Wellness Tip: high protein diets help the body rebuild damaged muscles and soft tissues

San Antonio Chiropractor Promotes Nutrition Counseling for Weight Management and Pain Relief: "Dr. Phillips is also a nutritionist who is trained to provide nutrition counseling services to patients. Dr. Phillips nutrition counseling focuses on whole body wellness as well as injury-specific conditions.
'I make specific dietary recommendations to patients who are struggling with chronic pain, such as back pain, neck pain and headaches,' said Dr. Phillips. 'For example, antioxidants combat free radicals that lead to inflammation and can worsen chronic musculoskeletal pain. For patients recovering from an injury, high protein diets help the body rebuild damaged muscles and soft tissues. The right balance of nutrients and supplements really makes a difference when it comes to an individual's recovery.'"

Wellness Tip: Better to eat natural and not processed

Fran Drescher Eats Natural To Stay Healthy - OK! Magazine - The First for Celebrity News: "“It is better to eat natural and not processed,” she says. “You’re better off eating off eating a whole fruit, you’re better off eating whole grains. It should look like the food. The more you eat food that looks like food with single item ingredients, I think the healthier you’ll stay. It’s all the about the balancing act, and the more you can eat healthy and organic, whole food, then the less of a problem it is when you do want to splurge on something that’s probably not the best for you, but your body can handle it. Eat healthy.”

She never tends to skip meals.

“The more often you eat, the more your metabolism stays working at a good clip, and the less often you eat, the slower your metabolism goes, so you’re better off eating six or eight small meals, constantly throughout the day, than skipping meals,” she says. “What I tend to do is eat three meals a day. Healthy all healthy.”

Another key: She doesn’t allow herself to go out without snacks."

Wellness Tip: What does stress do & how to reduce it

Moderation and balance are the secret to a long, healthy life - Healthzone.ca: "What does stress do?

Stress really affects our hormones — adrenalin and cortisol. They raise blood pressure and heart rate and after the event you can feel very tired. If cortisol stays high, it takes calcium out of bones, decreases muscle mass and stores fat around the middle. Cortisol raises insulin which has been implicated in metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and triglycerides and is linked to inflammation and cancer.

Cortisol also completely changes body composition. You can have the same weight but less muscle and more fat as you get older. At low levels, it can depress your immune system which is the system that fights cancer.

How do we reduce stress and the corresponding cortisol production?

One of the principals of yoga is to control your breathing. Yoga teaching is to breath through it. You control breathing, you control hormones. It slows down adrenalin and cortisol. It allows the mind to relax, racing thoughts can pass. It’s actually shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure. It is just slow, rhythmic breathing."

Wellness Tip: Understanding the Emotions of People w/ severe traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Lack of empathy following traumatic brain injury linked to reduced responsiveness to anger: "Egocentric, self-centred, and insensitive to the needs of others: these social problems often arise in people with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and have been attributed in part to a loss of emotional empathy, the capacity to recognise and understand the emotions of other people. Given that traumatic brain injuries are becoming more common, and resulting empathy deficits can have negative repercussions on social functioning and quality of life, it is increasingly important to understand the processes that shape emotional empathy. A new study has recently revealed evidence of a relationship between physiological responses to anger and a reduction of emotional empathy post-injury, as reported in the May 2011 issue of Cortex."

Wellness Tip: Keeping your teens fit

Teens, Nutrition, Emotions, Puberty …we know it can be a real challenge.. | Sunshine Coast Queensland: "

Many teens choose to be vegetarian, in this case, please make sure there is enough protein in the diet; legumes with green vegetables & rice will give full amino acid conversion. Small amounts of fermented soy products can also be useful, but too many dairy products can cause congestion & may also contribute to teenage acne due to improper digestion."

Iron is needed to make red blood cells & is the carrier of oxygen in the blood. Lack of dietary iron can lead to weakness & fatigue. As young adults, girls need about 15mg/day. Boys need around 12mg/day because of the body mass increase. Some food sources for iron are red meat, poultry, green vegetables, egg yolks. If you choose an iron from a nonmeat source, have it with a food rich in vit C for better absorption.

Wellness Tip: Keeping your Teens Fit

Teens, Nutrition, Emotions, Puberty …we know it can be a real challenge.. | Sunshine Coast Queensland:

Many teens choose to be vegetarian, in this case, please make sure there is enough protein in the diet; legumes with green vegetables & rice will give full amino acid conversion. Small amounts of fermented soy products can also be useful, but too many dairy products can cause congestion & may also contribute to teenage acne due to improper digestion.

Iron is needed to make red blood cells & is the carrier of oxygen in the blood. Lack of dietary iron can lead to weakness & fatigue. As young adults, girls need about 15mg/day. Boys need around 12mg/day because of the body mass increase. Some food sources for iron are red meat, poultry, green vegetables, egg yolks. If you choose an iron from a nonmeat source, have it with a food rich in vit C for better absorption.

Wellness Tip: Monitor your Teens Nutritional Needs

Teens, Nutrition, Emotions, Puberty …we know it can be a real challenge.. | Sunshine Coast Queensland: "Nutritional needs are higher, hopefully the needed calories will come from the healthy eating habits you encouraged as your children grew; however, because of the continuing growth factor, a teenage girl needs around 2200 cal/day & a boy around 2500 cal/day. This can change dramatically if youhave a child who is heavily into sports – food intake will have to be adjusted to fit the situation. Exercise on a regular basis ensures the body gets the nutritional chemicals it needs, stays physically fit & helps prevent diseases such as diabetes & high blood pressure.

Calcium is needed to build strong bones. During teen years future adult bone structure is developed & the skeletal growth is rapid. Some good calcium sources are green vegetables, sardines, salmon, sweet potato, tahini & dairy products for those who can absorb them well. Vit D is important for the absorption of calcium. Adequate sunlight will give skin conversion of this vital vitamin ~ 10/15 minutes sunlight without sunscreen, but absolutely not sunburn. Prolonged exposure to sun will still require caution & a good quality 30+ chemical free sunscreen."

Wellness Tip: Emotionally Responsible Parents are Good Models to Children

Modeling Healthy Behavior for Your Children | Psych Central: "Emotionally responsible people are able to be aware of their feelings, and name and manage them. These skills allow a person to navigate life and relationships by making choices based in both emotions and clear reasoning.

A child who learns emotional responsibility is less likely to be controlled by whatever feeling is present at a given moment. He or she also will be less vulnerable to impulsivity, emotionally unstable or abusive relationships. Emotionally responsible people also are less prone to substance abuse as a way to act out or to numb their feelings.

If we want to model emotional responsibility for our children, we must take responsibility for the way we deal with a situation, even if we believe that someone else is to blame for triggering our anger or pain. For example, when we are emotionally responsible, we can see that someone cutting us off on the highway is not the reason that we aggressively tailgate that car for the rest of the drive to work. Tailgating that driver is our way of dealing with our frustration and anger.

If we want to be emotionally responsible, we must slow down our reaction time and take space to identify our feelings."

Wellness Update: Africa: Moves to earlier HIV treatment | GantDaily.com

South Africa moves to earlier HIV treatment | GantDaily.com: "HIV-positive people in South Africa will be able to access antiretrovirals (ARVs) sooner after the government raised the CD4 count necessary to access treatment. But some warn the victory is only half the battle.

The announcement by Kgalema Motlanthe, the Deputy President, on 12 August now allows for any HIV patient with a CD4 count of 350 or below, a measure of the immune system’s strength, to access ARVs with immediate effect, according to the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) spokesman Junaid Seedat.

Until now HIV patients had to wait until their CD4 counts were below 200. The World Health Organization recommended the higher threshold in November 2009.

South African HIV activists became frustrated when a few months later, the government updated its national HIV treatment guidelines to allow only HIV-positive pregnant mothers and those co-infected with tuberculosis (TB) to access treatment at the WHO-recommended CD4 levels.

The government, which continues to fund about 80 percent of HIV public sector treatment, cited financial concerns and fears that large-scale earlier treatment would overwhelm the already overburdened health systems."

Wellness Update: Europe: Germans and Russians are much keener to take health vacations than their European neighbours

Staying healthy is increasingly important when on holiday in Europe: "Germans and Russians are much keener to take health vacations than their European neighbours. The German market for health vacations abroad is approximately six times the size of Russia’s, but with German citizens medical tourism accounts for only 22 % more. The French market is the third largest for foreign health trips, while The Netherlands is the third largest for medical tourism abroad.

Among German citizens the most popular foreign destination for health trips is Spain, followed by Italy and Austria. The countries most visited for medical reasons are Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. In Europe as a whole, the most popular countries for health trips are Spain, Italy and Austria, while Hungary, Germany and the Czech Republic are the leading destinations for medical tourism.

According to the survey, socio-demographics also play a part. At an average age of 48, Europeans taking health vacations are younger than people travelling for medical reasons, who are 53. German travellers in both categories are older than the European average. People taking health vacations are 52 and those travelling for medical reasons are 61. Women prefer to travel for medical reasons rather than take health vacations. However they outnumber their male counterparts in both categories."

Wellness Update: Asia: Thailand pushes as the medical hub and spa capital of Asia

Bangkok Post : Relax, detox, spend money: "Vuthichai Duangratana, the deputy director-general of the Export Promotion Department, said Thai government policy since 2004 has been to push Thailand as the medical hub and spa capital of Asia.

Several government agencies and the private sector have cooperated in developing the Thai spa industry to a certain standard and character.

The department anticipates bright prospects for the export of the spa business in term of products and services, with a focus on Asian markets such as Asean, India, China and Vietnam.

Mr Vuthichai said the Thai spa industry had expanded abroad through integrated consultancy services, ranging from design and management to staff training and recruiting. Thai companies also invest in, sell franchise licences for and manage spas in other countries.

At the same time, the department also promotes Thai spas and services to draw foreigners to get treatment in Thailand.

Obstacles for Thai spa workers include work permits that are limited by quotas or high requirements on deposit guarantees, discouraging operators in other countries from recruiting Thai workers.

Exports of cosmetics, soaps and skin care products are expected to reach US$2.39 billion this year, up 25% from 2010."

Climate Change Update: Western Australian Climate Change Impacts

Act now on climate to save WA - report | Herald Sun: "WESTERN Australia's southwest is particularly vulnerable to climate change as rising sea levels threaten coastal homes and a drying trend curbs water supply, a new report says.

It says a changing climate will reduce crop yields in WA's wheatbelt and threaten the world-famous Ningaloo Reef and iconic Western Australian species such as the quokka and Carnaby's Cockatoo.

The Climate Commission released its report titled The Critical Decade: Western Australian Climate Change Impacts.

The report notes that sea levels along Australia's west coast have been rising at more than double the global average.

It predicts that up to 28,900 coastal homes in Perth and Western Australia's southwest will be flooded by the end of the century due to rising sea levels.

Climate commissioner and report author Will Steffen said in Perth the risks had never been clearer, which meant action to reduce carbon emissions had never been more immediately necessary."

Climate Change Update: Dead Trees trigger

Climate Change Possibly Triggered by Tropical Plants | The State Column:

"The study found that if the dead tropical plants level increased by 30 percent, then about 0.6 tonnes of carbon per hectare would be released each year.

The amount of carbon released is greater than estimated climate-induced increase in forest biomass carbon in the Amazonia.

Due to the large surface area by the tropical forests and large carbon storage in the soil, any significant increase in carbon would likely affect the global carbon balance. The overall effects of increased dead tropical plants is unknown, but there are potential consequences for the carbon cycling in the global future.

Tropical forests play a crucial role in regulating the global carbon balance. Society and human activities cause carbon dioxide release to increase, and trees were thought to respond to this surge by increasing their growth, enabling them to taking in larger amounts of carbon. But with more and larger trees, when they die, there will be more dead tree mass, which would trigger more carbon release by the microorganisms.

Thus, researchers are also asking, “What would be the impact of increased tree growth in the tropical rainforests?” Since increased tree growth would lead to more dead trees in the future, further stimulating more microorganism activity and further increasing the release of stored soil carbon."

Climate Change Update: Trout habitat by 2080

Study: Climate change to halve trout habitat by 2080:

"Researcher Seth Wenger, the paper's lead author, said cutthroat could see a 58 percent decline in suitable habitat due to warming rivers, altered streamflows and competition from nonnative species.

The study, published in the science journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also predicts a decline in introduced brook trout populations by as much as 77 percent, while rainbow and brown trout populations could also decline by an estimated 35 percent and 48 percent, respectively.

The decline of cutthroat trout is of particular significance, Wenger said, because it is the only trout native to much of the West, and is a keystone species in the Rocky Mountain ecosystem. The westslope cutthroat trout - a subspecies included in the study - is Montana's state fish and the focus of numerous conservation efforts.

The 11 researchers who contributed to the study are from Trout Unlimited, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, and the University of Washington.

Wenger said the paper was based on data collected from nearly 10,000 fish surveys conducted in the western half of Montana, as well as the western parts of Colorado and Wyoming, eastern and northern Idaho, and Utah. The data was used to build statistical models that forecast the decline in total suitable habitat."

Climate Change Update: Trout habitat by 2080

Study: Climate change to halve trout habitat by 2080:

"Researcher Seth Wenger, the paper's lead author, said cutthroat could see a 58 percent decline in suitable habitat due to warming rivers, altered streamflows and competition from nonnative species.

The study, published in the science journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also predicts a decline in introduced brook trout populations by as much as 77 percent, while rainbow and brown trout populations could also decline by an estimated 35 percent and 48 percent, respectively.

The decline of cutthroat trout is of particular significance, Wenger said, because it is the only trout native to much of the West, and is a keystone species in the Rocky Mountain ecosystem. The westslope cutthroat trout - a subspecies included in the study - is Montana's state fish and the focus of numerous conservation efforts.

The 11 researchers who contributed to the study are from Trout Unlimited, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, and the University of Washington.

Wenger said the paper was based on data collected from nearly 10,000 fish surveys conducted in the western half of Montana, as well as the western parts of Colorado and Wyoming, eastern and northern Idaho, and Utah. The data was used to build statistical models that forecast the decline in total suitable habitat."

Wellness Update: North America: Projects now tailored to climate change

U.S. cities prepare to adapt to climate change - USATODAY.com: "•

Chula Vista, in San Diego County, approved a climate plan in May that calls for more shade trees and 'cool' or reflective roofs. Citing a study that sea levels — already up 6 inches since 1900 — will rise 12 to 18 inches more in the next 40 years, it also requires that new waterfront projects account for this projected increase.

•Norfolk, Va., is doing a feasibility study on measures such as dam structures to deal with the area's 14.5-inch rise in sea level over the past 80 years — whatever the cause. 'The city is trying to be as proactive as possible without engaging in the hyperbole of climate change arguments,' says John White, the city's engineer for storm-water systems.

•New York City is not only planting a million trees, it also has a $1.5 billion, 20-year plan for green infrastructure to help manage storm-water runoff from increasingly powerful storms."

Climate Change Update: U.S. cities prepare to adapt to climate change - USATODAY.com

U.S. cities prepare to adapt to climate change - USATODAY.com: "

In Chicago, where flooding is predicted to worsen, residents can get rebates for putting rain barrels, compost bins and native plants in their yards.

And in New York City, where rising tides are also projected, waste water treatment plants will elevate their pumps.

While some members of Congress debate the scientific validity of climate change, these U.S. cities are going beyond efforts to mitigate it with lower greenhouse gas emissions. They're at the forefront of an emerging trend: adaptation.

'It's a new field,' says Brian Holland, director of climate programs at ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA. His association launched a Climate Resilient Communities program last year to help cities study effects of climate change and finance ways to adapt. Nearly 600 local governments, representing one-fourth of the U.S. population, have signed on.

As extreme weather continues to sweep the nation and Americans struggle to deal with heat waves and flooding, Holland says many are convinced they need to act. 'We're already seeing consequences of climate change,' he says, 'and those will only intensify.'"