GROUP WALK: the 3^rd Wednesday of the month at noon.  The next one will be March 17^th We will meet at OHI for stretching first – feel free to bring your spouse or a friend (and don’t forget your water bottles!).

THURSDAY LUNCHEONS: Every Thursday we offer tours of Optimal Health Institute along with a healthy lunch with Tom and Sandra.  We answer all health-related questions – from hormones to supplements.  If you feel like you’ve benefited from our services, then please invite a friend or family member to join us for lunch. You are welcome to come and bring a friend or two, or give us the contact information and we will call and personally invite them to learn more about what we do.

HEALTHY CHANGE SUPPORT GROUP: Please join us for a forum to ask questions, provide feedback and get support from your fellow OHI members and Tom, Sandra and Jeff.  The group will meet at 5:30 the 2^nd Tuesday of the month (March 9^th).  Please RSVP, as the group will be cancelled if we don’t have at least 3 or 4 attendees.

Indole Forte

Note from Sandra: Indole Forte is another supplement in our growing line of nutraceuticals.  The recommended dose is 1-2 capsules a day with food (each bottle contains 60 capsules).  Each capsule contains 400 mg of “Total Dietary Indoles”, a Proprietary blend containing indole-3-carbinol, diindolylmethane, and related indole compounds.  And, as usual, our supplement of the month is 10% off throughout March.

What are broad- spectrum dietary indoles?

Dietary indole compounds found in broccoli, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables exert a strong protective effect on tissues such as breast, cervix, and prostate that are most susceptible to the effects of undesirable estrogen metabolites, such as 16-alpha hydroxy-estrone.

Indole compounds favorably influence steroid hormone metabolism and help rebalance estrogen in favor of 2-hydroxyestrone, a protective estrogen metabolite. Dietary indoles also stimulate liver detoxification enzymes, inhibit DNA damage, and regulate cell cycle progression.

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), the most prominent dietary indole, readily breaks down in the presence of stomach acid into diindolylmethane (DIM) and other associated indole compounds that are subsequently absorbed.

Although DIM has been claimed to be the preferred form for dietary supplementation, we find the available published evidence does not adequately support this conclusion. The bulk of scientific data reports benefits from taking I3C. Rather, it appears that the total content of dietary indoles is most relevant. Indole Forté contains I3C, DIM, and other indoles for more complete protection. Increased indole intake may be especially important for women or men with estrogen-dominant health conditions.

Please note that as I3C has been noted to have blood-thinning capabilities, it should not be taken if you are on Coumadin.

For additional information on indoles (including research studies), visit the Linus Pauling Institute, Micronutrient Research for Optimal Health at:   http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/i3c/

For the month of March we are offering a 10% discount on Indole Forte. If you have any questions about Indole Forte, please call Sandra or Tom.

Roast Chicken and Sweet Garlic, Melted Onions, and Sour Orange

Note from Sandra: Although the nutritional info seems pretty indulgent, this recipe comes from the book, “The South Beach Diet”.  It is a recipe from Scott Fredel and JD Harris, the Executive Chefs from the Rumi Supper Club in Miami Beach.  Since it made my mouth water (and I’m a lifetime vegetarian) – I thought I’d include it this month.

FYI:  Yuca is a root vegetable that is readily available in South Florida and may not be easy to find locally.  The chefs warn, however, to “use the drained oil sparingly for flavoring while maintaining or losing weight.  Remember, sauté, don’t fry!”

Nutritional Info (per serving):

Makes 6 servings:

Calories:  630           Carbs: 50 g                Sodium: 240 mg      Fiber: 4 g

Fat:  37 g                    Sat Fat: 8 g                Protein: 25 g             Cholesterol: 85 mg

Ingredients:

• Three pounds chicken (preferably free-range)
• One-half cup whole garlic cloves, peeled
• One cup plus three Tablespoons olive oil
• One bunch flat-leaf parsley
• Zest of one orange
• Zest of one lime
• One pound yuca, peeled
• Two Spanish onions, thinly sliced
• 16 ounces sour orange juice
• One cup rich chicken stock

Instructions:

Cut the chicken in half and debone.  Place the garlic in one-quarter cup of the oil and sauté until tender.  When the garlic is cool, puree half of it with the parsley, orange zest, lime zest, and the remaining three-quarters cup of oil.  Rub the garlic mixture onto the chicken and marinate for one day in the refrigerator.

Cook the yuca in salted water until tender, and drain.  Slowly cook the onions with a little water until soft.  Reserve.

Simmer the sour orange juice over low heat until syrupy.  Add the chicken stock and cook until lightly thickened.  Reserve.

Bake the chicken at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until cooked through and the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.  Sauté the yuca in the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil until crispy.  Add the onions and the reserved garlic confit.

Drain the yuca mixture well and place on a plate with the chicken.  Cover with the orange mixture.

No Can Do

There’s nothing like a ripe, juicy, summer tomato to make the best salsa, brighten up your favorite sandwich, or toss into a fresh green salad.

But when tomatoes aren’t at their best, you’re better off getting your tomato fix from canned.

The question is:  how can you dodge the sodium (250-400 mg in every half cup) in Del Monte, Hunt’s, and most other companies’ regular canned tomatoes?

And how to do you dodge the BPA (bisphenol A), a building block of plastic that’s in most can liners?  (In some animal studies, BPA seemed to alter behaviors that are influenced by hormones.  And some – but not all – animal studies suggest that BPA may increase the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.)

Del Monte, Eden, Hunt’s, Muir Glen, and Whole Foods 365 sell No Salt Added tomatoes.  But, they all come in cans.

The answer to both questions: a carton of Pomi Chopped Tomatoes.  Pomi’s 10 mg of sodium per half-cup serving won’t harm your blood pressure.  There’s no BPA to worry about.  And each serving delivers 15 percent of a day’s vitamin A, 25 percent of a day’s vitamin C, plus a nice shot of lycopene, a carotenoid that may protect the prostate.

Will you miss the missing sodium?  Not if you add Pomi to a chickpea curry, black bean chili, chicken cacciatore, or other well-seasoned dish.  Or try it in n arrabiatta, puttanesca, or other robust pasta sauce, or a ratatouille, cassoulet, or lentil or minestrone soup.

Delizioso!

Nutrition Action Healthletter – March 2010

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

Just in case the world needed more evidence on the matter, along come four new studies verifying that exercise is indeed good for you, even critical if you plan to survive to a vigorous, hardy and tough-boned old age.

All four studies appear in the Jan. 25 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

“I like to see this laid out, but every bit of information [already] suggests that being active is the healthier way and being inactive is the abnormal, unhealthy way,” said James O. Hill, professor of pediatrics and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado at Denver. “Exercise is better than any drug or anything else we have for aging. There’s no downside. If this were a drug, it would be the safest, most effective drug in the universe.”

The first study, based on data from the Nurses’ Health Study in the United States, found that women who were more physically active during middle age were more likely to be “successful survivors” by the time they reach 70.

Even walking and other moderate-intensity exercises lowered the risk for chronic diseases, heart trouble and cognitive impairment, the study found. That’s good news for women intimidated by activities such as tennis or running.  ”In terms of magnitude, walking and other moderate activities were almost equivalent to the benefit gained from more vigorous physical activity,” said study lead author Dr. Qi Sun, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, adding that this finding was somewhat surprising.

The second study, also focusing on women, found that those who participated in a higher intensity exercise program four days a week had stronger bones and less chance of falling than women who were in a “well-being” program that included relaxation, along with flexibility, endurance and balance.  The ramped-up exercise program did not, however, reduce the risk of heart disease, said the German researchers.

Another study out of Germany found more evidence that exercise — either moderate or high-intensity — reduced the risk of cognitive impairment in men and women over the age of 55 over a two-year follow-up period.

And, finally, researchers in British Columbia, Canada, reported that women who practiced resistance training either once or twice a week had improved cognitive skills, but only in the areas of attention and conflict resolution, compared to women who focused on balance and toning activities.  The resistance training, which included leg presses on a resistance machine, had the added benefit of strengthening the quadriceps.

Surprisingly, women performing resistance training also experienced reductions in brain volume, a phenomenon normally linked with poorer cognitive function. This paradox needs more study, the study authors said.

An accompanying commentary in the journal pointed out that pretty much all physical ailments in later life result at least partly from lack of physical activity.

Meanwhile, exercise has been shown to improve arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease, lung disease, cancer and many more woes.  ”The bottom line,” said Sun, “is that, no matter what, if you can you should do some physical activity.”

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more on exercise and physical activity.
SOURCES: Qi Sun, M.D., Sc.D., research associate, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston; James O. Hill, Ph.D., professor, pediatrics, and director, Center for Human Nutrition, University of Colorado at Denver; Jan. 25, 2010, Archives of Internal Medicine

Living in the Present Moment

Having spent the better part of my life trying either to relive the past or experience the future before it arrives, I have come to believe that in between these two extremes is peace.  ~Author Unknown
You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.  ~Jan Glidewell

Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.  ~Cherokee Indian Proverb

The past is a good place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.  ~Author Unknown
“Old times” never come back and I suppose it’s just as well.  What comes back is a new morning every day in the year, and that’s better.  ~George E. Woodberry

Opportunities fly by while we sit regretting the chances we have lost, and the happiness that comes to us we heed not, because of the happiness that is gone.  ~Jerome K. Jerome, The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, 1889
When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.  ~Alexander Graham Bell

We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it.  But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday’s burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it.  ~John Newton
It is only possible to live happily-ever-after on a day-to-day basis.  ~Margaret Bonnano

Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  And today?  Today is a gift.  That’s why we call it the present.  ~Babatunde Olatunji

Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is.  ~Author Unknown

Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.  ~James Thurber

We crucify ourselves between two thieves:  regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.  ~Fulton Oursler

When I am anxious it is because I am living in the future.  When I am depressed it is because I am living in the past.  ~Author Unknown
Life lived for tomorrow will always be just a day away from being realized.  ~Leo Buscaglia

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living.  We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon – instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.  ~Dale Carnegie

By Dennis Thompson

Slaying “orcs”, charting military campaigns and gunning down bad guys might not sound like things seniors would be interested in pursuing for fun or exercise.

But they might want to start, some experts on aging say.

Research has found that off-the-shelf video games have the potential to help seniors age more gracefully, keeping their minds sharp and responsive through game play.

“There’s a growing body of evidence that suggests playing video games actually can improve older adults’ reflexes, processing speed, memory, attention skills and spatial abilities,” said Jason Allaire, an associate professor of psychology at North Carolina State University and co-director of its Gains Through Gaming Lab.

With the advent of the Nintendo Wii, there’s even the potential that video games could provide seniors with an outlet for physical exercise.

The Wii uses special controllers that require arm and body movements, and a number of games have been developed for the system specifically to provide an exercise program.

One study found that a Wii bowling game boosted the heart rate of players at a senior center in Pensacola, Fla., by about 40 percent. The game required that the players, who were in their 60s, 70s and 80s, hold the controller like a bowling ball and swing it to hit the pins in a virtual bowling alley.

“The Wii is a perfect vehicle because it is so easy,” Allaire said. “It’s in a lot of senior centers already. Older adults already tend to use it.”

The potential of video games to keep minds sharp was highlighted in a 2008 study in which 40 people in their 60s and 70s were asked to play Rise of Nations, a real-time strategy game for computers that can be found in many stores that sell video games.

“We wanted to see whether we could take an off-the-shelf game and see fairly substantial changes,” said Art Kramer, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who participated in the study.

Researchers measured the cognitive abilities of the players, none of whom had played any video games for at least two years. They then had half the group play Rise of Nations for nearly 24 hours total over an eight-week period.

Follow-up tests found that the seniors who played the strategy video game improved their performance on tests of memory, reasoning and cognition. There were particular improvements, Kramer said, in what’s called executive control processes — abilities such as planning, scheduling, dealing with ambiguity and multi-tasking.

“As we get older, we show declines in many of those abilities,” he said. “As a result of doing certain things, we end up doing them less often. The kinds of processes that were exercised in the video game were some of the processes that older adults show deficits on.”

Allaire is part of a team that has been given a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to do further research on whether and how video games can boost memory and thinking skills in the elderly.

The researchers plan to have seniors play a Wii game called Boom Blox that involves using weapons such as slingshots and cannonballs to demolish on-screen targets. The research will also involve World of Warcraft, an online role-playing game, Allaire said.

The plan is to assess three aspects of video game-playing that are thought to drive cognitive improvements in older people, Allaire said. They are:

• Attentional demand. “You have to pay attention to what’s going on on the screen and react quickly,” he said. “The more attention you expend on the video game, the better you get at focusing your attention.”
• Novelty. “There’s a lot of research that, when we’re put in novel situations or are learning novel things, it activates our brains,” he said.
• Social interaction. “People who stay more socially engaged have more cognitive function,” he said. “We think people will interact with each other through collaborating and playing the game.”

Though the research efforts show the possibilities of using video games to help aging adults, Allaire noted that no studies have shown a transfer of video-game skills to real-world activities.

“Is it going to help you remember to take your medications, or to remember what you wanted to buy at the store?” he asked. “That really hasn’t been proven.”

Kramer said that seniors should consider video games one of a number of things they can do to keep themselves sharp.

“I would not suggest that video games would be the only or even the best way to exercise those cognitive functions,” he said, noting that physical exercise, social interaction and diet are already proven ways to promote mental abilities as you get older. “I would recommend they get out and ride a bike. I would recommend they learn a new language.”

SOURCES: Jason Allaire, Ph.D., assistant professor, psychology, and co-director, Gains Through Gaming Lab, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C.; Art Kramer, Ph.D., professor, neuroscience and psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Ill.; presentation, American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting, May 27-30, 2009, Seattle

Science Daily (Jan. 27, 2010)

The links between autoimmune diseases, infections, genetics and the environment are complex and mysterious. Why are people who live near airports more susceptible to autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus? How do hormones in meat trigger the onset of a disease?

Our immediate environment interacts with our genetic programming and can determine if we will succumb to an autoimmune disease, says rheumatologist Prof. Michael Ehrenfeld of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler School of Medicine, who is seeking to unravel those mysteries. Prof. Ehrenfeld recently published a report in Autoimmune Reviews on how “Spondylo-arthropathies,” a group of common inflammatory rheumatic disorders, appear to be triggered by environmental factors. He has also done research on how the dry-eye and mouth disease “Sjögren’s syndrome” can be triggered by environmental influences.

Minimizing the risks

“The onset of autoimmune diseases is a mixture of genetics, which you can’t change, and environmental factors, which in some cases you can,” says Prof. Ehrenfeld. While he cites pollution as a trigger in many autoimmune disorders, “there are some environmental factors harder to avoid. For example, reactive arthritis is caused by a severe gastro-intestinal, urinary or sexual infection in some people,” he says.

Afflicting more than 2 million Americans, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease, three times more prevalent in women than men. The disorder causes the body’s own immune system to attack its joints, leading to pain, deformities and a substantial loss of mobility.

It is still impossible to tell which genes encode this disease and make some people more susceptible to autoimmune diseases, but there are some basic behaviors that may keep these disorders at bay. One root cause of arthritis is extreme stress, says Prof. Ehrenfeld, for which there are already therapeutic strategies. And some medications, such as the birth control pills, might be linked in some cases to the onset of lupus.

“You won’t know if taking the pill or getting a certain virus will trigger arthritis, because we don’t yet know the genes that encode the various autoimmune diseases,” he says. “Obviously those people, whose family members share a history of rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune diseases including thyroid problems, should be more vigilant, because their chances are higher.”

Triggers include hairspray and lipstick

Environmental pollution is also a cause for concern to those genetically predisposed to an autoimmune disease. Second-hand smoke, food chemicals or chemicals in the air, jet fuel fumes, UV exposure and other forms of environmental pollution are amongst the triggers considered to provoke the onset of autoimmune diseases.

Industrial regions, particularly in Northern Europe and North America, still exhibit the highest rates of most autoimmune diseases. But on a much more local scale, Prof. Ehrenfeld also singles out hairspray as well as lipstick as known occasional triggers.

“Most people think arthritis has to do with old age,” says Prof. Ehrenfeld. “This is false. There is only one major type of arthritis in older people: osteoarthritis, which is brought on by degenerative changes in the body. What you see in older adults is usually a non-inflammatory and non-autoimmune type of arthritis.

“Most of the other kinds of arthritis we see in the clinic, the debilitating and inflammatory types, usually occur in young women between the ages of 20 and 40,” Prof. Ehrenfeld says. “We hope that our research will lessen the occurrence and onset of these painful disorders.”

Note from Sandra: I thought I would share a company that I have used for years for my facial (and body) lotions and creams, makeup and fragrances.  The company uses all botanical ingredients and also conducts research on the effectiveness (and safety) of its products (such as wrinkle-minimizing creams).  The company is Yves-Rocher (pronounced “Eve Roe-she”) and was founded in France.  I absolutely love their products – and their natural ingredients – and the wonderful results I’ve personally experienced.  Their founder also believes that all women deserve gifts – and you receive a free gift with every order (with paid orders and on your birthday you receive a free gift of your choosing – even their most expensive products).  Surprisingly, their prices are very reasonable.  No wonder it is the #1 company in France for both facial products and fragrance.  Obviously, I love the company.  Their website is www.yvesrocherusa.com.  If any of you are interested in trying the products, I have a few introductory offer brochures on some of their most popular products at significant discounts.  Just let me know and I’ll give them away until I run out!

Self-Stimulation isn’t just for pleasure as women get older

Krisha McCoy, MS

Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin MD, MPH

Compared with male masturbation, female masturbation is considerably less common. According to the National Health and Social Life Survey, 39 percent of American women ages 18 to 60 reported masturbating during the previous year, compared with 61 percent of American men. There are many benefits linked to female masturbation, however, and practicing masturbation techniques appears to be particularly helpful for older women.

Benefits of Female Masturbation
As you age, your body undergoes normal physical changes that may affect your sex life. The good news is that all these changes aren’t bad: Aging can have positive effects on sexuality. Some women, for instance, report feeling the freedom to enjoy sex more as they get older and don’t have birth control issues to contend with. Other women, however, experience emotional or physical changes that can make sex less enjoyable.

One common problem that older women experience is physical changes in the vagina. As a woman ages, her vagina becomes shorter and more narrow. In addition, without regular supplies of estrogen, the walls of the vagina can become thin and stiff. For this reason, it is common to experience vaginal dryness, or a lack of natural vaginal lubrication (wetness), as you get older.

Practicing masturbation techniques can help remedy some of these problems by stimulating the brain to produce physical changes in the vagina. “Masturbation, which may include stimulation of the clitoris, urethra, and vagina, activates various neural pathways responsible for clitoral swelling, vaginal congestion, lengthening of the vagina, and lubrication,” says Cathy K. Naughton, MD, director of the Metropolitan Urological Specialists’ Center for Sexual Health in St. Louis.

Age may not be the only reason for vaginal dryness and pain during sex. A lack of sexual arousal can also contribute to these problems. Practicing masturbation techniques and becoming sexually aroused more frequently can be especially beneficial for older women who are experiencing less lubrication and more discomfort during sex.

And for women who no longer have an active sexual partner because they are divorced, widowed, or have a partner who is ill, masturbation can be a satisfying substitute for sexual intercourse.

Sexual Arousal in Older Women
The good news is that researchers say there are no differences between premenopausal and postmenopausal women when it comes to being physically able to get sexually aroused. When researchers have looked at vaginal congestion — increased blood circulation to the walls of the vagina, which is a marker of sexual arousal — in response to erotic stimulation, they have found that older women are just as able to become aroused when they are sexually stimulated as are younger women are.

If problems such as vaginal dryness are making you uncomfortable or are interfering with your sex life, you may want to try masturbation techniques. But be sure to address any feelings of guilt you may have when it comes to masturbating. And since female masturbation can be used to compensate for a lack of sexual satisfaction, avoid using masturbation to mask problems you may be having in your sex life with your partner.

“From a medical perspective, masturbation is physically safe and can offer individuals practice and sexual self-esteem,” says Dr. Naughton. “However, it may be problematic if it is associated with excessive guilt or used compulsively to avoid intimacy.”

Bottom line? Having a healthy sex life includes masturbation, well into your golden years.

(Part I of III)

Julian Kesner

Your doctor no doubt has plenty of great tips and advice on living a healthier, happier, life, but much of his or her wisdom actually comes from the research results of veteran laboratory scientist and researchers.  So why not cut out the middleman (or woman)?  Here are some surprising lessons directly from the very experts who have performed cutting-edge studies.  Use their knowledge today to prevent illness, improve your sex life, sleep more soundly and much more.

Foot Lab

The Researcher: Charles Lundy, PhD, associate director of product development for foot care, Schering-Plough Healthcare Products

The Lessons:

• High-heel insoles ease foot pain – just ask the guys:  “We found a way to design high-heel insoles so that they shifted the user’s weight back on the heels and off the forefoot – the root of foot pain for many high-heel wearers.  Our department at the time was all men, so for the initial tests we conducted; we had some of the male engineers walk around the office in high-heel shoes!  When we were fairly confident of the design, we did eventually test the insole (Dr. Scholl’s for Her High Heel Insole) with women in clinical studies and found that is made a real difference in making high heels more comfortable.”
• Good insoles can help all your joints:  “We knew insoles and orthotics eased foot pain, but we also proved in clinical studies that they provide pain relief for osteoarthritis in the back, hips, and knees.  It was pretty unique to find that something under your foot can help the rest of your body too.”

Germ Lab

The Researcher:  Charles P. Gerba, PhD, professor and environmental microbiologist, University of Arizona

The Lesson:

• Use hand sanitizer:   “The CDC still pushes hand washing, but in my research, alcohol-based hand sanitizers were actually more effective at reducing bacteria.  I personally prefer them to hand washing and usually carry a small bottle around with me.  I would do both whenever possible”.

Happiness Lab

The Researcher:  Sonja Lyubomirsky, PHD, professor and director, Positive Psychology Laboratory, University of California, Riverside

The Lesson:

• Joy is in your hands:  “Nearly half of your happiness is determined by what you do and how you think.  That means there are many opportunities to change how you feel.  I had one student who was paralyzed in an accident and hospitalized for months, yet his first emotion was gratitude.  Why?  He had thought he was going to die, and despite the circumstances, he was grateful he didn’t”.

Scent Lab

The Researcher:  Alan Hirsch, MD, director, Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation

The Lesson:

• Smelling popcorn can boost your sex life: “our studies found that men respond to just about any scent with increased penile blood flow.  Skip the pricey perfume – it upped blood flow by only 3%.  The smell of cheese pizza increased it by 5%; buttered popcorn, by 9%; and the combined scent of lavender and pumpkin pie, a whopping 40%.”

Prevention Magazine, November 2009