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Empower Yourself About Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes: Empower Yourself The Science… Type 2 Diabetes is a condition that develops when normal levels of insulin are no longer producing the correct response from cells.   In healthy people, insulin binds to insulin-receptor proteins on the cell membrane, signaling to the cell to transport glucose from the blood into the cell. Once in the cell, it is used to create energy for cellular processes, or it can be stored as glycogen to be used later. A problem arises however, with insulin resistance.   This means that cells do not take up the glucose, causing sugar levels in the blood to remain high.   In an effort to transport glucose from the blood to the cells, the pancreas produces more insulin which circulates in the bloodstream.   High plasma levels of insulin and glucose due to insulin resistance is characteristic of ‘metabolic syndrome’ – a condition that combines obesity, high blood pressure and insulin resistance.   Eventually, the pancreas is unable to pro
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Mild Cognitive Impairement (MCI) - Not inevitable !

Benefits of Exercise on MCI Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is easily noticeable by people, but it is not serious enough to restrict people’s daily life. However, having MCI raises the chances of developing dementia, Alzheimer, or other memory related conditions (Rosenberg et al., 2013).                                     In general; assuming “overall loss of cognitive abilities with aging” is a very common misconception with most people. Actually, cognitive decline with aging may mostly be prevented or improved with healthy lifestyle such as regular vigorous exercise routines and a well-constructed diet. Sound difficult?  It is not really! MCI can be developed from several factors which include long term use of specific medications, sensory changes (hearing, visual loss with aging or pain from physical condition such as arthritis), and changes in mood due to altered hormonal status (Larson et al., 1992). Research strongly suggests that exercise is the key to maintain

Smoothie Recipe for a Healthy Brain

A Delicious Smoothie for a Healthy Brain! By now, many of us understand that the key to good health comes from a healthy diet.   The nutrients in our food literally feeds our body and gives it information that moves it toward health or toward disease.   While I understand that it isn’t always easy to make healthy food choices, I do believe that some simple life-hacks can help us be more successful. Here is a smoothie that I designed to be a meal replacement .   It is perfect for those who have very busy schedules and often skip meals, those with low appetite and is an excellent substitute for a Boost or Ensure.   I specially selected the ingredients in this particular smoothie to be great for lowering inflammation and boosting cognitive function. Super-Powered Brain Smoothie ½ cup cold brewed green tea – anti-inflammatory, packed with antioxidants and cancer-preventative properties. ½ cup plain kefir – a fermented food that contains good bacteria and yeas

Osteopathy - The best Treatment method for you...

Do you have pain that keeps bothering you and coming back?     Do you ever feel frustrated that some issues       will never get better?              Would you like to improve ? Osteopathic medicine may be the answer... What is Osteopathy? Its a form of medicine that has been around over 100yrs where hands are used to diagnose and treat.  Based in a in-depth knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics and physiology, it uses gentle 'hand-on" treatment which balances out altered body mechanics, improves flow of nerves, blood, lymph and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF).  This provides a result where the organs systems and physiology resume "normal" health.   Osteopathy assesses and treats the body as a whole;   considers that all of its parts are interrelated and relies on the body's ability to heal itself. What are some conditions Osteopathy is successful with? Headaches, migraines, tension headaches Vertigo, dizziness, tinnitus Tendinitis,

GUT Flora and Healthy Aging - an introduction

AS we age we know our bodies change and adjust.  ALL bodies change slightly differently, depending on genetics, sex and lifestyle.  On thing that is for sure common to ALL aging, is the food absorption capabilities. An important word for the GUT and absorption is Microflora ... It is the microbes that reside within the human gastrointestinal, urogenital tract and skin etc.  It is both persistent and stable and under normal circumstances, does not elicit an acute immune response . It represents 85% of the total microbes in the gastro intestinal system  Microflora help the immune system, in fact they are the body's immune responders... Good bacteria in the GIT (gastro-intestinal tract) migrates to colonize the urogenital tract and the vaginal tract. We have immune tolerance to good bacteria just like we do to a baby during the pregnancies and ourselves If we develop an intolerance to the good bacteria; inflammation and chronic condition

Benefits of Weight Training in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) Population

The chemical called Dopamine takes part in a huge role in our body as it carries signals between cells to create movement. Dopamine is produced in nerve cells or neurons from this particular part of brain called substantia nigra which is in basal ganglia, however, these dopaminergic neurons becomes dysfunctional due mostly to environmental factors (exposure to chemicals, head trauma, etc.) thereby leading to Parkinson’s Disease (PD) (Roeder et al., 2015) . Generally, the exact causes of PD are unknown but most experts agree that genetics participate insignificantly in inducing PD compared to environmental factors. People with PD, due to the insufficient amount of dopamine in the brain, end up with several motor symptoms which include:   slowness of movement (bradykinesia),  tremor at rest,  stiffness of the body,  and impaired balance (Roeder et al., 2015) .  These symptoms regarding muscular control can be improved in several ways and weight training together w

Nutrition for Muscle Health in Senior Population

Have a look at Nutrition Sarcopenia is one of the major health conditions that causes decline in quality of life in senior population. Sarcopenia, which was covered in a previous blog, is a gradual loss of muscle mass, typically with aging at 1-2% per year starting around age of 50 (Marcell, 2003). The lack of muscle mass maintenance and strength escalates the tendency to fall, leading to increased risk of fractures and injuries!  Performing exercise regularly helps maintaining healthy physical status, especially resistance training, but keeping optimal daily nutrition is also very important to aid in recovery and muscle growth from each workout and thereby maintaining muscle functions. Thus we are going to review three nutritional tips that may be beneficial for preventing muscle loss and other detrimental physical changes with aging. There are several nutritional strategies that are considered beneficial if you apply it to your daily diet. First, make sure of having suffici