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How can we delay aging?

March 20, 2022 by Esther Neumann - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

1875 – 1997, that is the lifetime of the oldest woman in recent times, Jeanne Calment from France. She lived 44,724 days or more than 122 years. At 100 she was still cycling. According to her statement, she didn’t do anything special to get that old. So it’s the genes after all?

Aging research says that genes only account for about 1/5 whether someone reaches a high age. Of course there are long-lived families. On the other hand, some families simply tend to accumulate certain illnesses. Mankind has always struggled with the travails of aging and the ailments of old age.

Meanwhile the anti-aging wave, the cult of eternal youth, has almost become a substitute religion. The business with anti-wrinkle creams, dietary supplements and special sports equipment to combat aging is booming. Most people want a long, fresh life and a healthy, fit body. Doctors and genetic researchers claim to open the gates to longevity. Just it is almost forgotten that it is in everyone’s hands, at least to a large extent, how one ages and how one spends his final years.

Not everyone is content about aging. But it is a losing battle to resist it. Aging is an inevitable part of our lives. It actually begins at conception and occurs at the cellular level. Our body cells are constantly dividing. And mistakes happen all the time. The free radicals that are produced during metabolic processes in our own body and as a result of environmental influences also damage our cells. Thankfully, our creator also included a repair system. But this also works worse and worse, as the cells have to divide more often. Mistakes in the genes accumulate. The aging process continues. We know the consequences: Poor memory, slower digestion, poorer enzyme system, balance disorders, stiff joints, insecurity in walking and much more.

Fighting a losing battle?

Is the battle already lost before we start? Ultimately yes, and considering all the misery around us it may be a great blessing that we do not have to live forever. But how we age and how we face that process is, to a large extent, in our own hands. Even if things don’t go the way we would like and illnesses are part of our lifes. Ultimately we all die, since we can hardly cope with the approximately 70,000 DNA damages per day that our repair system has to eliminate. Our enzyme system against free radicals isn’t always victorious either, and our stem cells can’t repair everything either.

Can we then live better and longer with help from the laboratory? Is it the supplements? spermidine? The glass of red wine? Or dinner canceling? There are always new success stories. But be careful: the resveratrol from red wine also protects cancer cells, and certain dietary supplements also nourish unwanted blackheads. So is it all useless?

Anti-Aging Agents

The advertising of many miracle cures promises us almost eternal youth. Many are too lazy, or believe they don’t have time to do something for their health, and want to do it the quick way. Anti-aging agents are not intended to heal illnesses, but to alleviate the symptoms of old age, to help the sensory organs get going again and to make wrinkles disappear. Associations for Consumer Information in various countries have examined such preparations and not given them good marks. No studies were found for any of the products that confirmed the life-prolonging active ingredients. The more euphoric the advertising is, the more skeptical one should be.

Many substances that have been tested in laboratories cannot simply be transferred to humans. Side effects cannot be ruled out for many preparations. Too much vitamins or minerals, for example, can be harmful. The collagen in many anti-wrinkle products can trigger allergies. Many supplements are marketed over the internet along with promising testimonials. But according to consumer associations, you can neither achieve physical fitness nor reduced susceptibility to illnesses nor organic improvements with such preparations. So another lost battle?

Island of Centenarians

On Okinawa, 50% of the people live to be a hundred years old. Of these, 90% are women. Actually some genes have been found that are favorable to reach a higher age. But some amazing lifestyle habits were found as well. For example, these women eat mostly fruit and vegetables. They still do their garden for themselves, and centenaries still sit behind a cash register in the supermarket or wipe the floors. These are extremely healthy occupations. They also say: “We only eat so much that we could eat some more to be full.” “Hara Hachi Bu” is what they call their habit that we know as dinner canceling, sometimes forgoing dinner. The women also lead an exemplary social life. They pay close attention to each other. If the blinds at the neighbor’s are still down at nine o’clock, they check on how she’s doing. This is followed by a chat with her and the offer for help if needed. The brain is also constantly trained. They participate in everything and with everyone.

Love

An Australian study shows that people who maintain close friendships live longer and age more comfortably. Loving is not just about having sex, even though it is beneficial for slower aging. Loving is simply being there for the other, caring for them. That distracts a lot from your own ailments, makes you happier and more satisfied.

Running Around

Running around does not mean jogging, but simply making movement, targeted movement and not just house and garden work, even though this is beneficial. Jogging in old age could damage joints. But daily exercise, walks and light gymnastics help our immune system to cope with inflammation. And it is exactly those inflammations that many age related ailments, such as rheumatism and the like, can be traced back to. We can literally outrun them. Exercise lowers the concentration of inflammatory substances in the blood.

Learn

Lifelong learning has become a buzzword of our time. Our youth grow up with it. In the old days you had a job for your life. Today you are constantly challenged to learn something new. This should also continue beyond retirement. Anyone who remains mentally and spiritually fit ages very differently than someone who is no longer interested in anything. I admire every old person who – often with the help of their grandchildren – knows their way around computers and is touching base with the grandchildren overseas via chat or Skype. Crossword puzzles and Sudoko, reading good books, putting together jigsaw puzzles also help to stay mentally fit. It is not the TV pictures that stimulate our mind, but the knowledge we have actively acquired ourselves. When I deal with a problem myself, it stimulates my mind.

Those who remain physically and mentally fit deal with aging in a completely different way. We can accept it and embrace the change. Advancements in research and medicine are certainly sensational. Anti-aging treatments are though still a speculative field. How we grow old is still in our own hands.

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What Caffeine is doing to You and Your Child?

March 13, 2022 by Dr. Cesar Vasconcellos de Souza - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

Caffeine is a drug that is heavily used in various forms all over the world. An article by Jennifer Temple from the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the University at Buffalo, shows the results of studies on the effects of caffeine in children.((Temple JL. Caffeine use in children: what we know, what we have left to learn, and why we should worry. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2009;33(6):793-806. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.01.001))

What Caffeine is doing to You and Your Child?

Let’s see what Dr. Jennifer and other scientists say about caffeine consumption. Caffeine is a substance that acts on our brain, legally permitted, easy to obtain, and socially acceptable to consume. Previously, it was relatively restricted to adults, but caffeinated beverages nowadays are being regularly consumed by children. In addition, some drinks that contain caffeine are marketed specifically for children starting with the tender age of 4 years.

Caffeine is classified as a stimulant drug typically used for its ability to activate the central nervous system. Although generally recognized as safe by the US Food and Drug Administration, the FDA, excessive caffeine use can result in serious health risks, and in rare cases can lead to death.

The use of caffeine in children has not been sufficiently studied so far. Children and teenagers are the fastest growing population of caffeine users, with an increase of 70% in the last 30 years. Along with this goes the development of new caffeine-containing drinks, called energy drinks, which contain levels of caffeine ranging from 50mg, equivalent to a can of soda to 500mg, the equivalent of five cups of coffee, and often very high levels of sugar.

Energy drink sales have grown by over 50% since 2005, and they are unfortunately the fastest growing segment of the beverage industry. Energy drinks are marketed specifically to young adults and children, with ads showing high-risk activities, extreme sports like rock climbing or paragliding, using catchy slogans, which is a commercial wickedness to do so.

Caffeine is found in coffee, black tea, chocolate, mate tea, green tea and guarana. It is naturally produced in the grains and leaves of the plants used to make these products. Caffeine is also used as an additive in other products such as soft drinks, energy drinks and pain relievers. Caffeine levels can vary greatly in these products, depending on the concentration and preparation, as in the case of tea and coffee, or the amount added as in the case of soft drinks and energy drinks.

Even though caffeine consumption is banalized by many, there are according to Dr. Jennifer two things that should be considered about caffeine consumption by children and teens. First, there is a wide range of caffeine use among teenagers, with some consuming considerably more than average, which makes them also vulnerable of developing other types of high-risk behavior.

Second, due to the paucity of research on caffeine use in adolescents, we do not know the “safe” level of caffeine use in this population. Consumption of caffeinated beverages in general and consumption of soft drinks in particular is of concern because of their potentially negative health effects, as well as their established relationship with sleep disturbance, obesity and tooth decay. In addition to traditional caffeine-containing products like coffee, tea and soda, people can now get their caffeine fix from a variety of nontraditional sources. It appears that caffeinated consumables are being marketed to younger populations.

In addition to its well-known effects on sleep disturbances and restlessness, caffeine exerts some more behavioral effects. Its use produces tolerance and dependence, that is, tolerance means the need to use larger doses to obtain the same stimulating effect, and dependence is addiction.

Acute caffeine use has dose-dependent effects on mood, attention span and physiology. For example, moderate doses of caffeine ranging from 200 to 300mg often produce the perception of heightened feelings of well-being, improved concentration and increased arousal and energy, but high doses above 400 mg lead to feelings of anxiety, nausea, agitation, headache, fatigue and nervousness. Worse though, acute administration of a moderate dose of caffeine of 200 to 300 mg, already decreases heart rate and increases blood pressure. In children and adolescents, caffeine consumption may be driven by peer pressure or a desire for increased sports performance.

Irregularly high levels of caffeine consumption, like above 400 to 450 mg per day increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. High levels of caffeine use are also associated with calcium excretion and bone loss, which may contribute to osteoporosis.

Dr. Jennifer continues to point out, that although data differ between studies, most agree that high levels of caffeine consumption in women trying to become pregnant may be associated with lower rates of conception, and higher rates of miscarriage. As with other peer-reviewed articles, the consensus is that some high levels of caffeine consumption can have adverse effects on fertility, and the recommendation is that women trying to get pregnant should limit caffeine to less than 300 milligrams per day, and it’s even better not to use it at all.

In children, the main vehicle for caffeine is soft drinks, which also contain a lot of sugar. This facilitates the development of caffeine dependence, and perhaps also contributes to an increased preference for foods and beverages containing added sugar. Sugar activates reward pathways similar to drugs like cocaine, amphetamine and nicotine.

Childhood and adolescence are periods of rapid growth and the final stage of brain development. In order to maximize growth and development, adequate sleep and nutrition are essential. Caffeine use disrupts sleep patterns, and excessive soda consumption is associated with a poor diet, excess weight, and tooth decay. If caffeine increases preferences for sweet foods and beverages, it can contribute to excess energy intake, and increase the risk of overweight and obesity in adulthood. Children and teens can be particularly vulnerable to caffeine, as their brains are still undergoing significant development, in specific areas of the brain involved in executive function, impulsivity control and planning.

Consumption of energy drinks can lead to several negative consequences, especially in children and adolescents, because of their high caffeine content, explains Dr. Jennifer. First, she says, children and adolescents may be more susceptible to caffeine intoxication, which results in a number of physiological and psychological effects, and can in some cases lead to death.

Second, in addition to the harmful effects of energy drinks, they are often combined with alcohol as a way to increase the symptoms of euphoria. This can lead to increased alcohol intake and consequently an increase in harmful alcohol-related symptoms.

Third, excessive consumption of energy drinks has been associated with involvement in various high-risk behaviors, including smoking, drinking, illicit drug use, risky sexual behavior and fighting.

I want to end by leaving a text by a last century writer, who already gave us this advice over 100 years ago:

Tea and coffee do not nourish the system. The relief obtained from them is sudden, before the stomach has time to digest them. This shows that what the users of these stimulants call strength is only received by exciting the nerves of the stomach, which convey the irritation to the brain, and this in turn is aroused to impart increased action to the heart and short-lived energy to the entire system. All this is false strength that we are the worse for having. They do not give a particle of natural strength.((Ellen White. Temperance, p. 75. Pacific Press))

So the best attitude to caffeine is to avoid its use in whatever forms it is present in beverages and foods. It preserves your health, and your brain as well. Cutting caffeine out of your life is worth it!

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Bike Tour Instead of Pill Cure

March 6, 2022 by Esther Neumann - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

Anyone who pedals regularly strengthens their heart and immune system. Pedaling has a positive effect on the muscles, intervertebral discs, blood circulation and joints. Those who manage to get to 40 minutes will lose weight, because the fat will start to melt. If we cycle through a lovely landscape, we will also do something good for the soul.

The long winter is over. The awakening nature also lures us out from behind the stove. The body craves movement. Not everyone feels like jogging or walking. That’s where the bike comes in handy. Whether it’s the old bike or the high-tech bike, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that we swing into the saddle and drive off. It’s again the time for cycling.

Bicycle – an Ideal Fitness Device

Whether in everyday life, for leisure or holiday activities, we can always fit in the bike. We don’t even have to bring our own, because many locations already offer rental bikes.

Almost everyone can ride a bike, whether young or old, athletic or overweight. The body weight is carried by the saddle, the joints are relieved, the intervertebral discs activated and the muscles trained. Blood pressure is stabilized. Breathing is deepened and oxygen uptake is significantly increased.

Twenty minutes of cycling has a positive effect on the immune system. This is caused by the climatic stimulus provided by wind, air and sun.

Starting from 30 minutes we strengthen the heart and circulation. If you can even manage 40 minutes, you boost your fat metabolism. The pounds will start to tumble.

The soul doesn’t miss out either. It is a pleasure to experience the landscape at a slower pace than from a car. The headwind caresses not only the body but also the soul, if we allow it. This improves the quality of life all around.

It’s the Dose that Counts

If you haven’t been in the saddle for months, you should take it easy. Otherwise, the body’s revenge will follow: the breath runs out, pain in the neck, shoulders and sore muscles set in and the joy is gone. This can be avoided if we prepare the body for the unfamiliar movement. Belly-leg-butt and shoulder exercises prepare the muscles.

Stretching exercises for the back muscles are important because the spine muscle called erector spinae tend to be overstretched when cycling. Practicing on the home trainer during the long winter months would have been ideal.

The feel-good pace is a moderate speed, individually adjusted to the training condition. You should still be able to have a good conversation while cycling. The cycling trips are to be gradually extended. Don’t start too fast, rather ride more often. You should be tired when you reach your destination, but not exhausted.

Some Technique

It is important that horse and rider fit together. The saddle should be set high enough so that you can put your heel on the pedal with your leg stretched out. If you sit correctly on the saddle, then you stand with the ball of your foot on the pedal. In this way, the power when pedaling is used optimally. If the saddle is set too low, the knee joint is forced too much. This can lead to injuries and you also tire more quickly. However, if the saddle is too high, the legs are forced to fully straighten. This can also be problematic for the joints.

The saddle should be leveled out flat, and the handlebars should be level with the saddle. In this position, the spine is not bent too far forward, but also not so upright that bumps in the road would cause damage. A variable handlebar allows the grip position to be changed frequently, so you can always adopt a new sitting position.

Of course, the bike must also comply with the road traffic regulations. Two good brakes, bell, rear and front lighting and reflectors should be mandatory, reflectors also belong between the spokes and on the pedals. By the way, if you are smart, you ride with a helmet.

The Round Treadle

The treadle should not be angular and hacky from top to bottom, but round and loose. The pedal should not only be pushed down, but also pulled back in the down position and pushed forward in the up position. Even professional cyclists practice again and again on this round treadle.

The upper body should not swing back and forth when pedaling, but should be almost immobile. The legs are kept parallel to the frame so the knees are not spread apart.

A common mistake made by amateur cyclists is the number of revolutions per minute, the frequency. Many ride in a gear that is too high. You don’t get to your destination so exhausted if you drive at 70 to 90 revolutions per minute. Proper shifting and braking need practice.

When going uphill, you can stand up and pedal out of the saddle. The whole body is trained in this way. There is tension and relaxation. This is how women achieve slender hips and firmly trained butts.

Clothing and Shoes

Jerseys and cycling shorts made of modern, breathable materials are comfortable, but not essential. You can also wear comfortable, loose sportswear or a tracksuit. It is important that nothing is constricting, and that you dress in layers that you can take off and put on again, depending on the weather and heat development. The shoes should have a non-slip sole. Loose slippers that cannot be tied are taboo. They can lead to accidents.

Don’t forget the thirst quencher, the water bottle. One tenth of a gallon of water is drunk for every half hour of cycling. This increases endurance.

Cycling in Daily Life

Let’s incorporate cycling into everyday life. Why not cycle to work? You can catch two birds with one stone. Admittedly, you have to overcome ingrained habits and comforts, fight your inner couch potato. If you often use your bike to run errands or just drive to work, you can save yourself a trip to the gym in your free time. Regular cycling has many health benefits. You also protect the environment, because the bicycle has no polluting emissions.

Bike Touring

One of my best vacations was cycling along the Danube River from Passau to Vienna with my family. There are wonderful cycling routes in every country. You can take your bike on the train or ship and choose the easier routes if you don’t want it to be too strenuous. But you can also face challenges and plan a mountain bike tour. The main thing is that you start and enjoy it. With this in mind, let’s enjoy cycling. As a result, one can really say: bike tour instead of pill cure.

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What is Stressing Out Kids?

February 27, 2022 by Martin Neumann - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

When people think about who gets stressed out, their last thought is kids. From an adult’s perspective, kids have nothing to stress about. They don’t pay bills, they don’t have to work, and all they do is hang around all day playing, chatting with friends and eating. So what is stressing them out?

Theoretically, all they have to do is go to school and come back home. While this sounds like a dream to most people, there are several factors in a kid’s life that can stress them out quite a bit, and it’s important to address these factors early on so that they don’t develop any problems later in life.

One of the longest running and worst causes of stress for kids is bullying. Adults don’t face this problem nearly as much, because if someone is harassing you in the real world, you can simply leave the situation or file a complaint.

If the harassment is physical, an adult would be arrested for assault. However, kids can’t just leave school or call the police if they’re getting bullied. Some might say that they can just talk to a teacher, but that seldom fixes the problem.

Kids feel as if they’re trapped there at school with their bully, and with no way out of a harmful situation, they can get extremely stressed out every day of the week.

Another cause of stress in kids might be their home life. Unlike teenagers and young adults, kids can’t just drive away from home if it’s not a good place to live. They’re powerless in terms of moving away, and completely at their parent’s mercy.

If a child’s household is full of fighting or has abusive family members in it, the kid might get stressed out about even going home. They could have a fine life at school, but every day they have to go home at some point.

Abusive parents or siblings can absolutely ruin a child’s home life, stressing them out beyond your knowledge. In a similar situation to having a bully at school, kids can’t do anything to prevent or help their situation at home, due to the fact that they can’t escape in any way.

Being unable to leave your situation can cause more stress than anything. Recognizing stress in kids can be either easy or difficult, depending on the kid. In younger children, it will be fairly clear when they’re stressed out, because they’ll usually start to cry.

Young children cry whenever they’re stressed, upset, or feel as if anything is wrong. This type of sign is the easiest to recognize, and you certainly shouldn’t overlook it as them being a “whiny kid.”

There’s almost always a reason for a child to cry – you just have to be able to look for it. If you don’t, they’ll start to develop some long-running issues. Of course, there are many kids who have outgrown their standard crying days.

Older kids have a very different way of showing that they’re stressed out, and this is the point at which it can become more difficult, so you really need to be looking out for these kinds of signs.

One sign that a kid is stressed out is that they start to close off from other people. They might start to become incredibly quiet – not just around you, but also around other kids their age.

While some kids are naturally introverted and shy, this is a totally different situation. When kids start to close off, they won’t even be open with their own parents or with their closest friends.

Another way older kids start to show stress is by acting out. Kids with a bad home life and similar problems might start to act out at school, at home, and elsewhere for the sake of getting positive attention from their friends – something that they desperately need.

Another common sign involves kids becoming reluctant to do certain things. For example, if a child is reluctant to go to school, there might be deeper meaning to it than them just not wanting to go because it’s boring.

They might be getting bullied at their school, and they’re avoiding going because they’re scared of what awaits them. Similarly, they might be reluctant to come home from school if they’re afraid of their home lives.

Another common source of stress for children is if their parents are going through a divorce. Parents are very much acting as a point of reference for children. If one of the parents is suddenly leaving from home, this is quite a significant disruption of the secure environment that the child may have felt at home. These kind of changes can be pretty difficult to digest for a child and causing them a significant amount of stress, so don’t be surprised if your child will close off or get unruly when you are going through a divorce.

There are tons of different solutions when it comes to helping kids deal with stress. The first one is addressing the problem at its source. If it’s the home life that the child is stressed about, then try to improve it by going to family counseling, where the child can clearly communicate their feelings about their home life to a counselor or to their parents directly.

You can also directly address the source of bullying by getting onto the parents of the bully, in an attempt to get the parents to reprimand them appropriately. The bully’s parents might be totally unaware of what’s going on, so informing them might help the situation. Try to understand the circumstances of their family as well. Their child may be aggressive as an outlet of other problems he is facing. Maybe you can help resolve another dilemma in the process.

Another solution for improving a child’s stress is to remove them from a stressful situation. This applies best to the bullying situation. If you’ve already tried talking to the school’s administration, to the bully’s family, and to the teachers, then it might be time to switch your child over to another school or choose a homeschooling option.

This is best done early on, so that the child doesn’t have to endure years and years of bullying. This also allows them to get a fresh start at a new location.

If you feel that you have done whatever needed to adequately limit the bullying, without being able to stop it completely, one of the best options that you can take is to just talk to your child and help them better understand the scope of time that they’re in.

While they might be stressed out about school and all of that right now, they need to know that things do get better. It can be helpful to explain to them how small of a portion of their life this will be.

Show them a timeline of a person’s life from age 0 to 100 and how small the school years are in that line of existence. It’s important to get their thoughts on their own situation as well, because it makes them feel respected, as if they have a bit of power in their tough situation.

We have seen that children can face significant stressors in their lives. If they are kept unresolved, it can develop into more serious problems in adulthood. Find a way to adequately resolve their issues, and your child will thank you for having done the right thing to protect them.

Do you need a guide to help you understand how to cope with Stress in an all inclusive approach? Learn how to combat stress, mentally, physically, emotionally and strategically in your life.

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Oil Change in the Kitchen

February 20, 2022 by Esther Neumann - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

The battle around fat has been going on for decades. Let’s remember the hot debate about whether to put butter or margarine on bread. The housewife wrings her hands and asks herself which oil to put on the salad. There are a number of low fat products that are in vogue right now. Then there’s the recommendation to eat fish twice a week for the omega-3 fatty acids that are heart and brain healthy. So at the end of the day, which fats shall we consume?

What is behind the terms Omega-3 and Omega-6? Fats and oils are made up of fatty acids. These are long compounds of carbon chains. In addition, one speaks of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, whereby the unsaturated ones are the more valuable for our body. Unsaturated fatty acids have so-called double bonds. Omega-3 or -6 tells you where in the carbon chain the first double bond is located. It ranks third among the omega-3 fatty acids and sixth among the omega-6. Hence the designations. Omega tells the chemist which end of the fatty acid chain to count from. Both fatty acids are found in vegetable oils, but in different amounts.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Omega-6 fatty acids have 2 or 3 such double bonds. The best known are linoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA). A fatty acid with 4 such double bonds that also plays an important role is arachidonic acid. But it is not essential. The body can produce it from linoleic acid.

Omega-6 fatty acids play an important role in building the double membrane of all cells and their organelles. They are particularly important for the elastic character and fluidity. So-called series 1 prostaglandins (also called eicosanoids) are formed in the body from DGLA. Prostaglandins are tissue hormones that are divided into numerous groups and subgroups. Their effects are diverse and sometimes contradictory. The prostaglandins of series 1 inhibit the aggregation of the blood platelets and thus the tendency to thrombosis. They promote sodium and water excretion via the kidneys and have an anti-inflammatory effect.

A lack of linoleic acid and GLA leads to eczema-like skin changes and hair loss. The liver metabolism is restricted and the kidney tissue degenerates. Heart and circulatory problems occur and growth disorders in children.

GLA and DGLA are not very common in our food and are mainly found in the seeds of borage, evening primrose and black currant. Linoleic acid is classically seen as promoting inflammation, but how far this holds true turned out to be recently a hot topic of discussion.(( Fritsche K L, Too much linoleic acid promotes inflammation—doesn’t it?, Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, Volume 79, Issues 3–5, 2008, Pages 173-175, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plefa.2008.09.019.))

Arachidonic acid, on the other hand, mainly produces series 2 prostaglandins in the body. These sometimes show opposite effects to the prostaglandins of the series 1. They are pro-inflammatory, promote salt and water storage and lead to high blood pressure.

A targeted supply of GLA-rich vegetable oils can promote the formation of prostaglandin 1 at the expense of prostaglandin 2 and thus prevent an increased tendency to inflammation and stress on the heart and circulatory system.

Animal products contain a lot of arachidonic acid, which we want to avoid. Pork lard contains extremely high values (1700 mg/100g), while dairy products contain around 50 mg/100g. On average, a meat eater consumes about 300 mg/day of arachidonic acid, which explains a multiplicity of inflammatory responses. Vegetarians take in practically no arachidonic acid, but a higher amount of linoleic acid, which consequently inhibits the synthesis of arachidonic acid.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are the big stars protecting the heart and blood vessels. They reduce blood triglycerides, blood pressure and the risk of coronary heart disease. They probably also reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and reduce certain rheumatic symptoms. They lower cholesterol levels and relieve neurodermatitis. They are essential for information processing in the brain. Omega-3 fatty acids inhibit the formation of endogenous pro-inflammatory pain mediators. The pain threshold is raised, the body only perceives pain at a higher “dose”. Hence the positive effect on rheumatic and other diseases such as psoriasis or neurodermatitis.

The omega-3 fatty acids include alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They have similar functions as DGLA. From EPA the series 3 prostaglandins are formed. While these have a moderate promoting effect on platelet aggregation, they suppress the release of arachidonic acid from cell membranes, thus inhibiting the formation of prostaglandins 2. This is the basis of the anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory and heart-protecting effect of omega-3 fatty acids.

DHA is particularly important for the mental functioning and mental development of the embryo. The myelin, which is the white substance that covers the nerves, is especially rich in unsaturated fatty acids. A particularly large amount of DHA is also stored in the retina.

A lack of omega-3 fatty acids leads to growth disorders, disturbances in sensitivity, muscle tremors and blurred vision. It can also lead to increased triglyceride levels, which may be reduced by administration of fish oil preparations. The development of rheumatoid inflammation can also be suppressed by reducing the formation of prostaglandin 2.

Nevertheless, caution is advised against uncontrolled use of isolated omega-3 and omega-6 preparations such as evening primrose, borage and fish oils. Because the increased intake of unsaturated fatty acids also requires their protection. Especially people who are under high oxidative stress, like smokers, athletes, people with a lack of antioxidants such as vitamin C, E, A, carotenoids, can cause more harm than good through an excessive intake of unsaturated fatty acids.

The unsaturated fatty acids can oxidize and are thus converted into so-called free radicals before they can perform their biological function. They then migrate like bullets through the blood, tissues and organs and leave behind a radical chain reaction that destroy important structures such as membranes, vitamins or enzymes. An abundance of free radicals can even promote cancer.

If a fatty acid dietary supplement is planned, a sufficient supply of antioxidants should be ensured a few weeks beforehand. Incidentally, the same applies to carrying out a crash diet. The low calorie intake releases of course amongst others unsaturated fatty acids from the stored fat, which must also be protected by antioxidants.

A balanced diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes naturally guarantees a balanced supply of essential fatty acids without putting any strain on the body.

A lack of essential fatty acids is rather rare, even though the consumption of Omega 3 fatty acids should be a bit more emphasized. The adipose tissue of a normal-weight, well-nourished adult can contain over 500 g of linoleic acid and 25 g of alpha-linolenic acid. A deficiency can occur with a fat-free artificial diet or with a chronic lack of fat intake.

Omega 3 Sources

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in vegetable oils and in the fish oil of cold-water fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna, and sardines. Nutritionists recommend eating no more than five times as much omega-6 (linoleic acid) as omega-3 (linolenic acid). On average, however, the ratio is ten to one instead of five to one. How can we change that? We need to be more selective about our fat sources.

Linseed oil contains four times more linolenic acid (omega-3) than linoleic acid (omega-6). In addition, it contains plant substances that have an anti-cancer effect. Unfortunately, linseed oil has an unfavorable quality. Due to the large number of double bonds, it goes rancid very quickly. If we use linseed oil for our salad, we only buy small bottles and use the oil in three months at most. The bottle must be dark colored and stored in the refrigerator. These measures protect the valuable double bonds.

Freshly ground flaxseed can also be eaten instead of flaxseed oil. We can grind the flaxseed in a coffee grinder ourselves. As long as the seed is intact, the fat it contains with its many double bonds is also protected. After grinding, flaxseed should be used in a couple of days. We can sprinkle crushed flaxseed over salad, stir it into soups, add it to muesli and yoghurt, bake it in biscuits and bread.

Flaxseed is so valuable that it should actually be sold in pharmacies – alongside the cholesterol-lowering drugs. Every year billions of dollars are spent on medication to keep the cholesterol levels low. In most cases, a tablespoon of flaxseed oil would do the trick, and there wouldn’t be the usual side effects.

But at the same time we have to make sure that we get enough vitamins from the antioxidant group to protect the valuable double bonds in fat. Because even in the body they can still be destroyed. These are vitamin E, vitamin A, carotenoids and vitamin C. They are all found in fresh fruit and vegetables.

Another interesting source of omega-3 is hemp oil. It contains a lot of vitamin E and therefore has a longer shelf life than linseed oil. It also contains cholesterol-like substances that can lower cholesterol levels. You don’t need to be afraid to get a high, since the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been bred out of hemp plants. Hemp oil also counteracts inflammatory processes and is used in skin diseases such as neurodermatitis and psoriasis. The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is about 3:1.

Canola oil also has a favorable ratio, about 3:1. Today’s canola oil no longer contains erucic acid and is no longer chemically extracted for food purposes. But it is rarely offered unrefined.

Walnut oil has a 5:1 ratio. The nutty aroma goes well with almost all salads. Eating a handful of nuts every day is very healthy because nuts also contain many minerals, vitamins and lecithin. Fat from nuts does not make you fat because it does not get into the fat cells at all, but is converted into much more valuable substances in the body. If we eat a few nuts every day, we are doing something good for our health.

Frequently we hear the recommendation to eat fish twice a week – because of the protective effect on the heart. Unfortunately, there are already many pollutants in fish today, especially mercury, which cancels out the protective effect. It even promotes depression. Sales of fish oil capsules are also booming. When consumed at all, verify at least if the fish oil has been purified. But we also get along without fish, as we have shown above with the vegetable oils.

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How to Deal with Insomnia

February 13, 2022 by Dr. Cesar Vasconcellos de Souza - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

Insomnia is something that is profoundly affecting our lives. It is draining our energy, affecting our health, our mood, our relationships and much more. In this article we will have some tips how to take care of insomnia.

There are at least three types of insomnia:

Initial Insomnia: The person takes more time to fall asleep.
Intermittent Insomnia: the person sleeps, wakes up, sleeps, wakes up with many awakening episodes during the night.
Terminal Insomnia: the person wakes up very early, at dawn and cannot go back to sleep. In fact, this insomnia is the most common in cases of depression.

We can also distinguish between:

Transient Insomnia: Occurs only for a period of a person’s life. Usually because of some temporary short time stress.
Chronic Insomnia: it is the one that disturbs the person for many years.
Organic Insomnia: it is caused by some brain injury related to psychiatric diseases. In some way, all insomnia is organic because it affects the body.

Some studies show that insomnia is more common in people who are divorced, separated or widowed. It can also affect people with a low level of education, with low family income and unemployed, and may be more common in women than in men. Insomnia can arise when the person is overloaded with possible deep personal and interpersonal conflicts, in deep marital problems, in the face of unemployment, after an accident with hospitalization and in the absence of social support. Many have insomnia because they suffer from excessive anxiety, or because they stop breathing during sleep, overuse prescription drugs, or abuse caffeinated beverages. Night shift workers can also develop insomnia by desynchronizing the normal sleep-wake rhythm.

Among the drugs that promote insomnia are amphetamines used in formulas – these formulas to suppress appetite, also some antidepressants, binge drinking or chronic alcoholism. There are people who develop insomnia due to bad habits, such as having a television in the bedroom and watching TV until late, having a heavy meal at night, close to bedtime, for living in a noisy environment and sleeping during the day. And in the case of mental illnesses, insomnia appears in depression, and even more so in cases of excessive anxiety, in schizophrenia and in the individual with bipolar disorder, in the sense of getting very little sleep due to mental agitation and euphoria in the euphoric phase.

Watching TV in bed - Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Psychologists and Psychoanalysts admit that insomnia can be the result of excessive anguish related to inner conflicts, in which the individual is unable to mentally elaborate what ails him. These conflicts overrun the protective function of the dream, generating a collapse of the dream’s symbolization function. They also believe that some people have insomnia because they have repetitive nightmares that cause them to wake up several times. This type of insomnia is normally related to a past traumatic event, or activated by a difficult existential situation, which produces an important burden of anguish for the person, generating a mental elaboration process during the night.

Tips to Deal with Insomnia

First, take care of your environment: Use a comfortable bed and pillows, a quiet, dark room with a pleasant temperature. Avoid noise, the presence of someone who snores in the environment and light, so as not to disturb your sleep. Use curtains or blinds to cut out the light coming in from the street. If you can’t use a curtain or blind, use a mask or small towel over your eyes. If you only feel comfortable and relaxed to sleep with some light, use a small, dim lamp next to your bedroom. But try to solve your anxiety so you can turn off the light. If there are other noises from the street or a factory nearby, for example, use earplugs.

Second thing is to change your lifestyle by exercising physically each day. Brisk walking in nature is the best thing to do. Do not sleep during the day. Go to bed only when you are tired and sleepy, always at the same time, even on weekends. If you can’t sleep, get up and go back to bed only when you’re drowsy. Maintain a routine of 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. Always get up at the same time in the morning. Used to sleep late, after 22 hours? Get up earlier the next morning and your body will be ready to go to sleep earlier the next night.

Avoid obsessive thoughts like: Oh I’m not going to sleep! Oh my God, my mind won’t relax! Instead, think about this: I’m going to lie down, I’m going to relax and let sleep come. He will come when he can, just be patient with your organism. Don’t be mad at yourself because you don’t sleep. Don’t eat, don’t drink and don’t watch TV in the bed you sleep on. Avoid alcoholic beverages to try to sleep; do not ingest anything. If you get up in the middle of the night, don’t eat anything. Avoid too much liquid in the late afternoon, until bedtime.

The third aspect to help with insomnia is relaxing an hour before bed, for example, with a warm bath, avoiding TV. Swap stimulating reading for relaxing reading. Cultivate gratitude and joy. Avoid getting angry easily. Accept what you cannot change. Eliminate as much stress as possible. Avoid work overload. Take your meals calmly. Avoid assuming what is not your responsibility. Learn to say no so you don’t get overwhelmed. Look how much you can do, right?

Live today! One day at a time. Have a moment of relaxation in the middle of the day, it can be taking a walk after lunch, meditating at the Creator while looking at a beautiful landscape, saying prayers of gratitude throughout the day.

The fourth aspect is self-confidence. Research shows that people with a low level of self-worth are more prone to insomnia. So stop criticizing yourself, don’t reject yourself. And remember that even if you have a character flaw, as we all do, there is something positive that you have as well. We all have the ability to choose better behaviors. Practice setting boundaries for abusive people. You can speak firmly without attacking people.

The fifth aspect that helps with insomnia has to do with food and drinks. Eliminate stimulants such as coffee, black and green tea, chocolate, cola-type soda, guarana, and alcoholic beverages. Alcohol dehydrates, produces thirst at night and releases adrenaline that excites the brain. Eliminate food full of additives, fried foods, weight loss drugs, such as those that have amphetamines that cut sleep. Dinner should be a light snack, preferably two hours before bedtime.

A cup of coffee - Photo by Chevanon Photography on Pexels

The Sixth Aspect, Sleep Inducing Medications. Sleep medications should only be used for a short period of time, a maximum of four weeks, with extreme caution. A good alternative is hops, whose scientific name is Humulus Lupulus. Hop capsules with 250mg, using 2 to 4 capsules one hour before bedtime. Valerian, which is Valeriana Officinalis, can also be used in capsules with 250 mg, 2 to 4 capsules an hour before bedtime. Lemongrass tea, melissa or chamomile, help with sleep quality. Melatonin can be used under medical supervision for a short time.

The seventh aspect is psychotherapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy was shown to be superior to zolpidem, which is a synthetic sleep inducer, in the study with 54 patients. In this type of psychological therapy, one learns to eliminate worrying thoughts, chronic pessimistic ideas, negative beliefs that disturb relaxation and thus disturb sleep.

Put these tips into practice and your quality of sleep will improve. Good sleep!

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