What could be the health/longevity secrets of the people who lived to a ripe old age? They are amazing. And did you know that people who ate five or six times a day had a five percent lower total cholesterol level than average and were 45 percent more likely to be able to sustain their target weight than people who ate once or twice a day (from Oxford University researchers).
Backed up by tons of medical research, best-selling author David Niven, PhD, reveals a lot more in his very absorbing book The 100 Simple Secrets of Healthy People (available at Powerbooks) while junking myths and misinformation. Let’s name some:

• Easy does it with vitamins. If vitamins are good, then more vitamins are better, right? Dead wrong! The book quotes Dr. Beverly McCabe-Sellers, professor of dietetics and nutrition at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences School, who gives this robust warning: “Taking too much of an essential vitamin or mineral may be as dangerous as going without the nutrient at all.” Sellers notes how important it is for consumers to heed the warning from the Institute of Medicine against “megadosing” on vitamin supplements (some people take five or even 10 times the recommended dietary allotment for a nutrient).

• Stop the war on bacteria. True, cleanliness is next to godliness, but is it possible that too much cleanliness can be bad for us? That food for thought comes from Tufts University geneticist Stuart Levy. “All that scrubbing and sponging with new antibacterial soaps and detergents may be weakening our immune systems,” warns Levy. “It is killing helpful germs and spurring the growth of mutant strains of super bacteria. Dr. Levy can only long for those days long gone when children built strong immune systems partly by getting dirty. He only wishes we would simply trust the products that our parents used back then: plain soap and water. He asserts, “We are fast becoming a society with an immune system so fragile that even the unpleasantness and misfortunes of daily life send us reeling. We know now, more than ever, that insulating ourselves from pain and fear isn’t possible.”

• You’re never too old to improve your health. You read that right: it’s never too late to improve your health. While you can’t undo your past, you can do something for yourself in the future. The key? Exercise! A Case Western Reserve University research found that increasing the frequency of exercise among those over 72 years old improved their overall health and was associated with a better outlook on life and a 20-percent longer lifespan.

• Couch time affects body and mind. Take a rest — but only in moderation. You wouldn’t want to rust away like a car left in the garage for 20 years, would you?
Mind your health — keep your mind healthy. According to neurologist Robert Friedland of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, “There is a growing number of studies supporting the theory that an active mind keeps the brain and body healthy. The brain is like any other organ in the body. It ages better, with more health and better function, when it is used.”

• Use the stairs. Instead of taking the elevator or the escalator, take a few flights of stairs — it’s a big step to health. Did you know that spending even just 10 minutes on the stairs each day can make you lose 10 pounds over the course of a year? That’s according to research done at the Centers for Disease Control in Washington, DC.

• A tomato a day is even better. Yes, a tomato a day is even better than an apple a day in keeping the doctor at bay. According to scientists at Ohio State University, five servings of tomatoes a week in any form — raw, canned, cooked, in soups, as sauce or ketchup or as juice — provide enough lycopene to cut the risk of cancer and heart disease in half, and to improve the health of the lungs, eyes, and the skin.

• Eat your spinach (or leafy greens). As the popular spinach-gobbling sailor Popeye would say, “I’m strong to the finish ‘cause I eat my spinach.” Eating two servings a day of foods like tomatoes, leafy green vegetables like, yes, spinach and romaine lettuce, pinto, navy or kidney beans and grain products decreases levels of an amino acid that contributes to the process of underlying heart disease and stroke.

• Drink your grape juice. Just as Teflon coating keeps food from sticking to the pan, the bioflavonoid in grape juice prevents cholesterol from sticking to our arteries. Thus, regular consumption of grape juice reduces the likelihood of clogged arteries and lowers the risk for conditions like heart disease and strokes.

• Yes, you can worry your health away. The stress is on stress, which accounts for two-thirds of doctor visits, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When you’re stressed, you produce the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. While they are energy boosters, they are also potent inhibitors of our immune system, according to Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser, who adds, “This constant activation of the fight-or-flight response causes various systems of the body to develop chronic problems, such as high blood pressure or a strained heart.”

• Forgiveness helps you heal. Let go of your angry thoughts and let your body and spirit heal. In a study done by doctors at the University of Washington, it was found that holding a grudge raises the heart rate, blood pressure and sweat production in more than nine out of 10 people.

• Breathe right. Are you breathing right? Most of us aren’t. And most of us don’t know that something as ordinary as breathing can actually dramatically change our lives. According to researchers at Harvard University, breathing slowly and deeply from the abdomen triggers a blood flow boost to the brain and up to a 65-percent reduction in stress. Now you know.

• Use discretion with Internet advice. “There’s a staggering amount of medical misinformation on the Internet,” warns Dr. Scott Matthews of the University of California, San Diego. The good doctor is alarmed that patients with cancer and other life-threatening conditions often turn to alternative medicine, and a lot of times, their source of information is the Internet. People who have read Dr. Matthew’s study are grateful to him for weeding out some of the danger and the make-believe in health information.

• Remember, ginkgo biloba won’t help your memory. The ginkgo biloba is touted as a memory enhancer. But here’s something to keep in mind: There’s no shred of scientific evidence to back up those marketing claims. “Don’t worry, it’s normal,” says neuropsychologist David Salmon. “Especially as we get older, our brains just work less efficiently. Things we could remember effortlessly when we were younger require more effort when we get older.”

And remember to pass on these secrets.

Courtesy of:
PHILSTARCONSUMERLINE By Ching M. Alano Tuesday, August 28, 2007

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