Jon's Health Tips

I. Things I take/get/do that are good for me (Note #9 especially!)

1. Statins

A. Statins = Reduced Risk of Recurrent Cardiovascular Events in Men, Women

2. Vitamin D/ Sun

A. Low vitamin D levels linked to weight gain in some older women

B. Treating vitamin D deficiency may improve depression

C. Low vitamin D level is linked to greater chance of risk factors for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease

D. Sun Exposure = Decreased Risk for Pancreatic Cancer

E. Vitamin D with calcium shown to reduce mortality in elderly (I need to increase my calcium)

3. Exercise

A. Keeping Fit May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

B. Tai Chi increases brain size, benefits cognition in elderly

Previous trials have shown increases in brain volume in people who participated in aerobic exercise, and in one of these trials, an improvement in memory was seen. However, this was the first trial to show that a less aerobic form of exercise, Tai Chi, as well as stimulating discussion led to similar increases in brain volume and improvements on psychological tests of memory and thinking.

4. Alcohol

A. Higher quality of life seen among regular moderate drinkers than among abstainers

5. Fish oil/Fish

A. OMEGA-3 LOWERS INFLAMMATION IN OVERWEIGHT OLDER ADULTS

New research shows that omega-3 fatty acid supplements can lower inflammation in healthy, but overweight, middle-aged and older adults, suggesting that regular use of these supplements could help protect against and treat certain illnesses.

B. Healthy Habits - Eating fresh fish regularly

Eating fresh fish regularly reduces the risk of colorectal cancer by 12%. The protective effect of fish consumption is more prominent in rectal cancer than in colon cancer. The risk reduction for rectal cancer was as much as 21%, whereas the reduction for colon cancer was 4%.

6. Reduced salt consumption

A. Too much salt may damage blood vessels /lead to high blood pressure


6. Resveratrol

A. Resveratrol: natural exercise performance enhancer

7. Olive Oil Dressing On Salads

A. Olive Oil Healthiest Dressing On Salads

8. Aspirin

A. Aspirin before heart surgery reduces the risk of post-operative acute kidney failure

Aspirin taken for five days before a heart operation can halve the numbers of patients developing post-operative acute kidney failure.

B. Healthy Habits - Low-dose aspirin

Low-dose aspirin, a common strategy for preventing cardiovascular disease, can also reduce nonvascular deaths, including cancer deaths. A meta-analysis of 23 randomized studies offers conclusive evidence that low-dose aspirin offers cancer preventive effects, and showed significant treatment effects after approximately four years of follow up.

9. Coffee/tea (I'm increasing my coffee consumption)

A. High blood caffeine levels linked to avoidance of Alzheimer's disease

Those cups of coffee that you drink every day to keep alert appear to have an extra perk – especially if you're an older adult. A recent study monitoring the memory and thinking processes of people older than 65 found that all those with higher blood caffeine levels avoided the onset of Alzheimer's disease in the two-to-four years of study follow-up. Moreover, coffee appeared to be the major or only source of caffeine for these individuals.

II. Things I don't do that I should:


1. 'Dessert with breakfast diet' helps avoid weight regain by reducing cravings

Dieters have less hunger and cravings throughout the day and are better able to keep off lost weight if they eat a carbohydrate-rich, protein-packed breakfast that includes dessert. These findings come from a new study.

2. Peaches, plums, nectarines fight obesity, diabetes, heart disease

3. Calorie-restricted diet keeps heart young

People who restrict their caloric intake in an effort to live longer have hearts that function more like those in people who are 20 years younger. Researchers have found that a key measure of the heart’s ability to adapt to physical activity, stress, sleep and other factors that influence the rate at which the heart pumps blood, doesn’t decline nearly as rapidly in people who have significantly restricted their caloric intake for an average of seven years.