https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3257

 

Nutrition for Sleep

Specifically the Mediterranean diet, suggests a new research review – if you're interested in improving your sleep quality. Your answer is probably yes, along with millions of other people, since sleep habits are increasingly poor due to a range of factors, including excessive nighttime screen use.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based foods and healthy fats, according to the Mayo Clinic. That means "lots of vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils and nuts; a good amount of whole grains, like whole-wheat bread and brown rice; plenty of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) as a source of healthy fat; a good amount of fish, especially fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids; [and] a moderate amount of natural cheese and yogurt." The diet limits red meat, sweets, sugary drinks, and butter (little or none).

The new research reviewed 20 studies involving more than 21,000 participants. Writing on their findings in the research journal BMC Nutrition, the authors stated: "Summarizing previous findings, we found that adherence to [the Mediterranean diet] might help sleeping better. Sleep disturbance can be linked to poor health outcomes and increase the risk of developing metabolic disease and cardiovascular events. Nutrition can profoundly affect the hormones and inflammation which directly or indirectly contribute to good or bad sleep quality."

Are you getting enough sleep? Even when you do, are you still waking up feeling tired, sluggish and grumpy? Your diet might be one of the culprits. Give the Mediterranean diet a try and see if your sleep habits improve. (By the way, the diet is also linked to better health overall, including lower risks of chronic disease.)

 

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Managing High Blood Pressure, “the Silent Killer,” with the Help of Nutrients

 

(This is a summary of an article that is a bit longer. Read the whole thing at https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/managing-high-blood-pressure-silent-killer-help-nutrients/)

 

According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of the adult population in the United States has high blood pressure, and many of them are unaware that they have it. With no outward symptoms in most cases, it has been labeled a “silent killer.” Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, and other health consequences leading to premature death.

 

Magnesium

In January of 2022, the FDA acknowledged the relationship between magnesium intake and a reduced risk of high blood pressure. Magnesium has been shown to have a strong relationship to cardiovascular health overall, with a higher magnesium intake being linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular death. Li et al. found a 19% lower risk of sudden cardiac death among those getting more daily magnesium, while another study found a 47% decreased risk of cardiovascular death for those with the highest magnesium intake versus the lowest. Magnesium has been demonstrated to use the same pathway as statins to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol to reduce inflammation, clotting, and plaque formation in the arteries, all of which contribute to blood pressure.

 

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an important regulator of blood pressure through its influence on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system; it also has a protective effect against oxidative damage and atherosclerosis, and is important for smooth muscle function (vascular pathways). Studies have shown that low vitamin D levels are a risk factor for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease

Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids are also known to benefit cardiovascular health by helping to improve heart function and cholesterol status, lowering blood pressure, and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Research shows an Omega-3 Index between 8% and 12% is associated with lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, versus an index less than 4% with some studies showing a 10-fold higher risk of death among individuals with a low Omega-3 Index compared to those with a high index.
 

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https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3020

 

Walk Faster, Age Slower

 

Walking is good for you, pure and simple. It can help you live longer via multiple mechanisms, but since we've been discussing biological aging lately (read "Bad for the Bowel" in the April issue, where we present a study suggesting biological aging can increase bowel cancer risk), let's focus on the connection here. Evidence links speed of walking with biological aging; the faster you walk, the slower you age biologically. The lower your biological age, the younger you are in terms of your health – regardless of your age.

Researchers evaluated whether walking pace influenced longevity in a large sample of 40,000-plus adults. Independent of the total amount of physical activity performed in addition to walking, faster walking pace (steady/average or brisk) was associated with significantly longer telomeres – caps on the end of chromosomes that get shorter with age – compared with slower walkers. Telomere length is regarded as an indicator of biological age – one's age compared to chronological age.

Writing on their findings in Communication Biology, he researchers estimate that a lifetime of brisk walking could be significant, to say the least, in terms of telomere length and thus biological age: approximately 16 years younger by midlife. Sixteen years; now isn't that worth lacing up and walking every day? Talk to your doctor for more information on the health (and wellness) benefits of physical activity including the simple act of walking

 

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https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/doctors-penalized-helping-get-well/

 

How Some Doctors Are Penalized for Helping You Get Well

 

An article published this month by Medscape, titled “How PCPs Are Penalized for Positive Outcomes From Lifestyle Change,” leaves one to question how much they can rely on some doctors to guide them to better health – especially if pharmaceutical medications are not part of their wellness plan.

According to The Commonwealth Fund, “people in the United States experience the worst health outcomes overall of any high-income nation. Americans are more likely to die younger, and from avoidable causes, than residents of peer countries.” Their 2022 report outlines the worsening health outcomes in the US, including “the lowest life expectancy at birth, the highest death rates for avoidable or treatable conditions, the highest maternal and infant mortality, and among the highest suicide rates” along-side the accelerated spending rate seen in the US healthcare system. They also show that the US has the “highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions” – all an indication of a broken system that does not work.

 

Lifestyle Behaviors Contribute to an Estimated 80% of Chronic Diseases

Lifestyle interventions, such as a healthy diet and exercise, are proven to be effective in helping to prevent many chronic diseases – some have also been shown to treat or reverse diseases without the side effects of medications. Common chronic diseases that can be especially responsive to lifestyle interventions include cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

How Doctors are Penalized for Reversing Disease

Unfortunately, according to the Medscape article, for reasons including limited time with patients and lack of incentive, the current system “unintentionally penalizes physicians for successfully treating or reversing disease through lifestyle behavior interventions while rewarding clinicians for meeting process measures — usually adherence to medication — regardless of whether health outcomes improved.” In the case presented, utilizing lifestyle medicine was also less costly than the medication, yet the physician was penalized despite helping the patient achieve their optimal health outcome. This type of system sets patients up to remain uninformed of the power and effectiveness of certain lifestyle interventions to help them stay well and to improve their current health conditions – even if their doctor has the patients’ best interests in mind.

The article concludes with supporting lifestyle interventions as a first line of treatment against certain chronic diseases, arguing that incentive should be given to doctors based on health outcome measures instead of being based on the continuous management of disease.

This is a simple reminder of the importance of acting for your own health and making it your job to be your own biggest health advocate… how well are you and your loved ones filling that role?