I was telling the ladies this morning that I RARELY watch TV and if I do, it’s always surfing while I am on a cardio machine. Last night I was at the gym and the TV in front of me had the news on and jeez if it just horrible. They don’t even show robberies any more unless they involved a group of people getting shot. There were murder suicides, drive by shootings, arson, and so on. So this morning I was determined to find something positive. And it didn’t take long for me to find an article about how positive thoughts lead to positive living and longer living.
A few times a year I get interviewed by Good News Radio. You probably never heard of them b/c people look for the bad news and the sensationalism of it all. I stopped watching TV in college and I don’t believe I am deprived in any way. If you removed every TV from my house I would not notice or be effected in the least. Occasionally I will surf when I travel, but there is not one single show I have to watch.
Today I found the article below. In a season where our time is in high demand and people seem to have little time to communicate without technology or find time for their well being, I urge you to keep thinking positive and taking time for yourself. There are many people who are thriving today ad living the dream. It’s possible. Don’t buy into everything you read on the news. You determine your reality and state of mind every day. Every moment is new and you can create it.
Optimists live longer and healthier lives: study
Thu Mar 5, 2009 4:56pm EST
[-]Photo
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Optimists live longer, healthier lives than pessimists, U.S. researchers said on Thursday in a study that may give pessimists one more reason to grumble.
Researchers at University of Pittsburgh looked at rates of death and chronic health conditions among participants of the Women's Health Initiative study, which has followed more than 100,000 women ages 50 and over since 1994.
Women who were optimistic -- those who expect good rather than bad things to happen -- were 14 percent less likely to die from any cause than pessimists and 30 percent less likely to die from heart disease after eight years of follow up in the study.
Optimists also were also less likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes or smoke cigarettes.
The team, led Dr. Hilary Tindle, also looked at women who were highly mistrustful of other people -- a group they called "cynically hostile" -- and compared them with women who were more trusting.
Women in the cynically hostile group tended to agree with questions such as: "I've often had to take orders from someone who didn't know as much as I did" or "It's safest to trust nobody," Tindle said in a telephone interview.
"These questions prove a general mistrust of people," said Tindle, who presented her study Thursday at the American Psychosomatic Society's annual meeting in Chicago.
That kind of thinking takes a toll.
"Cynically hostile women were 16 percent more likely to die (during the study period) compared to women who were the least cynically hostile," Tindle said.
They were also 23 percent more likely to die from cancer.
Tindle said the study does not prove negative attitudes cause negative health effects, but she said the findings do appear to be linked in some way.
"I think we really need more research to design therapies that will target people's attitudes to see if they can be modified and if that modification is beneficial to health," she said.
And she said while a pessimist might think, "'I'm doomed. There is nothing I can do,' I'm not sure that's true," Tindle said. "We just don't know."
Today, be better than yesterday!
Showing posts with label longevity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label longevity. Show all posts
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Lifestyle 'doubles stroke risk'
Today’s Re-Powering Information– I know you must say to yourself some days “Kelli, you are preaching to the choir –we know and live this stuff”. And for that I am thankful. Since I believe we all (me included) always have room for improvement, that knowledge is power AND I hope you pass this information on to the ones you care about, I am sharing another article on the effects of lifestyle on health. I can’t drive it home enough.
Before you read this, Lorine reminded me that Lent is about to begin tomorrow. If you observe Lent, it’s a season to prepare for the resurrection of Christ and in doing so, many people abstain from something. That something can be anything you like. Every year my sister in law gives up sweets and her husband gives up wine. Lorine is giving up alcohol. If you observe Lent or not, this is a good time to think about something that may be excessive in your life and giving it up for 40 days. If you would like to let me know what that is or if there is any way I can support you, let me know.
This particular study uses a point system to rate your lifestyle. This is from the BBC News in Brittan.
Lifestyle 'doubles stroke risk'
Drinking and smoking both increase the risk of stroke
Unhealthy lifestyles are associated with more than double the risk of a stroke, a UK study has reported.
Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, not taking enough exercise and eating few vegetables and little fruit contribute to the chances of a stroke, it found.
Just a small proportion of the 20,000 adults studied had healthy enough lifestyles to protect against the condition, researchers said.
Strokes cost the UK £7bn a year, the British Medical Journal article added.
Previous studies have shown that lifestyle behavior, such as smoking and diet, are associated with the risk of heart attacks and stroke, but the impact of a combination of risk factors in apparently healthy people has been less clear.
Even small changes to our lifestyle, such as an improved diet, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking and being active, can reduce your risk of stroke
Joanne Murphy
The Stroke Association
In the latest study, led by the University of East Anglia, researchers gave one point for each "healthy behavior" reported by the participants, aged between 40 and 79.
One point was given to those who did not smoke, one point awarded for drinking just one to 14 units of alcohol a week, one point for consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and one point for being physically active.
A significantly higher percentage of women than men scored a maximum of four.
The study found those who scored zero points were 2.3 times more likely to have a stroke in the 11-year follow-up than those with four points.
For every point decrease in the scores, there was an increase in likelihood of stroke, the researchers said.
Some 259 people did not score any points, of whom 15 had a stroke - at a rate of 5.8%.
But the most common score was three - achieved by 7,822 individuals, of whom 186, or 2.4%, had a stroke.
Around 5,000 achieved the healthiest score of four, which was associated with an absolute stroke risk of 1.7%.
Findings 'worrying'
The researchers said the results could provide further support to the idea that small differences in lifestyle affect stroke risk.
Study leader Dr Phyo Myint said: "Over the study period we observed six people for every 100 participants who had no health behaviors suffered a stroke compared to about one to two people for every 100 participants who had four positive health behaviours.
"Together with the substantial existing body of evidence about modifiable behaviours and stroke risk, this may provide further encouragement to make entirely feasible changes which have the potential to have a major impact on stroke."
In an accompanying editorial, Dr Matthew Giles, from the Stroke Prevention Research Unit at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, pointed out that the small proportion of participants with a lifestyle that protected against stroke meant a huge shift in behavior would be needed to achieve any benefit.
Joanne Murphy, a spokeswoman for The Stroke Association, said that with obesity levels on the rise, the findings were worrying.
"A stroke is a brain attack, it happens when the blood supply is cut to the brain, it causes brain cells to die and results in brain damage," she said.
"It's the third biggest killer and if it doesn't kill it can leave you severely disabled.
"However, even small changes to our lifestyle factors, such as an improved diet, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking and being active, can reduce your risk of stroke."
Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said: "The message is loud and clear. Just one of these healthy lifestyle changes can make a big difference to your risk of a stroke.
"And each additional change can bring it down even further. Every reason therefore to switch to healthier living, sooner rather than later."
Before you read this, Lorine reminded me that Lent is about to begin tomorrow. If you observe Lent, it’s a season to prepare for the resurrection of Christ and in doing so, many people abstain from something. That something can be anything you like. Every year my sister in law gives up sweets and her husband gives up wine. Lorine is giving up alcohol. If you observe Lent or not, this is a good time to think about something that may be excessive in your life and giving it up for 40 days. If you would like to let me know what that is or if there is any way I can support you, let me know.
This particular study uses a point system to rate your lifestyle. This is from the BBC News in Brittan.
Lifestyle 'doubles stroke risk'
Drinking and smoking both increase the risk of stroke
Unhealthy lifestyles are associated with more than double the risk of a stroke, a UK study has reported.
Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, not taking enough exercise and eating few vegetables and little fruit contribute to the chances of a stroke, it found.
Just a small proportion of the 20,000 adults studied had healthy enough lifestyles to protect against the condition, researchers said.
Strokes cost the UK £7bn a year, the British Medical Journal article added.
Previous studies have shown that lifestyle behavior, such as smoking and diet, are associated with the risk of heart attacks and stroke, but the impact of a combination of risk factors in apparently healthy people has been less clear.
Even small changes to our lifestyle, such as an improved diet, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking and being active, can reduce your risk of stroke
Joanne Murphy
The Stroke Association
In the latest study, led by the University of East Anglia, researchers gave one point for each "healthy behavior" reported by the participants, aged between 40 and 79.
One point was given to those who did not smoke, one point awarded for drinking just one to 14 units of alcohol a week, one point for consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and one point for being physically active.
A significantly higher percentage of women than men scored a maximum of four.
The study found those who scored zero points were 2.3 times more likely to have a stroke in the 11-year follow-up than those with four points.
For every point decrease in the scores, there was an increase in likelihood of stroke, the researchers said.
Some 259 people did not score any points, of whom 15 had a stroke - at a rate of 5.8%.
But the most common score was three - achieved by 7,822 individuals, of whom 186, or 2.4%, had a stroke.
Around 5,000 achieved the healthiest score of four, which was associated with an absolute stroke risk of 1.7%.
Findings 'worrying'
The researchers said the results could provide further support to the idea that small differences in lifestyle affect stroke risk.
Study leader Dr Phyo Myint said: "Over the study period we observed six people for every 100 participants who had no health behaviors suffered a stroke compared to about one to two people for every 100 participants who had four positive health behaviours.
"Together with the substantial existing body of evidence about modifiable behaviours and stroke risk, this may provide further encouragement to make entirely feasible changes which have the potential to have a major impact on stroke."
In an accompanying editorial, Dr Matthew Giles, from the Stroke Prevention Research Unit at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, pointed out that the small proportion of participants with a lifestyle that protected against stroke meant a huge shift in behavior would be needed to achieve any benefit.
Joanne Murphy, a spokeswoman for The Stroke Association, said that with obesity levels on the rise, the findings were worrying.
"A stroke is a brain attack, it happens when the blood supply is cut to the brain, it causes brain cells to die and results in brain damage," she said.
"It's the third biggest killer and if it doesn't kill it can leave you severely disabled.
"However, even small changes to our lifestyle factors, such as an improved diet, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking and being active, can reduce your risk of stroke."
Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said: "The message is loud and clear. Just one of these healthy lifestyle changes can make a big difference to your risk of a stroke.
"And each additional change can bring it down even further. Every reason therefore to switch to healthier living, sooner rather than later."
Friday, February 13, 2009
Feel Younger
Today’s re-powering information – Lets finish up today and the week on a positive note. Here’s a fact. Regular exercise can make your real age 9 years younger than your biological age. I’m not tooting my own horn, but I recently started using face book and have connected with some friends from high school. From what I can see of their head shots, many have round faces, the guys have full heads of gray hair and maybe I am kidding myself, but they look much older than me (I’ll be 40 this December – Yikes, I think that’s the first time I said that!). Exercise is your fountain of youth. When I was on the beach 2 weeks ago, I could clearly see the fit bodies confidently and briskly striding along the beach. You can tell that they are older, but they look younger and burst with energy. You have seen these people on the beach and can quickly identify the fit ones who exercise. In comparison it’s also easy to identify the unfit bodies who are meandering or sitting in lounge chairs with snacks in their mouths and supersized beverages in their hands. I’m not judging, but it’s clear the differences in lifestyle.
When exercise is an important part of your life it is the one thing that has the most far reaching effects on the rest of what you do here on earth. When you are fit, you make more conscious nutrition choices, you sleep better, you manage stress, have better mental clarity, more patience for relationships, are more concerned about your environment and much more. There is research to prove all of this which is in addition to the health benefits. People who exercise make more money, they live longer, they are happier, have higher self esteem, recover faster, have better immune systems and more and more and more! I know I am preaching to the choir, but I wanted to reinforce the importance of keeping exercise a priority in your life in hopes that you don’t take it for granted, but also being to positively influence those in your circle by your example.
End:
When exercise is an important part of your life it is the one thing that has the most far reaching effects on the rest of what you do here on earth. When you are fit, you make more conscious nutrition choices, you sleep better, you manage stress, have better mental clarity, more patience for relationships, are more concerned about your environment and much more. There is research to prove all of this which is in addition to the health benefits. People who exercise make more money, they live longer, they are happier, have higher self esteem, recover faster, have better immune systems and more and more and more! I know I am preaching to the choir, but I wanted to reinforce the importance of keeping exercise a priority in your life in hopes that you don’t take it for granted, but also being to positively influence those in your circle by your example.
End:
Monday, September 29, 2008
Running Improves Longevity and health
Today’s Re-Powering Information – I know running is at times your least favorite activity in camp, however there are many benefits including improving cardiovascular endurance, improving performance, burning calories (fat), reducing the risk of disease and now a new study shows improves life span. With running, time and intensity are inversely proportionate so the faster you run, the less time you need to spend running. Some of you will never run and that’s okay too. You can still achieve similar benefits with out the pounding. Read on to see the benefits of running on your longevity.
Study: Runners live longer, stay healthier
Members of a running club were half as likely to die over 20 years
Updated 3:57 p.m. CT, Mon., Aug. 11, 2008
WASHINGTON - People who want to live a long and healthy life might want to take up running.
A study published on Monday shows middle-aged members of a runner's club were half as likely to die over a 20-year period as people who did not run.
Running reduced the risk not only of heart disease, but of cancer and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, researchers at Stanford University in California found.
"At 19 years, 15 percent of runners had died compared with 34 percent of controls," Dr. Eliza Chakravarty and colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Any type of vigorous exercise will likely do the trick, said Stanford's Dr. James Fries, who worked on the study.
"Both common sense and background science support the idea that there is nothing magical about running per se," Fries said in a telephone interview. "It is the regular physical vigorous activity that is important."
The team surveyed 284 members of a nationwide running club and 156 similar, healthy people as controls. They all came from the university's faculty and staff and had similar social and economic backgrounds, and all were 50 or older.
Starting in 1984, each volunteer filled out an annual survey on exercise frequency, weight and disability for eight activities — rising, dressing and grooming, hygiene, eating, walking, reach, hand grip and routine physical activities.
Everyone exercised, but runners did more
Most of the volunteers did some exercise, but runners exercised as much as 200 minutes a week, compared to 20 minutes for the non-runners.
At the beginning, the runners were leaner and less likely to smoke compared with the controls. And they exercised more over the whole study period in general.
"Over time, all groups decreased running activity, but the runners groups continued to accumulate more minutes per week of vigorous activity of all kinds," the researchers wrote.
"Members of the running groups had significantly lower mean disability levels at all time points," they added.
The team also set out to answer whether taking up running late in life would benefit, and whether people who stopped exercising began to pay a price as they aged.Most of the runners have stopped running as they reached their 70s, Fries said. But it was difficult to find people who totally stopped exercising. "Almost all of them did something else. They continued their vigorous exercise," he said.
People who took up exercise when they were older also improved their health, he said.
The study also showed that people cannot use the risk of injury as an excuse not to run — the runners had fewer injuries of all kinds, including to their knees.
Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Study: Runners live longer, stay healthier
Members of a running club were half as likely to die over 20 years
Updated 3:57 p.m. CT, Mon., Aug. 11, 2008
WASHINGTON - People who want to live a long and healthy life might want to take up running.
A study published on Monday shows middle-aged members of a runner's club were half as likely to die over a 20-year period as people who did not run.
Running reduced the risk not only of heart disease, but of cancer and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, researchers at Stanford University in California found.
"At 19 years, 15 percent of runners had died compared with 34 percent of controls," Dr. Eliza Chakravarty and colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Any type of vigorous exercise will likely do the trick, said Stanford's Dr. James Fries, who worked on the study.
"Both common sense and background science support the idea that there is nothing magical about running per se," Fries said in a telephone interview. "It is the regular physical vigorous activity that is important."
The team surveyed 284 members of a nationwide running club and 156 similar, healthy people as controls. They all came from the university's faculty and staff and had similar social and economic backgrounds, and all were 50 or older.
Starting in 1984, each volunteer filled out an annual survey on exercise frequency, weight and disability for eight activities — rising, dressing and grooming, hygiene, eating, walking, reach, hand grip and routine physical activities.
Everyone exercised, but runners did more
Most of the volunteers did some exercise, but runners exercised as much as 200 minutes a week, compared to 20 minutes for the non-runners.
At the beginning, the runners were leaner and less likely to smoke compared with the controls. And they exercised more over the whole study period in general.
"Over time, all groups decreased running activity, but the runners groups continued to accumulate more minutes per week of vigorous activity of all kinds," the researchers wrote.
"Members of the running groups had significantly lower mean disability levels at all time points," they added.
The team also set out to answer whether taking up running late in life would benefit, and whether people who stopped exercising began to pay a price as they aged.Most of the runners have stopped running as they reached their 70s, Fries said. But it was difficult to find people who totally stopped exercising. "Almost all of them did something else. They continued their vigorous exercise," he said.
People who took up exercise when they were older also improved their health, he said.
The study also showed that people cannot use the risk of injury as an excuse not to run — the runners had fewer injuries of all kinds, including to their knees.
Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Married Couples who Play Together, Stay Together
Today’s Re-Powering Information – I thought this was a great topic as we kick off the holiday weekend. I sometimes observe couples as I am out at a restaurant and it’s obvious whose on a date as they are holding hands and leaning in towards each other. The couples who have been married for several years are both on their iPhones or Blackberries and barely making conversation or eye contact. It’s so easy to get stuck in a run where there is no excitement and nothing to look forward to (or worse). What’s the most exciting thing you have planned for the weekend. What adventures will you have to tell of on Tuesday night? How can you add excitement into your weekend with your partner. It does not necessarily mean a trip to the jungle, but it can be an adventure in your own back yard.
Read on for new research on couples who have some adventure in their relationships. I was not surprised to find that happily married couples live longer.
Married Couples Who Play Together Stay Together
For married couples, finding moments to be together free of financial, family or other stresses is not an indulgence, according to new research from the University of Denver.
"The more you invest in fun and friendship and being there for your partner, the happier the relationship will get over time," says Howard Markman, a psychologist who co-directs the university's Center for Marital and Family Studies.
“The correlation between fun and marital happiness is high, and significant.”
Other studies, too, have found that having fun together -- especially while doing “new and exciting activities” -- is the secret to a happy marriage.
Having a joyful marriage is unfortunately the exception rather than the rule in the United States. This is tragic as your happiness and ability to be optimally productive in your life is severely limited when you are not in a happy relationship with your spouse.
Taking some free time to really engage yourselves in something fun (without the kids and without any worries) is something we all can do more of, but there are other ways to support your relationship as well.
Four Tips to a Happy Marriage
Research shows that happily married couples live longer and heal faster than those in unhappy relationships. With that in mind, here are some practical ways to increase the happiness in your relationship:
1. Fight fair. “The way you interact during marital arguments is as important a heart risk factor as whether you smoke or have high cholesterol,” says Timothy W. Smith, a psychology professor at the University of Utah. Verbal aggression, such as yelling at or insulting your partner, leads to decreased intimacy and “self-silencing” -- keeping quiet during a fight -- has been linked to depression, eating disorders and heart disease in women.
2. Keep positive feelings alive. Couples most likely to be married for the long-term are those who maintain their positive feelings for their spouse for at least the first two years. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can help you to clear any emotional blocks that may be sabotaging your relationship.
3. Read the book Fighting for Your Marriage. I generally give this book to all the couples I know who are planning to get married. It is a valuable source of information for positively handling disagreements between you and your spouse, which will increase the success of your relationship.
4. Support your partner’s goals and dreams. People feel happiest in relationships where they feel the other person helps them achieve their own personal goals.
Sources:
• ABC News July 26, 2008
Read on for new research on couples who have some adventure in their relationships. I was not surprised to find that happily married couples live longer.
Married Couples Who Play Together Stay Together
For married couples, finding moments to be together free of financial, family or other stresses is not an indulgence, according to new research from the University of Denver.
"The more you invest in fun and friendship and being there for your partner, the happier the relationship will get over time," says Howard Markman, a psychologist who co-directs the university's Center for Marital and Family Studies.
“The correlation between fun and marital happiness is high, and significant.”
Other studies, too, have found that having fun together -- especially while doing “new and exciting activities” -- is the secret to a happy marriage.
Having a joyful marriage is unfortunately the exception rather than the rule in the United States. This is tragic as your happiness and ability to be optimally productive in your life is severely limited when you are not in a happy relationship with your spouse.
Taking some free time to really engage yourselves in something fun (without the kids and without any worries) is something we all can do more of, but there are other ways to support your relationship as well.
Four Tips to a Happy Marriage
Research shows that happily married couples live longer and heal faster than those in unhappy relationships. With that in mind, here are some practical ways to increase the happiness in your relationship:
1. Fight fair. “The way you interact during marital arguments is as important a heart risk factor as whether you smoke or have high cholesterol,” says Timothy W. Smith, a psychology professor at the University of Utah. Verbal aggression, such as yelling at or insulting your partner, leads to decreased intimacy and “self-silencing” -- keeping quiet during a fight -- has been linked to depression, eating disorders and heart disease in women.
2. Keep positive feelings alive. Couples most likely to be married for the long-term are those who maintain their positive feelings for their spouse for at least the first two years. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can help you to clear any emotional blocks that may be sabotaging your relationship.
3. Read the book Fighting for Your Marriage. I generally give this book to all the couples I know who are planning to get married. It is a valuable source of information for positively handling disagreements between you and your spouse, which will increase the success of your relationship.
4. Support your partner’s goals and dreams. People feel happiest in relationships where they feel the other person helps them achieve their own personal goals.
Sources:
• ABC News July 26, 2008
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