MUSIC AS MEDICINE?

Have you ever considered music as medicine?  I know when we brought my late husband home from the hospital on hospice, my daughter set up music at his bedside. She is a medical professional who works with critically ill patients, and I was thankful she knew what to do. It was obvious how the music relaxed him. I hadn't thought much about that now as my husband has been gone four years.

Yesterday while reading, I came across a small note from a Dr. John Westerdahl who wrote, "As a health professional, I strongly believe in the concept of music as medicine." He went on to say that he had had lectures and mini concerts at a medical center to demonstrate how peaceful and relaxing, as well as energizing, good-quality music can be. He ended by saying, "I even had a physician on our wellness and lifestyle medicine staff that would play the harp in patient rooms if they requested it."

I am a believer.

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PISTACHIOS AND HEART DISEASE

Research shows that pistachios help to lower one's risk of heart disease.  Researchers at Penn State University found that adults who got 20% of their calories from pistachios reduced their LDL cholesterol by 12%.   For an 1800 calories a day diet, that would mean eating about 1/2 cup of pistachios.  You may not want to eat that many pistachios a day, but including them in your diet on a routine basis would probably be a good idea.

By the way, did you see yesterday's post about pistachios and vision?

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PISTACHIOS AND VISION

According to researchers at Tufts University, snacking on pistachios can ward off age-related vision problems. In their study, eating about two handfuls (2-oz) of pistachios daily increased levels of compounds in the retina that protect against damage. The study authors credit lutein, a nutrient in the nuts that helps form these protective pigments, and healthy fats that boost lutein absorption.

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READING FOR BETTER SLEEP

In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, it claims the key to more restful sleep isn't counting sheep, it's reading a few pages. They found that reading before bed improved sleep quality and reduced middle-of-the-night wakeups. They say that reading slows the heart rate and relaxes muscles to bring on sleep. It also provides a distraction from sleep-disrupting thoughts. Before you head to bed, you may want to find a good book.

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WATER AND MIGRAINES

Peter Goadsby, MD, PhD, director of the Headache Center at the University of California San Francisco, explains that the area of the brain that triggers thirst also prompts migraines.  He says the less thirsty you are, the less likely the cells that cause migraines will be activated.  Also, a study in the European Journal of Neurology found that participants who drank just over 4 cups more water a day than their usual daily intake experienced 21 fewer hours of pain throughout the 12-week study.  Their pain was also less intense. 

For anyone who suffers from true migraines, and all bad headaches are not migraines, it could be very helpful to keep the above information in mind.  Drinking some extra water in exchange for less pain and less intense pain sounds like a good trade-off to me.

WHITE FOODS

When asked, "What's the one unhealthy food that I shouldn't eat?", the doctor replied, "Anything white that is not a fruit or a vegetable. It's a sign that the food has been processed down to a very simple carbohydrate that probably doesn't have many nutrients." White bread is a perfect example. Start your little ones out early on other breads beside white. Now we even have white whole wheat which is acceptable. It is made with white wheat rather than the red which most flour comes from. Have you ever noticed the word Bleached on your bag of all-purpose flour?

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BENEFITS OF COLORFUL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

There is more to colorful fruits and vegetables than just making your plate look pretty!  Karen Ansel, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, states that you get a better mix of nutrients by eating produce in a variety of shades thanks to the unique combination of vitamins, antioxidants, and natural chemicals behind the bright colors.  Research proves these colorful inducing compounds help to ward off disease, slow the aging process, and boost overall general health.  A few examples of some of these benefits are listed below:

Reds - a handful of cherries, fresh or dried, eaten an hour before bedtime can increase your level of melatonin helping you to fall asleep quicker and rest better.

The lycopene in tomatoes gives them their red shade and guards against cancer.  Cooking increases the lycopene in tomatoes.

Red bell peppers are full of lutein, a compound that can reduce the risk of macular degeneration and improve vision. Red bell peppers are very high in vitamin C. Higher than citrus fruits.

Yellows - Corn, and this is probably a surprise, is rich in beta-cryptoxanthin. People who eat foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin regularly reduce their risk of lung cancer by 27%.

Bananas - Rich in potassium, bananas help to stave off cardiovascular disease and also help to regulate blood pressure.

Pineapple - Just one cup of pineapple gives you 128% of the recommended daily allowance of manganese.  Manganese is an essential nutrient that takes cancer-causing free radicals out of cells.

Remember this is not a complete list, just a partial list to show how important these colorful fruits and vegetables are to our diets.  Tomorrow's post will discuss other colors.

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Be Kind TO AUTOIMMUNE SUFFERERS

Not a tip, just a fact. If you do not suffer from an autoimmune disease, be thankful and respectful to those who do. Many people who suffer from autoimmune disease suffer from not one but multiple of autoimmune diseases. I know for a fact as I personally have lupus, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, arthritis and all the complications that come with them. All I am saying is this, do not call people lazy, hypochondriacs, etc  if you do not know their medical conditions. The problem with autoimmune disease it that it often doesn't show in a person physically. A person in some cases may look perfectly healthy while suffering from autoimmune disease.

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HOW MANY CALORIES DO YOU NEED?

Don't over diet!  According to Neal Barnard, MD author of Breaking the Food Seduction, eating too little can work against dieting.  Eating too little not only depletes glucose, it also curtails the production of leptin, a hormone made by fat cells that helps regulate appetite.  "Within a few days of starting a diet, your leptin levels can drop by half.  Plummeting levels can increase appetite and bring on a binge." 

Use this formula to determine the number of calories you should eat a day.  Multiply your target weight X 10 and never eat fewer calories than that number daily.  In other words, if your target weight is 140 pounds, you should not eat less than 1400 calories a day.  And be sure to exercise 30 to 40 minutes a day (walking is fine and is a good exercise-expensive gyms and equipment are not necessary).  And research shows that daily activity maintains healthy leptin levels.

Remember, when trying to lose weight, crash dieting is never a good idea.  Always eat a healthy diet and learn to control quantity.

Note: It is best to talk to your doctor before going on a diet, especially fad diets or current trends.

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A COUPLE OF WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

If you are trying to get rid of a few stubborn pounds, and you feel like you have tried everything, here are a couple of simple tips that might be helpful:

• Keep a food diary for one or two weeks just to see what you are eating. Write down everything you eat, including all snacks, and that includes grabbing a cookie, etc as you walk by. Buy the way, include drinks in that diary. Write down EVERYTHING, don't cheat on yourself. When you look back in the diary, you will probably be surprised at exactly how much you are eating, calories you are taking in and how little water you are drinking.  
• Don't skip meals. In fact, 5 small meals or snacks during the day is better than one or two large meals with snacking in between. Don't skip meals so you can eat more at the next meal. This causes overeating at that next meal.

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