Category Archives: Mental Health

Study Links Chronic Stress with Brain Shrinkage

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Greg Asseff

Modern life can be quite hectic, and very few of us are able to make it through even a single day without experiencing some type and level of stress.

Whether it’s dealing with your job (or joblessness), raising children, struggling with regularly performing your fitness routine, compromising with a spouse, or simply troubleshooting a new electronic gadget, stressors are literally everywhere.

For many, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that one of the keys to life isn’t avoiding stress (which, after all, is going to be unavoidable to a certain degree), but rather dealing with stress. Unfortunately, a new study is indicating that those who fail to deal with stress appropriately actually experience physical symptoms related to brain shrinkage causes.

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Nicotine Patch Fights Mild Cognitive Impairment in Seniors

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Greg Asseff

Each year millions of individuals try to quit smoking and fail. Nicotine patches have been used for decades as an approach in assisting smokers kick the habit, and multiple clinical studies have shown them to be effective smoking cessation aids.

Now, a recently published mild cognitive impairment treatment study is indicating that the nicotine patch may have an additional benefit previously undiscovered by medical science: battling the symptoms, and perhaps even the root cause, of mild cognitive impairment in seniors.

Mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, can best be described as a less-severe version of Alzheimer’s disease. Symptoms typically include difficulty paying attention, slower thought processing and memory loss.

Although the exact causes of MCI and Alzheimer’s have yet to be pinpointed exactly, medical experts believe that both diseases stem from death and deterioration of brain nerve cells – specifically, the cells responsible for producing acetylcholine, a chemical that transmits brain signals.

Unfortunately, many people who experience MCI go on to develop Alzheimer’s and the increasingly severe symptoms that come along with it. No medical provisions have been approved for the treatment of MCI. However, a new study conducted at Vanderbilt Medical Center may change that.

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Study Links High Fat Diet, Brain Damage, Obesity

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Greg Asseff

A fairly large percentage of individuals, at some point throughout their life, have gained excess body weight. This being true for so many individuals, why are some more likely to lose the excess weight while others aren’t?

For individuals where the weight gain is not related to a physical medical condition, it’s well known that effectively losing weight and thereafter, maintaining a healthier weight level is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one.

Without proper motivation, focus, and the implementation of a sound mental strategy, it can be all too easy to succumb to the temptation of returning to your old eating habits. Now, a clinical study on high fat diets is pointing to a very concrete reason as to why that may be.

Posted in Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, Health Facts, Medical, Mental Health, News, Nutrition, Studies, Weight Loss | 1 Comment

Study: Dietary Habits Dictate Cognitive Abilities in Elderly

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Greg Asseff

There are several disciples that are required for individuals to truly live a prosperous and healthy lifestyle. More precisely, to live a long and active lifestyle that is predominantly free of chronic and/or debilitating diseases.

The primary pillars related to living a healthy lifestyle from the physical perspective include regularly performing a variety of physical activities that promote cardiovascular endurance, muscular tone, definition, and strength.

From the dietary perspective, in order to live a healthy lifestyle it is imperative that you consistently consume a well balanced whole foods diet that is nutritionally rich in vitamins and minerals as well as a reasonable balance between complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and lean proteins.

In regards to the mental aspect of living a healthy lifestyle it is important to ensure that you get plenty of rest, relaxation, and sleep. In addition, it is important to always maintain an open mind that is continually learning, inquisitive, and expanding in knowledge. Finally, regularly performing activities like Yoga and/or Meditation are ideal for calming, centering, and focusing the mind while Yoga, specifically, is well suited for maintaining balance, coordination, flexibility, and joint range of motion as well.

The intent of this article is to specifically discuss the importance of food types that we consume, in relation to the cognitive functionality of the brain as we age.

Posted in Diet, Food, Health, Health Facts, Medical, Mental Health, News, Nutrition, Studies | 127 Comments

How to Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Greg Asseff

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, and if you are like many of the millions of other Americans, you have probably already spent quite a bit of time thinking about what your New Year’s Resolutions will be for the upcoming year.

It is human nature for a large majority of the population to look forward to the upcoming year with optimism and hope. For this reason, it is also easy to define a set of goals that you would like to change about yourself.

For example, start a weight loss program, exercise more, quit smoking, get promoted to a higher position at work, go back to school, and so on. This being said, literally millions of people define their New Year’s Resolutions year in and year out and thereafter, fail to achieve them.

In fact, the unfortunate truth is that there is a high probability that the majority of New Year’s Resolutions that are made each and every year will not be achieved, let alone even survive through the first couple weeks in January.