Is stress our big problem?

In a recent article from the Orlando Sentinetal, an experienced neurosurgeon reports that almost 75% of all his patients develop physical problems due to mental stress. Here's more on the surgeon's mind-body observations...

Jennifer L. Boen |The (Fort Wayne, Ind.) News-sentinel

June 17, 2008

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Neurosurgeon Rudy Kachmann understands how the brain works, how billions of nerve cells send signals to the body, coordinating movement, sensation and speech. He has removed tumors from the brain, probed deeply into structures where electrical misfiring occurs and uncovered hidden anomalies that can burst and cause sudden death.

But Kachmann, 71, of Fort Wayne, Ind., says the longer he engages in the art and science of medicine the more he recognizes the connection between emotions and disease. "Being a surgeon for 40 years has taught me that 70 to 75 percent of what people see a physician for is stress-related," he says.

Helping people understand the connection between mind and body has culminated in the Kachmann Mind Body Institute, inside Fort Wayne's Lutheran Hospital. The hospital does not operate the institute but rents the space to Kachmann, who is its medical director.

"I teach mind-body medicine," Kachmann says. "I tell patients I'm their coach."

More here...

Must-Do List for Healthy Aging

Many recent articles and news reports have recently featured tips on how to live to be 100+. Over at the Natural Holistic Health Blog, aging tips are boiled down into succinct bullet points. Here are a few below, the rest can be read here. I suspect this is a general list intended for both males and females.

Must-Do List for Healthy Aging

Calcium - (1,200 mg daily)

• Protects bone mass
• Lowers blood pressure
• Improves Insulin’s effectiveness at processing blood sugar

Chromium - (200 mcg daily)

• Helps the body process blood sugar
• Lowers Cholesterol
• Aids weight loss efforts

Multivitamin/ mineral - (daily)

• Prevents vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• Reduces the risk of several diseases, including Heart Disease and osteoporosis

Should women really “have no fears” about using HRT?

Wendy at Menopause - the Blog posted a great summary of what went down at the recent Global Summit on Women's Health. As you've probably already read or heard in the news, attendees at the health conference deemed HRT to be safe for perimenopausal women. But, as Wendy so astutely points out, the Global Summit meeting of experts was held “with the assistance of unrestricted educational grants” received from three pharmaceutical companies that manufacture and market hormones; Wyeth, Bayer-Schering and Novo Nordisk Femcare.

Says Wendy, "This diminishes, in my view, the value and integrity of the panel’s recommendations and they unfortunately missed an opportunity to move the HRT debate forward despite the research, analysis and debate that took place."

Visit Menopause the Blog for the entire entry and to leave your comments to Wendy's provocative questions about the relationship between pharmaceutical sponsorship and medical integrity. It's an important point to ponder.

Mediterranean diet may also help stop diabetes

From Yahoo Health News: A Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables -- already known to protect against heart disease -- also appears to help ward off diabetes, Spanish researchers said on Friday.

The study published in the British Medical Journal showed that people who stuck closely to the diet were 83 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who did not.

Common Myths about Women's Health -- Part II

Think weight gain is an inevitable part of aging? Figure exercise is a waste of time if you can’t devote an entire hour to physical activity? Convinced statin drugs are the only way to reduce cholesterol levels? Based on an article by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP at Women to Women, here’s how to separate fact from fiction when it comes to several common myths about women’s health -- Part II!

Myth: The older you get, the less sleep you need.
Fact: After about the age of 50, women spend less time in deep REM sleep and spend more time in stage I and II (lighter sleep). This doesn't necessarily mean we need less sleep, but it does mean that we are definitely more prone to waking up due to light, noise, night sweats, and other sleep disruptors. To make sure you are getting maximum rest and not just sleeping less because outside factors are keeping you up, take special care to create a relaxing and quiet sleep environment, exercise earlier in the day, and refrain from eating just before bedtime. Here are some special tips if you suffer from insomnia.

Myth: Statin drugs are the best way to control high cholesterol levels.
Fact: Depending on your cholesterol levels and family and personal health history, you most likely can achieve an improved lipid profile through natural means. Start with your diet and eliminate processed and refined ingredients (including trans fats, fat “substitutes”, high fructose corn syrup and other chemicals), limiting carbohydrates, eating fresh whole foods from the source as much as possible, and getting adequate amounts of healthy fat. Add in exercise and you've got the recipe for reduced LDL cholesterol levels. Also, two supplements that are known to help with cholesterol levels are red yeast and fish oil. Here's more from Women to Women on the Truth About Cholesterol and Fat.

Myth: You need to exercise 30–60 minutes per day to have any impact on health.
Fact: Good news for the gym-phobic, this myth is not true. For health benefits without a lot of time expenditure, try “bursting”. This exercise method has you bring your body to an extreme quickly and repeatedly — to the point where you’re breathing so heavily, you might not be able to talk. If you exercise in bursts, you may not require more than 20 minutes three to four times a week to improve your health. Work your way to bursting for one minute (run, bike, and some other intense exercise) and then try to "burst" 3 or 4 times during a 20 minute workout. Studies show that this form of exercise might actually be better at warding off osteoporosis. More on bursting.

Common Women's Health Myths -- Fact or Fiction? Part I

Think weight gain is an inevitable part of aging? Figure exercise is a waste of time if you can’t devote an entire hour to physical activity? Convinced statin drugs are the only way to reduce cholesterol levels? Based on an article by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP at Women to Women, here’s how to separate fact from fiction when it comes to several common myths about women’s health.

Myth: Menopause results in permanent weight gain
Fact: You might gain weight, but it's probably only temporary.
As estrogen levels begin to drop during perimenopause and menopause, the body relies on fat cells to produce low levels of the hormone. This estrogen helps protect your body from the abrupt hormonal transitions of menopause (think of it as softening the landing of free falling estrogen levels). During this time your body might store more fat (and make it more difficult to lose fat). Once the body has adjusted to less estrogen, oftentimes weight goes down again.

Myth: Stress makes you gain weight -- especially during menopause.
Fact: True!
Adrenal glands factors into menopausal weight gain. As hormone production in the ovaries begins to wind down during perimenopause and menopause, the adrenals contribute small amounts of estrogen and other sex hormones to help ease the transition. If you are under chronic stress (and these days, who isn’t?), the adrenals use all their time and energy to produce more and more cortisol, leaving less reserve for manufacturing sex hormones. Over time, this “cortisol dominance” leads to deposition of fat in the abdominal area and a hormonal imbalance which will lead to more weight gain, fat storage, and increased menopausal symptoms.

The key to successful weight management during menopause is to reduce stress and follow a healthy diet. This will give your body the best opportunity to function normally and navigate its own way through menopausal changes.

Myth: If you eat a low-fat, low-calorie diet, you will lose weight.
Fact: You might lose in the short-term, but you'll probably end up gaining it all back -- and then some!
Low-fat, low-calorie diets will trigger your body to store fat because it thinks it is experiencing famine. Also, low-fat, low-calorie diets set the stage for hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, food cravings, and binges. Yuck! What’s the best diet to follow for weight loss? According to this article, think Mediterranean (lots of veggies, heart healthy oils, not a lot of processed carbs) and you can’t go wrong!

More myths coming up shortly in my next post!

A peek at recent health and fitness books, magazines and blogs

What I'm reading -- books, magazines, and blogs -- this month...

Diet Book

Maintaining your body at peak performance is the driving force behind The Detox Strategy -- Vibrant Health in Five Easy Steps (The Idea Network Inc., $26), by New York Times bestselling author Brenda Watson. She's an alternative health-care expert who has been teaching people about cleansing, detoxification and digestive care for 20 years. She writes about the signs and symptoms of toxicity and gives tips and information about how to renew your life and rejuvenate your body and mind. Watson will tell you about hidden toxins in everything from your mattress and toothpaste to your nonstick pans and bottled water.

Magazine Alert

Put up the June issue of Women's Health. It's loaded with interesting info such as ... People who walked 3 to 8.7 miles per week cut their chances of needing medication for diabetes by 23 percent, compared to those who logged less than 3 miles. One long weekly walk of 3.7 to 5 miles is key -- that walk dropped participants' need for cholesterol meds by 33 percent and blood pressure meds by 28 percent over those who stopped at 2.5 miles. This issue also has 100 time-saving Web sites, super-healthful salads and tips on faster weight loss. There is so much packed in this month. I read the issue while waiting for dinner to finish cooking and let almost everything burn in the process!

Blogs I'm Reading (May):

My Menopause Blog -- Get well, Sue! Sue Richards, everyone's favorite meno-blogger is also battling Parkinson's Disease. She has a great mind-set and is staying the course with a holistic approach to healing. She hasn't posted in a few weeks, but she's still in my thoughts a lot. Her archives are a treasure trove of menopause info and perspective.

Magnolia Diaries -- Magnolia is a witty, warm, and fun-loving mom who writes about menopause, health issues, life, and whatever else crosses her mind! I especially like her reading recommendations (hint, she's an Anne LaMott fan, too!).

About's Menopause Blog: I knew About has a women's health blog, but I just discovered the menopause blog. Lots of great info, including a new blog about vitamin D (if you've ready any of my other blog entries, you know this is one of my favorite topics!)