PETER'S PRINCIPLES - NEW ON THE RADIO
Ken from Redford is at high risk for a stroke. He emails for nutritional tips on minimizing his risk.
Ken, I'm sending you a nutritional plan to put you on the right track. But you're sure to find this new research interesting as well!
It shows that antioxidants injected into animals seven hours after a stroke can minimize the damage by as much as forty percent! The researchers sat that the antioxidants work by neutralizing the damaging "free radical" that kill brain cells after a stroke. The research is especially important because getting therapy right after a stroke is critical for minimizing damage.
The antioxidants used in the study are synthetic -- and not yet available to the public. But they're also showing signs of helping with diabetes and more research is on the way!
Pam from Rochester Hills just broke up with her boyfriend. She drowned her sorrows in ice cream and emails asking if that's normal.
Pam, There may be a psychological reason why you turn to your freezer for comfort!
Research shows that people who feel rejected tend to adopt an unhealthy or self-defeating behaviors. This can result in eating poorly -- even skipping out on work or school to have fun!
Feelings of loneliness can make us think in the short term -- choosing momentary pleasure despite of the long term effects. The same research can also apply to kids who are lonely and tend to watch TV or play instead of study.
It just goes to show that not all the reasons for weight gain can be found inside a carton of ice cream!
Karen from Clawson emails saying she tends to eat dinner later at night. She heard eating close to bedtime causes you to gain weight. Is this true?
No Karen, it's not entirely true.
It's not actually the time of day you eat, it's what yo've eaten throughout the whole day? If you eat your total daily number of calories by Dinner and then you have an evening snack, you're going to gain weight. But if you don't eat up all your calories during the day - you have a little leeway with that evening snack.
The problem is many people tend to overeat later at night - especially when they're watching TV.
If you're a late night eater, try to cut back on what you're putting in your mouth during the day.
Darren from Southfield is a construction worker. He works outside - even in the cold weather. He's been noticing he's thirstier in the winter, even though he doesn't seem to be sweating as much. Is there a reason for this?
Great question, Darren. With the colder weather approaching many of us will still be outside working or exercising. soon we'll be shoveling our driveways.
I know, not a pleasant thought. even though it's cold we still need to drink plenty of water. It's actually very easy to become dehydrated in the cold weather. We lose water when we breathe and sweat, but the cold can actually impair our thirst mechanism, which causes us to drink less.
So when you're working or exercising outside - make sure you take frequent water breaks even if you aren't thirsty.
Paul from Novi emails asking if there's anything he can do to live longer.
I'm glad you asked this question. Paul. There are many things you can do - including eating right, don't smoke, limit alcohol, and of course, exercise!
Exercise is so important! In fact, a new study found just walking 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week can add more that a year to your life. Boost that up to running and you could live longer by almost 4 years!
Exercise not only decreases your risk of disease - it helps you mentally, to live a healthier life.
So get up off that couch and do some sort of exercise every day. It'll help you live longer.
Do you have a question you've been working on? Send me an email!
