Holiday Energizer

Here's an easy exercise to use during the holidays to keep your energy level up and stress low. It's especially helpful for those of you living in urban locations.

This super effective tiredness remedy is amazingly simple and takes just a few minutes to do. It's a classic breathing exercise that floods your system with energy-enhancing oxygen, while at the same time expelling energy-depleting stale air and impurities from your lungs. Called the Cleansing Breath or Bellows Breath, it's a natural energy booster that can be done virtually anywhere well ventilated and anytime you feel tired, run down and in need of some real energy. While this breathing exercise/tiredness remedy is safe, you should check with your health professional before trying it for the first time. Keep reading...

Protect and Restore Hair Health

UPDATE: 2 August, 2009 - The use of coconut oil as a hair treatment can be helpful to retain hair color.

"Coconut oil has been a popular oil treatment for thousands of years where coconuts are plentiful, like Sri Lanka and the Philippines. It keeps hair strong and vitalized against the signs of aging. If you visit India today, it's perhaps why you see women in their 70s who still have healthy black hair," says Blaire Kessler.

Apply coconut oil to hair and allow it to work overnight for best results. (Hint: Cover hair with plastic wrap or a plastic bag before bed). Rinse out in your morning shower.

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Originally Posted 12/8/08: The effective use of natural Vitamin E prior to certain treatments such as chemotherapy protects you from hair loss. Pantethine, according to 1940s biochemistry research protects hair color.

Vitamin B complex is an anti-stress nutrient, vitamin E an anti-oxidant.

Perhaps it is worthwhile to pursue nutritional support for this concern.

Hair colour loss 'reversal hope' People whose hair has turned white because of illness or extreme stress are being offered hope that scientists may be able to reverse the process.

Researchers from Manchester University and Lubeck University, in Germany, used a molecule to stimulate the pigment responsible for hair colour.

But they said the technique still had to be tested on humans and would not reverse the natural greying process.

However, experts said the development was an encouraging breakthrough.

The research team recreated a naturally-occurring molecule called K(D)PT, which is very similar to the hormones in the body that stimulate the hair pigment melanin.

The researchers took hair follicles from six women aged between 46 and 65 and mimicked two conditions which can turn hair white - a skin disease known as alopecia areata and stress-related disorder telogen effluvium.

While the research is still at a very early stage, these findings could potentially pave the way for new therapies that restore colour to white hair
Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists

They found that, once treated with K(D)PT, the amount of melanin in the follicle increased significantly.

Lead researcher Dr Ralf Paus said the melanin stimulation suggested the technique could be used as an "anti-greying agent".

But he warned it was still early days and it was not known if it could be used to restore hair to its full colour.

Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, said: "It's important to note that this is laboratory research and not yet ready for use on patients.

"However, while the research is still at a very early stage, these findings could potentially pave the way for new therapies that restore colour to white hair.

"At the moment, this research only applies to people whose hair has turned white following illness, but this is an important step for such patients."

Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7727320.stm
Published: 2008/11/14
© BBC MMVIII

Borrowed in part from my favorite food and nutrition web sites.

What foods are best to promote healthy hair and prevent hair loss?

Unfortunately, no dietary interventions of any kind have been shown to universally guarantee healthy hair or prevent hair loss. Hair quantity and hair quality are whole-health, whole-person, and total-lifestyle issues. They also depend upon genetic tendency and family history. Diet can definitely be important in promotion of healthy hair, but there is no evidence for establishing diet as a primary approach to hair loss prevention.

The factors that can compromise hair health include severe stress, damaging effects of hair treatments, and the use of some types of prescription drugs such as blood thinners and medications for gout, arthritis, depression, heart problems, and high blood pressure. Excessive alcohol intake can also compromise hair health, as can decreased thyroid function. If you are concerned about hair loss that is presently occurring in your own health situation, we recommend a consultation with your healthcare provider to determine all the possible underlying reasons for this occurrence.

Our focus on the World's Healthiest Foods as the basis for a nutrient-rich, whole foods diet is an approach that we recommend for optimal health of all body systems, including the scalp and hair. With respect to the skin of the scalp, however, there would be specific nutrients that we would pay particular attention to as a foundation for health of this body system.

The first would be omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids aren't a part of your hair's composition, but they are a part of the scalp cells that are responsible for generating the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. You can optimize your intake of these important fatty acids by adding cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, or herring to your diet two to three times a week. To increase your omega-3 intake, you can also add about two tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily to cereals or salads. (Since flaxseed is fiber-rich, you may want to start out slowly with the amount you consume, building up to the two tablespoons over time, so that you don't increase your fiber intake too quickly for your digestive tract to readily handle.) You can go to the section on omega-3 fatty acids on the website for a detailed list of foods rich in this important nutrient. We would emphasize the fact that omega-3 fatty acids will not help you grow hair. They can, however, improve the integrity of your skin cells, including the cells of your scalp. The health of your hair depends in part upon the health of these cells.

Optimal hydration is also very important to the health of your skin cells and scalp. For this reason, you'll want to drink optimal amounts of clean, filtered water (or clean spring water) to support the health of your skin and scalp. Mineral waters can also be a good choice in this respect since hair itself is highly mineralized and sometimes used in lab measurements of mineral status.

Although you will need exercise, and possibly massage or other approaches to assure good circulation to your head and scalp, good circulation can also be supported by complete nutrition. A full complement of vitamins and minerals is required for proper functioning of your heart and cardiovascular system. One of your best ways for obtaining a full supply of all vitamins and minerals is to increase your intake of fresh, minimally processed vegetables-trying to stick with organically grown vegetables as much as possible. These foods provide the greatest number of nutrients for the least amount of calories.

Additionally, since hair is made up primarily of protein, adequate protein can be an important factor for healthy hair. Most adults need a minimum of about 45 grams of protein per day, and in some cases where protein needs are particularly high or protein has been chronically deficient, 75-100 grams may be at least temporarily required. Animal-derived foods-such as lean meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and eggs-are typically rich in protein and typically provide a complete array of amino acids. Plant-based food groups-whole grains, legumes/beans, nuts, seeds, and vegetables-can also support your protein needs and can provide a full array of amino acids if chosen properly and consumed in required amounts. If you eat a strictly plant-based diet, you may want to solicit the help of a nutritionist or other licensed healthcare practitioner to develop an optimal plan in the area of protein and amino acid intake. Protein metabolism can sometimes be hampered by low stomach acid, a condition also known as hypochlorhydria. Even though research studies have not shown that low stomach acid is in any way connected to hair loss, some healthcare practitioners have anecdotally reported hair loss as a symptom of low stomach acid in their patients. Any concerns you might have in this area should be expressed directly to your healthcare practitioner for evaluation.

We continue to believe that the full-spectrum of vitamins and minerals are important for scalp and hair health. Much of this research has been reported in the work of Adele Davis. In this context, we recommend that you try to evaluate your own potential dietary deficiencies in all vitamin and mineral areas and take steps to boost up intake of these nutrients in your meal plans.

One non-dietary step that's particularly important to remember is your choice of hair care products. You'll want to select products that are non-damaging to the hair, and you'll also want to use these products appropriately.
References:

Gonzalez-Reimers E, Aleman-Valls MR, Barroso-Guerrero F, et al. Hair zinc and copper in chronic alcoholics. Biol Trace Elem Res 2002 Mar;85(3):269-75.

Lachat CK, Van Camp JH, Mamiro PS, et al. Processing of complementary food does not increase hair zinc levels and growth of infants in Kilosa district, rural Tanzania. Br J Nutr 2006 Jan;95(1):174-80.

Oken E, Wright RO, Kleinman KP, et al. Maternal fish consumption, hair mercury, and infant cognition in a U.S. Cohort. Environ Health Perspect 2005 Oct;113(10):1376-80.

Trost LB, Bergfeld WF, Calogeras E. The diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency and its potential relationship to hair loss. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006 May;54(5):824-44.

Wake up and enjoy an aroma of health

I do have to admit that I love the aroma of coffee and the many varieties of coffee beans. I get attacked for my position, just as I have been attacked for my position on chocolate. However, it is good to know that the science is catching up with my philosophy.

Coffee Beans May Be A Stress Buster
FRIDAY, June 13 (HealthDay News) -- Just sniffing that first hot cup of coffee in the morning may help ease some stresses you might be feeling, a South Korean trial indicates.
When rats inhaled the aroma of roasted coffee beans, a number of genes were activated, including some that produce proteins with healthful antioxidant activity, the researchers reported.
"The meaning of it is not totally clear yet," said Dr. Peter R. Martin, director of the Institute of Coffee Studies at Vanderbilt University. "What it does show is that coffee smells do change the brain to some degree, and it behooves us to understand why that is happening."
The findings, from a team led by Han-Seok Seo at Seoul National University in South Korea, were expected to be published in the June 25 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The experiment was done with laboratory rats, some of whom were stressed by being deprived of sleep. The researchers did detailed genetic studies that showed the activity of 11 genes was increased and the activity of two genes was decreased in the rats that smelled the coffee, compared to those who did not. In effect, the aroma of the coffee beans helped ease the stress of the sleep-deprived rodents.
The experiment provides "for the first time, clues to the potential antioxidant or stress-relaxation activities of the coffee bean aroma," the researchers wrote.
And they added, "These results indirectly explain why so many people use coffee for staying up all night, although the volatile compounds of coffee beans are not fully consistent with those of the coffee extracts. In other words, the stress caused by sleep loss via caffeine may be alleviated through smelling the coffee aroma."
"They used the latest in technology to see how brain expression of RNA changed," Martin said. RNA is the molecule that carries out the instructions encoded in genes. "This is just the beginning of a very interesting line of investigation," he added.
The aromatic compounds responsible for coffee's odor may be antioxidants, "but they are not the same as the major antioxidants that are in the drink," said Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.
Chemically, the antioxidants in liquid coffee are polyphenols, Vinson said. Those in the aroma are heterocycle compounds containing sulfur or nitrogen atoms.
"There are two ways to get things into your system, and the quickest way is to smell them," Vinson said. "Caffeine gets into the brain via the blood stream. Here, aromatic molecules get into the brain through the olfactory system. The levels in the air are parts per million, so obviously these are minor components in the air. But they are doing something."
Previous studies have shown that coffee consumption can reduce depression and suicide risk, as well as relieve stress, effects generally attributed to the caffeine in coffee, the researchers noted. But while some 900 compounds that float away from the bean have been identified, this is the first study to assay their possible effects, they added.
It's too early to recommend that people feeling stress sniff coffee to ease their way, Martin said. But, he added, "people who don't even drink coffee are fascinated by the odor of it. Ever since my little boy was two years old, he has loved the odor of coffee. I have always thought that coffee has some mystic quality, and there is some deep historical basis for it."
More information: The latest on coffee health research is available from the Coffee Science Information Centre.