Can Meditation Help Keep Your Brain Young?

As people age, their brain’s lose weight and volume. These changes may start to occur in people as early as their mid to late 20s. Previous research has shown people who meditate to lose less brain mass over time than those who do not. In particular, research concluded people who meditated showed less of a decrease in their white brain matter. 

 

White brain matter acts as a connector and insulator for gray brain matter. It carries nerve impulses between the functional parts of the brain. Gray brain matter houses the various neurological centers of the brain, which direct speech, motor skills, memory, etc.  

 

Meditation is something practiced by more than 15 million Americans and many more people around the world. It has its roots in eastern culture, but has been whole-heartedly embraced in western societies.

 

It has a wide variety of benefits, including:

 

• Improves sleep
• Inner peace and tranquility
• Reduces chronic pain
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Reduces depression
• Boosts attention
• Improves immunity
• Helps with weight loss
• Boosts memory 
• Improves heart health and lowers blood pressure
• Improves wellbeing and allows for deeper relationships

 

Now it seems that meditation may also help to keep our brains young.

 

Interesting Experiments

 

A team of researchers from UCLA wondered if meditation preserves the gray matter of people who meditate as well. The researchers found meditation to have a widespread effect on the entire brain not just specific regions of the brain associated with meditation.

 

The study compared people having years of meditation experience with those who had none. The meditators had an average of 20 years of experience with meditation practice. The age range of the of the study participants included people in their mid-20s to their late 70s. 

 

Nearly equal numbers of men and women participated in the study with 28 men and 22 women. 

 

They found the meditators still experienced a decline in gray matter with age but less than non-meditators. 

 

The researchers noted the positive outcome of the study but caution people reviewing the results; they were unable to establish a direct link to meditation and the preservation of gray matter. 

 

Another UCLA study conducted in 2012, showed meditators to have more gyrification, folds in their brains, which may contribute to an ability process information faster than usual. 

 

Meditation appears to allow practitioners to maintain both white and gray matter and form increased connections in the brain; it seems to keep the brain young. 

 

Along with its positive effects on white and gray brain matter, meditation appears to have a positive effect on other body functions. 

 

Anti-Aging Benefits Of Meditation

 

The youth preserving and renewing benefits of meditation include: 

 

• Meditation increases DHEA, which facilitates the production of the hormones that maintain fat and mineral metabolism.
• An increase in Melatonin, which acts as antioxidant, supplies immune support and fights depression. 
• A decrease in cortisol, the stress hormone that encourages the body to retain dangerous belly fat associated with heart disease and diabetes. 

 

The Effects Of Meditation

 

Part of feeling and maintaining a youthful mental outlook centers around the quality of one’s thinking patterns. Meditators learn to quiet mental chaos and build their ability to concentrate. 

 

They experience greater clarity of thought and tend to react less and respond more to circumstances. In short, they maintain their ability to be highly adaptive and think quickly with the additional benefit of choosing their response to situations rather than reacting to them. 

 

How To Meditate

 

Meditators typically meditate at least twice a day for twenty minutes per sitting. Most schools of thought recommend meditation to start the day and to close it. However, a person may meditate whenever they have time in their schedule to accommodate it. 

 

Meditation is not an all or nothing proposition. It is also beneficial to meditate in shorter increments of time, sitting for 5, 10, or 15 minutes. 

There are also several different methods of meditation, including:

• Primordial Sound Meditation
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
• Zen
• Transcendental Meditation
• Yoga Meditation (Kundalini)
• Focused Attention Meditation
• Open Monitoring Meditation
• Vipassana Meditation
• Loving Kindness Meditation (Metta Meditation)
• Mantra Meditation (OM Meditation)
• Qigong (Chi kung)

 

Getting Started

 

A person new to meditation needs to be patient; it takes time to train the mind to focus and settle into a meditation practice. The first step is to decide which from of meditation you wish to practice, and then learn how to do it. If possible, obtain the services of an expert, and there are also many books, DVD’s and free information available online that can teach the exact steps of the particular method preferred.

 

When beginning, try to meditate at the same time every day. If this is not possible, you can still meditate at different time. 

 

Building a meditation practice is more important than when you do it. The benefits of a consistent meditation practice can develop in a few weeks with continued practice preserving your brain's youthful dynamics for years to come.

 

5 Ways To Use A Medicine Ball To Improve Your Fitness

 

The saying “work smarter, not harder” applies to many facets of life, including exercise. Some people spin their wheels on a boring treadmill or exercises bike for month, and often until this mundane routine does little to accelerate their fitness level. 

 

The truth is there is a wide variety of exercise equipment available on the market that targets specific exercise and body conditioning goals. It is important to become educated in the various types of workouts and equipment available and to use those as applicable in order to make the best use of your workout time and effort. 

 

Using different equipment and varying your workouts helps to deter boredom, makes exercise more fun, and helps to keep the body guessing and challenged, which helps to improve overall fitness a great deal. One great fitness tool is the medicine ball, a versatile and extremely useful apparatus that meets a variety of fitness goals.

 

What Is A Medicine Ball

 

A medicine ball is a specially designed fitness ball approximately 13.7 inches in diameter. The weight of a medicine ball can range from 2 to 50 pounds. Some medicine balls are covered in leather and others in rubberized material. Medicine balls may have a sport specific shape such as that of a football while others bounce. Depending on the purpose of the medicine ball, it may also have built in grips or handles to increase the variety of exercises available for its use. 

 

People engaged in rehabilitation therapy and integrated fitness practices often include the use of a medicine ball in their regimen. In athletics, exercises incorporating a medicine ball build speed, agility, increased muscular power and endurance as well muscle resilience. The goal of incorporating a medicine ball in rehabilitation for non-athletes is often simple functional fitness, to be able to perform daily activities efficiently and proficiently.

Training Benefits Of A Medicine Ball

 

Strength Training

 

The versatility of the medicine ball makes it an ideal fitness tool when training for whole body muscular fitness. Medicine balls may be lifted, pressed, swung, bounced and caught on the rebound as well as pulled or thrown. For example, the ball may be tossed back and forth between partners to build upper body strength.

 

Sample Strength Training Exercise: The Medicine Ball Slam is an exercise where the ball is slammed to the ground and caught on the bounce back.

Another example is the Medicine Ball Side Throws where the ball is held by the hands in front of the body and moved from the center to the left and right.

Speed Training

 

Medicine ball exercises, which emphasize plyometric movement through the legs, extending and contracting the leg muscles forcefully while carrying or moving (lifting or throwing) the weight of the ball build speed. 

 

Sample Speed Training Exercise: A simple exercise for this purpose is the squat throw. During the exercise, the athlete holds the medicine ball in front of them at chest level with elbows moderately bent squats then throws the ball forcefully away as they jump out of their squat. Exercises that build core strength also assist with speed gains. 

 

Core Training 

 

Medicine balls effectively build core strength, because the exercises associated with their use require core stabilization to be completed safely. The core may also be isolated during a medicine ball training session. For example, the side pass to a partner calls for two people stand back-to-back and twist to pass the ball behind their backs to one another alternating sides. 

 

Sample Core Training Exercise: Another popular core exercise is the Russian Twist. When performing a Russian Twist, the athlete sits on the floor with knees bent, and feet grounded and leans the torso back about 45 degrees while holding the medicine ball in their hands. Once in this position, the athlete twists left and right with the medicine ball in hand for several repetitions. The feet may be lifted off the ground for additional resistance and to make the Russian twist much more challenging. 

 

Another core exercise is Medicine Ball Leg Raises, where the medicine ball is held by the hands over the head, then the hands, legs are lifted to meet, and the ball is passed to between the ankles, after which the legs are slowly lowered to the ground. 

 

Rehabilitation for Functional Fitness

 

The variety of medicine balls available makes it an ideal rehabilitation tool. Clients are able to perform a variety of exercises suited to functional fitness, including, lifting, pushing, pulling, etc. Medicine balls also allow them to do so with weights suitable to their current fitness level and the desired fitness outcomes. 

 

Power Training

 

Medicine balls are especially effective when athletes use them with the intention of building power. As mentioned earlier, the addition of medicine ball weights to plyometric exercises significantly increases strength and power. 

 

Sample Power Training Exercise: A person may include squat jump tosses in their exercise regimen; starting with the ball overhead, the athlete squats while swinging the medicine ball between their legs. To finish the exercise, the athlete rises and jumps into the air while tossing the ball up and letting it fall behind them.

 

Precautions And Considerations For Medicine Ball Training

 

• If you want to include medicine balls in your fitness regimen, consult with your doctor to get clearance for weight training
• Consult a skilled fitness trainer that can help to develop an appropriate routine for your fitness level and goals.  
• Training with free weights requires a bit more skill and attention. Medicine balls are a type of free weight; without the safeguards of a weight machine, keeping control of the weight falls on the athlete. 
• You'll need assistance selecting a medicine ball of the appropriate weight, size, and style (bouncing, with handles or grips, etc.) for your exercise goals and fitness level. 

An Anatomy of Broccoli: Nature’s Perfect Food

You probably didn’t see what was so great about broccoli as a child, but the truth is that this vegetable is one of nature’s superfoods. From its stalk to its flowering head, broccoli is packed with nutrients and vitamins needed for your overall health and wellbeing. This vegetable has been around for centuries, and it has always been used and viewed as the perfect go-to food. 

 

It’s healthy, can be eaten in a number of different ways, comes with a variety of benefits, is easy to cook, and offers the body a single boost of minerals in every serving. For a comprehensive understanding of this perfect food, check out the following information. 

 

The Anatomy of Broccoli: Understanding the Veggie from Top to Bottom

 

Many people aren’t aware just how much there is to know about broccoli. Yes, it’s a vegetable, and yes, it’s incredibly good for you—but that’s not all. This anatomical breakdown of broccoli should teach you everything you need to know about this vegetable and more. So, let’s begin with the basics.

 

What Exactly is Broccoli?

 

An edible green plant belonging to the cabbage family, broccoli is a vegetable that originated in Italy as many as 2,000 years ago. While, its flowering head is usually used as a vegetable in a variety of meals, the entire vegetable can be eaten and contains a host of nutritional values. 

 

Arranged like a small tree, broccoli closely resembles cauliflower, which is another vegetable of the same species. Due to its rich green color, broccoli is high in antioxidants and other essential vitamins. 

Parts of the Broccoli Plant

 

A broccoli plant is made up of three main parts:

 

• The root system
• Leaves and stalk
• The crowning head

When still in the ground, the root system of the broccoli plant needs nutrient-rich soil in order to grow and support the plant. Broccoli plants need to be watered often in order to keep the plant hydrated and well fed as it approaches maturity. 

 

The leaves and stalk are lesser-known parts of the broccoli plant because gardeners and farmers often discard these pieces at harvest. However, they are actually edible and highly nutritious. Broccoli leaves can be long and thin or short and wide and grow along the stalk. They are often blue-green in color and thicken towards the head of the plant.

 

The crowning head is the part of the broccoli most familiar to people. Sometimes called the curd or the head, the top of the broccoli is most commonly eaten. This head is made of small, dense edible floral shoots. Usually, the head is harvested long before the shoots, or little florets open. Sometimes the heads are purple, but the green shoots are most commonly cultivated by gardeners. The best growth environment for the broccoli plant is in full sun, with plenty of water, and of course, the nutrient rich soil mentioned earlier. 

 

What is Broccoli’s Nutritional Value? 

 

Broccoli is a great food to eat when you are looking to get extra fiber and vitamin C into your diet. It contains various nutrients that hold anti-cancer properties and support a strong, healthy immune system. 

 

A great source of natural energy, broccoli is low in carbs, and fat but high in protein. 

 

Nutrients: It contains B vitamins, Thiamine, Niacin, Riboflavin and Folate as well as traces of calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorous. 

 

High Fiber: Broccoli is also high in fiber that supports heart health, helps lower bad cholesterol and supports healthy weight management because it is filling and very low in calories. 

 

How is Broccoli Prepared?

 

Broccoli can be steamed, boiled, microwaved, stir-fried, or eaten raw. However, over cooking or boiling broccoli has been proven to reduce levels of anti-carcinogenic compounds present in the food. It is therefore best to steam it until it reaches a bright green color, but no longer. 

 

How You Can Add Broccoli to Your Diet

 

Adding broccoli to your daily diet can do wonders for your health. A side of broccoli at dinner, a broccoli salad for lunch, chopped broccoli along with eggs or in an omelet for breakfast, and even eaten raw as a healthy snack is great way to include this superfood in your diet. 

 

All parts of broccoli can also be juiced, including the stems, leaves and heads, and it makes a great addition to green juice, along with kale, spinach, green apples, celery, cucumber, and lemon. 

Can Lowering Calorie Intake Stall The Aging Process?

Many of us want to live a long and healthy life. We want to stall the aging process and maintain our youthful appearance and feel young even in old age.

 

The quest for the fountain of youth has been highlighted in film and literature. In the United States alone, the desire to maintain youth, and stall aging is a multi-billion dollar industry, with face creams, plastic surgery, and various fads and gimmicks that have people pulling money from their wallet without hesitation.

 

One topic of interest within the category of anti-aging is calorie restriction and how it may stall the aging process.

 

Decades of research involving lab rats has suggested that restricting caloric intake can increase the life expectancy of these animals by at least 40%. These rodents, which were fed 30% less calories daily, were observed to have lived longer than the other animals that were fed to satisfaction.

 

But, is eating fewer calories enough to delay the aging process in humans? Is the so-called “fountain of youth” right in front of us?

Sirtuin Production

 

Ever heard of how red wine can help you live longer? One of the reasons why drinking a glass of red wine nightly is considered beneficial is because it contains resveratrol, a chemical that stimulates the production of sirtuins. Sirtuins are a class of protein which are believed to slow down the aging process, and their production has been closely linked to low calorie diets.

 

Genetic Activities

 

Researchers suggest that reducing your calorie intake affects the behavior of about 900 genes. Carbohydrates, in particular, have shown to affect a larger group of genes, ones that are linked to learning, memory formation, and aging. 

 

Lower Metabolic Rates

 

High caloric intake technically leads to a higher metabolic rate, or the amount of energy which the body utilizes in order to perform normal bodily functions.

 

According to new studies published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, those with higher metabolic rates are more susceptible to early death as a result of natural causes as compared to those with lower metabolic rates. 

 

Higher metabolic rates have also been associated with the increased production of free radicals, which are known to accelerate the aging process and to cause serious damage to major organs.

 

Keep in mind that metabolism slows naturally as we age, and this often leads to weight gain because people do not change their eating habits to compensate for this slowing. So, if you subscribe to the theory that slow metabolism stalls the aging process, and you do not take action to increase it as you age, then you also need to be sure to eat less food or else you will gain weight.

 

Lower T3 Levels

 

Interestingly, low calorie diets have shown to decrease the production of the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3). This hormone is responsible for most of the physiological processes happening within the body, including body temperature regulation, metabolism, and growth and development. 

 

Therefore, it makes sense that lower T3 levels can affect the aging process, although this theory needs more evidence.

 

Reduced Risk For Chronic Diseases

 

We are well aware that diet plays a major role in the development of chronic diseases, such as, diabetes and heart attack. With these conditions present, it will be challenging to maintain optimum health and prolong life.

 

First, let’s talk about obesity. The more you eat, the more likely that you’ll gain weight. With too much body fat, the risk for developing heart diseases and stroke is higher. Additionally, being overweight can cause insulin resistance, leading to type 2 diabetes that increases risks for early death. 

 

Second, it has something to do with your food choices. With high caloric intake, it’s more likely that you’re not watching what you eat. Therefore, common sense should be observed when selecting your food. Pick foods that can keep you full longer and those that are packed with nutrients, but not calories. 

 

Nutrient density is a term used to describe food that has the highest amount of nutrients calorie for calorie. So, while a piece of apple pie may have close to the same calories as a chicken breast, they are not equal because the chicken breast will provide you with important nutrients, while the apple pie will not.  

 

The Bottom Line

 

Your calorie intake may or may not have a direct effect on the aging process. It is a complex web involving a lot of factors, which when combined can improve longevity. While Calorie Restriction Research has spanned more than 80 years in animals, research on humans is still quite limited.

 

Indeed, more evidence is needed to back up these claims regarding the link between a low calorie diet and aging. 

 

The good news with this theory is that you’ve got nothing to lose by lowering your caloric intake in a healthy manner as is fitting to your daily activity levels.  

 

Use an online calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you should eat to either maintain or lose weight. This number will be based on your age, weight and activity levels. Use this number to be sure and stick within your limits and keep in mind that the more active you are the more you can eat and still lose or maintain your ideal weight.

 

When you become conscious of what you eat, you can maintain a healthy weight and prevent the development of chronic diseases. The part where aging is slowed may just be an added bonus!

Listening To Your Body For Better Health

For many of us, better health does not come naturally. It is usually something we must work on in order to lead healthy lives and have overall excellent health. This means listening to your body and understanding what it is telling you about what is going on inside the body. Here are some ways you can listen to your body so you can have a life that is sustained by good health.

 

Watching The Scale

 

You can listen to your body every time you put on your clothes or when stepping on the scale. Do your clothes fit right? Are they becoming too loose on you or are they fitting snuggly? Is the scale tipping one way or another in the wrong direction? If you find that you are losing too much weight or packing on the pounds, it may be that you are being affected by stress and are not eating in ways that promote good health. Good health comes from eating a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. This is in lieu of eating processed foods such as cookies, cakes, processed meals, and candies—all of which have excess calories and preservatives that are generally unhealthy for you.  

 

Eating too little can affect your health as well. When you eat less than the amount of food you are supposed to eat, you can suffer from lack of proper nutrients. Lacking in proper nutrients, your body does not function properly and you can cause yourself to be sick from lack of the nutrients to support immune health. 

 

Listen To Your Digestive System

 

Your digestive system is not only the way you get proper nutrients but also it is a main way your body uses to protect itself from pathogens. The digestive system is one big part of the immune system so you need to treat it with the care it deserves. This means paying attention to episodes of diarrhoea that can strip the colon of protective bacteria, constipation, and indigestion from being under excess stress or eating the wrong foods.  

You can care for your digestive system by eating healthy foods and by taking probiotics, which can replenish the gut with good bacteria. Probiotics can be taken in by eating plain yogurt with live cultures or by eating fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kefir.  

 

If you can’t get it in the foods you eat, you can purchase many probiotic supplements at the drug store or online. Some of the best probiotics are those that come in spore form. The spores can survive the acidic environment of your stomach and then release the live bacteria in the intestines, where they take root and drive out the bad bacteria and fungi.

 

Listen To Your Cardiovascular System

 

This means following your blood pressure and pulse very carefully. If you are inactive or have a family history of high blood pressure, you may be suffering from high blood pressure and not know it. This means you have to check your blood pressure every time you run across a blood pressure machine at the drug store or grocery store. When you see the doctor, your blood pressure will be taken as well. If it is consistently elevated, you may need to be on an antihypertensive medication or modify your diet and exercise program so you can avoid some of the many complications of high blood pressure.

 

You should check your pulse as well on a periodic basis. A high pulse can mean that you are too inactive or are under a great deal of stress. Exercise can cause your heart to function better and will slow your pulse to normal levels.  

 

Listen For And Respect Signs Of Stress and Fatigue 

 

Feel tired, but keep pushing yourself past your limits? Are you fighting fatigue on a regular basis, instead of taking the time to rest and rejuvenate? Fatigue and low energy are both your body talking to you and letting you know that you need to rest and relax, if you don’t listed you will crash and burn.

Are you ignoring anxiety, instead of looking to erase its sources and lower stress levels? Stress kills, and you are the only one that can take care to reduce its load on your body, mind, and spirit. Great ways to fight stress and its impact are Tai Chi, meditation, yoga and taking vacations on a regular basis.

 

An Anatomy Of Leafy Greens And How They Serve Good Health

No diet is truly optimized without a healthy amount of leafy greens. These plant foods are truly a miracle of nature, and are loaded with vitamins and minerals; they also are low in calories so you can eat plenty of them without gaining weight. Leafy greens can be eaten in sandwiches, be part of casseroles and can be eaten in numerous types of salads.  

 

What are leafy greens?

 

There are both common and relatively uncommon leafy green vegetables available to you.  Most you can get at the produce department at your local supermarket but others you may have to grow in containers in your house or in a garden or visit a store like Whole Foods. 

 

Leafy green vegetables include:

 

• Spinach
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Red and Green Leaf and Romaine Lettuce
• Cabbage
• Edible Green Leaves: dandelion, red clover, plantain, watercress and chickweed 
• Mustard greens
• Dandelion greens
• Swiss chard
• Escarole
• Turnip greens

 

What makes leafy greens so special?

 

Disease Prevention

 

It seems that Mother Nature knows what she’s doing, as leafy greens contain disease preventing plant-based substances that may help protect from diabetes, heart disease and even various cancer mainly because of the powerful antioxidants they offer. Kale for example, is a great source of vitamins A C, K, calcium and also supplies folate and potassium.

 

Weight Loss

 

These vegetables have so few calories that they hardly even count and lettuce, kale and spinach can be eaten in abundance. These are also high fiber foods and so they keep you full longer and allow you to eat less. Another benefit of the fiber is that it helps to stabilize blood sugars, and that results in less out of control cravings for sweets and other junk.

Vitamin K

 

Different leafy greens have different properties but all of them can be considered good for you. They contain vitamin K, which is essential in helping the body to properly clot blood. Vitamin K also helps prevent several conditions related to advancing age and can help prevent bone loss, arterial calcifications, kidney damage and heart disease. Just a single cup of most leafy green vegetables will provide you with more than enough vitamin K for your system per day. Kale is especially helpful, providing about six times the recommended intake of vitamin K. 

 

Lower Cholesterol

 

You can actually lower your cholesterol by eating leafy green vegetables. The bile acids produced by the liver which help fats digest from the gastrointestinal tract are bound by the fiber in the leafy greens. The bile acids pass through the body along with the residue of leafy green vegetables, forcing the liver to use up even more cholesterol to make bile acids. This reduces your endogenous cholesterol level. There was one study in the Nutrition Research journal that indicated that slightly steamed kale and mustard greens did the best job of binding bile acids.  

 

Eye Health

 

Leafy green vegetables are good for the eyes. The best leafy greens to eat for eye health are mustard greens, Swiss chard, kale and dandelion greens because they are high in carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin. Carotenoids help filter the high energy light caused by sun and therefore prevent sun-induced cataracts. These carotenoids also improve overall visual acuity.  

 

Vitamin B5

 

A cup of raw escarole can help your body by adding pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B5. The B vitamins together help carbohydrates break down into glucose to be used for cellular fuel. The body cannot store B vitamins each day so you need to find a daily source for these vitamins. What better way than to incorporate escarole in your diet.  

Calcium For Bone Health

 

Leafy green vegetables contain large amounts of calcium. It’s the calcium that gives these foods their slightly bitter taste. While leafy greens do not give you alone the amount of calcium you need in one day (about a thousand milligrams of calcium per day for women between 30 and 50), they provide easily absorbable kinds of calcium.  A half a cup of dandelion greens will give you about 75 mg of calcium, while mustard greens can give you 55 mg calcium. 

 

Considering that these are virtually fat free foods they give high fat dairy foods as a source of calcium a run for their money.

 

Prevent Colon Cancer

 

Kale and mustard greens can help prevent colon cancer by being part of the group of vegetables that includes cabbage and broccoli. In a study in one dietetic journal, those people that ate more of these leafy greens suffered a lower risk of developing colon cancer.

How do you eat leafy greens?

 

Leafy greens can be eaten raw in salads or can be steamed and mixed with things like herbs, other vegetables, or added to stir fry. Generally, it is advisable to have as little heat applied to these vegetables as possible to keep their nutritional content intact. Kale and spinach both are at risk for overcooking very fast because they cook so quickly. 

A good rule of thumb when cooking is to only steam to a bright free color, such as the case with broccoli, once it turns a dark green color it is likely overcooked and has lost valuable nutrients.