http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Celebrity-trainer-Jim-Karas-on-Hugh-Jackman-banning-marathons/37774.html

“The idea that Alzheimer’s is entirely genetic and unpreventable is perhaps the greatest misconception about the disease,” says Gary Small, M.D., director of the UCLA Center on Aging. Researchers now know that Alzheimer’s, like heart disease and cancer, develops over decades and can be influenced by lifestyle factors including cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity, depression, education, nutrition, sleep and mental, physical and social activity.

The big news: Mountains of research reveals that simple things you do every day might cut your odds of losing your mind to Alzheimer’s.

In search of scientific ways to delay and outlive Alzheimer’s and other dementias, I tracked down thousands of studies and interviewed dozens of experts. The results in a new book: 100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s and Age-Related Memory Loss (Little, Brown; $19.99). Here are 10 strategies I found most surprising:

1. Have coffee. In an amazing flip-flop, coffee is the new brain tonic.
A large European study showed that drinking three to five cups of coffee a
day in midlife cut Alzheimer’s risk 65% in late life. University of South
Florida researcher Gary Arendash credits caffeine: He says it reduces
dementia-causing amyloid in animal brains. Others credit coffee’s antioxidants.
So drink up, Arendash advises, unless your doctor says you shouldn’t.

2. Floss. Oddly, the health of your teeth and gums can help predict
dementia. University of Southern California research found that having
periodontal disease before age 35 quadrupled the odds of dementia years later.
Older people with tooth and gum disease score lower on memory and cognition
tests, other studies show. Experts speculate that inflammation in diseased
mouths migrates to the brain.

3. Google. Doing an online search can stimulate your aging brain even more
than reading a book, says UCLA’s Gary Small, who used brain MRIs to prove
it. The biggest surprise: Novice Internet surfers, ages 55 to 78,
activated key memory and learning centers in the brain after only a week of Web
surfing for an hour a day.

4. Grow new brain cells. Impossible, scientists used to say. Now it’s
believed that thousands of brain cells are born daily. The trick is to keep
the newborns alive. What works: aerobic exercise (such as a brisk 30-minute
walk every day), strenuous mental activity, eating salmon and other fatty
fish, and avoiding obesity, chronic stress, sleep deprivation, heavy
drinking and vitamin B deficiency.

5. Drink apple juice. Apple juice can push production of the “memory
chemical” acetylcholine; that’s the way the popular Alzheimer’s drug Aricept
works, says Thomas Shea, Ph.D., of the University of Massachusetts . He was
surprised that old mice given apple juice did better on learning and memory
tests than mice that received water. A dose for humans: 16 ounces, or two
to three apples a day.

6. Protect your head. Blows to the head, even mild ones early in life,
increase odds of dementia years later. Pro football players have 19 times the
typical rate of memory-related diseases. Alzheimer’s is four times more
common in elderly who suffer a head injury, Columbia University finds.
Accidental falls doubled an older person’s odds of dementia five years later in
another study. Wear seat belts and helmets, fall-proof your house, and
don’t take risks.

7. Meditate. Brain scans show that people who meditate regularly have
less cognitive decline and brain shrinkage – a classic sign of Alzheimer’s -
as they age. Andrew Newberg of the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine says yoga meditation of 12 minutes a day for two months improved
blood flow and cognitive functioning in seniors with memory problems.

8. Take D. A “severe deficiency” of vitamin D boosts older Americans’ risk
of cognitive impairment 394%, an alarming study by England ’s University
of Exeter finds. And most Americans lack vitamin D. Experts recommend a
daily dose of 800 IU to 2,000 IU of vitamin D3.

9. Fill your brain. It is called “cognitive reserve.” A rich
accumulation of life experiences – education, marriage, socializing, a
stimulating job, language skills, having a purpose in life, physical activity and
mentally demanding leisure activities – makes your brain better able to
tolerate plaques and tangles. You can even have significant Alzheimer’s
pathology and no symptoms of dementia if you have high cognitive reserve, says
David Bennett, M.D., of Chicago ’s Rush University Medical Center .

10. Avoid infection. Astonishing new evidence ties Alzheimer’s to cold
sores, gastric ulcers, Lyme disease, pneumonia and the flu. Ruth Itzhaki,
Ph.D., of the University of Manchester in England estimates the cold-sore
herpes simplex virus is incriminated in 60% of Alzheimer’s cases. The theory:
Infections trigger excessive beta amyloid “gunk” that kills brain cells.
Proof is still lacking, but why not avoid common infections .

What to Drink for Good Memory: drink ‘the right stuff’.

a. Tops: Juice. A glass of any fruit or vegetable juice three times a week slashed Alzheimer’s odds 76% in Vanderbilt University research. Especially protective:blueberry, grape and apple juice, say other studies.

b. Tea: Only a cup of black or green tea a week cut rates of cognitive decline in older people by 37%, reports the Alzheimer’s Association. Only brewed tea works. Skip bottled tea which is devoid of antioxidants.

c. Caffeine beverages. Surprisingly, caffeine fights memory loss and Alzheimer’s, suggest dozens of studies. Best sources: coffee (one Alzheimer’s researcher drinks five cups a day), tea and chocolate. Beware caffeine if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, insomnia or anxiety.

d. Red wine: If you drink alcohol, a little red wine is most apt to benefit your aging brain. It’s high in antioxidants. Limit it to one daily glass for women, two for men. Excessive alcohol, notably binge drinking, brings on Alzheimer’s.

e. Two to avoid: Sugary soft drinks, especially those sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. They make lab animals dumb. Water with high copper content also can up your odds of Alzheimer’s. Use a water filter that removes excess minerals.

Ways to Save Your Kids from Alzheimer’s.
Now Alzheimer’s isn’t just a disease that starts in old age. What happens to your child’s brain seems to
have a dramatic impact on his or her likelihood of Alzheimer’s many decades later. Here are 5 things you can do now to help save your child from Alzheimer’s and memory loss later in life, according to the latest research.

1. Prevent head blows: Insist your child wear a helmet during biking,
skating, skiing, baseball, football, hockey, and all contact sports. A major
blow as well as tiny repetitive unnoticed concussions can cause damage,
leading to memory loss and Alzheimer’s years later.

2 Encourage language skills: A teenage girl who is a superior writer is
eight times more likely to escape Alzheimer’s in late life than a teen with
poor linguistic skills. Teaching young children to be fluent in two or more
languages makes them less vulnerable to Alzheimer’s.

3. Insist your child go to college: Education is a powerful Alzheimer’s
deterrent. The more years of formal schooling, the lower the odds. Most
Alzheimer’s prone: teenage drop outs. For each year of education, your risk of
dementia drops 11%, says a recent University of Cambridge study.

4. Provide stimulation: Keep your child’s brain busy with physical, mental
and social activities and novel experiences. All these contribute to a
bigger, better functioning brain with more so-called ‘cognitive reserve.’
High cognitive reserve protects against memory decline and Alzheimer’s.

5. Spare the junk food: Lab animals raised on berries, spinach and high
omega-3 fish have great memories in old age. Those overfed sugar, especially
high fructose in soft drinks, saturated fat and trans fats become
overweight and diabetic, with smaller brains and impaired memories as they age, a
prelude to Alzheimer’s.

Excerpted from Jean Carper’s newest book: “100 Simple Things You Can Do to
Prevent Alzheimer’s”

It’s by Jillian McKee:

Fight Cancer With Your Diet

Eating healthy is important at all times, but even more so when someone is facing a health crisis. Many people eat without paying attention to the toxins present in their food. This is on top of the high amounts of fat, sugar and calories in the processed food being consumed. These foods are okay in moderation, but should not make up the bulk of anyone’s diet, especially that of a cancer patient.

Imagine a person who has just been told they have cancer while on a routine visit to the doctor’s office. They have to schedule treatments for their cancer because they want to get it into remission. If a person is serious about getting better, they need to go to each appointment and listen to their doctor’s recommendations.

A person may think that treatments are the only thing to help in the fight against cancer. However, by focusing on consuming a healthy diet, one can help their healing process. While a person cannot cure cancer by changing their diet, it can certainly be a big help. Below are some simple changes a person can make to their diet that can be of tremendous benefit as they wage their war against cancer.

Eliminate Sugar
Sugar makes it difficult when ridding the body of disease. Excess sugar makes the body more acidic, the exact environment where diseases thrive. Eliminating excess sugar allows the body to move back to a more alkaline, reducing disease. Remove soda and other sweet drinks. Instead of bottled fruit juice, opt for a piece of fruit; it won’t have as much sugar and will be exceedingly more nutritious.

Boost Antioxidants

Antioxidants do just as the name implies, reduce cell oxidation. Oxidation in body cells is similar rust on a car. However foods rich in antioxidants help rid the body of free radicals, which are linked to the development of cancer. Blueberries, beans, blackberries, dark chocolate, and artichoke hearts are all foods with high amounts of antioxidants.

Eat More Greens
Eating more vegetables is good for one’s waistline and also makes a difference for someone dealing with cancer. Green vegetables, particularly the dark leafy variety, contain tons of vitamins and minerals that the body thrives on. Vegetables like kale, asparagus and arugula are easy foods to begin consuming if not already eaten on a regular basis. Fresh is best, but frozen can always work well.

Say “No” to Processed Foods
When food is prepared from whole ingredients, it will always be better than buying anything processed. Fast food can destroy a person’s healthy diet. The same applies to some prepackaged foods from the grocery store. Many times the perimeter of the grocery store holds fresh foods while the aisles are where the processed foods are found. Try to learn how to make healthier versions of favorite processed meals.

Buy Organic
While this option may not be financially feasible for everyone, organic foods are better for the body than traditional fruits and vegetables. When the body is under attack from a disease like cancer, getting the most nutrition possible will benefit the body that needs to remain strong in order to fight.

The options listed above can be used to wage war against cancer. The person going through treatments should leave their doctor’s office and start preparing nutritious foods. A simple switch in diet can really make a difference in one’s fight.

And (this is Jim), let me add that if cancer runs in your family, you should also be adopting these behaviors.

Please pass my kudos on to Jim. To say his book “The Petite Advantage” changed my life would be an understatement. I work at Barnes & Noble and see dozens and dozens of diet/exercise books, but fortunately his caught my eye… and I’ve lost 24 pounds so far… surpassed my goal to lose 15 by my 50th birthday (coming up in June). I am well on track to final goal of losing 30 by the end of the year AND KEEPING IT OFF. I am exactly the person described in the book. 5′2″… gaining 2-3 each year until I maxed out at 160 -OMG! I was always a truly “petite” person. Weighed 105 and wore a size 3 on my wedding day… and then one day my metabolism died! Two kids and 55 pounds later I was broken. Thank you for giving me my life back! I feel better, have so much more energy – my knees don’t hurt… I could go on and on. I have hand-sold your book to so many women it’s ridiculous. My only complaint/comment is this: my husband is also “petite” eve! n though we don’t use that word to describe men… I made him read the book and to ignore all the feminine pronouns, etc. He also lost 12 pounds since January and we both bought new jeans today! Thanks Jim!

The “twist” is that she is a Barnes & Noble employee and sees EVERY weight loss book that is published.

Love this article and already do this everyday and throw lemons and limes in all the water that i drink.

We also serve this in my studio.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4769/Why-You-Should-Drink-Warm-Water-Lemon.html

Jim

I just got ambushed by an obese couple who recognized me and wanted advise on how to help their teenage daughter lose weight. They were both at least 75+ pounds overweight and had NO questions for themselves, only for how to help their daughter.

Did you know that having one obese parent raises a child’s risk of obesity by 50%, two obese parents shoots that number up to 80%. This child only has a 20% chance of success.

My heart goes out to her as this will be a tough one. It will be like living in the crack house, which crack addicted parents, while trying to get clean.

Jim

Great article in “Environmental Nutrition” which reports this research from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

They took 80 people, have overweight and half at normal weight, and had them complete two 28-day feeding periods. One was a diet in high-glycemic carbs, such as white sugar, fruit in canned syrup and white flour. The other was in low-glycemic carbs such as whole-grain breads and cereals.

Among the overweight and obese people, the low-glycemic eating regime reduced the inflammatory marker, c-reactive protein, by 22% and reduced their risk of cancer and metabolic disorders by 5%,

That’s big and yet ANOTHER reason to always eat low-glycemic carbs and avoid the high-glycemic ones.

Bottom line, but the crap. It’s life saving in the long run.

Jim

Check it out. She’s a total doll.

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2012/05/10/eat-small-work-out-hard-eat-big-repeat

New research says that 90% of the risks associated with heart attacks are within your control and include:

High Cholesterol

High Blood Pressure

Diet

Physical Activity

Smoking

It’s EASY to prevent. I always laugh, to myself, when i hear someone had a heart attack at age 51. I always think “how DIDN’T they have a heart attack before that given the shape that they are in.”

Don’t mean to sound rude, but come on, don’t you know some of the same people???

This is craziness. Some nutty women in New York are doing it regularly. All the working out will break down your body, ruin your joints and posture and age you. It will also only make you hungry.

Read about the insanity – http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20120507/WIRE/120509683/1008/living?Title=Workouts-times-2-or-3-