Posts Tagged Health & Fitness
Posted by Laura Nelson on August 1, 2010
By Megan Schaaf, BrightStar Healthcare
Megan Schaaf, BrightStar Healthcare
According to the Alzheimer’s Association (2010), there are currently “5.1 million people age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s. It’s estimated that in 2030, more than 7.7 million in this age group will have the disease (a 50% increase).” With such a large number of people facing this debilitating illness, it is no surprise that BrightStar cares for a number of clients with this disease.
BrightStar Healthcare is a wise choice for people with Alzheimer’s because caregivers’ flexible hours allow for an increase in care as the disease progresses. Additionally, because consistency and routine are highly beneficial to people with memory loss, allowing them to stay at home in an environment where they are already comfortable is very important. BrightStar caregivers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, many of which include memory care and upon hire caregivers are encouraged to participate in Alzheimer’s training.
The ten most common symptoms of Alzheimer’s are:
• Memory loss that disrupts daily life
• Challenges in planning or solving problems
• Difficulty completing familiar tasks
• Confusion with time or place
• Trouble understanding visual images
• New problems with words when speaking or writing
• Misplacing things (on a regular basis)
• Losing the ability to retrace steps
• Decreased or poor judgment, withdrawal from work or social activities
• Changes in mood or personality.
If these signs sound familiar, it is important to contact a health care provider for further assessment. Additionally, the Alzheimer’s Association also has a hotline you can call 24/7 at (800) 272-3900. The hotline can provide assistance in understanding an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, treatment options, as well as referrals to local resources.
BrightStar is a national partner of the Alzheimer’s Association and as such we care deeply about working to find a cure for Alzheimer’s. In order to work towards this goal, the Wheaton BrightStar office is participating in the annual Memory Walk in Naperville on September 26th 2010. If you are interested in joining our team or making a donation, please contact Megan Schaaf at BrightStar.
To learn more about caregivers and their availability, call Megan Schaaf at BrightStar of Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, and DuPage County, (630) 260-5300.
Posted by Laura Nelson on August 1, 2010
By Dr. Ruth Martens, M.D., D. Ht
After 40, many of my patients eat right and exercise regularly but still have difficulty losing weight. Women are aware of large changes in metabolism around menopause but men also have difficulty. Does something change or is it just in your head?
Actually, there is a real reason our bodies change with age. When we are young, our bodies grow several feet taller in only a few years. The hormone responsible is human growth hormone (HGH). After puberty, HGH declines until our mid 30’s. As a result, we increase body fat. When we get to middle age, muscle tone declines, bad cholesterol increases, bone density thins and the skin begins to wrinkle.
The good news is there is a natural way to cause an increase in HGH through fitness training. When HGH is released during exercise, it shrinks body fat for 2 hours after training. It is literally the “fitness hormone”.
But, you might say, “I already exercise”. The key seems to be the right type of exercise. Most people know that stretching improves muscle tone, aerobic exercise is good for your heart and endurance and strength training with either weights or resistance will increase muscle fiber. What is missing from these fitness plans is high intensity, short sprints, also known as anaerobic exercise. This is the type of exercise that makes you hot, sweaty, out of breath and is the one where you “feel the burn” in your muscles. It is also the one that is essential to release the fitness hormone. Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine found that HGH is released in direct proportion to exercise intensity.
If you decide to try this type of exercise, there are a few things that will maximize your effort:
• Before training, avoid a high fat meal. Fat decreases HGH.
• Before or after training take 2g of L-Glutamine.
• Drink lots of water during exercise.
• Avoid sugar for 2 hours after exercise–even in a sports drink.
• After exercise take a protein supplement or eat a high protein meal with 25g of protein. (See the online version of this article for a list of protein sources).
• Get adequate deep sleep.
There are three types of muscle fibers. When you exercise, you must develop all 3 muscle types–slow, fast and super-fast. The reason is it takes fast twitch muscle fibers to perform anaerobic exercise. And anaerobic exercise is what releases your fitness hormone.
This does not mean you should avoid all the other types of exercise. The fact is, you need balance, so alternating stretching, aerobic, strength training and building your muscle fiber gradually will avoid injury and give the best results.
What constitutes anaerobic exercise? Sprinting can be done on a bicycle, swimming, running or even power walking up a hill. Anyone with medical conditions or who can’t remember the last time they exercised should check with their physician before starting an exercise routine.
There are additional benefits to high intensity exercise:
• It raises antioxidants.
• It increases good cholesterol.
• It lowers bad cholesterol.
• It increases bone density.
After trying this fitness program for one month, I can feel a difference in muscle tone and strength, but I can also say my favorite part is getting a better workout in a shorter amount of time. Even at the beginning, I felt doing sprints for 10 minutes was as good as my usual 20 minute bike ride. I have worked up to 8 sprints with rest between. I still hate exercise. But if I have to do it–it helps if I can see results.
Growing older isn’t an option. But we don’t have to feel older. Come on, I’ll race you.
Dr. Martens is a family physician specializing in natural medicine and homeopathy in Wheaton. For more information or to make an appointment, call (630) 668-5595. Current and previous articles available at www.martenshealth.com.
Posted by Laura Nelson on June 21, 2010
By Dr. Steve Biagini
When I was in the grocery store checkout line last week, I overheard two women talking about the dentist:
“My dentist said I needed a crown. I don’t know why he can’t just fill it,” said one.
“Be glad it’s in the back,” said the other, “These caps on my front teeth don’t match, and I’ve got an ugly black line near my gum.”
Patients have many questions like that every day in our practice.
There are several situations that call for crowns. Most often, it’s because a tooth is broken down because of a large area of decay. A filling isn’t strong enough. If the tooth is in front, a crown can be made to exactly match other teeth. Also, a tooth that has been root canaled should be crowned. After a root canal, the tooth loses its blood supply and becomes more brittle and susceptible to fracture.
To put in a crown, the tooth is shaped so the crown can be slid on over the tooth–much like a thimble slides over your finger–and cemented in place. The crown covers the tooth, protecting it from further breakage or decay.
Several types of crowns are available. The first is a full gold crown. Generally done on molars only, they are shiny yellow. An excellent material, the gold stands out, and patients have been moving away from them in recent years. The second type is a porcelain fused to metal crown (PFM). This type is used most often, but does have a couple drawbacks.
When used on front teeth, the natural translucence of teeth is lost. Light cannot pass through the tooth because of the metal composition of the crown. The second issue is the dark line right at the gum line, which cannot be completely concealed.
One of the biggest breakthroughs in cosmetic dentistry is the Porcelain Empress Crown. New bonding technology has allowed dentists to bond these ceramic crowns directly to teeth. This strong bond has made the crown strong enough to function under even heavy chewing pressures.
These all porcelain crowns are the most beautiful and natural-looking crowns I’ve ever placed in a patient’s mouth. There is no metal so they have none of the drawbacks of a PFM. A newly developed pressing system allows them to fit the tooth more accurately, giving incredible fracture resistance.
In the last year, we’ve placed Empress crowns on front teeth almost exclusively, and wherever aesthetics is a concern to the patient. To learn more about all porcelain crowns, ask your dentist, or give us a call.
Dr. Steven Biagini, Dr. Theresa Jansky, and Dr. Mark Beck would like to introduce you to the compassion in dentistry. Glen Ellyn Family Dental Care is at 658 Roosevelt Rd., Glen Ellyn. (630) 858-0216. www.changing smiles.net
Posted by Laura Nelson on June 21, 2010
Sports massage is geared toward athletes of every kind, from world-class professionals to weekend joggers. The particulars of the massage are specific to the athlete’s sport of choice and are often focused on a particular troublesome area, like a knee or shoulder.
Aspects of massage are gaining popularity as useful components in a balanced training regimen.
Sports massage can be used as a means to enhance pre-event preparation and reduce recovery time for maximum performance during training or after an event. Athletes have discovered that specially designed massage promotes flexibility, removes fatigue, improves endurance, helps prevent injuries, and prepares them to compete at their absolute best.
Massage Envy is at 709 Roosevelt Rd., Glen Ellyn. (630) 790-4400, www.massageenvy.com
Posted by Laura Nelson on June 21, 2010
Antioxidants and Periodontal Disease
By Dr. Ruth Martens, M.D., D. Ht
We, as doctors, sometimes forget that the mouth is not separate from the rest of the body and what happens there (unlike Las Vegas) doesn’t always stay there.
Periodontal disease is infection of the connecting tissues and bone surrounding a tooth. If the inflammation is limited to the gums, it is called gingivitis. Periodontal disease is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Up to 80% of Americans over age 45 have some form of periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is a systemic disease that manifests in the mouth. Periodontal disease is now linked to oral cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung infection, pre term and low weight babies, osteoporosis and other chronic disease. More than 90% of systemic diseases have signs and symptoms in the mouth as part of their picture.
Free radicals play an important destructive role in the development and progress of periodontal tissue. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals in body tissues. Patients with periodontal disease tend to have a lower antioxidant capacity–both locally and systemically. Patients with low levels of certain vitamins and minerals have up to a 13 fold greater risk of periodontal disease.
Over 200 studies and clinical trials have clearly established the close relationship between antioxidants, free radicals and periodontal disease. No known studies have been found that contradict these findings. In 1999, Dr. Grossi showed selenium has the strongest association with gum disease. Low levels of vitamins A, C alpha-carotene, and beta-crotoxanathin also increase risk. In general, the body uses zinc, copper, vitamin E, B2, B6, beta-carotene and systemic glutathione to defend against inflammation.
Lester Packer of UC Berkeley wrote extensively of the collective interaction of vitamins as an antioxidant network. They function better together and some recharge others. This means that as tempting as it may be to run out and pick up the supplements in the last paragraph, a supplement with the proper ratios of vitamins, minerals, bioflavonoids and a full complement of antioxidant compounds has even stronger effects than taking individual components separately.
Up to now the primary clinical weapons against periodontal disease have been scaling and root planning (SRP), antibiotics and surgery. We know from clinical research that SRP is ineffective up to 40% of the time. When it does work, SRP reduces pocket depths by a little over 1mm on average. SRP is topical. It does nothing to address the systemic nature of periodontal disease. Surgery may be effective as a last resort, but it is painful and expensive. Antibiotics help but are temporary and do not prevent long-term recurrences.
Antioxidant therapy produces up to 3 times the pocket depth reduction of SRP alone. There is a dramatic reduction in bleeding. Antioxidants work systemically to support the body’s natural immune system. A clinical study done at Loma Linda University in 2000 gave antioxidant supplements to subjects and showed 23-44% reduction in pocket depth in just 30 days. I’ve seen improvement just as quickly in my own patients.
Foods such as salmon, walnuts, avocados, olive oil, canola oil and gac fruit are anti-inflammatory. Green tea can actually kill bacteria. Sugar weakens the immune defense and should be reduced to prevent and reduce inflammation.
Your overall antioxidant status can be measured by a simple test using the Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner. After adding supplements or changing your diet, this test can then be repeated to determine if you are succeeding in bolstering your immune system.
The bottom line is a large percentage of acute and chronic inflammation can be prevented or reduced by antioxidant supplements and foods. Don’t delay. Get that apple today.
References for this article and an archive of previous articles are available at www.martenshealth.com. Dr. Ruth Martens is a family physician specializing in natural medicine and classical homeopathy in Wheaton. For more information or to make an appointment, call (630) 668-5595.
Posted by Laura Nelson on May 10, 2010
By Shellie Carter,
Alder Healing Center
Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese word representing universal life energy, the energy that is all around us. It is derived from rei, meaning “free passage” or “transcendental spirit” and ki, meaning “vital life force energy” or “universal life energy”.
Reiki involves the transfer of energy from practitioner to patient/client to enhance the body’s natural ability to heal itself through the balancing of energy. Reiki utilizes specific techniques for restoring and balancing the natural life force energy within the body. It is a holistic, natural, hands-on energy healing system that touches on all levels: body, mind, and spirit.
Here are a few benefits of Reiki:
• Balances organs, glands and bodily functions
• Releases blocked and suppressed emotions
• Relaxes and reduces stress
• Strengthens the immune system
• Relieves pain
• Enhances personal awareness and helps meditative practice.
Reiki is a powerful tool to help bring back your energetic balance. It is just one of the services offered by Alder Healing Center. Additional services include: Healing Touch, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Intuitive Readings for Health Well Being & Beyond, Meditation, Essential Oils, Detox/Cleansing Programs, Massage, and Colon Hydrotherapy and Workshops.
For more information on these services visit www.alderhealingcenter.com. Alder Healing Center is at 3925 75th St., Suite 105, Aurora. (630) 328-3928
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