DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Saturday, November 02, 2013 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.” ~ Anaïs Nin

Mental Attitude: Triathletes Feel Less Pain. A new study finds that triathletes feel less pain than people who casually exercise. Triathalons are long distance swimming, cycling, and running events that require participants to push themselves beyond what most people can endure. Senior researcher Ruth Defrin states, "In our study, triathletes rated pain lower in intensity, tolerated it longer, and inhibited it better than individuals in a control group. We think both physiological and psychological factors underlie these differences and help explain how triathletes are able to perform at such a high level." This finding may lead to new treatments for chronic pain sufferers. Pain, June 2013

Health Alert: Fetus Affected by Air Quality and Mother's Psychological Distress. Research has revealed that maternal psychological distress combined with exposure to air pollution can have a negative impact on behavioral development of a child. The effects were greatest in children who had higher levels of prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the air. Lead author Dr. Frederica Perera writes, "This study shows that the combination of physical and psychosocial stressors during fetal development magnifies the effect of each exposure…The findings are of concern because attention problems, anxiety, and depression have been shown to affect peer relationships, academic performance, and future well-being of children." Pediatrics, October 2013

Diet: Photos of Food on Social Media Sites May Ruin Your Appetite. Researchers believe that looking at too many pictures of food can make it less enjoyable to eat. This study involved 232 individuals who were asked to view and rate pictures of foods. The results showed that the people who viewed the photos of salty foods enjoyed peanuts significantly less than those who viewed photos of sweet foods. Interestingly, the salty food group did not view pictures of peanuts, just other salty foods. The researchers note that their findings could be useful for those who want to avoid a particular unhealthy food. Journal of Consumer Psychology, September 2013

Exercise: Tabata Exercise Effective For Burning Calories. Tabata training involves 20 seconds of high intensity exercises followed by 10 seconds of rest and repeating the pattern for four minutes. A small study measured caloric expenditure before, during, and 30 minutes after a Tabata session. The results showed that at the 30 minute post-exercise mark, the metabolic rate of each person was double of what it was before the start of the workout. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, September 2013

Chiropractic: Exercise and Chiropractic for COPD? New research suggests that combining chiropractic care with exercise therapy may improve chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms. The results of a small study showed that both spinal manipulation alone and a combination of exercise and spinal manipulation improved breathing in patients with COPD.  Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, October 2013

Wellness/Prevention: Too Much or Too Little Sleep Linked to Chronic Disease. According to new research, diabetes, coronary heart disease, obesity, and anxiety in people age 45 and older may be related to too little (less than six hours) or too much (10 or more hours) sleep. A healthy, balanced lifestyle is not just about following a good diet and staying fit, but also getting the right quantity and quality of sleep. Sleep, October 2013


(This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.)