Chromium Picolinate May Help With Mild Memory Loss

New study shows chromium picolinate may help with mild memory loss. According to Robert Krikorian, PHD, associate professor of clinical psychiatry at University of Cincinnati Ohio. A recent study was done on 26 adults with mild memory loss and they were given 1,000 mcg of chromium picolinate or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. The adult group who took the chromium picolinate showed an improvement on memory test, while the placebo group showed no change. The theory behind the study is chromium picolinate reduces insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is when the body's cell don't utilize insulin the way it should, like in diabetes. "Too little insulin in the brain may contribute to poor memory."

If your considering taking chromium picolinate as a supplement, be sure to consult with your Dr. if you have any underlying medical condition such as diabetes. Chromium picolinate may interfere with your medication.

The Dimensions of Wellness

To be healthy means to have all the key dimensions of wellness. Physical, emotional, intellectual, interpersonal, spiritual and environmental wellness. Being physically well means to be absent from disease and physically fit. The dimension of emotional wellness focuses on being able to reflect on your own thoughts and emotions and identify obstacles and get help if needed. Where as intellectual wellness means being able to challenge ones self mentally. That doesn’t mean taking on more task but allowing your mind to be challenged. Intellectual wellness also means to have healthy relationships with others such as, friends and family. These people in your inner and outer circle should be individuals you can trust and who will be there for you through good and bad times. On the other hand, spiritual wellness is to have a belief in a higher authority. We can only control so much in this life and for me personally knowing that God is in control gives me peace and comfort in my happy and trying times. And lastly environmental wellness is a place of contentment, security and positive energy. In order to obtain environmental wellness sometimes it's necessary to separate yourself from negative people or relationships that may put you in a compromising situation that is unhealthy.

Your dimensions of wellness does not have to stop with what I’ve listed but it can be a starting point for you to change your own well-being for the better.

Accomplishments

Sometimes I like to share my accomplishments because others might relate. For example, I like to post on my Facebook Wall that I made a healthy recipe that turned out good. Eating healthy does not have to taste bad. Or if I did well on a test in a class that may have been challenging. It's hard to be an adult with a family and work, plus attend school and make time for exercise. I'm sure others can relate. I also enjoy running and use it as an outlet to not only stay healthy but relieve stress. Sometimes I'll even post that I made a running goal and accomplished it. Perhaps this will motivate others to do the same. Running was something that I always wanted to do but was unable to do when I was younger due to a medical condition. Today I consider myself very blessed to be able to run for such long distances without having too many problems with exception to some occasional knee pain, if I over do it. And for the most part this is corrected by me backing off and starting up again little by little. I also enjoy running 5k’s with my clients who want to take up the sport, run for a cause or train for a ½ marathon.


One of my biggest accomplishments was getting up the nerve and confidence to do a photo shoot. This past Spring I was very blessed to work with a very gifted photographer by the name of Rowena Curtis. My goal was to put together some new marketing material for my business and I got the idea to get professional pictures taken by an old coworker I use to work with who now works in the same industry. I was nervous about getting pictures because I never thought of myself as the model type. If anything I’m a tomboy at heart. Long story short, I came across Rowena’s work and loved it. And I didn’t hesitate to make an appointment for a consultation. The day of the consultation when I met Rowena I knew I wanted to work with her. Rowena has a good heart and took pride in her work and described her photography as “artwork,"I agree. Although there was a set back before the actual shoot, which she was so kindly ready to refer me to someone else, I waited until she was able to do the shoot. I was glad I did. I’m a mom, a college student, a wife and a business owner with a crazy busy life. And sometimes I think we all forget we are human beings and not robots, we are God’s masterpiece’s. Rowena’s work reminded me that I am a masterpiece even though I may not feel or look like it all the time =).


You can view the full photo shoot slide show by visiting http://www.rowenacurtis.com/
and click on "ENTER NEW BLOG."

What Every Exercise Program Should Include

An effective and well rounded exercise program should include strength, cardiorespiratory, and flexibility training. On the days of strength training exercises should be done that challenge all muscle groups. Such as, push ups for chest and shoulders, squats for legs, calf raises for calfs, bicep curls for arms, dips for triceps (back of the arms), crunches for the abdomen and backrows for latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboid and other smaller muscle groups located in the upper body. Cardiorespiratory training should be done most days of the week for 20-60 minutes, working in a target heartrate zone of 55-90% (depending on your fitness level) . Flexibility is essential for a successful fitness program. Stretching should be done most days of the week, stretching all major muscle groups for 15-30 seconds. Stretching can easily be forgotten but it’s role is vital. Proper stretching is done by allowing your muscles to extend to a full range. Overtime this will allow connective tissue to permanently lengthen. Research has shown that stretching is improved when muscles have been warmed up prior.

Keep in mind that you can exercise all day long but if your not eating properly you will override all your hard work. And you can still be doing unforeseen damage to your body.

Fish Oil May Help Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

A report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention showed increasing evidence that fish oil supplements may play a role in preventing breast cancer.

Researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle had Emily White, PHD of the public health sciences division survey 35,016 postmenopausal women with no history of breast cancer and asked them in a 24-page questionnaire if they use a “nonvitmain, nonmineral specialty supplements." After six years of following up, "880 cases of breast cancer" were seen using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry. The regular use of fish oil containing high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA & DHA was linked to having a 32% reduced risk in breast cancer. The reduction in breast cancer was linked exclusively to invasive ductal breast cancer (the most common form). The study also shows that women who used supplements to reduce menopausal symptoms did not have an increase risk for breast cancer. Keep in mind that the fish oil used by the women in this study had the right amount of the active ingredients to allow for benefits. In other words, not all supplements are created equal. Some could have more or less of the active constituent.

Rest & Change is A Part of Your Exericse Regimen

Training has many benefits and recovery is part of it. Improved cardiovascular fitness, defined muscles, reduced risk of many diseases and the physical benefits such as improved physical appearance. Sometimes we all can get caught up in the looking good aspects of training rather than doing it for better health and forget to take time for rest. Or perhaps, you may fear loosing what you've gained so you don't take time off. In fact, taking a day or two off for rest is a good thing. Especially when you find yourself prone to injuries. Training the same muscle groups every day is a sure way to injury yourself or plateau. Changing your routine whether it’s training different muscle groups on different days, changing the amount of reps, sets, exercises and weights can all help prevent your chances of hitting the “wall.”

Taking time off for rest will allow your muscles time to recover. And as far as loosing what you gained, that takes time. Granted if you take a few weeks off from training, you will have to gradually build yourself back up to get to where you were. From my experience with training clients, I have seen many of them get back up to speed in as little a week. This of course varies from individual to individual.

Another important thing to keep in mind is to make sure you have sufficient fuel in your body to aid in recovery. Your diet should be balanced in carbohydrates, protein and fats. Protein does help with muscle recovery but more is not better. Just like any calorie, if you eat too many, (more than your daily requirement) regardless of the source, it to will be stored as fat.

How Safe Are Artificial Sweetener?

How safe are artificial sweeteners and is it best to just stick with plain old sugar? That’s a question that many people ask and want to know the safest alternative with the least amount of calories. Here are a few facts on the most popular artificial sweeteners to help you better choose.

Sucralose is a sweetener that is known as Splenda. It has a chemical makeup that includes chlorine and sugar. Sucralose has been tested and is found to be safe, thus far.

Sugar alcohols are another alternative sweetener found in some candies, protein bars, sugar-free foods, etc… These sugars are known as maltitol, xylitol, sorbitol, lactitol, erythritol hydrogenated starch hydrolysates,etc… What makes a sugar alcohol is a hydrogen atom added to sugar. Some sugar alcohols absorb better than others and have less calories. Sugar alcohol don't spike blood glucose due to their slow absorption rate. Ingesting large amounts of sugar alcohols can cause GI distress. Such as flatulence, bloating and diarrhea.

Aspartame is another artificial sweetener that is somewhat safe. However, there are some reports of headaches and it should not be used by people who have PKU because aspartame is made from the amino acid phenylalanine, it can't be metabolized by people with PKU.

Saccharine (sweet & low) is not considered very safe and was actually discovered in 1879 by a researcher who accidentally spilled a chemical on his hand and he noticed that it was sweet in taste. Studies have shown that saccharine did increase the risk of bladder cancer in rats and humans. Keep in mind that this was based on a large amount of saccharine being ingested.

Acesulfame is an artificial sweetener mostly found in chewing gum, and sugar free sodas. AceK, Sunnet or the Sweet One are names commonly used. The studies on this sweetener have been inconclusive. One study showed lab animals that were feed AceK were plagued with a variety of tumors. And the second study showed that the lab animals were so sick, the FDA threw the study out. The third study that was done showed lab mice having both benign and malignant breast tumors.

Stevia is a natural sweeter derived from a Brazilian shrub that is also found in Paraguay. When tested, researchers found that after 22 months, the lab rats that were used produced fewer sperm and had an increase in cell abnormalities in their testicles. In addition, female hamsters that were fed large amounts produced “smaller offspring.” Because Stevia is sold as a supplement, it has different restrictions than food.

In my opinion, I would use plan old sugar. It has been around for ages and is much safer when used in moderation. And women who are pregnant should choose sugar over an artificial sweetener.