Greetings!
With all this online, email, IM, facebook, twitter - we seem more connected then ever, and yet without face to face interactions we really are missing something. I just finished watching a very interesting BBC documentary called "the Human Face". John Cleese is the host and he sets out on an odyssey to discover the mysteries of identity,
perception, creativity and sexuality hidden behind the mask of life
itself. This four-part series combines art, technology and deeply
moving human interest stories to uncover the secrets of the human face. It is quite funny and insightful. One of the things he talks about with Dr. Gottman is about contempt and how that is manifested on the face. I will talk about contempt in "what's love got to do with it". Having meaningful relationships is essential to good health and a happy life and now that the flowers and chocolate of valentine's are over what can you do to help nurture those relationships in your life. Also seeing as it is heart health month I want to discuss my two favorite exercise tools and whether are kids really need "sneaky fitness". Enjoy this month's read!
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You've got to move it, move it!
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 Okay I am showing my age a bit with the corny aerobics music but it is absolutely the truth. Without incorporating exercise into your life you will not reach your optimal health. I would say my two favorite exercise tools are a pedometer and a heart rate monitor. If you are just starting out and want to incorporate more activity into your life but can't seem to find the time, one of the most useful tools is a pedometer. These are widely available and basically you wear them on your belt or pant top and it counts your steps for the day. It is very interesting to wear one and just see how many steps you are taking in a regular day. Then to increase your activity you just increase your number of steps - easy - park further away from the door, walk around your car before you get in, take the stairs, take more frequent bathroom breaks at work. Simple steps to increase your overall daily activity - try to aim for 10,000 steps in a day (that can be a big jump for some, just work up slowly).
Once you have started to consistently schedule time for exercise in your life (picking something that you really enjoy doing makes that a lot easier!) I find that wearing a heart rate monitor is a great biofeedback tool. It ensures that you are working within your target heart rate zone - not too hard or not hard enough. Many people don't exercise efficiently in the proper range so they don't meet the goals they want.
Last summer I learned to run, something I wanted to do for quite a awhile but I would always cramp up and get short of breath. My heart rate monitor really helped (as did starting slowly....) I only cramped once and when I checked my heart rate it was way over what it should have been! Make time for exercise it is the best gift for your heart!
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Sneaky Fitness
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 In thinking about exercise and activity I was thinking back to when I was a kid. Now for those that know me I was not a sports kid. I was the one who took a book to the playground and read. At least I was outside. I also did play - free play - I distinctly have a memory of being a horse when I had the chicken pox and just running circles around the outside of the house! (My poor mom probably locked my out because I was driving her crazy!!) What happened to free play, to "unorganized" sports - playing basketball at the schoolyard, hide and seek in the neighbourhood. I just finished reading an article on "sneaky fitness" from the Toronto Star. It basically is about how to sneak fitness into our childrens lives. Have we gotten so scheduled that we have forgotten how to play? What better way to get fitness into your child's life then through free play. Silken Laumann didn't start rowing until she was 12. Michael Jordan loved basketball as a kid but he didn't even make his high school sophomore basketball team! Competitive sports start so early now with everyone trying to be the next Tiger Woods or Wayne Gretzky but there are very few prodigies and a lot of burnouts.... Silken Laumann has written a book called Child's Play about the importance of free unstructured play in childhood. I think it is a more worthy read than Sneaky fitness and that anyone with kids needs to give it a look. |
Fish, Fish..
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 Fish, fish, I wish for fish, I wish for fish upon my dish - even Dr.Seuss was on to something. My nutrient of the month for heart month is Fish oil. In particular high EPA/DHA combinations. Now even leading cardiac societies have incorporated EPA and DHA into their guidelines and now recommend omega 3 fish oils for the prevention and treatment of heart disease. It also helps to prevent sudden cardiac death. Minimally 1000mg per day is very useful. A recent study actually demonstrated a 17% risk reduction by ingesting EPA and DHA. What is remarkable is that this protective effect is even larger than the protective effect of statin therapy in cardiovascular patients. Bluntly fish oil is better than Lipitor! Also without the liver or muscular side effects. Check with your naturopathic doctor to determine if fish oil is right for you.
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Coming in our March issue... Let's talk about hypnosis. You feel calm, you feel relaxed, you feel in control...and no you will not cluck like a chicken unless that is really what you want! Also it is nutrition month (and almost spring!!).
Take care and keep healthy.
Sincerely,
Tara Annesley
NewLife Naturopathic Centre
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What's love got to do with it?
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People that have happy, healthy relationships actually live longer. A study done through the marriage lab in Washington found that happily married people seemingly get an extra boost from the immune system. Emotions can have both positive and negative effects on health. People involved in unhappy relationships experience chronic physical stress and emotional stress as well. This is known to put additional stress on the body and can present in a number of physical ailments including high blood pressure and heart disease. Dr. Gottman from the Seattle Love Lab (The Gottman Institute) has been able to predict with 91% accuracy if a couple will stay happily together after listening to them interact in the Love lab for as little as five minutes. He has written a book called "The seven principles for making marriage work" which if you are interested further in this is a pretty cool read.
One of the things he looks at is the way a couple argues. He looks for particular types of negative interactions that can be lethal to a relationship. One of these is contempt. Sarcasm and cynicism are types of contempt. So are name-calling, eye-rolling, sneering, mockery and hostile humour. It is poisonous to a relationship because it conveys disgust. It is very difficult to resolve a problem if the other person is getting the message you are disgusted with them. Usually contempt leads to more conflict. Contempt can be also shown on the face which in the "Human Face" is shown very nicely. Sometimes we are presenting contempt without being completely conscious of it and we don't understand why we are not getting anywhere with a conflict. A sneer or furrowed brow can give the impression of disgust even if it is not the intention. Watch this you tube clip from Dr. Gottman about contempt
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