1. This is the wrong time of the year (NFL playoffs, UConn basketball, snow, cold, early darkness) to find this out:
Spending too much leisure time in front of a TV or computer screen appears to dramatically increase the risk for heart disease and premature death from any cause. People who devote more than four hours to screen-based entertainment like watching TV, using the computer or playing video games, are more than twice as likely to have a major cardiac event that involves hospitalization, death or both.
Question - why would working in front of a computer, or reading for work or leisure be any different? If not I'm in big trouble year round. I am going to try to get up and move around more while I work, watch sports, and read.
2. Or maybe I should lift weights while watching TV ( I actually tried to do this for a while):
Resistance Training Benefits Cardiovascular Health
3. Perhaps I should just sit (or move around) in the darkness all evening:
According to a recent study exposure to electrical light between dusk and bedtime strongly suppresses melatonin levels and may impact physiologic processes regulated by melatonin signaling, such as sleepiness, thermoregulation, blood pressure and glucose homeostasis.
4. I went and ate some blueberries as soon as I read this:
Eating blueberries can guard against high blood pressure
5. I don't drink coffee, but probably should, but do drink a lot of green tea:
Coffee protects against diabetes
Regularly drinking green tea could protect against Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
Nothing else new here, but it's a great summary:
Research indicates that tea strengthens the body’s immune system, reduces buildup of plaque on arterial walls, and aids in the control and prevention of diabetes.
Like tea, coffee is packed with polyphenols, and it actually has a higher content of antioxidants than green or black tea and other beverages such as fruit and vegetables juices. New research has suggested that coffee consumption can lower cardiovascular risks as well as lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 50 percent. Coffee also appears to have a positive effect on neurological diseases with coffee consumption possibly reducing the risk of both Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
6. I'm doing still not getting quite enough red wine ( and an occasional beer) but I'm doing better, and I take a resveratrol pill as well:
a. Alcohol Abstinence = Increased Risk of Cognitive Impairment
Both abstainers and subjects consuming large amounts of alcohol have a greater risk for cognitive impairment than light drinkers.
b. How resveratrol works
7. I've been repeatedly urged to get this shot by my pediatrician ( my daughter). I don't find the evidence all that overwhelming:
Shingles Vaccine Associated With 55 Percent Reduced Risk of Disease
8. And, of course more research on diet, (I'm doing much better choosing the right kinds of foods) exercise, ( I just joined a gym! -to get into shape for soccer) and Vitamin D. (I'm doing pretty well with supplements):
Diet
a. Mediterranean Diet Associated With Slower Rate of Cognitive Decline
New research suggests that eating a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables gives you a more healthy golden glow than the sun.
The face in the middle shows the woman's natural colour. The face on the left shows the effect of sun tanning, while the face on the right shows the effect of eating more carotenoids. Participants thought the carotenoid colour looked healthier.
Exercise
a. Exercise Could Help Prevent, Treat Eating Disorders
b. Consistent exercise = lower risk of colon cancer death
Vitamin D
a. Low Vitamin D = Increased Risk of Hip Fracture
b. Vitamin D deficiency could be linked to the development and severity of certain autoimmune lung diseases.
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