1. Will getting 1 hour less of sleep per night affect daytime functioning? Yes, it will compromise a person’s thinking and responding abilities, in addition to impacting cardiovascular health, energy balance and immune function. 2. Does the body adapt easily to different sleep schedules—for example, during travel across several time zones? No, it can take more than a week to adjust when traveling across several time zones. However, most people can easily reset their sleep pattern when experiencing a 1- to 2-hour time zone difference. 3. How long does it take to adjust when switching to a night-shift job? About 1 week. 4. What is the cause of excessive daytime sleepiness? In addition to self-imposed sleep deprivation, insomnia is a main cause of daytime … MORE→

Research: A lack of proper sleep can put you at risk for a number of negative consequences. Issues such as the poor economy and smaller work forces are leading more people to work longer hours. Many exercise professionals train clients who work in the fields of health, technology, security, medicine, computer programming, food services and transportation, which often require working evenings and/or night shifts. These professions, and many others, may disturb sleep patterns, compromising cognitive performance and leading to serious health consequences. It has been shown that night-shift workers have poorer sleep, reduced performance and alertness, and higher accident rates compared with those who work during the day (Rajaratnam & Arendt 2001). This article will describe the types and stages … MORE→

Normal weight individuals who carry weight concentrated in their belly have a higher death risk than obese individuals, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012. The results were presented by Dr Karine Sahakyan from the Mayo Clinic. “We knew from previous research that central obesity is bad, but what is new in this research is that the distribution of the fat is very important even in people with a normal weight,” said Dr Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, senior author on the study and a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “This group has the highest death rate, even higher than those who are considered obese based on BMI. From a public health perspective, this is a significant finding.” The … MORE→

More than 40 plant-based compounds can turn on genes that slow the spread of cancer, according to a first-of-its-kind study by a Washington State University researcher. Gary Meadows, WSU professor and associate dean for graduate education and scholarship in the College of Pharmacy, says he is encouraged by his findings because the spread of cancer is most often what makes the disease fatal. Moreover, says Meadows, diet, nutrients and plant-based chemicals appear to be opening many avenues of attack. “We’re always looking for a magic bullet,” he says. “Well, there are lots of magic bullets out there in what we eat and associated with our lifestyle. We just need to take advantage of those. And they can work together.” Meadows … MORE→

In a stride toward better health in later life, scientists reported today that resveratrol, the so-called “miracle molecule” found in red wine, might help improve mobility and prevent life-threatening falls among older people. The finding, believed to be the first of its kind, was presented today to some 14,000 scientists and others gathered at the 244thNational Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific societ The researchers say this report — based on studies of laboratory mice — could lead to the development of natural products designed to help older Americans live safer and more productive lives. “Our study suggests that a natural compound like resveratrol, which can be obtained either through dietary supplementation or diet … MORE→

Children who spend more than three-quarters of their time engaging in sedentary behaviour, such as watching TV and sitting at computers, have up to nine times poorer motor coordination than their more active peers, reveals a study published in theAmerican Journal of Human Biology. The study, involving Portuguese children, found that physical activity alone was not enough to overcome the negative effect of sedentary behaviour on basic motor coordination skills such as walking, throwing or catching, which are considered the building blocks of more complex movements. “Childhood is a critical time for the development of motor coordination skills which are essential for health and well-being,” said lead author Dr Luis Lopes, from the University of Minho. “We know that sedentary … MORE→

A sedentary lifestyle is a common cause of obesity, and excessive body weight and fat in turn are considered catalysts for diabetes, high blood pressure, joint damage and other serious health problems. But what if lack of exercise itself were treated as a medical condition? Mayo Clinic physiologist Michael Joyner, M.D., argues that it should be. His commentary is published this month in The Journal of Physiology. Physical inactivity affects the health not only of many obese patients, but also people of normal weight, such as workers with desk jobs, patients immobilized for long periods after injuries or surgery, and women on extended bed rest during pregnancies, among others, Dr. Joyner says. Prolonged lack of exercise can cause the body to … MORE→

Active video games, also known as “exergames,” are not the perfect solution to the nation’s sedentary ways, but they can play a role in getting some people to be more active. Michigan State University’s Wei Peng reviewed published research of studies of these games and says that most of the AVGs provide only “light-to-moderate” intensity physical activity. And that, she says, is not nearly as good as what she calls “real-life exercise.” “For those not engaging in real-life exercise, this may be a good step toward this,” said Peng, an assistant professor of telecommunication, information studies and media. “Eventually the goal is to help them get somewhat active and maybe move to real-life exercise.” Of the 41 AVG studies the … MORE→

Reminiscing is fun when it comes to food from your childhood, but now that you’re older and wiser, your snacks may need an upgrade. Here’s a list of memorable snacks with a twist that are healthier than snacks from your childhood and easier for you to appreciate now. Unsalted and Unsweetened Trail Mix Try trail mix, with unsalted and unsweetened dried fruit, nuts and seeds, is a wildly healthy snack but it is loaded with calories and so a little goes a long way.  Look for trail mixes that contain organic ingredients.  Chocolate candy in your trail mix is anything but healthy. Almond Butter and Banana Sandwiches It may have a cool song to go with it, but the peanut butter and jelly … MORE→

With all the focus on calorie counts, BMI’s, weight, and exercise, getting the important building blocks to our body’s functions, vitamins and minerals, can take a back seat in our daily food planning.  Essential vitamins are not produced by the body and must be included in meals to keep you alive.  While supplements of some nutrients are all the rage, according to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, “Nutrient needs should be met primarily through consuming foods.” Here’s how to get your daily recommended levels of Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, and E according to United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Dietary Reference Intake recommendations* through familiar foods. Vitamin A – 700 mcg Vitamin A is required for the proper function … MORE→

Runners over the age of 60 are the fastest-growing group in the sport. A new study from the University of New Hampshire suggests that their running can remain fast as they age, too. The study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, found that the running economy – how efficiently the body uses oxygen at a certain pace – of older runners was no different than that of younger runners. “That really jumped off the page. It was surprising, but in a good way,” says lead author Timothy Quinn, who is an associate professor of exercise science at UNH. Yet in general older runners are slower than younger ones, which is why races segment competitors by age. Moderating the … MORE→

Despite the increasing awareness of the problem of obesity in the United States, most Americans don’t know whether they are gaining or losing weight, according to new research from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. Obesity increased in the US between 2008 and 2009, but in response to the questions about year-to-year changes in weight that were included in the most widespread public health survey in the country, on average, people said that they lost weight. Men did a worse job estimating their own weight changes than women. And older adults were less attuned to their weight changes than young adults. The findings are being published in the article “In denial: misperceptions of weight … MORE→

Just grin and bear it! At some point, we have all probably heard or thought something like this when facing a tough situation. But is there any truth to this piece of advice? Feeling good usually makes us smile, but does it work the other way around? Can smiling actually make us feel better? In a study forthcoming in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, psychological scientists Tara Kraft and Sarah Pressman of the University of Kansas investigate the potential benefits of smiling by looking at how different types of smiling, and the awareness of smiling, affects individuals’ ability to recover from episodes of stress. “Age old adages, such as ‘grin and bear it’ have suggested smiling to … MORE→

As a man’s waistline grows, so can his experience with sexual dysfunction and frequent urination, say researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The study, published in the August issue of the British Journal of Urology International (BJUI), is the first to comprehensively show that obesity in men affects not just their hearts and metabolism, but also their sexual and urinary health. “The findings demonstrate that obesity in men — part of a growing global epidemic — affects their well-being in profound ways,” says the study’s senior investigator Dr. Steven A. Kaplan, the E. Darracott Vaughan Jr., Professor of Urology at Weill Cornell Medical College, director of the Iris Cantor Men’s Health Center and chief of the Institute for Bladder and Prostate … MORE→