If you've been thinking about making your life just a little greener, today's the day to start! Not sure exactly where to make changes? Check out the latest numerous articles and news post that will be available all weekend and learn how you can take little steps that make a big difference for Mother Earth. If you're really up for celebrating, check out one of these Earth Day events happening near you at www.earthday.org
I am going to the Denver Botanic Garden today and tomorrow plant a tree and do some hiking. Get out and enjoy what we have right here in our backyard.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Do Food and Drug Addictions Have Similarities?
Addictions stimulate similar brain activity. I guess it is just like has been said over the years usually when you are addicted to one type you will sometimes just replace it with a different addiction. Take cigarette smoking for example; how many people do you know that have quit smoking only to take up excessive eating or even excessive exercise habits? So in essence they are giving up one addictive behavior and replacing it with another.
A new study from the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity suggests that a chocolate milkshake and a line of cocaine might not be so different. The study included 48 women with an average age of 21 who ranged from lean to obese. they took a test developed at the Rudd Center to measure food addiction, based on an established test for measuring drug addiction.
With functional magnetic resonant imaging; a brain imaging procedure, the researchers examined brain activity when the subjects were shown, and then drank a chocolate milkshake. The results were compared with subjects brain response to the anticipation and consumption of a tasteless solution.
What they found was that the brains of subjects who scored higher on the food addiction scale exhibited neural activity similar to that seen in drug addicts, with greater activity in brain regions responsible for cravings and less activity in the regions that curb urges. The researchers also found that the brain activity indicative of addiction was found in both lean and obese subjects who scored high in the test for food addiction.
It's also been suggested that certain triggers, such as advertisements for food, have not just a psychological, but a physiological, effect on certain people.
So for those of you that may have an addictive side to you, everything in moderation, don't watch advertisements for food and as long as your at it, get off the couch and get moving.
A new study from the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity suggests that a chocolate milkshake and a line of cocaine might not be so different. The study included 48 women with an average age of 21 who ranged from lean to obese. they took a test developed at the Rudd Center to measure food addiction, based on an established test for measuring drug addiction.
With functional magnetic resonant imaging; a brain imaging procedure, the researchers examined brain activity when the subjects were shown, and then drank a chocolate milkshake. The results were compared with subjects brain response to the anticipation and consumption of a tasteless solution.
What they found was that the brains of subjects who scored higher on the food addiction scale exhibited neural activity similar to that seen in drug addicts, with greater activity in brain regions responsible for cravings and less activity in the regions that curb urges. The researchers also found that the brain activity indicative of addiction was found in both lean and obese subjects who scored high in the test for food addiction.
It's also been suggested that certain triggers, such as advertisements for food, have not just a psychological, but a physiological, effect on certain people.
So for those of you that may have an addictive side to you, everything in moderation, don't watch advertisements for food and as long as your at it, get off the couch and get moving.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Protect Your Shoulders When You Get Your Gucci On
Over the past few years, our handbags have seemed to morph from small, clutch-type entities to extra-large, carry-all totes. Many designers actually create the same bag in several sizes: mini, regular, and oversized. After all, there’s the wallet, cell phone, cosmetics, iPod, regular glasses, sunglasses, Kleenex — and those are merely the essentials. I often have to throw in a file or two and my lap top if need be. My husband and sister insist I once pulled a turkey baster out of my pocketbook, and although I do carry a lot, I adamantly deny this story.
Chiropractors report treating an increased number of women for neck, shoulder, and back pain. The cause? Carrying huge purses. According to Dr. David Golden, an orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Hospital in Beverly Hills, California (where else?), “the effects of carrying a heavy purse are similar to those of exercising too strenuously. Usually the pain will be temporary. You need to carry 50 pounds or more to cause lasting damage to the back.”
Many of us carry a purse weighing between seven and 10 pounds. We tend to carry it on the same shoulder, which may cause one shoulder to become slightly higher than the other. Add to that talking on the cell phone while carrying the heavy bag, which makes the problem worse — in addition to carrying too much weight, you are lifting the shoulder at the same time to hold the phone to your ear. Besides large shoulder bags, many women carry small pocketbooks with handles that rest on the forearm. This can lead to elbow and wrist problems.
Treatment options include massage, warm packs, anti-inflammatory medicine, and resting the injured muscles. So organize your Louis, Pradas, and Chanels and try these tips to prevent any problems:
Once a week, go through your purse and empty out the junk.
When putting stuff back in, divide amongst all the pockets and flaps to evenly distribute the weight.
Adjustable straps let you place the bag across your body (messenger bag style), which takes the stress off the shoulder and prevents positioning the shoulders unevenly.
Thin straps and chains can cut into your shoulder and don’t distribute the pressure as well as wide ones, but (just so you know) this sacrifice will cause a fashion faux pas for the spring.
Switch the bag from shoulder to shoulder when possible.
Rather then lift your shoulder to keep the bag from slipping, try to square your shoulders and keep them even.
Notice nowhere did I say give up the bag. You just never know when there’s a turkey around that needs a quick baste.
Blogged by Lynda Shrager
The Organized Caregiver
Chiropractors report treating an increased number of women for neck, shoulder, and back pain. The cause? Carrying huge purses. According to Dr. David Golden, an orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Hospital in Beverly Hills, California (where else?), “the effects of carrying a heavy purse are similar to those of exercising too strenuously. Usually the pain will be temporary. You need to carry 50 pounds or more to cause lasting damage to the back.”
Many of us carry a purse weighing between seven and 10 pounds. We tend to carry it on the same shoulder, which may cause one shoulder to become slightly higher than the other. Add to that talking on the cell phone while carrying the heavy bag, which makes the problem worse — in addition to carrying too much weight, you are lifting the shoulder at the same time to hold the phone to your ear. Besides large shoulder bags, many women carry small pocketbooks with handles that rest on the forearm. This can lead to elbow and wrist problems.
Treatment options include massage, warm packs, anti-inflammatory medicine, and resting the injured muscles. So organize your Louis, Pradas, and Chanels and try these tips to prevent any problems:
Once a week, go through your purse and empty out the junk.
When putting stuff back in, divide amongst all the pockets and flaps to evenly distribute the weight.
Adjustable straps let you place the bag across your body (messenger bag style), which takes the stress off the shoulder and prevents positioning the shoulders unevenly.
Thin straps and chains can cut into your shoulder and don’t distribute the pressure as well as wide ones, but (just so you know) this sacrifice will cause a fashion faux pas for the spring.
Switch the bag from shoulder to shoulder when possible.
Rather then lift your shoulder to keep the bag from slipping, try to square your shoulders and keep them even.
Notice nowhere did I say give up the bag. You just never know when there’s a turkey around that needs a quick baste.
Blogged by Lynda Shrager
The Organized Caregiver
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