Alternative Health Blog

Amid continuing debates about whether PSA blood tests predict the disease or throw too many false-positives and if older men should undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatments rather than embrace “watchful waiting,” there is a new finding about prostate cancer prevention that suggests the potential for delicious agreement. University of California-San Francisco researchers have found that men who eat darker-meat fish and shellfish have more than a 60 percent reduced risk for aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

Omega-3 fats represent the therapeutic ingredient and it appears that fish such as salmon, tuna, anchovies, herring and mackerel, plus shellfish, have a certain form of the fatty acids. The study, which appeared recently in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, additionally shows that low consumption of such seafood is particularly risky for men with a certain genetic makeup. For any man with aggressive or advanced prostate cancer cases in his family history, it could be vital strategy to include more dark-meat fish and shellfish in their diets.

While the UCSF scientists cautioned more research is needed, they speculated that omega-3 fats work to reduce inflammation, which in turn can disrupt the spread of cancer cells in the body. This study breaks ground by connecting seafood consumption to preventing the more dangerous advanced prostate cancer.

OK, some practical details: The fish consumed by the nearly 500 men in study was mostly salmon, mackerel and bluefish, typically baked or boiled. The men who ate such fish one to three times reduced the risk of aggressive cancer by 36 percent compared to men who ate little or no fish in a month, while men who at the fish at least once per week were even more protected. The once-per-week eaters reduced cancer risk by 43 percent compared to the non-fish eaters.

The findings were similar for shellfish prepared in nonfried fashion. This is an important point; eating a significant portion of your fish in a fried dish appears to neutralize its benefits.  Nobody is saying skip all fish frys—especially during Lent—but that making it a habit will eliminate the positive effect for a man’s prostate gland.

Other foods associated with fighting prostate cancer and documented in studies include broccoli, cauliflower, mustard greens, kale, Brussels sprouts, pomegranate juice, turmeric, flaxseed meal, garlic, tomatoes (especially cooked forms), Brazil nuts (just two per day) and scallions (as little as one-tenth of an ounce daily).

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Caregivers can speculate that this gender distinction is based on the women of the “Sandwich Generation” taking on the greatest responsibility in care for the aging parent, including a heightened emotional involvement. More than 91,000 Japanese men and women between 40 and 69 years old were evaluated by Osaka University researchers. The study followed the men and women over 11 years.

Women living in a three-generation household had double the risk than women living with a husband and kids, and, what’s more, three times the risk than women who lived only with husbands.

The findings are instructive for any of us facing increased caregiver roles. Couples would do their marriages and respective health of each partner by recognizing the increased stress and risk of heart problems, then acting on ways to provide “respite care” for the elders. A woman who is tempted to “do it all” in the caregiving and child-raising could well be creating an untenable health situation for herself—and ultimately the husband, aging parent and the kids.

 Men who understand this outcome can help their spouses by understanding the three-generation home is very hard on a woman’s heart and psyche. This study is an important consideration for caregiving decisions in every family. Matters of the heart can seem more about doing the “right thing” for an aging parent, but might in reality be the “wrong thing” for the wife-mother who is both attending to a parent and nurturing the kids.

This study is a direct hit on how real life can stress the body and especially the cardiovascular health of a woman who reaches out in a caregiving scenario when, perhaps, no one else is willing. 

Caregiving decisions are never easy and rarely clear-cut. But neglecting the health of caregivers is an action that can lead to deeper health problems for the woman of the household. The Japanese researchers have provided a service that any of us with aging parents and kids still at home would do well to embrace. Let's not make it an even tougher course by ignoring what it can do to women.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

What’s not surprising is that a new study shows today’s kids spend too little time outside in nature and too much time—way too much—in front of the television and computer screen. The stopper is that this research was done in Australia and not in America.

If a mere 37 percent of Australian pre-teens  spend a half-hour or less outside each day and a scant few percent were outdoors for two or more hours daily, then it’s not difficult to imagine those numbers likely squeeze down even more in the U.S.

Things are amiss, mate. What’s more, the researchers found that significant percentages of the 1,200 Australian boys and girls locked into the two-hours plus of screen time. Half of all boys fit this category and more than a third of the girls. Again, the semi-official position here at Alternative Health Blog is that American kids would score higher on these marks, just like they can rack up the points on assorted video games.

Here’s an important asset of this study. The children who most likely to be outdoors for more than 30 minutes per day were being raised by parents who allowed them to walk around the neighborhood “on their own.” That ease of movement—basically access to public space—is not a common situation for many families who live in urban and suburban areas. Bottom line: If parents think the neighborhood is safe, then kids are more likely to get outdoor exercise and interact more frequently with nature.

Lawrence Frank, a researcher at the University of British Columbia, has completed a number of studies confirming the findings of the Australian researchers. He has reported distinct advantages for children who live not only in safe neighborhoods, but also those with sidewalks. Hard to imagine, but a significant number of suburban subdivisions and entire towns have been developed without sidewalks.

Research shows parents are reluctant to let their kids walk to school or play outside due to worries about crime and traffic safety. Another major drawback is lack of parks or open space for kids to play. The Australian researchers suggested that parents stop driving children to school whenever possible, allowing them to walk with friends or maybe “walk-pooling” in which one parent takes responsibility each day for walking a group of kids. 

There was a time when blueberries were considered sort of a inconsequential fruit, no more than a filler for your muffin or pancake mix. Of course, that’s changed as researchers like James Joseph at Tufts University in Boston have deemed blueberries one of our superfoods.

Now it appears strawberries are vying for similar high-end nutritional status. A new study published in the medical journal Metabolism reports that strawberries work to lower LDL or “bad’ cholesterol. That’s impressive for a cereal topper or a courtside snack at Wimbledon.

The research was conducted by Dr. David J.A. Jenkins at the University of Toronto, who is best known for his work on the glycemic index or whether foods are digested slowly (low glycemic) or rapidly (high glycemic) by the body. Jenkins found that strawberries are even more efficient at lowering LDL cholesterol when part of an overall anti-LDL diet that is low in saturated and trans fats.

Jenkins and his colleagues followed 28 male and female volunteer subjects with high cholesterol for two-and-a-half years. All of the volunteers had been following an eating plan aimed at reducing cholesterol by consuming soy, oat bran, nuts and other plant foods with natural sterols. One group was assigned to eat three cups of strawberries per day for a month while the second group added additional servings of oat bran bread for the same period.

The strawberry eaters enjoyed an additional decrease in LDL cholesterol levels compared to the oat bran bread group, especially in terms of the LDL cholesterol not oxidizing or chemically changing to do potential damage to the heart and its arteries. What’s more, and this is no small thing, the strawberry group members reported feeling more positive about the taste and appeal of their meals than those subjects relegated to yet more servings of oat bran.

Some quick facts: One cup of strawberries is about 50 calories and only eight grams of sugar. Three cups of strawberries equates to 24, so look to buy fresh strawberries at lower cost in season (that would now through sometime in June), then opt for frozen strawberries. Eight strawberries have more vitamin C than an orange.

Life is a bowl of strawberries, or something like that, right?

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

While America focuses on the right diet for weight loss—a pattern that has a least a century of history—a new study from UCLA researchers suggests that maybe getting enough sleep is just as important as determining the right amount of fats, carbohydrates and protein to balance out in your daily meals and snacks 

Here’s why: The body has two primary hormones that regulate hunger and appetite in the body. Not enough sleep and suffering from insomnia wreaks havoc with at least one of those hormones and makes it hard for the body to determine when it’s full. That’s not good if you are trying to regulate the number of calories you consume each day.

In a groundbreaking study, the UCLA scientists evaluated the overnight levels of ghrelin and leptin in the body. Ghrelin is secreted in the stomach and works as an appetite stimulant by naturally increasing before meals. Leptin is the other hormone studied in the UCLA researchers. It is manufactured by fat cells to signal the brain about whether there is calorie shortage or satiety in the body. Insomnia sufferers in the study experienced 30 percent lower levels of ghrelin when compared to healthy sleepers.

While lower levels of ghrelin might indicate that your appetite is suppressed, what the earlier research shows is that decreased ghrelin levels at night actually can cause a spike in the appetite hormone during waking hours—when you are up and ready to eat. What’s more, this waking spike of ghrelin appears to be accompanied by decreased leptin, which the UCLA scientists described as a “double whammy” that stimulates appetite and overeating. 

"This is an exciting finding because it highlights how diverse behaviors like sleep and eating are connected,” wrote the researchers in the study that is already published online and will be in print during May. “We are just beginning to explore the possible consequences of these connections, but it is another example of the importance of a good night's sleep for the body."

The bottom line is whether we eat right or exercise regularly or both, staying up too late or disrespecting our sleep can sabotage those efforts. All of us can benefit from getting enough sleep, especially if losing a few pounds is the goal.

For anyone looking to lose the last five to 10 pounds, a purposeful sleep strategy might be just the move to accomplish that goal. It’s easy to talk about getting a good night’s sleep and, with Internet browsing, kids who don’t sleep through the night, partners who don’t sleep well, demanding work schedules and you name it, it can be hard. The best approach for getting a better night’s sleep is actually in the time you awake. Sleep researchers consistently recommend the best way to encourage better nighttime rest is to wake up at the same time every day, weekends included.

Maybe that sounds unappealing but if weight loss is your target, then waking up at the same time every day is your bull’s eye.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

Chalk up another benefit for your nightly syrah or pinot grigio. A new study from researchers at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif., shows that a daily glass of wine a day reduces the risk of suffering a disorder called Barrett's esophagus. This condition involves damage to the lining of the passage that travels from the mouth to the stomach. Unchecked, Barrett’s disease can become cancerous.

Dr. Al Kubo, lead researcher, writes in the recent issue of the medical journal Gastroenterology that he and his colleagues are not certain about how wine might have this effect. But the study did factor out other possible mitigating circumstances. Best guess is there are plant properties in wine that prevent damage to esophagus lining cells.

Here’s an interesting finding: Beer or alcoholic drinks did not produce a similar preventive outcome for the esophagus. Only wine was found to protect against Barrett’s.

Some wine country industry officials (in nearby Napa Valley and other vineyards far and wide) might be championing the provocative numbers in this study—those individuals who drank seven or more glasses of wine per week are 66 percent less likely to develop Barrett’s esophagus compared to non-alcohol drinkers. But it is always wise to remember that non-drinkers won’t necessarily benefit from beginning a wine habit.

Even so, anyone with a family history of esophagus problems (some heartburn conditions included here) might consider making wine their wind-down beverage of choice compared to, say, a nightly beer or vodka tonic.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

The pursuit of flat abdominal muscles is an American tradition that, let's face it, is the subject of way too many infomercials. To save you money–and free up late-night or weekend TV time to, uh, maybe get some sleep or be more active, both of which will help you flatten your abs–here are ways to look and feel slimmer around the waist. Feel free to pick and choose what works in your life; there is no right order. 

Embrace your belly. With props to the late George Carlin\'s classic routine of the differences between football ("you play sudden death") and baseball ("the object is to get home safe"), people talk about "flattening" the stomach or "crunching" your abs.

That needs to stop. Yoga instructors encourage students to "breathe" from the belly and be OK with letting your belly relax outward on the exhale. Those instructors have the right idea. Deep breathing as part of a yoga practice or as simple morning/bedtime exercises will increase your energy level and reduce stress.

Both effects will contribute to feeling lighter, which is a good opening strategy.

Go easy on the alcohol. David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men's health magazine, wrote a sensible and results-oriented book, "The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life" (Rodale). Zinczenko doesn't even require that readers perform any exercise in the first two weeks of the program. His first requirement: Get serious about reducing alcohol intake, consuming no more than two to three drinks per week. He writes that one strategy will jump-start your weight loss around the middle.

Mercer Island-based nutritionist Susan Kleiner, author of "The Good Mood Diet" (Springboard), a book I co-authored, said reducing alcohol is often the key to success when a smaller waist is the goal. Kleiner said many of her clients either don't lose much weight or plateau after a fast start, only to reach their slimmer ideal body weights by cutting back to just a couple of glasses of wine or beers per week.

Feel the need for speed--or at least some intensity in your workouts. Phil Campbell is a Tennessee-based conditioning coach who works with hundreds of young athletes hoping to gain college scholarships or professional sports careers. When running a speed camp, he asks students to think about the sprinter\'s body. Lots of muscles, yes, but fat around the middle, no.

Here's what Campbell has discovered, leading him to write the book, "Ready, Set, Go! Synergy Fitness" (Pristine): Adding some bursts of intensity to workouts for friends, neighbors, even his church pastor, can help the recreational athlete or sedentary person to reshape their midsections.

His basic routine consists of a two-minute warmup, then eight cycles of going hard (90 percent of capacity) for 30 seconds, followed by a recovery pace for 90 seconds that allows you to catch your breath. You can follow his routine as a walker, runner, cyclist or pretty much on any cardiovascular machine at the gym.

"What happens is a longer-lasting effect because you are firing up fast-twitch muscles that might have been dormant your whole adult life," said Campbell. "You might burn a fair number of calories on a long, slow run, but your calorie burn tends to drop off pretty soon after you are finished running.

"If you do the eight cycles, adding those 30-seconds of intensity, you can be burning fat and calories up to 24 hours after you finish exercising."

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

There is a shorthand way to develop a diet plan that will help you lose weight. Pick your ideal body weight, then multiply it by 10. That’s the number of calories you need to eat each day—and limiting it to that. Now new research makes a case for making sure you get enough protein as part of those calories rather than simply limiting saturated fat intake.

What University of Illinois researchers have reported is that proteins improve blood composition (more HDL or “good” cholesterol, fewer triglycerides) and help burn fat more effectively. The Illinois findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, show that moderate-protein diets will lead to more long-term loss of body fat than popular high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets. That translates to great lean muscle mass and, practically speaking, reduced clothing sizes.

In the study, 130 volunteer subjects were assigned to one of two calorie-restricted diets: One was high-carb with 15 percent of calories coming from protein, 55 percent from carbs and 30 percent from fats. The other plan called for 30 percent protein (lean meats, lowfat dairy, nuts, plus 40 percent carbs and 30 percent fats.

Here’s the differential between low-protein / high-carb and moderate-protein / moderate carb: While both groups lost considerable weight on restricted-calorie diets—the high-carb dieters lost 19 pounds compared to 23 pounds for the higher protein group—the higher protein group lost more pounds of fat both overall and proportionately. What’s more, the protein group enjoyed significantly healthier cholesterol blood makeup.

Illinois researcher Donald K. Layman said the extra protein—spread over meals and snacks throughout the day—helps encourage muscle mass, which leads to higher metabolic ratesell on their own is unclear.

Layman said the concept of spreading your calories and especially protein to all three meals and two to three snacks per day is a vital part of losing weight. .

You need to understand “a higher protein diet is not more protein at dinner, but balanced protein at breakfast and lunch," said Layman. Eating breakfast for many people is not a habit, but research continues to point to its value for both providing energy for the day and losing weight.

The latter seems like a good way to stay motivated to developing a breakfast habit after maybe calling yourself a non-breakfast eater for decades. One thing to remember: You don’t have to eat your breakfast in one sitting or even immediately upon waking. The idea is to get some protein and calories in your body during the first three hours of your wakeful day.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Here’s the thing you need to know about exercise. While the old adage “the best exercise is the exercise you do regularly” still holds true, the 21st stamp on getting enough physical activity is all about intensity.

The federal government’s guidelines suggest you get 30 minutes of “moderate intensity” exercise most days of the week. Cutting edge trainers suggest two high-intensity workouts each week—in as little as 15 to 20 minutes per session—can help you boost your heart health and lose weight.

Moderate intensity can be a bit hard to define.  Until now. San Diego State exercise scientist Simon J. Marshall conducted a studying showing the 100 steps per minute or 3,000 in a half-hour session is a good representation of moderate intensity. As it turns out, Marshall discovered that 100-step-per-minute pace is the same number of beats per minute in the classic disco hit, “Stayin’ Alive,” by the Bee Gees and featured in the movie “Saturday Night Fever.”

Who knew?

Marshall says the easiest way to make sure you are hitting 3,000 steps per half-hour is to use a pedometer that automatically record each step. His study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, adds clarity to the somewhat murky yet important concept of exercise intensity.

Some exercisers who keep a regular habit of physical activity wonder why they still can’t drop the extra pounds or feel any palpable boost in energy. A growing number of trainers will say the way break that biological deadlock is adding some high-intensity bursts to your workouts twice a week.

Here is how to add those bursts even if you need to finish the workout in 20 minutes or less—or another way to look at it is that you have fewer excuses not to add some physical rigor to your week. Warm up for at least three minutes, breaking a sweat. Then go hard for 30 seconds, followed by 60 seconds of recovery pace. Do this cycle eight times, then finish with cooldown of at least three minutes.

The high-intensity pace is 80 to 90 percent of your maximum output, whether you are power walking, running, riding the exercise bike, swimming, you name it. The recovery pace is about 50 percent of your maximum or significantly slower than your high-intensity rate.

Follow this burst workout twice a week for best results, including satisfying changes in your body shape and weight over just weeks rather than months.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

Don’t know about you, but high school seemed more stressful than just about any time in life. There might be self-manufactured drama about taking final exams, going on first dates (or, ahem, not) or simply fitting in—or not sticking out.

It might seem that some if not all of that stress is folly now. But a new UCLA study suggests that teen stress might be much more than little bit of nothing for its potential to affect our health well into adult years. Researcher Andrew J. Fuligni and colleagues discovered that volunteer subjects who were healthy teens but self-reported as experiencing “various negative interpersonal interactions” tested higher for an inflammatory marker in the blood called C-reactive protein or CRP.

CRP is considered a predictor of heart disease, in part because inflamed arteries and other blood vessels can disturb normal circulation. It turns out that teens can manufacture a long-term supply through regular fights with peers, parents and other family members by beginning a biological pattern in teen years. Other stressors include harassment from classmates or punishment administered by teachers or parents.

The study evaluated the daily emotions of 69 teens over two weeks and factored out family income status or “oversensitivity” to life events. Like adults, stress can lead to inflammation in the body.

Along with stress management techniques—one tip for parents is to respect a teen’s sources of stress no matter if you think you know better or feel tempted to wave off the hollow drama of it all—additional new research points to eating fish as a way to improve brain function and maintain it over the longer haul. A study of nearly 5,000 teen boys shows that those who ate fish more than once per week scored higher on intelligence exams up to three years later.

The best fish to eat contain the highest amounts of healthy omega-3 fats and include salmon, mackerel, anchovies and sardines.  While other studies have pointed to similar brain enhancement in adults (such as pregnant women and elders), the significance of the Swedish findings is that fish meals help when is still most “plastic” or positioned to learn new skills and adapt to new situations, such as finding a date for prom, making an athletic team, looking cool while carrying textbooks, navigating the cafeteria offerings or finishing time sections of placement exams without leaving entire sections blank.

Now, doesn’t that seem more stressful than you first thought looking back on it?

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

It is too simplistic to say that eating or drinking—or not eating or drinking—a certain food causes breast cancer. But there are patterns that can be undeniable. A new study of the nutrition habits covering more than 2,000 Chinese women is a good example.  It shows a diet high in fresh and dried mushroom lowers breast cancer risk.

What’s more, the same study indicates a daily green tea habit can also drive down breast cancer cases, and that combining mushrooms and green tea creates a super-healthy synergy.  

Now for one of those undeniable patterns: The rate of breast cancer in China is four to five lower than rates in developed countries (though the rate is increasing in more affluent parts of China). Lead researcher Min Zhang of the University of Western Australia said the mushrooms and green tea in large quantities represent a potential explanation for the dramatically lower breast cancer rate in China.

Zhang and her colleagues published the study in the International Journal of Cancer and evaluated 1.009 women with breast cancer in southeast China plus an equal number of women who were cancer-free. All volunteer subjects completed a detailed food questionnaire aimed at how often certain foods and drinks were in the diet.

The women with the lowest risk for breast cancer ate more than 10 grams of mushrooms daily, leading to two-thirds less risk of breast cancer than non-mushroom eaters. Women who ate at least four grams of dried mushrooms cut their breast cancer risk in half. If those mushroom consumers drank some green tea every day, they turned out to have only 11 to 18 percent of the breast cancer risk of women who eschewed mushrooms or green tea.

Again, there is no cause and effect posited by the researchers. But the trend is hard to deny. The plant substances abundant in mushrooms and green tea are documented to be highly effective in fighting cancer cells. It seems like a healthy idea for women to add one or both items to their daily menus.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

The sport of golf is not exactly an activity that gets you thinking about the emotional benefits of support from family and friends. But a new British study confirms just that point on a scientific basis.

Researchers at the University of Exeter’s School of Sport and Health Sciences report a statistical association between social support and performance among nearly 200 male amateur golfers who all play at highly competent levels (handicaps of 2 to 4 or golfers who play near par on difficult courses). The study participants answered questionnaires covering the support in their personal lives, plus confidence before a round and what causes stress for them. The study was published this month in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.

What the researchers found was that golfers who played under stress could still improve, on average, one shot per round if they enjoyed strong social support in their lives. In contrast, golfers with low social support and under similar stress could suffer three additional strokes per round (more is worse in golf scoring).

The researchers were willing to extend social support to good things happening in many athletic endeavors, whether high-level or youth recreational leagues. Take note, overzealous sports parents (or pass this blog link to ones you know). It might not be how you or your loved wins the game or even plays the game as much as how he or she feels once the game is finished.

"Our study reveals the ongoing support of friends and family to be one of the most important factors influencing sports performance," said Tim Rees, lead researcher. "While training, tactics and luck all play a part, the encouraging words or kind gestures of a partner or friend can make the difference between a player scoring that winning goal or a sprinter achieving a record time. The encouragement and support of friends and family clearly plays a massive part in building confidence, which is so important when the pressure is on."

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Solving the life-altering condition of chronic fatigue syndrome is a huge challenge for anyone facing the illness. New Swedish research suggests probiotics or “good” bacteria found in the live active cultures of yogurt can reduce chronic fatigue symptoms for a significant percentage of individuals.

Here’s an important caveat: Eating yogurt or taking probiotic supplements, while it can help some people feel better, can make others feel worse. In sum, the researchers at the Karolinska Instituetet in Stockholm ventured that probiotics were “worth trying.”

If a person feels better or no worse in the first three weeks, keep taking the supplement. If the chronic fatigue seems worse, then stop taking the supplement.

The works-for-some and not-for-others division of outcomes is common in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome, say alternative health practitioners. Research is clearly pointing to a need for customized or individualized treatment plans. A primary reason is that the root cause of the ongoing fatigue is undetermined. There are some researchers who contend it is hormonal and neurochemical imbalance while others suspect the immune system is central to the symptoms.

The neurosystem and immune system connections prompted the Swedish researchers to investigate the effect of probiotics. The intestinal tract or gut is closely associated with the immune system and is often called the “second brain” because of neurochemicals located there that are prevalent in the brain too. A grant from a probiotics supplement provided additional motivation and, of course, funding.

The idea was to see if restore the balance between healthy and unhealthy bacteria in the gut can reduce chronic fatigue. This study followed 15 people with chronic fatigue, ten women and five men. Six of the participants reported improvements in physical symptoms, while said things were worse. The other eight reported no significant physical improvement but, interestingly, three said their mental health had improved. 

More research is necessary to make any conclusions about probitoics and, perhaps even more importantly, determine just which chronic fatigue patients would benefit most from upgrading the bacteria balance in the gut.

Yet, honestly, it hard to argue against anyone with chronic fatigue syndrome adding yogurt and kefir (drinkable yogurt) to their daily menus. When possible, look for brands that offer a number of live active cultures, such as Stonyfield Farm. And always look for yogurt with natural ingredients and no artificial sweeteners. Plus, a lowfat yogurt is often more satisfying in both taste and curbing hunger.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Here’s a physiological riddle for those go-getters who say they can be energetic and stay healthy on less sleep than the recommended seven to eight hours. A new study by researchers at the University of Bufflao shows people who get fewer than six hours of sleep at night are prone to abnormal blood sugar levels, which in turn increases risk for diabetes.

Even without the loom of diabetes, uneven blood sugar levels can lead to unwanted weight gain and mental challenges ranging from to spikes in attention span and memory problems.

Still think you don’t need seven to eight hours? The Buffalo scientists reported that volunteer subjects in the study who slept six hours or less were four to five times more likely to develop abnormal and dangerous blood sugar levels in just six years.

"This study supports growing evidence of the association of inadequate sleep with adverse health issues," said Lisa Rafalson, lead researcher.

Other studies support her work and statement. Several studies show children who don’t sleep enough (younger ones need even more than eight hours, up to 10 to 12 for the early-graders) run up their chances to develop high blood pressure, depression and obesity. Among adults, say the parents of those children, there is increased risk of infections, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.

The disruption of insulin uptake was identified as the main reason for why lesser sleepers face potential cases of type 2 diabetes. Importantly, the finding held even when researchers adjusted for age, obesity, heart rate, high blood pressure, family history of diabetes and symptoms of depression.

Bottom line: Adequate sleep is not simply a good idea. It is essental for being in the best of health.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

You can conjure a few theories when you hear this University of Utah study about how strained marriages cause women to suffer higher blood pressure and other heart disease symptoms compared to other wives. Theory one: Wives care more than husbands about a bad marriage. Two: Women are even aware there is a problem. Three: You get the idea.

The Utah study look at nearly 300 couples married more than 20 years. What it showed is women in marriages with high stress—determined by questionnaires about relationship and mental state plus lab tests—were more prone to cardiovascular complications and gaining weight. What’s more, women are more likely to suffer abnormal blood sugar swings (a precursor to diabetes) and high cholesterol than men. Just not Ozzie and Harriet any way you look at it.

As it turns out, both men and women feel depressed about rocky marriages—there’s got to be some hope in that finding, right? But wives are the partners to suffer the brunt of  heart disease symptoms because of it.

If you are wondering, couples in strained marriage fight more frequently, especially about kids, sex, money and in-laws. A particular marker of a strained marriage is consistent hostility. Yet, the questionnaires administered by Utah researchers showed most of the couples were “fairly satisfied” with their marriage.

The researchers, who presented their work at a recent conference of the American Psychosomatic Society, reported that they wanted to be careful about “trafficking in stereotypes.” That said, they said women tend to value the quality of relationships more than men do and “perhaps, even more important, they pay attention more, so when it is not going well, they’re aware of it and more concerned about it than men.”

That confirms Theory One and Two.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

The kindergarten teacher stood in front of a group of new parents for the first time. She was smiling and making eye contact with pretty much all of us. She appeared calm and organized.

At some point, the teacher explained a point that still sticks in the mind to this day, as those same kindergarteners embark upon sixth grade.

“The word ‘discipline’ comes from ‘disciple,’ she explained. “It means when we discipline children we show them the way, be role models.”

This kindergarten teacher and her memorable clarity about why discipline is not about punishment came to mind when a new health study recently popped up on the computer screen. A 50-years-long study conducted at the government’s National Institute on Aging in Baltimore reports that adults who are active, emotionally calm and organized tend to live longer that people who are chronically angry or anxious. The study, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, calculated the aggregate benefit as living an extra two to three years on average.

While not exactly counter to common sense, the findings affirm that staying physically active and keeping stress in check have quantifiable value. The bit about being organized syncs up with research showing that lack of control in situations at work and home create the most anxiety and stress in modern life.

“Being organized is not about overplanning everything,” said Anne Quigg, a Seattle-based clutter coach who helped the Post-Intelligencer stage a “Clear Your Clutter” reader contest in this column space during 2004. “It’s much more about taking one thing at a time. Too often my clients are trying to do too much.”

So Quigg’s definition of taking control of your life equates to slowing down when it’s possible. It might mean simply sitting in your car for a brief meditative moment before picking up a child or attending a meeting.

Maybe you give yourself five to 10 minutes for a walk during lunch. You can be creative—how about turning off the TV early or not even switching it on?—but be sure to build some down time into your week, Quigg said.

“At first slowing down, even for short times during the day, will feel odd,” noted Quigg. But she said the payoff will be “not feeling so exhausted all of the time.”

Quigg has several suggestions for developing more calmness and personal organization into your life.

-- Try to leave your office “kind of on time.”

-- When you arrive home after a busy day, insist on 10 minutes of alone time or quiet time for yourself. No exceptions. “I don’t call it being ‘self-centered,’ ” said Quigg. “I call it ‘self-centering.’ ” If upon arrival doesn’t work, pick another time. But don’t get up a half-hour earlier than everyone in the family just for the peace and quiet. Make space for yourself during everyone’s waking hours.

-- Stop acquiring any more planners or notebooks. Don’t be afraid to “feel things” or face your less-than-perfectly-organized self.

-- Don’t give yourself away, said Quigg, “I know it sounds kind of awful but you are actually giving people a gift if you do things for yourself” and not so stretched or scattered or both.

Say what you want about text messaging—and there are plenty of opinions out there—but there is no question that it can be hazardous to your health. It’s not science-based, yet here is an association you can try on for size. The less you practice common sense, the more thumbing on your Blackberry will put you at potential peril.

Here’s why. A recent survey commissioned by Neverfail, an Austin, Texas-based business software company, shows that among other bad ideas 77 percent of people have “sent or received emails while driving a moving car. ” The poll of 148 people was conducted by a Washington, D.C., research firm. The sample size dictates a margin of error up to five percent points. So it is conservative to report that the percentage might be close to 72 total or seven of 10 people.

Holy roaming charge.

Similarly, the AAA motorist and travel group reported in a 2007 survey “nearly half” of all teens have texted while driving. 

If you are shaking your head, there’s more. Four of 10 people said they have used their mobile phones and devices while enjoying an active outdoor activity, including biking, skiing or riding a horse (!).

To that end, the American College of Emergency Medicine released a statement earlier this year to warn people not to text message while “walking, skating, riding a bicycle or driving.” Its rationale is that member doctors are “noticing a rise in injuries and deaths related to sending text messages at inappropriate times.”

There’s one more portion of this texting survey that is disturbing even if it’s not causing a direct health threat. More than a third of the adults in the survey reported text messaging during a graduation ceremony, while 18 percent said engaging in the same activity during a wedding and 16 percent during a funeral. These instances might not be hazardous to your health, but they do nothing for your human relationships.

And that most decidedly is not healthy.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Over the last few years, four Seattle-based Bastyr University-trained nutritionists, three in the same nutrition counseling practice together, routinely talked about the lack of nutritious and tasty all-natural energy bars on the market. Clients asked for recommendations and the nutritonists struggled to identify one product that was the perfect fit.

“Either the bars offered good nutrition but didn’t taste good,” said Minh-Hai Tran, one of those four nutritionists, “or the bars taste great but lack good nutrition.”

So Tran and her Zing Bar co-founders decided the world needed another energy bar. It helped that Tran had previously worked with an energy bar company and that the nutritionists had connections with a local family-owned food manufacturer willing to take on the numerous rounds of test-kitchen bars. It is no easy feat to make a bar that not only tastes good but remains stable as it is shipped and stocked.

The testing and product development started in earnest more than two years ago. Now Zing Bars are sold for about $2.50 per bar online (www.zingbars.com) and at select locations. The bars were first marketed nationally to health professionals like the Zing founders themselves who want to feel good about suggesting an all-natural energy bar. The next part of the plan is to distribute the bars in independently owned coffee shops, salons, spas and yoga studios.

“We actually call it a ‘nutrition’ bar to make the point that it is a great balance of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats,” said Tran. “But taste is really important to us. We made no compromise on taste or nutrition. Life is too short to be eating things you don’t like.”

A note about taste of Zing bars: In a wildly subjective and drastically limited test, here are the findings about the three flavors of bar: The chocolate peanut butter bar is “wonderful,” said a 11-year-old girl from the car back seat. She was clearly not talking about the nutrition factor. This is a kid who is always hungry for something delicious right after school no matter how much lunch she has consumed.

“Too much almond for me, not enough blueberry,” said an 11-year-old boy and fruit enthusiast from the same back seat in critiquing the blueberry almond flavor. “But I like the peanut butter one a lot.”

The third flavor, oatmeal chocolate, reminded me, in the front seat, of homemade oatmeal chocolate chip bars I ate as a child. And that’s a good thing, not only its taste but the texture of the bar. All three bars provided some satisfying crunch and were not at all gooey like some protein-rich bars.

One of the big pluses of these bars is the protein content. Spend a few minutes in the energy bar aisle and you discover many bars don’t have much protein, which flies in the face of nutritionists who typically recommend including protein in mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks for brainpower. The Zing Bars range from 10 to 13 grams in a 210-calorie serving.

For example, Julie Burns, a Chicago-based nutritionist who has worked with professional athletes and working parents alike, has long suggested that her clients pack or buy endmame (steamed soybeans in the pod or shelled) to go along with their energy bars in effort to boost protein.

It is not surprising that Zing Bars don’t contain trans fats. But the nutritionist/entrepreneur in Tran can’t resist explaining that while lots of energy bars tout the no trans fat line on their labels, there is a catch.“A number of bars contain fractionated palm kernel oil,” said Tran. “This type of palm kernel oil has no trans fat but it is an ultra-saturated fat that we don’t is any better or healthier than trans fats. We didn’t want palm kernel oil in any form.”

We all know that brushing and flossing our teeth represent a superb health habit. That doesn’t mean we do it, especially the flossing part. But let’s say you are indeed a regular brusher and flosser. There’s more you can. Check out this excerpt from one of the country’s great newspapers (one that is facing possible closure) the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.  The advice comes from Debra Boutin, associate professor of nutrition at Bastyr University, arguably the country’s leading natural health medical school:

Keeping your teeth healthy and strong is one of the best things you can do to ensure well-being throughout your life. Besides brushing and flossing after every meal and visiting the dentist regularly, there is more you can do for your teeth by making the right choices when you eat.

Choose foods that do not contribute to tooth decay. These foods include protein, fats and vegetables, and the key to their protective benefits is that they must be eaten last. Nuts and unsweetened dairy products contain both protein and fat, so finish your snack or meal with a glass of milk, a piece of cheese or a handful of nuts. Vegetables are beneficial because they are low in sugar and high in fiber, a natural toothbrush.

Avoid "feeding" the bacteria in your mouth that are responsible for cavity formation. Foods that are sweet, starchy and sticky (chips, crackers, cereals, breads and cookies) are most likely to adhere to the surfaces of your teeth where these bacteria live. Sodas, including diet soda, and some sports drinks contain acids that contribute to the conditions for tooth decay. If you can't brush your teeth after consuming these kinds of foods and beverages, rinse your mouth with water, or chew gum sweetened with xylitol.

The same nutrients that keep bones healthy -- calcium, phosphorous, vitamin C and vitamin D -- also are crucial for strong teeth, and eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains will help your immune system defend the health of your mouth from the inside.

Taking care of your teeth requires daily attention and the results are well worth it. The only side effects will be a brighter smile, sweeter breath and the ability to enjoy delicious food throughout your lifetime.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.