A Walk a Day Keeps the Doc Away

Have you been suffering from the “blues” lately? Or do you feel moody, have low self-esteem, maybe even have trouble concentrating? There is no miracle cure, but there is a simple solution that helps a lot of people. Take a walk! In the park!

Physiological Benefits of Walking

Quite a few research studies have been done over the last few years showing the benefits of simple exercise done just three times a week, with walking being one of the best forms. Not only does it increase the oxygen flow to brain cells, but weight-bearing exercise, like walking and jogging, is good for the bones. It actually helps prevent calcium loss and thus osteoporosis.

How about those with arthritis? Experts recommend walking in moderation, even if it hurts. Not using arthritic joints causes stiffness which can lead to crippling muscular weakness. As the Arthritis Foundation itself recommends: “get moving.”

Age Limit on the Benefits of Walking?

It’s also quite surprising just who can benefit from simple exercise. The answer is: people of all ages, from youngsters to the elderly. Recent research studies of nursing home residents suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s showed not only a lessening of their decline, but in some cases actual improvement in physical and cognitive ability. In one facility in particular, some residents improved so much from exercising just three times a week that they actually checked themselves out and were able to live on their own again.

How Nature Enhances the Benefits of Walking

Another study showed that the benefits of exercise are increased when it takes place in green spaces. The participants’ mental health showed significant improvement when they exercised for just five minutes every day in an open green space, like a park. The benefits included improvement in their mood and self-esteem as well as physical health.

Nature is not only beautiful, it’s good for you. Walking along creeks, rivers and waterfalls is even more potent. Other studies have demonstrated that moving water creates negative ions which have a positive effect on people’s moods and even energy levels.

So go ahead and enjoy your dose of nature: take a walk!

Free eBook Giveaway!

Now, for a limited time, I'm giving away my young adult fantasy, "The Dragons of Atlantis," from Goodreads.com. If you know a youngster or teen who enjoys dragons and adventure stories, this is perfect for him/her. Even the adults who have read it gave me a great deal of positive feedback.

It's not long as novels go, just about 30,000 words, but it's packed with exciting action, as the story follows the hair-raising adventures of twin teens who accidentally travel back in time to Atlantis, which is the center of a thriving civilization. But this Atlantis is ruled by intelligent dragons, that harbor a deep, dark secret. Can the twins discover how to stop them in time to prevent the earth from being changed forever? Can they themselves survive a horrible fate?

Kindle reviewer:
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good. By A Customer:

"A fun little story that my little siblings loved, recomend it for younger children. Good work."

Laughter IS the Best Medicine

The perfect chili tomato

This has to be one of the funniest stories I've even encountered. Since laughter IS the best medicine, I offer it to you to heal whatever presently distresses you.


New Mexico Chili Cook-off


(As the story goes) If you can read this whole story without laughing, then
there's no hope for you. I was crying by the end. This is an actual
account as relayed to paramedics at a chili cook-off in New Mexico.


Note: Please take time to read this slowly.
If you pay attention to the first two judges, the reaction of the third judge is even better.


For those of you who have lived in New Mexico, you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the Santa Fe Plaza. Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chile taster named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield, IL.
***************

Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table, asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native New Mexicans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted and became
Judge #3."

Here are the scorecard notes from the event:

CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI

Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.

Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.

Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy crap, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These New Mexicans are crazy.

CHILI # 2 - EL RANCHO'S AFTERBURNER CHILI

Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.

Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

CHILI # 3 - ALFREDO'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI

Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.

Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.

Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been
snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting sh*t-faced from all of the beer.

CHILI # 4 - BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC

Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.

Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.

Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. This 300 lb. Woman is starting to look HOT ... Just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?

CHILI # 5 - LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER

Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Jalapeno peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.

Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the jalapeno peppers make a strong statement.

Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off.. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them.

CHILI # 6 - VARGA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY

Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.

Judge # 2 --  The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb.

Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.

CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI

Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.

Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment.
**I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.

Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing. It's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach..

CHILI # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI

Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.

Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it.

Poor fella, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?

Judge # 3 -- No report.





Another Heart Healthy Activity

If you want to get your heart rate up without even breaking a sweat, there is a way. Couch potatoes, listen up: Put very simply: Read an exciting book.

If you love the outdoors but don't enjoy the bugs, hardships, sweat, blisters, sore muscles, heat, and cold that often accompany outdoor activities, just curl up in your favorite reading chair with the right book, one that combines the outdoors, romance, and even murder, such as my novel, Beneath the Smoke. Follow National Park Ranger Rose Grady as she deals with pesky campers, bloodthirsty bears, raging forest fires, and amorous fellow employees while trying to solve the mystery of what - or who - killed and mutilated two solo female backpackers in the back country of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Available on Amazon's Kindle (and no, you don't even have to have a Kindle reader to download it). Follow this link to my novel:
http://www.amazon.com/Beneath-the-Smoke-ebook/dp/B009MHUGZQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1361057774&sr=1-4&keywords=alice+kemp

Are Physical or Mental Exercises Better for Your Brain?

Various studies in recent years have looked at how physical exercise and mental exercise seem to prevent age-related problems, such as dementia. Medical scans have determined that brains can and do shrink with age and that brain cells lose connections. All of this leads to impairment in cognitive functioning.

The good news is: such shrinkage and impairments are not inevitable. More and more research has discovered that simple physical exercise, such as walking, on a regular basis may prevent such unfortunate happenings. The theory is that physical exercise encourages the heart to pump more blood to the brain, among other places, blood that carries oxygen which is so critical to functioning at the cellular level.

Yet researchers have also been saying that people can maintain healthy brains by engaging in mental/cognitive exercise, the so-called “brain games” that have become so popular. Even having an active social life can contribute to this mental health, supposedly.

Now a study has come out comparing the effects of physical activity with mental/social activity in terms of cerebral shrinkage. Reported by Time Health & Family online, this 3-year Scottish study looked at 638 people initially aged 70. They filled out detailed questionnaires looking at the physical exercise they participated in as well as their stimulating cognitive and social activities. Three years later the same subjects were given MRIs of their brains to check on their comparative sizes and amount of shrinkage, if any.

And the results? The brain scans showed larger brains and less white matter shrinkage in those who engaged in physical exercise than those who engaged more in social/mental activities. In fact, those engaging more in the social/mental dimension showed little if any benefits from them. This study also suggested that cognitive decline can even be slowed down through the process of regular physical exercise. Although this research is correlational – meaning that cause and effect cannot necessarily be determined – yet the fact that the physical exercise findings are in line with other similar studies cannot be ignored.

No matter how you look at it, regularly-performed physical activities such as walking and aerobics will certainly not hurt your brain and may even help it, more so than brain games. So go ahead and slip on your walking shoes. Your brain as well as your body will thank you!

                    Author hiking across Whitetop Mountain in SW Virginia.

Parents: Beware of Letting Your Kids Become Overweight!

Well, moms and dads and all you overweight kids, the results are in, and they are not good. A new study (“A Clinical Trial to Maintain Glycemic Control in Youth with Type 2 Diabetes”) following 699 youth and teens from 10 to 17 years of age was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. All of these subjects were either overweight or obese and had Type 2 diabetes as well. Although the study did not use a control group, which may have been difficult at best, nevertheless the results were pretty clear: Even through the medication regimen, a combination of medications regimen, and a group receiving medication plus a lifestyle change program, the researchers found significant (from 39% to almost 50%) failure in the subjects’ ability to manage their blood sugar levels.

Why do this study in the first place? Because Type 2 diabetes, which used to be called “adult-onset” diabetes, is accelerating faster than a race driver in the Indy 500. Since more and more young people are becoming butterballs, we have plenty of reasons to worry. So what does that mean for them? Dr. David M. Nathan, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Diabetes Center, spelled it out, “I fear that these children are going to become sick earlier in their lives than we’ve ever seen before.” And severe risks are entailed in the use of some diabetes medications for young people. Besides, what will that do to an already messed-up health system, not that we actually have a “system”?

Parents, you have only yourselves to look to to deal effectively with this problem. The super rich, especially those behind the pharmaceutical companies, don’t care. The more medications get sold, the richer they get. Is there no end to their greed? Don’t they ever have enough? Parents, if you really love your kids, you have to start using “tough love” if nothing else works to get them to eat right and to exercise well. If you’re not sure where to start, do a little research on the Internet, or the library, or your school system. Start by being a good role model. It’s not hard. You can do it. If you don’t, no one else will.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/30/type-2-diabetes-is-tougher-to-treat-in-kids-and-teens/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+timeblogs%2Fwellness+%28TIME%3A+Wellness%29#ixzz1tZ7UOC8O

Is Bottled Water Really Better?

How many of you reading this blog buy bottled water on a regular basis? If so, you're wasting your money.

According to Time's Wellness site, a recent study of different populations, made up approximately of one-third Caucasian, one-third Latino and one-third African-American, showed surprisingly that the Latino and African-American parents were much more likely to give their kids bottled water to drink, exclusively or almost so, reasoning that bottled water is better than tap water.

In fact, according to a National Resources Defense Council investigation, 17% of bottled water had unsafe levels of bacteria, and 22% were contaminated with such chemicals as arsenic and would not pass many state standards.

An interesting aside to this involves the demonstrated fact that about 25% of bottled waters actually contain nothing but tap water, despite what the labels say. (Whatever happened to "truth in advertising?")

Yeah, I know: bottled waters are just so convenient. But save your money and do what I do: take an empty plastic drink bottle and fill it with tap water. It's cheaper, probably safer and is ecologically more friendly. One bottle will last a long time. Now how hard is filling up some bottles at your sink and keeping them in the fridge until you're ready for them? No harder than picking up a case at the store, carrying it out to the car and then carrying it into the house! Think about it, folks.

You can read the full story at http://www.healthland.time.com/2011/06/07/study-the-perils-of-a-heavy-bottled-water-habit/#ixzz1P0m2Cl6v