidobacterium longum     
• Bifidobacterium infantis      
• Bifidobacterium breve        
• Streptococcus thermophilus

Remember, the right foods can also help promote a healthy and balanced gut microbiome as well — especially fermented foods like:

• Yogurt
• Sauerkraut
• Kefir
• Miso
• Kombucha
• Buttermilk
• Cottage cheese

If you’re currently being treated for depression do not stop any medication without consulting with your physician.

Sources:

Neuroimaging Supports Probiotic Add-on Intervention That Improves Patients’ Depressive Symptoms — Neuroscience News

Effects of a probiotic add-on treatment on fronto-limbic brain structure, function, and perfusion in depression: Secondary neuroimaging findings of a randomized controlled trial — Journal of Affective Disorders

What are probiotics? — Web MD

The post Brain imaging shows common supplement’s impact on depression appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Those are just a few of the words that describe people living with depression or anxiety…

And, since it’s estimated that at least 350 million suffer from depression worldwide, odds are that you’ve experienced the feelings of apathy, hopelessness, loss of interest and hopelessness that can go along with the disorder.

You may even live with anxiety, a common component of depression… 40 million people in the U.S. alone do.

If you’ve been to your doctor, you’ve likely been prescribed prescription antidepressants.

And, while they may help, unfortunately, those drugs come with a hefty dose of side effects as well, including nausea, weight gain, constipation, fatigue, diminished sex drive and blurred vision.

If your doctor was more proactive, they may have even tested your vitamin D levels and told you to get more sun and take the vitamin to help you beat back the depression that’s been ruling your life.

But even if they were that knowledgeable, more than likely, there’s one thing they missed…

One vital nutrient that most doctors never even think about using to help their patients in the battle against depression and anxiety…

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It’s not just for blood clotting

Most doctors only think about vitamin K when they’re worried about your blood clotting, like when they put you on blood thinners.

But, this little-known vitamin does so much more. Since its discovery, scientists have uncovered five different compounds that make up the vitamin K family. And one of the most compelling is vitamin K2.

In fact, here’s what Dr. John Cannell at the Vitamin D Council has to say about it…

“If you asked practicing physicians, I bet 99% would say vitamin K is only involved in blood clotting. However, there are vitamin K-dependent proteins in multiple human tissues.

Blood clotting is simply the most urgent function of vitamin K, so, if vitamin K intake is restricted (as it is in most people who don’t consume five servings of vegetables every day), vitamin K is first used by the liver to handle blood clotting so you don’t bleed to death.”

And, one of those tissues that utilize vitamin K that Dr. Cannell talks about is your brain, which is why studies have shown that supplementing with vitamin K version, known as K2 can prevent both depression and anxiety by feeding your brain the proteins and lipids it needs to function optimally.

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The natural prescription for depression and anxiety: K2 and D3

In fact, in order to defeat depression, you need both vitamin D and vitamin K2.

According to the Vitamin D council, to get the most benefit from vitamin D, you must have other cofactors in your body, one of the most important being vitamin K.

By now you’re probably wondering how much of each you need to help lift your depression, boost your mood and overcome your anxiety.

Here’s the answer…

Since your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight, it’s best to use brief sunbathing when appropriate and supplement with 5,000 IU/day of D3 with 600 mcg of vitamin K2.

You should also increase your intake of green leafy vegetables to get more vitamin K from your diet.

If you’re taking blood thinners, talk to your doctor before taking vitamin K2 as it does affect clotting.

Good sources of vitamin K2 include:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Collard greens
• Scallion
• Natto (fermented soy)
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Kefir
• Prunes

So, if you’re living with depression and anxiety, don’t suffer in silence or from the unwanted side effects of prescription antidepressants, combine the power of the new vitamin on the block, vitamin K2, with your daily dose of vitamin D and take back your life.

Sources:

Depression and Mental Health by the Numbers: Facts, Statistics, and You — Healthline Media

Facts & Statistics — ADAA

Coping With Side Effects of Depression Treatment — WebMD

Vitamin K2 Improves Anxiety and Depression but not Cognition in Rats with Metabolic Syndrome: a Role of Blood Glucose? — Folia Medica

Vitamin K and brain function — Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis

The post The vitamin duo that beats depression and anxiety: K2 + D3 appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But what if you’re allergic or sensitive to a common food allergen and don’t even know it?

Is there such a thing as a “silent” food allergy?

New research indicates it’s very possible. But just because an allergy is “silent” doesn’t mean it’s not causing damage…

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Do food allergens cause “invisible symptoms”?

Kumi Nagamoto-Combs is Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of North Dakota.

She is also a neuroscientist with a particular interest in how the brain is affected by food allergies.

Specifically, she is working to find out whether ongoing exposure to allergens causes ongoing brain inflammation that results in behavioral disorders.

Prof. Nagamoto-Combs first became interested in this question after reading a 1949 case report that described behavioral and mood disturbances in patients after they ate certain foods, like milk or eggs.

She was intrigued by the fact that these patients were otherwise tolerant to the foods and had no adverse physical reactions.

Milk allergens cause brain inflammation and behavioral changes

At her lab at the University of North Dakota, Prof. Nagamoto-Combs and her colleagues used mice to test whether food allergens could cause behavioral symptoms in otherwise asymptomatic individuals.

They used mice so that they could “level the playing field” and minimize the wide amount of variation found in human subjects.

They sensitized mice of the same age and genetic background to the milk allergen β-lactoglobulin, or BLG, then continued to feed them milk products for two weeks, to determine that they were truly symptom-free.

Then, they started watching for changes in emotionally driven behavior.

But how can you tell if a mouse is depressed or anxious?

To do this, the researchers watched for deviations from the usual survival-driven behaviors of mice.

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For example, mice normally search their environment for food and shelter, while at the same time avoiding danger. “Anxious” mice spent more time hiding than searching for food.

They identified “depressed” mice by briefly holding them by the tail. Most mice will keep fighting to get away when held this way, but the “depressed” mice quickly gave up and became passive.

The BLG-sensitized mice showed anxiety-like behavior just one day after being fed a large amount of the milk allergen, and depression-like behavior was evident after eating small amounts for two weeks.

More importantly, the BLG-sensitized mice showed signs of brain inflammation and nerve damage, suggesting that these brain changes may be responsible for their behavioral changes.

What to do if you suspect a sneaky food allergy

More research is needed on the effects of prolonged brain inflammation in people who appear asymptomatic. But chronic neuroinflammation has been identified as a contributor to neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s.

In fact, gluten can cause brain shrinkage. At Easy Health Options we also worked with a former contributor whose only sign of his gluten intolerance was brain fog and moodiness.

If you suspect you could have an asymptomatic food allergy or sensitivity, see your doctor and request allergy testing.

It’s also a good idea to keep a food diary. It takes time and effort because you’ll need to make diary entries daily for some time to be able to identify the culprit.

Begin logging everything you eat and note how you felt that day. If you notice you feel a little off, anxious, depressed or just not your usual self, write that down. If you had a great day, average day or felt exceptional, write that down too.

After a few weeks or months, you may notice a pattern and be able to narrow down the offending food. At that point, eliminate it from your diet and also keep track of how that works for you.

Sources:

People can have food sensitivities without noticeable symptoms – long-term consumption of food allergens may lead to behavior and mood changes — The Conversation

Anxiety-like behavior and intestinal microbiota changes as strain-and sex-dependent sequelae of mild food allergy in mouse models of cow’s milk allergy — Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

The post Is a ‘silent’ food allergy attacking your brain? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Clinicians are always looking for alternatives to risky antidepressants to relieve the symptoms of GAD.

In fact, there’s evidence that a drug-free alternative exists that is just as effective, and a lot safer, than medications.

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What is generalized anxiety disorder?

Generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, is not the same as “feeling anxious.”

According to the National Institutes for Mental Health, almost six percent of American adults experience generalized anxiety disorder at some time in their lives.

Symptoms of GAD include feeling constantly on edge, being easily fatigued and having trouble concentrating — along with a feeling of dread or fear that is out of proportion to the events at hand.

Physical symptoms include headaches, muscle aches, stomach pain and nausea.

I can tell you from experience that relating to a person with generalized anxiety isn’t easy.

The disorder tends to mask the positive aspects of a person’s character. They can be irritable and snappish for no reason. This tends to isolate them from other people, and life can feel lonely.

Treatments for GAD

Until recently, the treatment of choice for generalized anxiety has always been medication, particularly antidepressants — and mainly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

But as the possible life-threatening dangers of staying on SSRIs became clear, alternative treatment methods were sought.

The most effective of these are mindfulness and meditation practices.

But while these practices have been shown to reduce the symptoms of anxiety disorder, no one ever put them side-by-side with SSRIs to compare their effectiveness — until now…

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Mindfulness found just as effective as medication

An international team of researchers, including psychiatrists from Harvard, NYU and Georgetown University, conducted an eight-week a study that put a course of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) up against a course of Lexapro, an SSRI medication considered to be a “gold standard” antidepressant.

After the eight-week course of treatment with either MBSR or Lexapro was over, the 208 subjects took follow-up surveys for up to 24 weeks, using an assessment called the Clinical Global Impression of Severity Scale (CGI-S).

The CGI-S measured anxiety on a scale of one to seven, with seven being severe anxiety.

Study subjects who had tried mindfulness to reduce anxiety saw their scores drop an average of 1.35 points. Those who used Lexapro saw their scores lower by an average of 1.43 points.

Statistically speaking, MBSR was just as effective as Lexapro at reducing symptoms of anxiety disorder.

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Mindfulness: anxiety treatment without side effects

“Our study provides evidence for clinicians, insurers, and health care systems to recommend, include and provide reimbursement for mindfulness-based stress reduction as an effective treatment for anxiety disorders,” says psychiatrist Elizabeth Hoge, director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Program at Georgetown University.

The advantage of a mindfulness-based treatment, of course, is that it doesn’t carry the side-effects that SSRIs do, including higher risk of stroke and premature death.

But there is a downside to mindfulness training…

“It is important to note that although mindfulness meditation works, not everyone is willing to invest the time and effort to successfully complete all of the necessary sessions and do regular home practice, which enhances the effect,” Dr. Hoge says.

But anything worthwhile is worth your time. So if you or anyone you know gives a mindful-based treatment a try, it’s important to give it some time.

There are other natural options that may help you on that journey including magnesium which has been shown to help people with mild to moderate depression; vitamin D, which is helpful with the mood switch in our brains activated by sunlight; and omega-3s which help tamp down the inflammation associated with depression.

Sources:

Mindfulness can rival antidepressants for anxiety, study finds — Science Alert

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Escitalopram for the Treatment of Adults With Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial — JAMA Psychiatry

Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis — JAMA Internal Medicine

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is as Effective as an Antidepressant Drug for Treating Anxiety Disorders — Georgetown University

The post Anxiety-relieving practice deemed effective as medication appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It brings with it feelings of love, togetherness and joy. But many people find themselves stepping around emotional landmines for the entire month of December.

The overwhelming presence of Christmas, and what many see as the forced happiness and commercial hype that goes with it, often trigger feelings of anxiety and depression.

Even if you are not prone to these feelings during the rest of the year, the holidays can trigger difficult feelings that you didn’t know were there.

Here are some of those “land mines” to look out for, and some healthy ways to cope and have a truly rewarding holiday season.

8 depression triggers and how to cope with them

1. Family gatherings. If going home triggers bad memories, or if your family always ends up fighting at the dinner table, you can be there and still cope by focusing on the things you’re looking forward to, like your favorite pie, or catching up with a cousin.

Also, it’s OK to set a time limit for your visit. Or if going is just too much, RSVP with a polite “No.”

2. Over-commercialization. This one can really depress you unless you focus on whatever is truly meaningful to you about the holidays: spending time with loved ones, and sticking to simple traditions.

Also, making a donation to charity, instead of spending a fortune on trying to outdo last year’s gifts, can help lift your spirits.

3. Over-committing. As the holiday party invitations roll in, it’s so tempting to say “Yes” to every single one, for fear of offending someone.

Here’s an idea” practice saying “no, thank you” in front of a mirror. Sounds silly, but it really helps. Your first commitment should be to yourself, and to staying healthy and well-rested during the holidays.

4. Financial worries. You don’t have to go into massive debt to show your friends and family that you care. Before you start shopping for gifts, create a budget and stick to it.

And don’t forget that some of the most meaningful gifts of all don’t cost much: a book you know they’ll enjoy, a personalized journal or a handmade gift with a sincere note are all gifts that anyone would love to receive.

5. Unrealistic expectations. This one will kill your holiday spirits like nothing else. Life is hectic all year. Don’t add the pressure of trying to produce a perfect holiday, while acting cheerful. You’re bound to end up feeling exhausted, which leads to feeling depressed.

Instead, make it a point to sidestep perfectionism. No time to bake Santa cookies for your son’s classmates? Store-bought cookies are just fine.

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6. Fatigue. This one goes right along with perfectionism. Spending your days at the mall and your nights wrapping presents, while also baking treats for the neighbors, will take its toll.

Instead, make time to rest and renew. You won’t enjoy your holidays if you’re walking around in a fog of exhaustion. Plan nights with no commitments and an early bedtime.

7. Breaking healthy habits. If you overindulge with some extra dessert, don’t let that mean that all bets are off, and the healthy habits you’ve worked at all year go out the window. You’ll end up listening to that self-critical voice in your ear for days afterward. Nothing like that to ruin a holiday!

Tomorrow is a fresh start. With a little planning, you can begin the day with fresh fruit and other healthy food, eat a healthy snack before going to a party to curb your appetite, and keep your exercise and eating routine pretty close to normal. Remember, exercise has been shown to be a powerful remedy for anxiety, which often accompanies depression.

8. Shorter days, lack of sunlight. If you’re becoming more sad and anxious as the days get shorter, and find yourself sleeping during the day and losing interest in activities you enjoy, you could be one of those people who experience a mild form of winter onset seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

If you have these symptoms, talk to your doctor. You’re not alone, and effective treatments are available.

Also, here are five proven ways to beat the winter blues.

Sources:

10 Triggers for Holiday Blues Web MD

The post 8 holiday depression triggers and how to work around them appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yet, what if instead of, or in addition to depression, you’re living with anxiety?

Well, that answer has been harder to find, until now.

While we’ve all long believed that exercise can ease stress, whether it truly works for an issue as severe as chronic anxiety can be has been up for debate.

But that debate has been settled thanks to research at the University of Gothenburg.

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Increasing intensity increases relief

For their study, the researchers recruited 286 participants, the majority of whom had lived with anxiety for at least 10 years. Then they randomly assigned each person to one of three groups: moderate exercise, strenuous exercise and a control group who only received advice on physical activity.

And the results were impressive — so impressive that both exercise groups, no matter their intensity, experienced significant relief from the anxiety that had plagued them for so long after just 12 weeks of regular physical activity.

According to the results, exercise increased the chances of symptom improvement for the moderate level group by a factor of 3.62. For the group doing strenuous exercise, the results were even better with a likelihood of improvement 4.88 times higher than the non-exercise group.

“There was a significant intensity trend for improvement — that is, the more intensely they exercised, the more their anxiety symptoms improved,” said the study’s first author, Malin Henriksson.

How much exercise is enough?

So what did the anxiety-clobbering exercise programs look like?

Well, both groups completed 60-minute training sessions three times a week, which included both cardio and strength training. They did a warm-up, followed by circle training around 12 stations for 45 minutes and then a cool-down and stretching.

Those working at the moderate level were asked to stick to an intensity that would help them reach approximately 60 percent of their maximum heart rate. However, working out at a strenuous level meant upping the workout to 75 percent of maximum heart rate.

Since both groups saw improvements in their anxiety levels, the decision for you may come down to which intensity level you’re more comfortable with.

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More drug-free anxiety busters

In addition to exercise, there are a number of other drug-fee ways to calm anxiety, including:

• Taking probiotics – Probiotics are known to help regulate levels of certain neurotransmitters that in turn affect issues like anxiety and depression.
• Adding in prebiotics – A study by British researchers showed that just four weeks of daily galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) prebiotic intake reduced anxiety and improved overall well-being.
• Eat more avocadoes – Foods like avocadoes and pistachios are packed with a compound known as beta-sitosterol, which has been found to regulate anxiety with none of the side effects that would go hand-in-hand with taking anti-anxiety medications.
• Phosphatidylserine – Called PS for short, this nootropic supports cognitive brain health, but research has also shown it can blunt the effects of stress by decreasing blood levels of the stress hormones ACTH, cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine.

So don’t let chronic anxiety continue to damage your mental health. Use regular moderate or high-intensity exercise, along with the tips above, to put an end to the stress that’s keeping your head spinning.

Sources:

Anxiety effectively treated with exercise – University of Gothenburg

The post Exercise: A powerful drug-free remedy for chronic anxiety appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

What if you’re traveling after midnight and need to pop into a roadside 24-hour restaurant or convenience store? Who’s there to serve you?

And who’s restocking warehouses all over the country and transporting goods so we have the convenience of getting what we need when we need it?

Night shift workers.

In situations like these, and in factories and plants all over the U.S., over nine million Americans (about 6 percent of all workers) work between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Plentiful research shows that working the night shift messes with people’s circadian rhythm, which comes with its own unique set of health risks.

Compared to early risers, night owls are as much as twice as likely to develop depression.

But when night workers take their meals could make a big difference, according to a new study.

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Nighttime eating and depression

There’s been plenty of research into ways to help night workers minimize both physical and mental health risks, most of it having to do with using light to adjust their circadian clock and avoiding vitamin D deficiency due to less time in the sun.

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston wanted to find out whether the eating habits of night workers could play a role in their mental health and if confining eating to daytime hours could help prevent depression and other mood disorders.

The researchers already had evidence that nighttime meals can disrupt metabolism, and that this could be why shift workers tend to have a higher body mass index (BMI) and more dangerous visceral fat than daytime workers.

So, over the course of two weeks, 19 study participants followed a schedule and activities that simulated night work. Half the group ate their meals during both day and nighttime hours, while the other half ate only during the day.

In every other way, everything was the same for both groups, including calories, how long they slept, how active they were and their exposure to light.

When “night workers” were fed during the day and at night, the researchers saw a 26 percent increase in depressive moods and a 16 percent increase in anxiety-like moods, as compared to the baseline at the study’s start.

Those who ate only during the day reported no mood changes.

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Other reasons to stop eating at 7 p.m.

As far as health goes, late-night eating is a recipe for disaster.

For starters, about half of us carry a gene that makes late-night eating a recipe for diabetes.

Research has also shown that late-night meals can affect the brain’s hippocampus and lower your ability to learn and concentrate.

And if you’re looking to lose some weight, it’s probably a better idea to do your heavier eating at breakfast rather than later in the day.

The moral of this story is that making the effort to gradually shift your eating habits so that you do your “heavy eating” before 7 p.m. is well worth the effort.

Sources:

The Time of Day You Eat Could Make a Difference to Your Mental Health — Science Alert

Daytime eating prevents mood vulnerability in night work — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

The relationship of body mass index and waist-hip ratio with shift work among military personnel in 2016 — Journal of Occupational Health and Epidemiology

The post How to keep night shift from dragging your health down appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Even then, I can’t watch them eat, or my overactive imagination will “hear” those sounds and grate on my nerves — enough at times that I’ve felt it could drive me mad.

And, when a person I’m eating with chews too loudly, slurps their food or drinks noisily, that also makes every nerve in my body quiver. I feel disgust, anger and anxiety.

This has always baffled and, quite frankly, scared me. I am generally a calm person. What is going on with this noise business?

Recently, I’ve found out that there’s a name for my experience: misophonia — also known as selective sound sensitivity syndrome. I’ve also found out that about 20 percent of people share this disorder with me.

Research on misophonia is in its infancy, but we do know some of the basics about this disorder…

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What is misophonia?

Misophonia literally means “hatred of sound.” It usually begins at a young age. I recall feeling this way as early as twelve or thirteen.

Misophonia is not a hearing problem. In fact, the most recent research tells us what’s happening in the brain when someone with misophonia is exposed to a trigger sound.

The amygdalais activated and initiates the “fight or flight” response, complete with its release of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Alertness and heart rate both go up as the person prepares for the perceived threat.

Trouble is, there is no real danger in someone slurping their soup. But the amygdala doesn’t know that. It interprets these noises as danger signals. We don’t yet know why that is.

And truth be told, my friends don’t have terrible table habits. When someone suffers from misophonia, their anxiety and dislike tied to trigger sounds is often anticipatory. In other words, I know a sound I don’t like is about to start happening over and over again and the dread exaggerates what I’m hearing.

But thankfully, research is ongoing into what causes misophonia and how to help people like me deal with it — as well as other surprising disorders that involve sounds…

Too much, too loud and where is that noise coming from

Several other disorders also involve tolerance to sound but may not stem from any abnormality in the auditory system.

Two that are often confused, both by medical practitioners and in scientific literature, are phonophobia and hyperacusis.

Phonophobia, as the name suggests, is a persistent and unwarranted fear of loud sounds that might startle most of us but are especially unsettling to someone with this condition. Phonophobia is considered an anxiety disorder and can cause panic attacks.  Sounds such as doors or cabinets banging shut, fireworks and even the sheer anticipation that a balloon is about to pop can be very stressful if you suffer from phonophobia.

Hyperacusis is an abnormally strong reaction to everyday sounds, at volumes that would not trouble the average person. That’s because people with the condition are especially sensitive to certain sounds making them seem louder than they should, like a running faucet, the humming of an appliance, a car engine or even a conversation. Hyperacusis is considered a hearing disorder even though most people who suffer with it have normal hearing. The condition is rare, but most people who have it also have tinnitus.

Tinnitus is a condition where people tend to hear a buzzing, ringing, chirping, roaring or humming sound that doesn’t come from an external source. Unlike hyperacusis, tinnitus is a common problem, affecting about 15 to 20 percent of people, mostly aged 55 and older, and can be constant or intermittent, steady or even pulsating. Some medications may trigger the condition and the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to affect a rise in cases of it. Like the other conditions, there is no easy cure, but a few researched solutions hold promise.

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What to do if sounds trouble you

Based on my personal experiences with misophonia, I felt relief to know that I was not alone. That goes for anyone suffering with any of these conditions. If you feel that way it’s important to seek help.

All of these disorders can trigger anxiety and depression: anxiety as you wait for the next intolerable sound, and depression as you become isolated in an attempt to avoid triggers and are viewed as having a “strange” and invisible problem.

Vitamin B6 is a great natural anxiety reliever. Also, research has shown that Vitamins D and K2, through supplementation or food, work together as natural depression relievers.

Cognitive-based therapies can help sufferers with different strategies like attention shifting, counterconditioning and relaxation techniques.

White noise therapy or apps have been shown helpful in all of these conditions.

Resources that may help include:

soQuiet, an organization that offers resources and support to people with misophonia, has an extensive list of free tools and resources.

And another website, aptly named “Allergic to Sound,” was started by a writer who lives with misophonia. He offers a great deal of support and information, including 8 Misophonia Coping Strategies.

The American Tinnitus Association makes it easy to know what kind of health provider may help the most and provides tips on the condition.

The American Tinnitus Association also lists provider information that is relevant for those with hyperacusis whether or not they are experiencing tinnitus.

Sources:

Tinnitus, misophonia and phonophobia: the big three explained — knops.co

Neural evidence for non-orofacial triggers in mild misophonia — Frontiers in Neuroscience

What is misophonia? — Web MD

The Complete Guide to Coping with Misophonia  — Better Humans

8 Misophonia Coping Strategies — Allergic to Sound

When You Can’t Stand the Sound of Chewing (or Crunching, or Sniffling) — NY Times

The post When sound drives you crazy: Misophonia, tinnitus, phonophobia and more appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For myself, I’ve been looking for natural ways to deal with the occasional spikes of anxiety and unhappiness the current environment has been causing me.

Yoga and meditation have helped somewhat. But those practices require a lot of time and a calm, quiet space, and I don’t have much of either of those things. (I’m sure you can relate!)

So I’ve been checking out some herbal-based remedies for mood and anxiety. Unfortunately, a lot of those, such as kava, valerian root, passion flower and chamomile, leave me feeling tired and drowsy. And with all I have to do every day, I need to be as alert and energetic as possible.

That’s why I was so excited when I saw this recent study out of the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. Researchers there have found evidence that supports the use of a particular B vitamin to ease anxiety and depression — and you may be surprised that it’s not its popular cousin…

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The anxiety-relieving potential of vitamin B6

Previous studies have demonstrated that multivitamins or marmite (a popular British food spread rich in B vitamins) can reduce stress levels.

And at least one study has tied B12 deficiency to depression, especially in older adults.

But researchers decided to dig deeper, and randomly assigned either daily vitamin B6, B12 or a placebo, to more than 300 young adults for an entire month. The B vitamin supplements contained roughly 50 times the recommended daily allowance.

Vitamin B6 in particular has been shown to increase the body’s production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical that blocks impulses between the brain’s nerve cells.

The participants that got vitamin B12 or the placebo experienced little difference. However, participants taking vitamin B6 reported feeling less anxious and depressed at the end of that period. Visual tests carried out at the end of the trial also found raised levels of GABA among the vitamin B6 participants.

“The functioning of the brain relies on a delicate balance between the excitatory neurons that carry information around and inhibitory ones, which prevent runaway activity,” says Dr. David Field, lead author and professor at the University of Reading. “Recent theories have connected mood disorders and some other neuropsychiatric conditions with a disturbance of this balance, often in the direction of raised levels of brain activity.

“Vitamin B6 helps the body produce a specific chemical messenger that inhibits impulses in the brain, and our study links this calming effect with reduced anxiety among the participants,” Field adds.

Field cautions that this research is in the early stages, and vitamin B6’s effect on the study participants’ anxiety was mild compared with what you would expect from medication. But because nutrition-based remedies have far fewer unpleasant side effects than drugs — and because the serotonin connection to depression has come under fire — a lot of people may prefer them. (I know I would!)

“To make this a realistic choice, further research is needed to identify other nutrition-based interventions that benefit mental well-being, allowing different dietary interventions to be combined in future to provide greater results,” Field says. “One potential option would be to combine vitamin B6 supplements with talking therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to boost their effect.”

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B6 supplements: What to know about higher doses

Dr. Field notes many foods contain vitamin B6, including tuna, chickpeas, and some meats, fruits and vegetables. However, diet isn’t enough to give you the high levels of B6 used in the study.

That amount was 100 mg — which is considered to be the daily tolerable upper limit for adults. That means adverse effects are very unlikely if you want to give it a try. Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning what your body doesn’t use will pass through in your urine.

However, you would need to take a separate B6 supplement — not a multi-vitamin. Also, make sure you combine your vitamin B6 with minerals such as zinc and trace elements. These nutrients help support the benefits of B vitamins.

As always, you should check with your doctor before making any changes to your supplement regimen. And if you’re a woman, there is one thing to be aware of before upping your B6 intake.

One study found that women who took high doses of vitamins B6 and B12 had a nearly 50 percent higher risk of hip fracture than those who took lower doses of the vitamins. However, it isn’t clear whether this risk increase was due specifically to B6, or if it was caused by the combination of B6 and B12.

It’s important to note that some health conditions can contribute to a B6 deficiency, including kidney disease; autoimmune intestinal disorders like celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease; autoimmune inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis; and alcoholism.

Sources:

1. Vitamin B6 supplements could reduce anxiety and depression — University of Reading

2. High-dose Vitamin B6 supplementation reduces anxiety and strengthens visual surround suppression — Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & Experimental

3. Herbal treatment for anxiety: Is it effective? — Mayo Clinic

The post The ‘other’ B vitamin that beats depression and stress appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Clearly, good nutrition is paramount to good physical. And, we’ve learned in the last several years that nourishing the brain could heal mental illness.

But how much damage can the wrong kind of food actually do?

A recent study has proven that a diet made up of the wrong foods doesn’t just lead to metabolic health conditions and weight gain — but can have a direct impact on cognitive decline and mental health…

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Brain changes start with anxiety and lead to Alzheimer’s

The idea that diabetes and Alzheimer’s are connected is nothing new. In fact, many people refer to dementia and Alzheimer’s as “type 3 diabetes.”

And knowing that obesity and type 2 diabetes are linked to mood disorders, cognitive decline and dementia, researchers at the University of South Australia wondered what role a high-fat diet might play in this connection.

Dr. Larisa Bobrovskaya, a neuroscientist and biochemist at the University of South Australia, and her team used a mouse model to find out more about the intersection between diet and disease…

In their study, the team looked at adult mice with a mutation in the human tau protein known as P3011 (called pR5 in mice), along with a control group that did not have the mutation.

The two groups were fed either a regular or a high-fat diet for thirty weeks (because lab mice live for around 18 months, this represented a significant portion of their lives).

The control mice that ate a high-fat diet gained weight and exhibited more anxiety-like behaviors. They also showed higher levels of tau in the brain (tau is one of the proteins that lead to plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer’s).

But for the mice with the P3011 mutation, the consequences of a high-fat diet were even worse. They were even more vulnerable to obesity. They developed glucose intolerance and insulin resistance and had more depression and anxiety-like behaviors.

Their brains also showed more of those tell-tell “tau tangles.”

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Eating to prevent anxiety, depression and Alzheimer’s

Dr. Bobrovskaya had this to say about their findings…

“Obesity and diabetes impair the central nervous system, exacerbating psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. We demonstrated this in our study with mice.”  

The lesson here seems clear: Living on ultra-processed foods made mainly of fats and sugars can put you on a road that begins with insulin resistance and leads to depression and anxiety and ends with Alzheimer’s.

Instead, why not make a shift to a diet that provides variety, nutrition, and proven benefits that go far beyond the health of your brain?

Yes, I’m talking about the Mediterranean diet.

It is a proven winner when it comes to weight loss. And research proves that the nutrients you’ll get from following a Mediterranean-style diet protect against cognitive decline and dementia, whatever your age.

Here’s my guide to getting started with a Mediterranean diet.

But the number of meals you eat and their timing can make a major difference too…

If you’re considered pre-diabetic or even diabetic, you may have been advised to eat six small meals to prevent blood sugar from getting too high after meals and to stay fuller throughout the day. But it turns out, this may not be the best approach.

When you eat six meals, some of those meals are bound to be in the evening. Our biological clocks, however, prefer that we eat during the day. One study found that people eating by their biological clock saw improvements in weight and blood sugar and were able to reduce insulin under guidance from a doctor.

So, give up the processed foods and unhealthy fats, follow a healthy satiating diet and eat three meals a day — with the last being your lightest. It’s not hard to get started and give your brain a fighting chance.

Sources:

Mice Fed Fatty Diets For 30 Weeks Show Signs of Depression, Anxiety, And Alzheimer’s — Science Alert

Long term high fat diet induces metabolic disorders and aggravates behavioral disorders and cognitive deficits in MAPT P301L transgenic mice — Metabolic Brain Disease

Long term high-fat diet expands waistline and shrinks brain — University of South Australia

We Just Got More Evidence For The Strange Link Between Sugar And Alzheimer’s — Science Alert

The post One thing anxiety, depression and Alzheimer’s have in common appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It causes our heart to race, our bodies to become sweaty, our hands and bodies to shake and our lungs to feel tight.

And while it feels like a heart attack, it’s not.

It’s anxiety.

It’s a condition that affects approximately 40 million adults in the U.S., sending many of us to our doctors’ offices in search of relief that would finally let us feel “normal.”

Yet, according to research out of Australia, that relief may come at a price.

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The truth behind benzos and cognitive decline

One of the most common tools in a doctor’s toolbox to help patients with anxiety is a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines or benzos for short.

And it’s a class of drugs that’s long been linked to a risk of cognitive decline later in life.

Yet, while everyone knew the link was there, no one understood just why (or if it was really due to the drugs themselves or another risk factor).

Well, that issue has now been settled thanks to researchers from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANTSO) who discovered that the drugs can have a dangerous impact on the brain’s microglial cells.

“These are small and highly mobile cells that are part of the non-neuronal matrix in which nerve cells are embedded,” explained Richard Banati, a professor at ANTSO. “This matrix makes up a substantial part of the brain and is actually directly influencing the functioning of neural networks.”

And when the team tested diazepam, a common benzo, to see how it affects the brain in action, they discovered it goes directly to those microglia, changing their normal activity, as well as the function they have in maintaining nerve cell connections in the brain.

In essence, they say it’s like “unplugging” the connections.

First, some parts of the machine stop working. Then as more wires become damaged, eventually the entire machine breaks down.

Pretty scary when you realize that machine is your brain, right?

“This observation is important because long-term use of anti-anxiety medication is thought to contribute to an acceleration of dementia and how that might occur was not known,” said Banati.

Now we know.

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Safer anxiety relief

So what can you do if you live with anxiety but don’t want to risk the future of your brain to feel better now?

Start with getting a physical…

Research in the last few years discovered a connection between anxiety and thyroid inflammation. A group of anxiety sufferers all had thyroid levels that were within the normal range but on the high end of that range.

However, their thyroids showed signs of inflammation, and they tested positive for antibodies that act against the thyroid. Inflammation and antibodies often indicate some type of autoimmune reaction.

And luckily, there’s anxiety help available beyond the prescription bottle…

• British researchers have discovered a once-a-day nutrient they say eats anxiety away.
• Even better, beta-sitosterol, a plant compound that supports prostate health and healthy cholesterol levels, also helps regulate the gene expression of anxiety. Talk about a home run.
• A specific vitamin duo has also been found to beat depression and anxiety.

Finally, it’s important to remember that in all things that have to do with your health, including anxiety, sitting has become the new smoking…

Research has shown that spending too much time in sedentary behaviors leads to an increased risk of anxiety while conscious movement has been shown to calm it.

Sources:

Research Sheds Light on Mechanism by Which Long-Term Anti-Anxiety Drug Use Affects the Brain — Neuroscience

Anti-anxiety drugs can interfere with a person’s neurons and increase their risk of cognitive decline later in life, study finds – DailyMail.com

The post Long-term use of these anxiety drugs fuels dementia appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Since the pandemic began, the number of Americans taking prescriptions for anxiety and other mental health conditions has skyrocketed.

And rightly so.

First, there were worries about the virus itself, lockdowns and more. And though that’s subsided, a lot about our everyday lives changed — and that alone creates a level of stress for just about anyone.

Luckily, there was an upside to the fact that our stress levels resulted from an event that affected so many: it spurred research into new avenues to help fight that stress — and this may be one of my favorites…

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Stress relief on your screen

It’s long been known that viewing art while visiting galleries and museums can have powerful effects on your mood, stress and well-being.

Who wouldn’t feel a wash of joy, admiration and awe come over then at seeing the beauty of Monet’s Garden or van Gogh’s Starry Night — and feel the troubles of the world melt away?

But, when Covid-19 hit, art galleries and museums shuttered their doors. However, they came up with a unique workaround that could deliver the same benefits — then and now.

They took the art that people traveled to see online and their museums into the digital space.

This meant that for the first time, art and cultural objects could be accessed from your own home while sitting on your sofa and munching on a handful of buttery popcorn. It also meant that people everywhere could now enjoy masterpieces they had only ever dreamed of seeing.

This left researchers everywhere wondering…

Could viewing art over the internet have positive effects on stress and well-being?

So a team of researchers at the University of Vienna set out to see.

They asked participants to visit art exhibitions accessible via smartphones, tablets and computers and spend just three minutes enjoying the paintings, sculptures and more. Before and after the visit, every person’s psychological state and well-being were measured to determine the extent to which viewing the art might be beneficial.

What did they find?

Their results showed that even very brief viewings can have significant effects, including:

• Improved mood
• Reduced anxiety
• Fewer feelings of loneliness
• Higher subjective well-being

These results were even found to be comparable to other interventions such as spending time in nature and vising a physical art gallery.

And they concluded that the more meaningful or beautiful participants found the art to be — and the more positive the feelings were while viewing it — the greater the benefits they received.

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Art therapy, any time, anyhow

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed out or just lonely, why not put the power of art to work for your mood?

Just a few online museum tours you can take include:

• Louvre Museum in Paris, France
• Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain

You can even take a 360° virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican’s Museum website.

Maybe you’ll feel inspired to create your own work of art…

From doodling and coloring to free drawing and painting, research has shown that creating art, with its lines and colors, can lower cortisol levels, help you relax and focus and increase your sense of pleasure.

Now there’s one suggestion I’d offer…

If you already spend a lot of time viewing screens, as most of us do, whether it’s for work or leisure, consider your overall time spent viewing a smartphone, computer screen, tablet or TV.

If it’s a lot, think about cutting it down from other sources, like evening TV watching. Digital screens emit blue light that can affect your sleep, and cause premature aging of brain cells and your retina — not to mention eye fatigue and strain. Blue light-blocking glasses can help. So can getting enough “eye vitamins” — specifically, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Sources:

Americans Are Taking 34 Percent More Anxiety Meds Since Coronavirus Pandemic Started, Study Says – Newsweek

Online art viewing can improve well-being – ScienceDaily

The post Need to bring your stress levels down? Look at this now appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Aging also means that surgery, even minor, tends to carry higher risks.

That’s because an aging brain and anesthesia just don’t mix — increasing the risk for post-surgery delirium exponentially.

This delirium can leave you confused, disoriented and unaware of your surroundings, and cause problems with your memory and paying attention. And while it disappears after about a week for most people, not everyone is so lucky…

Suffering from delirium post-surgery doesn’t just affect your cognitive function. One study even found that older people who developed delirium following hip surgery had a 10 percent higher chance of dying within one year compared to patients who were not affected.

This means that if you or a loved one are scheduled for surgery, knowing your delirium risks and doing what you can to minimize them could save your life.

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Risks from anxiety and depression medications

According to a study from a team of researchers at the University of South Australia, reducing your delirium risks requires temporarily ceasing certain prescription drugs — or at least changing to a safer alternative before surgery.

The scientists combed through data from 10,456 patients aged 65 years and older who had undergone knee or hip surgery in the past 20 years, finding that a quarter of them had experienced delirium after surgery.

And by and large, they were far more likely to suffer delirium if they were taking one of six medications used to treat anxiety and depression.

Here are the prescription drugs that the study found can double your risk of post-surgery delirium:

• Nitrazepam
• Mirtazapine
• Sertraline
• Venlafaxine
• Citalopram
• Fluvoxamine

“Our findings show that some medicine types within the same classes of medicines are riskier than others when it comes to causing delirium after surgery, and the older the patients are, the greater the risk,” said lead researcher Dr. Gizat Kassie.

Other factors they found that can put you at risk include smoking, alcohol use, multiple health conditions, taking five or more medications, male gender and impaired cognition.

While some of these risks are out of your control, you can do something about your medications.

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What are your options if faced with surgery?

This isn’t the first time surgery in our senior years has been linked to brain dangers. But these medications take it to a new level of concern.

It’s certainly a good idea a few weeks before surgery to talk to your doctor about the possibility of temporarily, at least, stopping your antidepressant if it’s on the list above. But there’s something else to consider…

Deficiencies of vitamin D have been linked to post-surgical complications and patients with Alzheimer’s are more likely to be affected.

One previous study found that if you already suffer from brain changes consistent with early Alzheimer’s, major surgery can immediately kick off serious memory issues. This is something that caregivers especially need to be aware of — but it’s just one reason to check vitamin D levels before surgery…

Research from the Cleveland Clinic showed that a vitamin D deficiency is linked to difficulties after surgery, including in-hospital death, serious infections and serious cardiovascular events.

And research has backed up the benefits of sufficient levels before surgery, showing it can help you get back up on your feet after hip fracture surgery.

Whether surgery is in your future or not, getting your vitamin D levels where they should be is nothing but helpful.

Sources:

Medicines for anxiety and antidepressants trigger post-surgery delirium — University of South Australia

Age — American Society of Anesthesiologists

The post Risky medications that increase post-surgical delirium (and worse) appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

This is where the Danish have an edge over other countries. As residents of one of the happiest nations in the world, they are experts at addressing stress and anxiety. And they do it by using a specific method for creating a calm, cozy space — both in their homes and their minds…

The power of hygge

The concept of hygge (pronounced HOO-gah) involves creating a warm, cozy, peaceful atmosphere within which to enjoy the good things and people in life.

Lauren Garvey, a counselor and facilitator at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont, describes hygge as “mindfulness wrapped in a blanket,” with a focus on being present and comfortable in your body, mind and space.

“In our culture, we are often hustling and striving, moving forward at a fast pace,” Garvey says. “If you are practicing hygge, you are embracing presence over productivity.”

Hygge can do wonders for both your physical and mental health. It can decrease the adrenal stress response, resulting in fewer spikes in cortisol and a more relaxed body and mind. This leads to better sleep and weight management and less need to use alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism.

Mentally, hygge helps increase feelings of happiness and contentment and allows you to be present in and enjoy the moment. Through hygge, you can embrace self-care as a natural part of life rather than an indulgence you don’t have time for.

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Bring a little hygge to your home

If you’re looking to adopt the practice of hygge, your home is a great place to start. Try adding natural elements such as plants or wooden furniture and decorating with objects found in nature like twigs, stones or leaves. By doing this, you’ll feel more connected with nature and the outdoors even while inside your house.

Also, make sure you include cozy objects like a comfortable chair or couch, fluffy pillows and warm blankets. If you can find furniture and textiles made with natural wood or fibers, so much the better — adding texture to your home helps enhance that warm, sheltered feeling.

Bring your sense of smell into the mix by lighting your favorite scented candle, making a fragrant cup of tea or putting some baked goods in the oven. And soothe your ears with a hygge-friendly playlist.

If you can, forego harsh 5000K fluorescent lighting in favor of lower-watt bulbs or incandescent lighting. You can also simply turn off the lights and use candles for a soft, inviting atmosphere. Whenever possible during the day, keep your curtains open and let the natural light in.

One of the centerpieces of a hygge home is the “hyggekrog,” an area of your home set aside for you to curl up with a blanket, book and cup of your favorite hot beverage. It doesn’t have to be an entire room; it can be as small and simple as a cozy chair set by a window. This nook is something you mindfully set aside for yourself as a space for pure relaxation. Make sure your hyggekrog includes some natural elements and lighting to help enhance its comforting feel.

Turning hygge inward

To cultivate a hygge mindset, embrace self-care and practice self-compassion. Set aside time specifically for cozying up in your nook with a good book or your journal without judging yourself for not being productive. If you want to treat yourself to something sweet, do it without feeling guilty for indulging.

In the hygge lifestyle, spending time outdoors in nature is just as important as bringing nature into your home. Take a long walk at least once a week in a forest or some other natural setting if you can. Even walking around your neighborhood can help relieve stress and make you feel more connected to nature.

Try to slow down and be present in the moment. Instead of constantly focusing on an end goal, be aware of life as an ongoing process and immerse yourself in that feeling. By doing so, you’ll be able to relax both physically and psychologically.

Finally, make time to connect with the people you care about and enjoy their company. Even if you can’t be together physically because of distance or the pandemic, you can always set up a virtual meeting to chat or play games. Spending quality time with others helps boost your levels of oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone” associated with empathy, trust and relationship-building.

Sources:

1. Being cozy is good for your health — Piedmont

2. 5 Ways to Make Your Home Hygge — Tomorrow’s World Today

3. Benefits of the Cozy Wellness Trend Hygge — Verywell Health

4. Danes are the second happiest people in the world — Copenhagen Capacity

5. What is the link between love and oxytocin? — Medical News Today

6. Eight Hygge Ideas for Your Mental Health — Restored Hope Counseling Services

The post Hygge: The excuse you needed to cozy up for your well-being appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

There is clear-cut evidence that chronic stress can be fatal.

Even the low-level anxiety or sadness that we may brush off as just situational can have profound negative effects on our health and even lead to premature death.

On the other hand, research also proves that there are at least seven major ways that being a “glass half full” kind of person can save your life.

So how do you become the kind of person who sees the positive in situations, rather than the problems?

It all starts with how you talk to yourself.

The impact of ‘self-talk’

The reality is that we talk to ourselves all the time, and the messages we give ourselves have a profound impact on our health and well-being.

For example, one study showed that participants with negative attitudes towards aging actually had slower walking speed and poorer cognitive abilities — two years after the study — compared to older adults with more positive attitudes towards aging.

The best kind of self-talk is focused on the present moment, rather than the past or future.

According to Malgorzata Sobol-Kwapinska of the Department of Psychology at the University of Wroclaw in Poland, negative self-talk that focuses on the past has a strong link to depression.

She says that “attention on the present, combined with perceiving the current moment as valuable, reduces the frequency of mentally returning to the negative past or thinking ahead into the uncertain future.”

In other words, if you can stay focused on making the here-and-now a better place to be, you’ll be less likely to dwell on the past or worry about the future.

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The benefits of positive thinking

Research has shown that positive self-talk can provide many health benefits, including:

1. Increased life span
2. Lower rates of depression
3. Lower levels of distress
4. Greater resistance to the common cold
5. Better psychological and physical well-being
6. Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
7. Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

Having a positive outlook helps you cope with stress more effectively, which reduces the harmful effects of stress on the body.

And it’s also likely that “glass half full” people tend to live healthier lifestyles that include getting more physical activity, following a healthier diet and participating less in harmful activities like smoking.

4 kinds of self-talk that are bad for you

Have you ever caught yourself engaging in any of these types of negative self-talk?

• Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, you had a great day at work, completing all your assigned tasks. You received compliments for a job well done, but in the evening, you can only think about the things you didn’t get to.
• Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, when your friend has to cancel plans because of another commitment, you assume that it’s really because they didn’t want to spend time with you.
• Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. The drive-through coffee shop gets your order wrong, so that means that the rest of your day will be a disaster.
• Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or you’re a total failure.

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5 ways to focus on positive thinking

I have one rule, and it works for me 99.9 percent of the time: don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a good friend. This automatically rules out being mean, sarcastic, or impatient with myself.

Getting into the habit of positive self-talk takes time, but you can learn to make the change.

Here are five things that will help:

Identify areas to change. Start small. Which area of your life do you usually have negative thoughts about?  Work? Relationships? Health? Start there.

Be open to humor. There’s nothing like a good laugh to defuse a negative situation. It’s okay to laugh at something difficult. Seeing humor in everyday problems will improve your health.

Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise and diet will help lift your mood, which will make managing stress and talking to yourself positively a whole lot easier.

Surround yourself with positive people. Keep people in your life who are supportive and who see the world in a positive light. Negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.

Oh, and here’s the ultimate diet for stress management, based on a long-term study.

Try these exercises and maybe all, or one in particular, will work best for you. You’re worth and owe it yourself.

Sources:

Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress — Mayo Clinic

Keep Your Self-Talk Positive by Focusing on the Here and Now — Psychology Today

The post 7 benefits of positive self-talk (and how to shush the negative) appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, to date, studies have shown the advantages of eating mushrooms to include:

• Lower blood sugar
• Improved microbiome and gut health (which helps combat metabolic disorders and obesity, as well as supports the immune system)
• 50 percent reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment
• Reduced joint pain

Studies also show that mushrooms, especially porcinis, are packed with some serious anti-aging potential. And they’ve even been found to lower risk of premature death.

Now, researchers at Penn State College of Medicine say you can chalk up one more big benefit to mushrooms…

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Eat mushrooms for better mental health

In fact, the researchers say that mushrooms are particularly effective against depression. To come to this conclusion, the team combed through data on the diet and mental health collected of more than 24,000 U.S. adults between 2005 and 2016.

They were able to see who the mushroom eaters were and who just weren’t fungi lovers, and what that did to their mental health.

And the results were clear…

People who ate mushrooms had lower odds of having depression.

According to the researchers, the reason that mushrooms can keep you from feeling down is the fact that they contain an antioxidant known as ergothioneine. It’s an antioxidant that may protect against cell and tissue damage in the body. And studies have shown that powerful antioxidants, like this one, help prevent several mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.

“Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of the amino acid ergothioneine — an anti-inflammatory which cannot be synthesized by humans,” said lead researcher Djibril Ba, who recently graduated from the epidemiology doctoral program at the College of Medicine. “Having high levels of this may lower the risk of oxidative stress, which could also reduce the symptoms of depression.”

Additionally, certain mushrooms may also deliver additional mental health help.

White button mushrooms are packed with potassium, which is believed to lower anxiety.

And other mushrooms – like the Lion’s Mane – have compounds that may stimulate the expression of neurotrophic factors that can help disorders including depression.  

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Cooking up mushrooms to cook up better mental health

So if you’ve been down or stressed out, or simply want to get ready for the gray days ahead that can make us all feel a bit blue, a side of mushrooms could be all you need to let the sunshine in.

But it’s important to note that how you cook your mushrooms matters.

That’s because studies have shown that certain cooking methods can decrease the amount of antioxidants you can get from your ‘shrooms.

Cooking methods to stick to in order to keep antioxidant levels up include grilling and microwaving.

So eat up! Enjoy mushrooms on a regular basis to enjoy better mental health for years to come.

Sources:

Mushroom consumption may lower risk of depression – EurekAlert!

The post The superfood that battles depression, anxiety and more appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I’m a big believer in this, as witnessed by the massive collection of classical, vocal, pop and jazz tunes loaded onto my phone. Depending on my mood or needs at any given moment, I can listen to the right tune to help me feel calmer, happier, more focused or primed for sleep.

But playing music also improves your life in multiple ways. In fact, learning to play a musical instrument is well worth the effort — especially for your brain — even if you don’t start learning until you’re an older adult…

How playing music benefits the brain

Your brain likes being challenged, and mastering a musical instrument requires your brain to engage a wide range of cognitive processes, including the sensory and motor systems.

Studies show that learning an instrument actually increases blood flow to the left hemisphere of the brain, where language is processed.

Dr. Bernard Bendok, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, says, “We know that the more languages you know, the less your risk of dementia. And music happens to be a language.”

Research also shows that adults who have had musical training as children respond more quickly to speech as they age than those who never played an instrument.

But what if you never had piano lessons as a child? Is it too late to reap the brain benefits of learning and playing an instrument?

A few years ago, a research group in Spain set out to answer just that question.

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Older adults can still benefit from learning an instrument

The Spanish researchers conducted an analysis of multiple scientific studies to assess the cognitive functioning of adults ages 59 and older who had engaged in musical practice throughout their lives.

They also conducted a separate analysis of studies where participants had only begun musical training as older adults, age 60 to 85.

Lifelong musical training was associated with cognitive benefits in the areas of attention, reasoning, and speed of information processing.

Similar benefits were seen in those who started playing music as adults, but the benefits weren’t long-lasting.

This means that playing music should be a daily habit if you want it to help protect your brain from cognitive decline.

Other benefits of playing music

The moral of the story is, if you’re over 65 and have thought about learning a musical instrument for the first time, go for it!

Not only will it strengthen your brain, but it will enhance your life and health in other important ways.

Playing an instrument reduces anxiety and depression. Playing music can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Playing music helps the brain recover from injury. After just three weeks of training on a drum set or piano, patients recovering from stroke showed significant improvement in motor control during everyday activities.

Playing music can increase our connection to others. It’s been proven that playing in a group and being required to coordinate your movements with those of other people is linked to the release of endorphins, which also help alleviate anxiety and depression.

Sources:

How Music Strengthens the Brain — Neuroscience News

Musical practice as an enhancer of cognitive function in healthy aging – A systematic review and meta-analysis — PLOS One

9 Ways Learning An Instrument Strengthens Your Brain — musical-u.com

Using musical instruments to improve motor skill recovery following a stroke — Journal of Neurology

The post Alzheimer’s to stroke: What playing an instrument does for your brain appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

According to the American Heart Association, these feelings can be due to biological changes in the brain following stroke as well as sadness about the losses that follow, such as a loss of energy and loss of interest in hobbies and activities.

But there’s hope and help available from an ancient Chinese practice that’s already been proven to be good for both the mind and the body…

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Quieting the mind with tai chi

A team of scientists at the University of Arizona focused on the ancient practice (and form of exercise) known as tai chi to see what benefits it could hold for stroke survivors.

Why?

Past studies had already proven its efficacy at improving mental health issues for people living with conditions like ADHD and depression.

So the team decided to test the power of the practice to lower depressive symptoms in stroke survivors.

They recruited 11 participants who had lived through a stroke and reported mild to moderate depression, stress and anxiety symptoms. The team measured symptoms with questionnaires. And they even took blood samples to check for levels of oxidative stress and inflammation and followed up on sleep quality using a movement sensor at night.

Then each person was asked to take part in a tai chi class for just eight weeks.

And the results were impressive…

While levels of inflammation weren’t touched by practicing tai chi, oxidative stress dropped.

This is important because oxidative stress can lead to a breakdown of cell tissue and even cause DNA damage. These are factors shown to play a role in chronic disease.

And that wasn’t the only benefit tai chi had to offer for stroke survivors…

By the end of the study, participants also experienced “significant” reductions in depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.

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Benefits to sleep included:

• More time spent sleeping
• Less amount of time awake after initially falling asleep
• Lower total time awake after going to bed

According to the study author, Dr. Ruth Taylor-Piliae, the practice works because, “Tai chi practice allows the individual to quiet the mind by dwelling in the present and setting aside unnecessary negative emotions, such as depression.”

Just three hours a week to beat the blues

So how much do you have to work out using the gentle, flowing movements of this ancient practice to feel and sleep better after a stroke?

The answer in this study was just one hour, three times a week.

For each class, participants took part in a 10-minute warm-up period, 40-minutes of tai chi exercise, and followed with a 10-minute cool-down period using the Wu style of tai chi.

And, you could grab more than happiness and better rest when you start your tai chi practice. In fact, past studies have shown that participating in this ancient mind/body exercise can also help you:

• Lose belly fat to improve your cholesterol
• Keep your arteries soft and your heart healthy
• And even slow your aging by giving your stem cells a boost

The good news is that it’s easy to practice tai chi at home too. You can find YouTube videos that offer instruction or even grab a DVD from Amazon. This article even offers a link to one easy beginner’s tai chi video you can use to get started.

Sources:

Tai chi shows ability to help stroke victims avoid depression – Study Finds

Tai chi shows promise for relief of depression and anxiety in stroke survivors – European Society of Cardiology

What Is Oxidative Stress? – WebMD

The post Tai chi may help stroke survivors beat depression, anxiety and sleep problems appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

However, when you suffer from anxiety on a weekly, daily, or even hourly basis, that feeling of dread can take over your life.

And unfortunately, the medications most doctors prescribe for anxiety carry a boatload of side effects, including stomach upset and pain, diarrhea, insomnia, headaches, tremors and irritability. Some can even worsen your anxiety symptoms and others can make you feel like a zombie.

Luckily, researchers have found new relief for anxiety in the form of a safe and naturally occurring substance in many healthy foods. It comes with extra benefits, too: it’s been used for years to support healthy cholesterol levels.

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Regulating gene expression to regulate anxiety

For years, scientists have been on the lookout for compounds with the power to reduce anxiety without causing those unwanted miserable side effects.

And researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have been part of that push.

In fact, several years ago, they conducted a study that discovered mice that lack a protein known as importin alpha-five show less anxiety than the control mice. The researchers then delved into how these “calmer” mice differed from regular ones in terms of gene expression. And they found the exact genetic signature that led to this “calmness.”

Of course, discovering the signature alone wasn’t enough. They needed to be able to replicate it.

That’s why in their new study, the team searched an international genomic database for existing drugs or other compounds to mimic that signature that regulated anxiety.

And that’s how they zeroed in on beta-sitosterol, a plant substance found in foods like avocados and pistachios.

Not only did it work, but the results were also pretty darn amazing.

In a series of behavioral experiments, mice given beta-sitosterol showed much less anxiety than the controls. For example, they didn’t hide in the dark corners of their enclosure but instead ran around happily.

And to top it off, mice taking the natural compounds showed none of the side effects that would go hand-in-hand with taking anti-anxiety medications!

Weaning off the drugs and trying cholesterol-lowering food

The findings were so impressive that the researchers then decided to test a combo of the beta-sitosterol plus a common medication used for anxiety, fluoxetine — sold under the brand name Prozac, among others.

And not only did the two worked in synergy incredibly well, but this approach also had another big benefit…

Both beta-sitosterol and fluoxetine reduced the anxiety of mice at lower doses when given together, compared with the doses needed to produce the same effect when they were administered separately.

“One of the major problems with existing antianxiety medications is that they produce side effects, so if beta-sitosterol could help cut down the dosage of such medications, it might potentially also reduce the unwanted side effects,” said senior intern and researcher, Dr. Nicolas Panayotis.

In other words, the compound could allow people currently taking medications for anxiety to reduce their dosage safely, while still getting the help they need to live their best.

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Taking beta-sitosterol for anxiety

This is incredibly good news since beta-sitosterol is easy to find both in supplement form and in common foods, like:

• Canola oil – Packed with 96 mg of the compound per tablespoon
• Avocados – Right up there with canola oil at a whopping 95 mg per cup
• Pistachios – A tasty treat with a full 71 mg of beta-sitosterol per cup
• Almonds – Delivering 46 mg per cup of nuts
• Fava beans – Another great option at 41 mg per cup

Other foods that offer the compound include soybean oil, olive oil, black seed oil, hazelnuts, walnuts and pink lentils.

So if you struggle with anxiety, consider adding beta-sitosterol to your life–and making your cholesterol numbers healthier, too.

Sources:

Foods Highest in Beta-sitosterol — SELFNutritionData

Fluoxetine (Oral Route) — Mayo Clinic

A natural food supplement may relieve anxiety — EurekAlert!

The post The cholesterol-lowering food supplement that tames anxiety appeared first on Easy Health Options®.