I’m a night owl. I’ve always been a night owl.
I’m not sure it’s possible to change, but I’m willing to give it a shot.
![How to Become a Morning Person [Infographic]](http://www.healthtalktoday.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/how-to-become-a-morning-person.jpg)
Are you a morning person?
Do you want to be a morning person?
Leave a commentwith your tips to become a morning person.
How to Become a Morning Person [Infographic]
Understanding the Latest Media Attention on Multivitamins
Guest post by Jamie McManus, M.D., FAAFP. Chair of Medical Affairs, Health Science, & Education at Shaklee Corporation
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Many of you have probably seen the headlines regarding multivitamins and their inability to prevent chronic disease in the past few days – the result of three studies published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Starting from a 30,000-foot view, the premise of these studies is the first problem: looking at the use of a multivitamin alone as a way to prevent disease. The purpose of a multivitamin is to fill in nutritional gaps and provide optimum levels of vitamins and minerals. It is well established that the vast majority of Americans fail to obtain even adequate levels of these nutrients.
Prevention of any disease is a multi-factorial process that has to include diet, weight management, and lifestyle. To expect to see disease prevention accomplished by virtue of taking a daily multivitamin is a flawed premise. So, why are these large-scale (and very expensive) studies undertaken? It is simply the model of research that scientists and physicians understand – studying a single drug to determine what effect it may have on a single disease. Studying nutrition is far more complex.
While a drug has a primary effect (usually something positive), they also have a myriad of side effects (which are usually negative and even life threatening). Every year pharmaceuticals are removed from the market because of these serious side effects. A study published in JAMA in 1998 showed that as many as 125,000 Americans die each year of properly prescribed pharmaceuticals – wow! When was the last time a vitamin was removed from the market?
Vitamins and minerals all have multiple positive functional roles to play in our bodies – which is why so many Americans pop a multi each day. People simply feel better when they take a multi because they are filling in those all too common nutrition gaps.
All three of these studies showed that multivitamins have an excellent safety profile. Well, of course they do! The only “potential harm” that continues to be mentioned every time we have a study such as this published is the slight increased risk of lung cancer in smokers who took beta carotene. My response to that is – smokers: stop smoking!
Let me quickly summarize these studies. The largest one is another report from the Physician Health Study – previous publications of data from this large government funded study did show an association of reduced cancer associated with multivitamin usage.
The next study looked at cognitive decline in physicians – who are at the upper end of the intelligence scale and pretty well nourished. Showing a significant change in cognitive decline in this population is going to take some intervention beyond a multi – as this population is most likely doing lots of the right things to protect their brain function.
The third study tried to show that higher doses of specific vitamins decrease the likelihood of a second heart attack in folks who have already had a heart attack. Hmmm. Maybe we should look at weight reduction, cholesterol, blood pressure lowering, and blood sugar management as opposed to putting the burden of prevention of a second heart attack in someone with heart disease on vitamins!
I have been recommending a multivitamin (and beyond) to my patients, and consumers in general, for my entire 30 years as a physician – and nothing in these studies changes my mind. The statistics on inadequacies in our American diet are clear – most everyone is deficient in multiple nutrients. Here at Shaklee, we have the Landmark Study, published in the journal Nutrition in 2007 that showed a nice correlation of better health with multiple supplement usage, starting with a multivitamin. We have over 100 published studies that validate the connection of nutrition and health. I urge you to continue taking your Shaklee supplements – but also, to remember the importance of eating healthfully, avoiding fast foods, and getting to a healthy weight on your journey to better health.
Be well!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Chair of Medical Affairs, Health Science, & Education
Dr. Jamie McManus is an acclaimed author, board-certified family physician, and highly regarded educational speaker who has been featured in numerous radio and television shows. She is responsible for ensuring best practices in clinical research, scientific design, product development, and product messaging. A longtime advocate of preventative medicine, Dr. McManus is most passionate about inspiring others to take charge of their health through simple lifestyle changes and proper nutrition. In her downtime, she enjoys running, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, and playing with her 3-year-old granddaughter.
She doesn’t go a day without taking her Shaklee products, starting her day with a Shaklee 180™ Shake and Shaklee Vitalizer™.
Do you take vitamins every day?
Are they synthetic or all natural and organic?
Does it matter to you whether you take them or not?
Leave a comment with your opinion.
November is National Diabetes Month
This infographic and description is excerpted with permission from The American Recall Center
Diabetes affects over 25 million people in the United States, or 8.3% of the entire population. Within those 25 million people, over 8 million are undiagnosed, or do not know they are living with diabetes. For diabetes being so widespread, there is a lack of common knowledge about how to recognize diabetes, the different types, and what it takes to manage the disease.
 The American Recall Center provides drug and medical device recall information alongside practical healthcare information and support. We aim to build the most comprehensive resource on the Internet for timely and trusted material regarding healthcare topics that matter to the consumer. The team at ARC is dedicated to helping consumers find accurate information with ease.
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Never Leave the Playground
Stephen Jepson is 71 years young. He’s on the go all day long. It’s what keeps his body and mind in great shape.
Stephen is an inventor, a retired college arts professor and a ceramic artist. But today, his focus is balance. As people age, they begin to lose their ability to balance. Stephen believes the activities he spends his day doing, has helped him keep his balance. It has also kept his mind sharp.
Every time I watch this video I see something new. The last time, I noticed he has 2 different colored shoe laces! Isn’t that just like a kid?
Can you do what Stephen Jepson does?
No matter what your age, it’s never too late to start. Begin with something simple and gradually increase repetitions and difficulty. If you think it’s work, you probably won’t keep doing it. Take a lesson from Stephen. He’s having fun. He’s like a kid, playing in the playground.
What are you doing to keep moving and learning?
Leave a comment with your favorite staying-young activity.
Office Exercises
Whether you work in an office cubicle, a private, corner office with a view or your home business office, you’re probably doing a lot of sitting. Several times during the day, it would be a good idea to get up and DO SOMETHING … And I don’t mean going to the employee lounge for coffee and a donut or outside for a smoke. If there’s no where you need to go, like to another office or walk upstairs for a meeting, at least get up and exercise.
Here’s a chart with easy office exercises that will inspire you to stand up, stretch, reach and do a short exercise routine.
Download the full size Office Exercise Poster.
See how to do each of these exercises and rate them yourself.
Washington Post article: A workout at work?
Leave a comment with your favorite exercise routine.
