Diabetes Drug May Weaken Your Bones

A growing body of research suggests that taking certain types of drugs for diabetes may be putting your bones at risk.

Researchers in the UK looked at the affects of the diabetes drugs Actos and Avandia on the risk of fracture. They found that patients taking these drugs for a year or more were two to three times more likely to suffer a bone fracture. Animal studies had already suggested that taking these drugs for a prolonged time promoted bone loss. This new study out of the UK lends support to the growing concern about these and drugs and bone health.

If you have diabetes and you are taking one of these prescriptions, it's a good idea to schedule an appointment with your doctor and review the risks. It may be that you have better and safer options.

There are also many naturally treatments that can help you to balance your blood sugar and insulin levels. Some of the best include:
• Alpha lipoic acid
• Chromium combined with biotin
• Fenugreek
• Cinnamon
• Vanadium

By supporting your condition with natural remedies you may be able to reduce your reliance on prescription drugs. Given the powerful nature of prescriptions and the risk of side effects, if you can replace them with gentler alternatives, that's a good thing.

Stay well,
Meghan Krohn

Iron Supplements Aren't for Everyone

Supplements are a good thing, right? Especially essential vitamins and minerals. That's nearly always true. Our food supply is sadly deficient in the critical nutrients that your body needs to be at its best.

However, when it comes to iron, you should use caution, particularly if you're a man.

Iron deficiency causes problems. Iron is crucial for the creation of red blood cells. Without enough iron, it's hard for your body to transport enough oxygen to your cells. You'll feel tired and fatigued all the time. You may feel weak and look pale.

But iron deficiency is rare in adult men. In fact, most men are getting too much iron. And that comes with its own set of problems. If you have too much iron in your system, it will begin to build up in your liver. This can cause your liver to become enlarged. It can cause diabetes. It can damage your heart, shrink your testicles, trigger arthritis, make you fatigued, lead to liver cancer, and cause ongoing abdominal problems.

Most grains in our food supply—especially in processed foods—have been fortified with iron. This means if you eat red meat and you eat fortified grains and you don't have a menstrual cycle, you are at risk of getting too much iron.

There are several things you can do to make sure your iron intake is adequate without overdoing it. First of all if you eat meat, your iron levels aren't likely at any risk of being low. Instead you want to focus on making sure they don't get too high. To do this, reduce the amount of processed grains you eat (something you should do anyway) and choose a multivitamin that doesn't contain iron.

Too much iron results in serious health problems. If you're a middle-aged male, you are much more likely to have iron levels that are too high than too low. Switch to an iron-free multivitamin today to make sure you aren't hurting your body instead of building your health.

Stay well,
Heather Robwell

New Ways to Cut Arthritis Pain

Living with arthritis means living in near constant pain. Even when you're not in pain from the condition, you know the next flare up is around the corner. As arthritis progresses, it can become debilitating. It affects your mobility, your fine motor skills, even your independence.

Sometimes, it seems like there are no good solutions. The painkillers that provide relief come with their own price to your health. They can degrade your stomach lining, harm you liver, and in some cases even hurt your heart. Many of the people I know living with arthritis feel trapped by their condition.

Fortunately, research is beginning to shed some light on natural ways to relieve your arthritis pain. These solutions may not be perfect and they may not work for everyone or in every circumstance, but if they help you cut down on how often you have to turn to pain relieving drugs, that's a good thing. And if they help to improve the number of days you feel good and improve your mobility, that's a good thing, too.

The first bit of good news is that the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables can help to prevent arthritis and slow its progress. If you have a family history of arthritis or are in the early stages of the disease, this is very good news. Even a moderate increase in amounts of fruits and vegetables you eat—a single apple or banana a day, for instance—can have a positive affect.

You can also slow the progress of your arthritis and reduce inflammation levels by eating a gluten free diet. Gluten is a protein found in grains that is an allergen for many people. If you are sensitive to gluten—and many people with rheumatoid arthritis are—then it will trigger an inflammatory response in your body. That can worsen your arthritis flare ups. By eliminating gluten, you might be able to lower the levels of inflammation in your body, which will help reduce and relieve your symptoms.

Finally, European researchers have found that compounds in the bark of pine trees help to reduce osteoarthritis symptoms. Half of patients that took a 100 mg of pycnogenol (an antioxidant derived from maritime pine tree bark) experienced a significant drop in the severity of their pain. Most patients enjoyed increased mobility and lower joint stiffness, as well.

These three natural treatments for different forms of arthritis may help you to lower your levels of pain. They may also improve your quality of life. They are also very safe when compared with the potential side affects from painkillers. Give them a try—you may find that make a world of difference.

Stay well,
Danny Wallace

A Surgery Free Tummy Tuck

The abdominal area can seem like the toughest area of your body to slim down. It's also the body part that you are likely most inwardly critical of. If you're like most people you wish your belly was slimmer, trimmer and a bit more toned.

Fortunately there are a lot of things you can do to help trim down your tummy. Here are five crunch-free strategies that can help you lose inches and increase tone around your waist.

1. Boost your fiber intake. Fiber helps you feel full faster. When you eat more fiber, you eat less and that can help you lose weight. You also stay more regular, which can keep your belly from feeling (and looking) bloated.
2. Do a high intensity interval workout. Even if you've got strong abdominal muscles, all it takes is a layer of abdominal fat to hide them. High intensity interval workouts are fast—you can complete a workout in 20 minutes—and they train your body to burn fat.
3. Practice good posture. Sitting and standing with your head held high and your shoulders pushed slightly back engages your abdominal and back muscles. It also makes you look leaner, taller, and more attractive.
4. Get physical and have fun. Don't think of it as exercise. Think of it as recreation. Whether you love to dance, play tennis, swim, or kayak, make time to do physical activities you enjoy. Most of these activities involve a full body workout. They'll strengthen your abs and burn calories.
5. Do tummy isometrics. You can strengthen your abs while driving, working or watching TV. Just flex your belly. Then relax. Flex it again. Then relax. You'll work your muscles without having to do those dreaded crunches.

A firmer, flatter belly is something a lot of people wish they had. You can use these five recommendations to make your wish come true.

Stay well,
Heather Robwell

More Americans are Going Blind

Age-related eye diseases are on the rise. Macular degeneration is the most common disease that can lead to partial loss of sight and even blindness. Diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma are other conditions that can slowly steal your eyesight.

Your risk of these conditions rises as you age. It's a good idea to start taking preventative steps now rather than wait until it's too late.

Each of these conditions works silently. They don't cause pain, and because your brain is so clever it will actually "fill in" the places where you've lost vision so you may not even be aware the damage is happening. Eventually, though, the damage becomes great enough that your brain can't compensate. Then you'll be plagued with blind spots or blurry patches in your vision.

Because these eye diseases don't have any tell-tale symptoms in their early stages, the best thing you can do is visit your eye doctor for a yearly check up. You should do this religiously, every year. Then you can be sure to catch any changes early when treatments are most effective and before any major damage occurs.

A variety of nutrients and lifestyle changes will also support your eye health. I recommend the following:
• Lutein and zeaxanthin are two potent antioxidants that may protect your eyes from age-related macular degeneration.
• Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and gingko biloba are associated with lower risks of glaucoma. ALA also helps protect you from diabetic retinopathy.
• Exercise boosts your circulation, which benefits your eyes. Regular exercise helps lower your risk of damaging eye diseases later in life.
• Smoking ups the risk of eye diseases, so if you smoke, start working on quitting. I know it's hard, but it's worth it. There's also effective help available through support groups, so check one out.

Taking good care of your eyes may seem unnecessary now, but you'll be happy you did later in life when you can still see and continue to enjoy the independence and joy that your sight brings.

Stay well,
Meghan Krohn

Four Foods That Give Your Brain a Boost

You've heard before that fish is brain food, I'm sure. Well, it's not the only one. There are many brain-healthy foods out there and you do yourself a good turn by eating them regularly.

Brain foods are those that are rich in proteins, healthy fats, and antioxidants. These kinds of nutrients feed and protect the brain, helping it to build new neural connections (which is good) and protecting it from free radical damage (which would be bad).

However, some foods give the brain even more benefit by helping to balance its chemistry.

Following are four of the best brain foods and why they are so good.

Dark chocolate: The antioxidants and flavonoids in chocolate have been linked to healthier arteries. That means better blood flow to your brain. Chocolate also boosts dopamine production. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are rich in lycopene and other antioxidants that protect the arteries and brain from free radical damage. Tomatoes also deliver a healthy dose of potassium, which can boost brain cell activity and help you feel more alert.

Wild Alaskan Salmon: Any cold-water, oily fish is good, but wild Alaskan salmon is the best. It delivers the most omega-3 fatty acids with very little mercury contamination. Salmon contains ALA, DHA, and EPA omega-3s. Getting a balance of all three is very good for your brain.

Nuts: Almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans—they are all rich in protein, healthy fats and fiber. The healthy fats and fiber help you maintain healthy arteries. Other nutrients in the nuts increase your serotonin production, another important neurotransmitter.

Eating these four foods on a regular basis gives your brain the nutrients it needs to maintain healthy cells and balanced chemistry… so dig in!

Stay well,
Danny Wallace

High Cholesterol? Caffeine Can Lower Your Health Risks

When you have high cholesterol levels, it raises your risk for a number of concerning health conditions. First, let me say that cholesterol is not the cause of disease. But LDL cholesterol doesn't oxidize easily and so high levels can create problems.

Most people associate high levels of cholesterol with heart disease. What you might not realize is that it presents an even bigger threat to your brain. High cholesterol levels are linked to damage to the blood-brain barrier… and that damage can boost your chances of developing Alzheimer's.

New research shows that a cup of coffee a day can help protect your brain from damage caused by cholesterol. It appears that the caffeine in coffee helps the proteins in the blood-brain barrier to fit together tightly. This prevents damaging molecules from crossing over into the brain.

If coffee isn't your cup of tea, so to speak, then green tea or black tea can deliver the same benefit. You could even indulge in a bit of dark chocolate every day.

What I don't recommend is turning to caffeinated soft drinks. These drinks are packed with high fructose corn syrup, which can make your cholesterol levels worse and cause you to gain weight. The diet versions use manufactured sweeteners that while being calorie-free have still been linked to weight gain and that cause nasty allergic reactions in some people.

For most people, a cup or two of coffee a day isn't a bad thing. It can even be beneficial.

Stay well,
Meghan Krohn

Careless Dieting Might Make You Sick

People all over the country—both men and women—try to lose weight fast by eating less. It's true that to drop pounds you have to burn more calories than you take in. Eating less and exercising more can help you accomplish this. But, when it comes to eating less, you don't want to overdo it.

Researchers have found that if you cut your daily calorie intake by 30% or more, you may be damaging your immune system. For example if you eat 2500 calories a day and you reduce you calories to 1750 a day, you might be doing some unexpected harm.

Technically 1750 calories a day is safe. It won't drop your energy levels or cause you to starve. But the sudden drop in calories might make you more prone to illness. The cells in your immune system that "remember" how to fight off diseases are called B cells. A 30% reduction in calories causes a dramatic decline in B cell numbers. That mean that bugs you'd normally be able to fight off might gain a hold and you might spend more time being sick.

So, if you want to lose weight, what should you do?

Instead of dramatically reducing your caloric intake all at once, consider scaling back gradually, giving your body time to adjust to fewer calories before making further reductions.

For example, if you eat 2500 calories a day, start with a 10% reduction. Eat like that for a few weeks and then try to reduce a little more. This method has other advantages, too. By taking it in small steps, you'll be more likely to build good habits and stick with your new eating plan. And that means you'll have a better chance of permanently losing weight rather than gaining it back a few months later like most people do.

Stay well,
Danny Wallace

Meditate on Being a Better Person

People with strong social connections and who like to be generous tend to be happier. Not only that, but they provide vital support to their communities and generally make the world a nicer place to be.

It turns out that you can actually train your brain to be kinder and more compassionate. This can have multiple benefits for you and for those around you.

First of all, feelings of hostility and anger have been linked with heart disease. By learning to be more compassionate, you can gain better control over the negative emotions that might be damaging your heart.

Secondly, a kind and patient nature will benefit your relationships—both personal and professional.

Finally, learning to be more compassionate can help you form deeper connections with your community. You might find that you have an earnest desire to volunteer your time and energy toward improving the lives of those around you.

Now this isn't to say that you aren't a kind, patient, compassionate person most of the time anyway. But, speaking from my own experiences, I know that I can sometimes use a little boost in these areas. So if you're like me and feel you've got room for improvement, where do you turn?

It turns out that meditation can help. Researchers have found that spending time meditating on kind and compassionate ideas actually triggers positive changes in your brain. They think the changes will lead to you being more in tune with the moods and needs of others… and more likely to notice and act when someone needs a helping hand.

Meditation can be as simple as sitting still and relaxed and trying to hold a single thought or type of thought in your mind. You might wish good health for your loved ones, for example. Meditation sessions can be as short as five minutes or as long as you wish. Best of all, they are completely free. You can myriad mental and physical health benefits from a little quiet time to yourself thinking good things. So, give it a try. I'm certainly going to.

Stay well,
Heather Robwell