workout for your age - lifeplus · workout for your age page 6 growingyoung march/april 2014 the...

Healthy Eating on the Go PAGE 8

Benefits of Focusing on Healing PAGE 16

DHA and Healthy Brain Function PAGE 26

Workout for Your AgePAGE 6

growing youngMARCH/APRIL 2014

the art of®

2 THE ART OF GROWING YOUNG March/April 2014

3

Contents4 From the Editor

31 Ask the Expert

5 Nutritional News

6FitnessWorkout for Your Age

12LifestyleWhy Patience Pays Off

14Nutrition

Family Health22 Time-Out for Mothers

24 The Benefits of Fatherhood

26 DHA and Healthy Brain Function

28 Helping Your Kids Play It Cool in Competitive Sports

The Art of Growing Young® is published six times a year by Lifeplus International, PO Box 3749, Batesville, Arkansas 72503, United States. Copyright © 2014 Lifeplus International

20Herbs & SupplementsB Vitamins

Features8 Healthy Eating on the Go

16 Benefits of Focusing on Healing

Understanding Bioavailability

“Truly being healthy means that your mind, body and spirit are all well cared for and working as well as they can.”

Years ago I realized that when treating my patients I had to look at far more than just the illness they came to me about. Whatever health concern they had was just a piece of their total well-being. When I realized this, I began to look at a person’s health as the sum of lots of factors – not just an illness – including nutrition, exercise level, family situation, stress levels and so much more.

This holistic approach to health is something that everyone here at The Art of Growing Young believes in, as evidenced by the many articles and experiences we have on the topic. So I’ve been very happy lately as more and more lectures I attend and articles I read are touching on the importance of nutrition, nutritional supplements, exercise, social support, stress management and lifestyle in the prevention and treatment of all the major health problems that doctors deal with today.

More people – not just doctors – are realizing that health care should not just focus on how to treat illness or injury but also include knowledge and understanding about how we can help the body be as resilient as possible to harmful influences throughout every aspect of life.

Similarly, health care shouldn’t start when you begin to feel a cold coming on. It should be a continual process of evaluating your life and making adjustments to help keep your mind and body in optimum health. From large changes such as quitting a stressful job in order to reduce stress levels to smaller ones such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator to increase the amount of physical activity in your day, proactive changes that occur when you are already healthy can help keep you feeling well.

Being healthy doesn’t mean just the absence of disease. Truly being healthy means that your mind, body and spirit are all well cared for and working as well as they can. And if you are truly healthy, when illness does occur, you will be better equipped to deal with it, throughout all stages of life.

How Do You Look at Health?


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Do you want younger – and healthier – looking skin? Try eating papaya (always look for organically produced papaya in order to avoid genetically engineered papaya, which now makes up over 80 percent of the commercial crop). This exotic fruit and others rich in carotenoids may help protect skin, according to a new study of adults aged 40 to 50. Researchers found that those who had the highest levels of carotenoids in their skin also had the smoothest, youngest-looking complexions.

Vitamin D Spending more time in the sun this sum-mer can help boost cognitive skills, according to an exciting recent study. A recent large study found that the people who had the highest vitamin D levels performed the best on three separate cognitive tests measuring attention span and information-processing speed. The link between vitamin D and the speed at which the brain processes information was even more significant after the age of 60. The vast majority of vitamin D in your body comes from exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. About thirty minutes of exposure (without sunscreen) at peak times during the summer is enough for your body to manufacture all the vitamin D it needs. In winter months, consider vitamin D supplements.

Strawberries As summer fruits become available, fill your grocery basket with strawberries for a delicious, health-boosting summer treat. Strawberries and other fruits, especially of the colorful berry type, such as blue-berries or raspberries, may help protect against cardiovascular disease, accord-ing to a study that found people who consume more strawberries experience lower levels of C-reactive protein, which has been shown to be a predictor of risk for developing heart disease and stroke. Strawberries are among the crops most heavily sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, so always try to find organic sources for them.

Nutritional News

Whole grain A recent study has revealed that people who consume a diet filled with low-glycemic food choices may have a lower risk of both early and advanced age-related macular degeneration, one of the most common vision issues seniors face. When trying to incorporate more low-glycemic foods in your diet, look for options that are high fiber, whole grain and unprocessed.

Looking to avoid a midmorning snack? Try adding protein-rich eggs to your breakfast. According to one recent study at St. Louis University, women who ate a protein-rich breakfast ended up eating more than 250 fewer calories over the entire day. Protein helps people feel fuller longer, so adding a few nuts, low-fat Greek yogurt or another source of protein to your breakfast can have a beneficial impact on your diet all day long.

Fitness


"From toddlers to teens and adults to seniors, regular

physical activity is important for people of all ages."

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Workout for Your Age

From toddlers to teens and adults to seniors, regular physical activity is important for people of all ages. Little kids are naturally full of energy and enjoy moving their bodies. While it is important for parents to encourage the love of being active in their young children, at this stage regular playtime offers all the physical activity a child needs. Running, jumping, climbing – kids are natural exercisers. It’s not until later in life that people tend to slow down and require a more concerted effort to stay physically active.

Children of parents who encourage physical play tend to be more likely to grow into adults who enjoy living an active lifestyle. As anyone interested in the Art of Growing Young knows, a lifelong active lifestyle has countless benefits.

As children grow into teenagers, parents can help encourage their kids to participate in after-school and summertime activities that promote physical activity. After-school and recreation league sports are great not just for keeping teens physically active but also for building relationships and leadership skills that will benefit them later in life. If team sports don’t appeal to your child, there are plenty of other physical activities he or she can try. Engage your child to find out what he or she enjoys doing, and then encourage that behavior, whether it is bike rides with friends or solo sports such as cross-country running, hiking, running, swimming or anything else.

After one moves out of the teenage years and into adulthood, it may be time to examine fitness routines in a little more depth. These are the years where we tend to stop the natural exercise of playing on playgrounds and chas-ing after one another in childhood games. Physical activity can still be a natural and fun part of life, but as we age, finding the time for it can be more challenging.

Without some form of regular upkeep, lean muscle mass slowly decreases with age. With the loss of muscle comes loss of strength, balance and coordination – the pillars of your freedom to move about.

The best way to prevent this loss of muscle mass is to stay active, both in terms of aerobic and resistance exercises. For tunately, for people who have already begun to lose muscle mass, it’s never too late to get back in shape. It doesn’t take long at all to see notice-able results and gain back lost muscle mass.

Muscle-boosting resistance training can involve free weights, resistance bands, weight machines, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, leg weights or any other tool that makes your muscles work to contract. Even putting light ankle or wrist weights on before walking around the block will help build muscle mass.

Resistance training keeps your muscles active, but aerobic training keeps your cardiovascular

system active while burning calories. The heart, lungs and circulatory system all work together to keep your body supplied with oxygen. Aerobic exercises will condition these three areas of your body to be more effective and at the same time provide oxygen and nutrients to your muscle cells so that they remain healthy.

You don’t need to run a marathon or complete a triathlon to reap the rewards of exercise. No matter what your age or fitness level, simply stepping outside and walking around will help your body in numerous ways. Finding a walk-ing partner to take regular trips with is one of the best ways to stay active outdoors. The simple act of walking is wonderful exercise, and relying on a partner has been shown in multiple studies to help ensure commitment to staying active.

Moderately intense activities that are done for extended amounts of time are considered aerobic. Jogging, hiking, bicycling and swim-ming can be aerobic activities that involve getting out and being active.

Spring is the season of new beginnings. Use this time to cultivate a new physical fitness routine, because a physically fit body will grant you a lifetime of freedom that lets you come and go as you please long into life.

The snow has melted, and the sun is out. There is no better time to head outside and get active again after a long, cozy winter. Spring is the time to think about how you want to get out and enjoy physical activities. Read further to learn how to get the most out of your workouts for the age/fitness level that you are at.

Feature Article

THE ART OF GROWING YOUNG March/April 20148

Don’t be fooled by prepackaged “healthy” snacks. You may discover that even granola bars and bran muffins that look healthy at first glance may contain surprisingly high levels of unhealthy trans fats and a large amount of sugar. Even foods labeled “all natural” can be full of naturally occurring ingredients that may not always be good for you.

The easiest way to ensure that your on-the-go snack is a healthy one is to plan ahead and bring something from home. Vending machines and roadside convenience stores are loaded with unhealthy options and clever advertising to get you to buy them. Taking the time to pack a bag of snacks before you leave will help you avoid buying a candy bar in the afternoon.

Carrot sticks, celery sticks, nuts and all kinds of fruits are all quick and easy snacks that can be packed in minutes. If you feel you need a heartier snack, add a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter or a few slices of cheese. Crunchy vegetables such as carrots and celery also offer the rewarding tactile sensation of biting into a crisp, cool snack, helping you feel that you are eating something substantial.

Homemade snacks are almost always healthier than their store-bought counterparts. Delicious smoothies can easily be made with fresh fruit, ice, and fat-free milk or yogurt. You can also incorporate other healthy ingredients such as flax seeds into smoothies for an added nutri tional kick. Instead of buying sugar-rich popsicles at the store, make your own with unsweetened 100 percent fruit juice frozen in ice cube trays.

Instead of buying microwave popcorn, make your own and bring it with you in a paper bag. Homemade air-popped popcorn contains far less salt than store-bought does – and there are limitless options to keep your taste buds surprised. You can spice it up and make some-thing special by tossing in dry taco seasoning for Mexican popcorn; Parmesan cheese for cheesy popcorn; Cajun seasoning for spicy popcorn; or a combination of garlic salt, oreg-ano and basil for pizza popcorn.

Potato chip lovers can make a crunchy home-made version by lightly drizzling pita bread with extra-virgin olive oil, then broiling it until crisp. Cut it into pieces and eat it warm for a healthier, crunchy snack.

A handful of mixed nuts is a delicious snack that’s full of protein that will help keep you feeling full and monounsaturated fats that will help give you the energy needed to make it through the afternoon. Also you can make up a supply of trail mix containing different kinds of nuts, pieces of dried fruit, raisins and sun-flower seeds that can supply you for quite a while.

Another good homemade snack option that will provide nutrition and energy is a couple of slices of lean deli meat wrapped in lettuce or dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach or kale. You can even add some zip to this snack with a little mustard. Go one step further by adding a slice of avocado in the middle. Avocados are a tasty source of monounsat-urated fat – healthy fat that helps lower bad cholesterol while providing a steady source of energy – and avocado is packed with the eye-protecting antioxidant lutein to boot! And it is well known that the fat contained in avocados is very healthy.

If you’re accustomed to sweets as snacks, you can begin to integrate healthier snacks into

Finding healthy snack options when on the go can feel like a real challenge, but it doesn’t have to be so difficult. Planning ahead and making a few key decisions are all it takes to turn any snack into a nutritious energy booster that’s good for your mind and body.

Healthy Eating on the Go

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◊These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a diversified diet.

11

your regular diet by starting with sweet fruits. As your palate adjusts, transition into sweet vegetables such as green peppers and sugar snap peas. You will quickly find your taste buds will crave all kinds of vegetables instead of sugary, unhealthy snack machine foods.

Healthy eating when you are away from home requires more thought than simply choosing the right foods. Healthy eating also means being mindful of portion size and even how fast you eat. Understanding the difference between serving size and portion size is very important.

Serving size is used to determine the nutritional content of a food. Portion size is the amount of that food you choose to eat. A particu-lar snack packaging may be small enough that it appears to be a single portion, but it may actually contain two or more servings (you must read the label to determine how many servings are in a package). If you aren’t paying attention, you could

accidentally consume two or three times the amount of calories you thought you were getting.

Finally, slow down and enjoy the snacking experience. When you eat too fast, your brain can’t keep up and won’t signal you to stop eating until you are already overly full. Take the time to savor every bite.

Healthy snacks boost energy and alertness, while snacks that are full of sugar, trans fats (as found in most potato chips) and artificial ingre-dients can make you feel sluggish and drowsy, not to speak of their long-term detrimental effects on your health.

Healthy eating on the go can be easy and delicious. With just a little planning and forethought, any of your favorite midafternoon snacks

can be turned into a homemade, healthy version sure to taste great and keep you full until your next meal.

"A handful of mixed nuts is a delicious snack that’s full of protein that

will help keep you feeling full and monounsaturated fats that will help give

you the energy needed to make it through the afternoon."

Lifestyle


"Cultivating patience is a

mental skill that once accomplished

will never be forgotten. You can achieve anything

you want to in life if you are calm and

collected and open to inviting new

possibilities into your life."

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Patience can pay off in every area of your life. Being patient means the difference between eating an unhealthy fast-food meal or waiting until you arrive at home so you can cook a delicious, healthy meal. It is the difference between accepting the first job offer you receive and being unhappy or waiting for the right opportunity that will make you happy.

Cultivating patience – starting today and lasting a lifetime – will help you live a happier, more fulfilling life. You can achieve anything if you are willing to be patient and invite new possibilities into your life.

Learning how to be patient may require a significant change in your attitude about life. If you see yourself as an impatient person, this may feel especially daunting. When you find yourself feeling impatient, take several slow, deep breaths. Intentionally clear your mind and concentrate on nothing but your breathing.

Remind yourself that things take time. It might help to repeat a calming mantra like “This moment will pass” or “Good things do come to those who wait” or “For everything there is a season.”

It will be important to look for patterns in your life and pinpoint triggers that tend to

cause you to lose your patience. Many people are not aware of how impor tant these things can be until they take an honest look at their own behavior. But “standing back” and looking at yourself internally and examining your actions will give you the chance to learn and change.

Monitor your feelings throughout the day. You don’t need to record every single thought. That’s not possible. Instead, at several points throughout the day, just take a few seconds to evaluate how you feel. Are you feeling impatient about something? Or are you feeling calm? Label your feelings with adjec-tives such as stressed or calm, anxious or relaxed, scattered or collected.

If you find you tend to label your feelings as stressed, anxious or scattered, your thoughts are probably focused on impa-tience. However, if your self-assessment reveals you are calm, relaxed and collected, then you are right where you want to be – patiently living life and taking time to experience its many joys.

Impatient people don’t like to waste time and tend to insist on getting things done right now. However, some things just can’t be rushed. Some things take time. And learning not just to accept that but also to embrace it can make a huge difference in your daily life.

Think about the last time you achieved a big goal. Maybe it was graduating from college or saving up to purchase your first home. Or maybe it was asking your partner to marry you after a long, romantic day together. These life-changing moments take time, but they are incredibly rewarding. The best, most rewarding experiences in life can’t be rushed.

When you find yourself feeling impatient, don’t fight the feeling. Acknowledge it for what it is, and then remind yourself that you will get what you want in time. Understand and accept that if you are patient and per-sistent, there is no limit to what you can accomplish.

Cultivating patience is a mental skill that once accomplished will never be forgotten. You can achieve anything you want to in life if you are calm and collected and open to inviting new possibilities into your life.

One interesting consideration is for us to not be overly concerned about what other people think about us. Just remember this thought: It is none of my business what you think about me … that is your personal issue, not mine!

Patience has become a lost art in this modern world of microwave ovens, cell phones, high-speed Internet, airlines and other fast transit methods, and even fast-food restaurants. Despite a prevailing attitude of requiring instant gratification, cultivating patience pays off because good things truly do come to those who wait.

Why Patience Pays Off

Nutrition


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The complex nature of bioavailability, like that of many scientific terms, is best understood if it is broken down into more easily absorbed pieces, which is especially fitting for this term, for reasons you are about to discover. In nutritional science, the term bioavailability refers to the readiness with which the food and food supplements you eat are broken down into basic nutrient form and absorbed and utilized by the body. Whether you are con-suming vitamins, minerals, enzymes, herbs or even supplements, the more bioavailable the nutrient is, the more quickly it will be able to provide your body with nutritional support.

The bioavailability of a nutrient is dependent on many factors, including your own body. Every human being on earth is unique, with his or her own requirements and unique abilities to digest and absorb various dietary ingredients. No matter how bioavailable a particular nutrient may be, the rate at which it is actually absorbed can be affected by a person’s age, gender, overall health and state of the digestive system. Even the time of day the nutrient is eaten or how full a person’s stomach is at the time can be a factor. For instance some oil-soluble vita mins are more readily absorbed when consumed at the same time as other dietary lipids such as oils and healthy fats.

Further complicating matters, bioavailability can vary relative to the different states a single

nutrient is in. For example, dietary iron is often described as being available in two forms, heme and nonheme. Although they are both iron, they are absorbed and utilized by the body with vastly different efficiency. Heme iron is found only in meat, fish and poultry. Non-heme iron is found in both plants and animals. Even though nonheme iron is found in more sources, it is less bioavailable than heme iron, and only a fraction of the plant-based iron can be absorbed by the body.

Bioavailability can also be influenced by other nutrients consumed at the same time. A great example of this effect is calcium. Many calcium supplements also include vitamin D because research has shown in multiple studies that this and other nutrients can increase the body’s absorption or utilization of calcium. Vitamin K2 likewise has been shown to “direct” calcium in the body once it’s been absorbed, favoring bone reserves over soft tissues.

This effect can work in the opposite direction as well. Some nutrients compete for the same uptake system within the body. A good example of this negative relationship is that between calcium and iron. Both minerals bind to the same transporter on the surface of intestinal absorptive cells. If one mineral is there, the other is unable to bind.

As complicated as all this may seem, much of it can be understood with this commonsense

lesson: The better you can absorb a nutrient, the more likely it will be able to positively affect your health and energy levels. The more bio-available a nutrient is, the more quickly and efficiently it will happen.

Of course, on the other side of the coin, you do not want some nutrients to be absorbed too quickly. The perfect example of this is the rapid absorption of simple sugars, which can cause a rebounding effect of insulin produc-tion by your pancreas. Another example of beneficial combinations of nutrients is that when sugar is consumed, its absorption is beneficially regulated with the concurrent ingestion of fiber. This is one reason it is com monly accepted knowledge that the consumption of whole fruit rather than just the juice of that fruit is handled much better by the body, as the fiber content of the fruit slows the absorption of the sugars.

At some point, nearly everyone interested in taking control of their health will hear the word bioavailability. By taking a little time to under-stand what bioavailability means, you are that much closer to making informed choices about combinations to suit your individual needs. We hope the next time you read the word on the label of a vitamin or supplement, you will understand it better.

Anyone who has ever taken more than just a passing interest in his or her vitamins or supplements has read or heard the term “bioavailability.” But reading the word on a label and truly understanding the importance of the concept are two different things.

Understanding Bioavailability

Feature Article

"Focusing on positives also

helps avoid the worries and

stresses that can produce very real, physical

impacts on our bodies."


The idea of focusing on being healthy is so simple that it is often overlooked, and yet it is so profound. We live in a society that has for far too long focused on being sick and what to do about it rather than focusing on health. When we feel sick, we think about how bad we feel. We visit the doctor and talk about our negative symptoms. (When was the last time you talked to your doctor about how good and healthy you felt?) As we begin to get better, we compare our current state to our past state of illness, with statements like “I don’t feel as bad as I did yesterday.” Once we are well, we look back and think about how bad we felt. Constantly focusing on illness can be detrimental to your health. When was the last time you stopped to think about and were grateful for how good and healthy you felt at the moment?

Creating health is more effective than fighting disease. As a preventative, it can save money, time and stress of all kinds. But even after getting sick, mentally focusing on healing and creating health can still be far more effective than focusing on fighting disease.

Dwelling on illness can leave you feeling perpetually disappointed. It can also bring more illness into your life, as we tend to attract

to us the things we are focused on the most. Much of what we experience in life comes directly from what we are focused on. Would you rather focus on pain or on happiness?

It’s important to look inward and assess your attitude – especially if you have been focusing on illness rather than on health for most of your life. Without practice, our attention tends to default toward the negative aspects of our current state of health, but with practice, you can change your thought patterns. There is one place where you have complete control over every detail – your mind. This is exactly where you start refocusing your attention on good health.

Focusing on positives also helps avoid the worries and stresses that can produce very real, physical impacts on our bodies. But if you can circumvent those worries by not allowing them to bother you and by focusing on other healthier, more positive aspects of your life, you can help avoid the problems that stress can bring on.

Focusing on being healthy, even if you have an illness, is easier when you provide your body with what it needs to stay healthy and function at optimal levels. New and exciting

studies show that people who prepare and eat meals made from natural foods tend to enjoy health benefits and decrease the risk of serious disease. A person doesn’t need to eat nothing but salad every day, but taking the time to think more about what you consume and putting effort into avoiding processed foods can make a significant difference in your life and your outlook.

Another lifestyle area that can make a big difference in overall health is the amount of physical activity a person engages in. A positive outlook on the joys of staying active can help ensure that you continue giving your body the exercise it needs to stay healthy. In other words, don’t think of exercise as a chore. Think of it as something fun that you look forward to doing. Of course, you’ll never be able to have a positive frame of mind doing an activity that you can’t stand. So pick activities you enjoy, and use that enjoyment to foster even deeper positive feelings about physical activity and how great it feels.

There are countless activities that can be a lot of fun that you can introduce into your life – whether you like to take walks with friends or family or you enjoy visiting the gym on your lunch break. Studies have shown that if you

For centuries medicine has focused on illness once it has occurred. That view has been adopted by the public, who all too often take a reactionary stance on health and well-being. Most people call their doctors after they get a cold or have developed some symptomatic health problem. Likewise, many people begin to exercise only after they have been told their weight or other circumstance is unhealthy and they need to do something about it. The pattern kind of is that a person becomes ill and then focuses on that illness, especially if it’s a chronic illness such as rheumatoid arthritis. This pattern, or cycle, leads many people to focus on the negative (disease) over the positive (health). In general, most people have been trained to think this way after years of not paying attention to their thoughts and feelings. For the sake of our health and the health of our loved ones, we need to break this cycle.

Benefits of Focusing on Healing

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JOINT FORMULANutritional support for joints◊






We all like to keep fit – but fitness is about more than just muscles. Our joints do all the hard work in carrying us around, so it’s important to look after them as part of our well-being. Joint Formula is designed to help support your joints for an active lifestyle and is a precise combination of minerals shown to support normal joints.◊

just walk briskly for 30 minutes a day, you can decrease your risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes by 30 to 40 percent! People who have been treated for cancer and are in remission who walk briskly for 150 minutes a week cut their risk of dying of cancer in half!

Regular physical activity is important because sedentary lifestyles have been linked to elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure and even conditions such as diabetes. Furthermore, there is a large body of evidence that shows us that regular activity is also an effective strategy for reducing stress and symptoms of depression, which will make focusing on health even easier. The effects of focusing on living a healthy life can snowball rapidly, attracting even more pos-itive, healthy experiences, people and thoughts into our lives.

It’s easy to feel bad mentally when your physical body feels bad. That seems to make it even easier to get stuck concentrating solely on those negative feelings. The trick is to acknowledge that you have those natural feelings and just kind of observe them rather than accept them, then move past them to focus on other aspects – how

wonderful you feel when you don’t have a headache or how great it feels to be healthy. There will always be times when you get a little down on yourself for being sick, but don’t let those occasions ruin your overall focus on positive health.

The key to attracting more health and happiness into your life is to be grateful for what you already have instead of focusing on whatever

health problems you might be deal ing with. Relaxing activities, meditation and visualization exer cises can all be effective tools to help you stay focused on health.

One of the most rewarding aspects of focusing on health is that it em-powers you to get motivated and take advantage of the times you feel good. You become more aware of just how good you can feel. This will help attract more positive feelings and experiences for you to enjoy.

There is ample evidence that shows we can change our well-being simply by focusing on the positive aspects of life and taking preventive steps to ensure a healthy lifestyle. Small lifestyle changes and the right outlook can help anyone live a happier, healthier life!

"Studies have shown that if you just walk briskly for 30 minutes a day, you can

decrease your risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes by 30 to 40 percent!"

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Herbs & Supplements


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Clearly, there are many different vitamins in the complex; every one of them has a unique structure and plays a specific role in helping the body function at optimal levels. B vitamins are required for healthy neurotransmitters, amino acids, some hormones and fatty acids. They also help relieve chronic stress and fatigue as well as help form the building blocks of DNA.

Every single cell in the human body requires thiamine (B1) for energy production. Because of this and their ability to positively affect mood and energy levels, B vitamins have become a common ingredient in popular energy drinks. There has been a lot of research in the past several years studying how B12 may be able to help prevent depression, which may make it a helpful tool in boosting a person’s mood. Other studies have also shown vitamins B6 and B5 may greatly help fight stress, which if left unchecked can sap energy levels.

You may have heard of a vitamin B cocktail shot and the reported energy boost lasting days that people can receive from one. You don’t need to visit the doctor to take advantage of energy-boosting vitamin B. Foods rich in the B vitamins provide plenty of natural support for energy levels. Because they are found in

unprocessed foods, it is important to eat a wide variety of fresh, unprocessed foods in order to supply your body with the entire B vitamin complex.

Just as there are many B vitamins, there are many ways to obtain them from your diet. Meat, chicken and fish as well as other animal products such as cheese and eggs are good sources of B vitamins. Vegans and vegetarians can get their B vitamins from potatoes, bananas, lentils, chili peppers and tempeh. Brewer’s yeast and molasses are also exceptionally good sources of vitamin B. Consequently, Marmite and Vegemite (strong-tasting and salty yeast preparations) are packed with B vitamins for those who enjoy the spreads. Dark leafy vegetables and some grains also contain B2.

Ideally, our diets should provide us with enough vitamin B, but for many people this isn’t the case. If your diet is not providing enough vitamin B, try to find a supplement with the whole array of the B vitamin complex. This is the term used to refer to all the known B vitamins. It’s important to obtain the whole spectrum of B vitamins rather than just one, because each vitamin has a unique role in the body and they function together as a team.

Your body is better cared for when the entire B complex is consumed at the same time, because the individual vitamins have synergistic interactions with each other. For example, the body is not able to utilize B12 without folic acid (B9). Similarly, B9 and B6 cannot function properly without B2. If you sketched out the complicated ways in which all the B vitamins work together, your drawing would resemble an elaborate spiderweb of connections.

Every part of the human body utilizes the B complex in some way. From energy production to stress prevention, incorporating more vitamin B-rich foods into your diet can help ensure that you have plenty of energy to get out and be active this spring.

Originally researchers thought all B vitamins were the same. But we now know this isn’t the case. What was once thought to be just one vitamin is actually eight separate vitamins that often coexist in the same food sources. When speaking of this entire group, we refer to them as the B vitamin complex. The B vitamins include B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folic acid) and B12 (cyanocobalamin, hydroxycobalamin, methylcobalamin, s-adenosyl cobalamin).

B Vitamins

Family Health


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When worry and stress become too much, mothers may find giving themselves a time-out session is just the thing needed to de-stress, relax and rejuvenate.

Unlike a punishment time-out session spent in a corner in order to remove a child from fun activities, an adult time-out session is time spent anywhere that takes one away from worries and stress – it is time spent recharging and relaxing so that you go back to your life full of energy, patience and passion to take on your responsibilities.

Mothers don’t need to go far to give themselves a time-out. Simply finding a few minutes of alone time during the day is all it takes to relax. Just remember, a time-out session shouldn’t be spent doing chores. This is time for you to take care of yourself. Read a good book, watch a favorite movie, listen to relaxing music – any activity that brings you peace and joy is perfect for your time-out.

Taking it one step further, using a time-out for meditation or visualization techniques can go even further in helping women shed stress. Meditation can be an easy tool for relaxing that needn’t be intimidating. Start by getting comfortable, either in a sitting position or even lying on your back in bed. Breathe slowly and deeply through your nose, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Try to empty your lungs completely. Concentrate on nothing but your breathing for ten minutes. That’s all it takes to get started, and as simple as the exercise sounds, it can be incredibly relaxing.

Once you’ve mastered breathing, you can move on to more advanced techniques that

will really help relieve tension during your time-out. If you want to learn more, look into biofeedback, autogenic training or progressive muscle relaxation (an exercise often done at the close of a hatha yoga class) to learn how to influence your own body in ways that can help lower blood pressure, slow heart rate, promote digestion and manage stress. There are classes, books and Internet sites to help you along. However, many women will find that a ten-minute time-out session spent breathing deeply in a comfortable position will be incred-ibly relaxing.

Similar to doing meditation, spending a time-out doing visualization can be a wonderful experience and reprieve from a stressful day. Also, like meditation, visualization doesn’t require anything but a quiet space and an open mind. Turn off the lights if possible and disengage as many senses as you can. That means the TV, cell phones or computers should not be on. Close your eyes and picture, as vividly as possible, a relaxing place – a wild meadow, sunset, beach, forest or mountaintop. Leave your stress and worry behind as you see, hear, smell and feel your place of relaxation.

If you do have time to get farther away from the house for your time-out, a massage can be a wonderful option to help relax and prompt the body to release feel-good chemicals that further help melt away stress and worry. A one-hour massage will release about the same amount of endorphins as a twenty-minute workout or several hours of sleep, meaning you should leave the table feeling refreshed, relaxed and ready to get back to your life.

Massages don’t need to be costly. Many massage schools offer clinics where students get to practice their techniques and clients receive discounted rates.

Massage encompasses many dif ferent techniques, each with a specific purpose and distinct feel. Some are meant to work out muscle tightness or stiff joints, which can be great if you have a tight neck from a stressful day. Other techniques are known specifically for their relaxing nature. Hot-stone massages involve placing smooth, heated stones on specific parts of the body to soothe and relax muscles and nerves.

Every woman and mother has a different tolerance level for stress. No two people will need the same number of time-out sessions, so there is no magic number to try to fit into your day. When you find yourself awake at night because there is too much on your mind or if you experience a rash of stress headaches, you may need a time-out. Muscle tension, sleep disturbances, irritability and problems concentrating are all signs you may need to take a break and get away from life for a little while.

Adults may have already learned that being obnoxious, destructive, irritating and rude is not appropriate behavior, but that doesn’t mean they won’t benefit from a time-out session. Spending a few minutes focused on nothing but your own happiness and well-being can help even the busiest mother find the strength and energy to get through the rest of the day.

Mothers give their children “time out” sessions in order to teach them that there are consequences for acting in an obnoxious, destructive, irritating or rude manner. These time-outs are usually spent in a quiet corner with no distractions such as computers, cell phones or video games. While time spent away from toys and computers may seem like a punishment for rambunctious children, mothers (and other adults) can actually find peaceful solace in similar situations.

Time-Out for Mothers

Family Health

THE ART OF GROWING YOUNG March/April 201424

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According to research published by the National Institute of Mental Health, men who are part of healthy families are less likely to have stress-related health problems. Issues ranging from chronic pain to insomnia to stomach problems have been shown to be less common for fathers with healthy family dynam-ics than for other males. These benefits come from several con tributing factors.

Many new dads quickly realize that being a father inspires them to ditch bad habits. Drink-ing, smoking, staying up late or spending too much time at the office all begin to feel less appealing when a man knows his children are home waiting for him. The time formerly spent engaged in bad habits becomes time spent engaged in activities that are good for the mind, body and soul.

A man’s activity level often increases when he has children, which is good for the cardiovas-cular system and weight control. Carrying babies, following toddlers around the park, playing football with teens, taking the family camping – all the physical activities involved in being a good dad are also good for a man’s physical health.

The support of family, even from young children, can help men feel connected and needed. This may be the reason men who live with families have a much lower risk of developing depres-sion than do men who live alone. Dads also tend to be better at coping with stress in every

area of life, which may contribute to feelings of overall happiness and contentment.

Another added bonus of being a father is increased job satisfaction. Research has actu-ally shown that committed family men report feeling more comfortable at work and feel that they perform well more often than do men who are not fathers.

Being a father may also be beneficial for other people in the man’s life. According to the Minnesota Fatherhood Initiative, successful fathers become less inward-focused and develop a greater ability to nurture and care for others. This effect goes far beyond simply caring for their children and extends to spouses, friends and even coworkers.

Family, work and personal health are three areas of life that seem to dominate time require-ments for the average man. With a little planning and forethought, it’s possible to balance these areas in a way that benefits father, mother and children.

If you find yourself in a daily time crunch, ask yourself how many hours you want to be at work every day, how many hours you want to spend with your family and how many hours you need just for yourself. Figuring out how you want to manage your time and setting priorities are the first steps in balancing your life so you can receive the benefits of being a good dad and husband.

When at home with the family, cooking simple, healthy meals together can benefit everyone. Healthy meals, of course, will help you and your family stay healthy, while simple meals will give you more free time with your children. Or try to bring your whole family into the kitchen. Young children can help set the table, while older ones can help cook. Then make mealtime family time. Turn off the television and phones and bring the whole family together for a meal at the table.

Stressful imbalances in life can make them-selves known in unexpected ways. Depression, anxiety and marital problems can all be symptoms of an imbalanced life, and in turn they can lead to more problems, such as decreased energy, sleeping problems and loss of appetite. Men may find relief from some of these issues by simply engaging with their families.

There’s good news for fathers and men whose partners are expecting. Fatherhood may be stressful at times, but the stability, love and encouragement that come from being part of a loving family offer wonderful, and sometimes unexpected, health benefits for men.

The Benefits of Fatherhood

Family Health


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DHA and Healthy Brain Function

A large and growing body of omega-3 fatty acid research has linked higher intake of DHA to reduced risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegener-ative disorders.

One of the most prominent of these studies was conducted at Tufts University, where researchers linked increased levels of DHA in the bloodstream to significantly reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. After the initial study and nine years of follow-up studies, researchers saw a nearly 50 percent lower risk of developing dementia in patients with the highest levels of DHA in their blood-streams. These incredible findings are not surprising to many doctors and researchers, who know that 50 percent of all the lipids in your brain are made up of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA. The same participants reported eating an average of three servings of fish per week.

While DHA seems to help prevent Alzheimer’s by helping reduce amyloid plaques in the brain, it may also be linked to cognitive benefits at the opposite end of the age spectrum. Studies have linked breast-feeding to intelligence, with the idea that higher levels of DHA are passed to infants through breast milk than through unfortified formulas. It is clear that DHA is a critically important nutrient at any age. The best way for a mother to ensure healthy levels of DHA in her breast milk is to consume wild-caught cold-water ocean fish (none bigger than salmon, in order to reduce environmental contaminants found in large fish at the top of the food chain) or a high-quality omega-3 con centrate from a marine source (molecularly distilled from fresh fish oil).

DHA is found in abundance throughout the entire nervous system, not just in the brain.

DHA is also present in the synapses, special junctions that brain cells use to send signals to each other and to other cells such as muscle tissue. Without DHA the brain would not be able to communicate with the rest of the body. People who consume inadequate amounts of DHA must substitute other fatty acids for their structural role in the brain – at this time neuroscientists know little about what fatty acids these may be and what effects they may have on brain function, but they are not likely to be as good.

Imagine what it would be like if your brain couldn’t tell your legs to walk, your lungs to breathe or your heart to beat. Due to its prev-alence in the brain and nervous system, DHA helps your body do all these things and more.

One Scottish study looking at patients taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for arthri-tis pain found taking a fish oil supplement containing just 2.2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) and several essential vitamins was enough to help nearly 40 percent of patients reduce their medication doses.

An unrelated study from the United Kingdom following hundreds of young children from birth to up to six years of age discovered that children who were breast-fed had much better vision. Researchers supposed that the differ-ence in vision was due to levels of DHA, which is found in high quantities in the retina. Breast milk from a healthy mother (whose diet includes abundant amounts of DHA) contains higher concentrations of DHA than formulas do. Including plenty of DHA in the diet early in life can greatly impact the way a brain develops, and continuing to supply the body with DHA later in life can play an important role in keep-ing the brain healthy as we age.

Simply making sure you include plenty of DHA-rich foods in your regular diet is an easy step that can produce large benefits for your brain. Nearly all the DHA in our diets comes from fish that have eaten DHA-rich algae. Because our bodies can’t produce it and there are few other good sources, vegans and veg-etarians need to take extra care to include DHA in their diets.

The best way to get more DHA into your diet is to eat more fatty cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and anchovies. Try to avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and other large long-lived fish, as they can contain higher levels of mercury and other pollutants; eat tuna only occasionally, as it, too, bioaccumulates mercury and other environ-mental toxins by feeding on smaller fish. When it comes to fish, try to eat as low as possible on the food chain.

High-quality fish oil supplements can also provide this valuable nutrient. Actually many of the toxic contaminants, especially heavy metals, are water soluble and do not contami-nate the oily por tion of the fish, but many environmental toxins, such as dioxin and PCBs, do concentrate in fish oil, which is why molecular distillation of fresh fish oil produces the highest-quality, cleanest product. Veg-etar ians can fulfill their requirement with supplements made of DHA extracted from cultured algae, although at this time these supplements are extracted with hexane, which usually leaves some level of solvent residue in the product.

With so much evidence supporting the brain-boosting properties of DHA, it only makes sense to include more of this fatty acid in your diet no matter what your age.

In the past decade omega-3 fatty acids have all but taken over the news and health food markets – and for good reason. These healthy fats play many important roles throughout the body – from the tips of a person’s toes to the top of his or her head. One particular omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA as it is most commonly known, is especially important. Multiple studies have shown that from early childhood to old age, DHA helps build and maintain a healthy brain.

Family Health


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Before your child goes to his or her first team practice, discuss what it means to be a good sport. Make sure your child understands that good sportsmanship requires respect for teammates, coaches, officials and opponents. Your child will have already learned many of the basics of good sportsmanship in other areas of life, such as respecting teachers at school and how to play fairly with friends. However, if your child is new to sports or has watched the inappropriate actions of some professional athletes, he or she may need to be reminded of the importance of respect.

Be careful not to put too much pressure on your child. Adults and children alike can easily get caught up in a game and become focused solely on winning. Of course, winning feels great. But there are important lessons to be learned from losing as well. No matter how much you want to protect your child, he or she will be disappointed at times throughout life, maybe by being passed over for a promo-tion or experiencing a failed marriage. These inevitable and sad parts of life will be easier to overcome if your child learns how to lose with grace. And if he or she understands how proud you are of him or her for trying, the disappointment associated with losing can be far less.

Playing on a team can be a highly emotional experience. The thrill of victory is rewarding for many kids. On the other hand, a hard loss

can be devastating. No matter how the game is going, help your child learn to be cool and respectful. This skill will help countless times throughout life. An adult having a bad day at the office will have an even harder time if he or she doesn’t know how to remain calm and respectful even under pressure. Making rude comments to a referee is a lot like making rude comments to your boss in that both will get you in trouble – and maybe thrown out of the game.

One of the greatest lessons team sports can help teach your child is the importance of respect and encouraging those around you. An adult who shows respect and encourage-ment to the people around him or her will have a much easier time in life than one who does not. This applies to every area of life –professional and personal.

To help instill these qualities during sports events, help your child learn how to praise teammates for what they do well and encourage them when they make mistakes. Teach your child the difference between unkind actions and constructive criticism. As a parent, it’s also your job to model this behavior by praising your child for his or her positive attitude and effort during the game, even if the team doesn’t win.

After the game your child should be able to shake the hands of opponents. Even after a

hard loss, your child should remain relatively calm and not resort to criticism or negative expressions. Winners shouldn’t gloat or taunt.

Always remember that as the parent, you are the role model. Even though you may tell your child the importance of being respectful on the court, if he or she witnesses you screaming at the referee or berating the coach, your child will be likely to engage in the same inappro-priate behavior.

A good sport … • Wins with humility

• Loses with grace

• Learns from mistakes

• Always does his or her best and never gives up

• Encourages teammates instead of criticizing

• Respects him- or herself, teammates, the coach, officials, and fans

Playing team sports has many physical and mental benefits for children and teenagers. Aside from the obvious fact that being active helps maintain physical health, team sports also teach young people about how to be a good sport, overcome adversity, be a team player and lead. These are critical skills that will make their adult and professional lives much easier. But kids need your help to ensure that they learn the right lessons on and off the court, gym floor or playing field.

Helping Your Kids Play It Cool in Competitive Sports

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What is a mineral, and why does my body need it?Minerals are naturally occurring substances formed in the earth, such as zinc, iron and calcium. Plants absorb minerals from the soil, and in turn we obtain them by consuming plants. However, because even different plants have unique nutritional needs, not every plant contains the same mineral content. This is yet one more reason nutritional scientists urge people to eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Every mineral is unique and helps your body in a unique way. For example, iron helps your blood carry oxygen, magnesium aids in a regular heartbeat, zinc sup-ports the brain and immune system, and calcium helps build strong bone tissue. These are just a few examples of the many minerals your body requires. There are many more, and eating a varied diet will help ensure that you provide your body with all the minerals it needs.

What is the difference between glycemic index and glycemic load?Glycemic index and glycemic load are two closely related terms that refer to different aspects of how carbohydrates are digested and absorbed as well as utilized in the body’s metabolic processes. The glycemic index is a system of ranking foods depending on how quickly they are digested and released into the blood as glucose (blood sugar). In other words, how quickly does the food release its simple carbohydrate (sugar) into your body? Glycemic load goes one step further and multiplies the food’s glycemic index by the food’s carbohydrate content. More often than not, a high-glycemic food will also have a high glycemic load, but there are some exceptions. Foods that are digested and turned into blood sugar quickly cause a rapid spike in energy, followed by a sluggish lull in energy, even fatigue. Most foods containing complex carbohydrates are digested and absorbed more slowly and therefore provide a more constant, steadier source of energy over a longer time rather than a quickly absorbed simple sugar that produces a sudden spike in blood sugar, often followed by a “crash” (low blood sugar). Such foods tend to be unprocessed, unrefined foods such as root vegetables. Because they provide a longer-lasting source of energy, these low-glycemic foods are preferred by athletes and anyone who wishes to make it through the day without feeling sluggish and tired.

Ask the Expert

What’s the difference between alternative medicine and integrative medicine?The term alternative medicine simply refers to using treatments and systems that are not used by conventional medicine. Often alternative medicine practitioners use methods that developed over thousands of years before the era of modern medicine, which is only around 100 years old. Two of the oldest of these traditional systems are traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine, both of which have been continuously in use by practitioners for thousands of years. On the other hand, the term integrative medicine refers to a system that incorporates modern, traditional and alternative medicine styles in a way that takes the best aspects from each and combines them into one holistic plan that treats not only the illness of the body but of the mind and spirit as well – many people feel this is the best-of-all-worlds approach. And the focus on mind and spirit can be extraordinarily beneficial for some people dealing with the stress of a serious illness.




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