Wine and Alzheimer's

I was reading an article today about alcohol and your brain. I was wondering if there was a correlation with alcohol and Alzheimers. Reading about alcohol consumption there are various opinions as to its effect on our brains.

The majority of us know that too much alcohol is not good. When we consume an inordinate amount we generally will lose our inhibitions and do crazy things which we wouldn't normally do. However some studies show that in moderation some alcoholic beverages might be beneficial to our bodies and our brain.

Red wine is one of those that is supposed to have many redeeming qualities. Research has shown that one glass of red wine will enhance the bodies ability to rid itself of some LDL cholesterol which is beneficial. There is also a possibility that there are properties in red wine that will help stave off Alzheimer's and dementia. However you can't drink an entire bottle daily and expect this same result. Too much of a good thing is not always best, but done in moderation such as a glass of red wine with dinner could prove beneficial.

Just some thouhts on this subject you might want to do some research on red wine and its benefits on your own. Till next time

Death

This is not a subject I generally talk about however it's something that no one will escape. Death is usually untimely no matter when it happens. When it happens suddenly we are at a loss to explain it to ourselves. When someone we admire or love passes on to the next life we are often times very upset espessially if it happens suddenly or unexpectedly. Probable reason is that we dont get a chance to say goodbye. It leaves us with an empty feeling in our spirit. We start to think of the many times we wanted to call or stop by and see this person then something came up and side tracked us so we didn't make the call or didn't go by to see them. Then it's too late they are gone and the regret is now with us. We have the memories hopefully they are good ones,of times shared. Having said this I am thinking of how short and fragile our time on this earth is. Having just lost someone whom I wish I would have seen and spoken to more often,it's opened my eyes to the possibility that I should make better use of my time for family and friends. Don't wait until tommorow to tell the people close to you that you value them and love them uncondionally so there will be no regrets if they suddenly have to leave us. Till next time

Depression and Happiness

I guess you could say that depression and happiness are polar opposites the two cannot be in the same place at the same time. You have one the other cannot occupy that space. Think about dieting, we all have tried dieting some do better than others at it but most diets don't work , we are usually the reason. We start out happy and excited about the possibilities of something new and different with goals in mind and we stick to it for a length of time, not generally long enough to see any real difference and we slowly revert back to our old ways and habits . In the beginning the excitement sustains us but when things slow down as the pounds don't just fall off we lose focus and quit trying so hard.

Depression sets in because we feel like a loser, that we can't even fulfil a simple goal like losing weight so we fall back in to the same old habits. How do we stop this from happening?

A simple key is to meditate. Think on those things that are good and positive I know its hard to find time to do this . Start by taking just five minutes and see if that doesn't make a positive difference. I think you will find that it does and then expand this to ten minutes and so on until you reach thirty minutes daily.

This will make a great difference in your life you will be happier and more positive then you will be able to accomplish your goals even against all adversity. Depression won't stand a chance of getting into your life and ruining things.

So be happy live well and think good thoughts and stay focused to the task at hand and complete it in a timely manner. Set small goals to start then gradually step them up this will also make it easier to accomplish them. Good luck Till next time

Alzheimer's/Gray hair

I hope some of these articles are thought provoking I'm sure some are not however it's fun to sit here at the keyboard and put down thoughts and ideas on interesting topics .

Today I was thinking about gray hair and its affect on Alzheimer's. Gray hair is generally thought to be an inherited trait something in our DNA strand that comes from the genes of our linage. Could this be the case with Alzheimer's and dementia could something in our families history be the cause. I think it's quite possible but more studies need to be done in this area to look at this in more depth could a study be done with mice. White mice and gray mice could be used in the study to see if there is any correlation to my theory,testing genetics to see if my thinking is in the right direction.

On a lighter note I hope now that we are into the 4th week of the new year that we are doing well. Exercising daily eating the right foods and keeping a positive attitude this will go a long way to keeping our bodies in good shape but we can't for get about our minds we need to exercise it also so even if we are genetically supposed toward Alzheimer's we might be able to stave it off for a period of time. Good luck Till next time

Alzheimer's and Magnets

Wow talk about cutting edge technology the use of magnets to help with Alzheimer's is something that's being looked at quite seriously.

A study with mice was done using TMS- Transcranial magnetic stimulation which is the use of magnetic coils which induce electric fields around the brain which in turn activates neurons. They have used this type therapy in other areas now their finding out it may help other brain disorders. Using this type intervention now seems to stimulate the brain in the area of memory and mood.

I'm sure more studies need to be done but it's exciting to see that some progress is being made to help those with Alzheimer's or Dementia. The amount of people who living longer now,only increases the prospect of more and cases of Alzheimer's in the future.

We should still eat right, exercise and take better care of ourselves for in the long run we're still responsible for making right choices for our continued health not just physically also mentally . Be sure and do mental exercise daily such as read a book do a crossword puzzle or play cards anything that will make you think, work that brain of yours. To a longer and healthier life. Till next time

Sunshine

Previous post I talked about Happiness, I think there is something to be said for happiness and sunshine working together.



People need sunshine I know what the medical industry says about the sun and to a degree there is some validity to what they say about over exposure however our bodies were designed to get vitamin D from the sun. We have to be smart about our exposure but we cant hide totally from the sun.



People who seem to get out more and enjoy the sun are less likely to be depressed and have a better outlook on life in general. There seems to be a correlation between sun exposure and happiness. I know that people who live in climates where the sun is gone for parts of the year seem to have a tendency to be more depressed . Sometimes they call it cabin fever stuck inside for long periods of time due to weather. To offset this you can buy special bulbs for your light fixtures that will give off light more like the sun this goes a long way to improving your mood,or just move to a sunny climate, just kidding of course.

In today's society happiness can be acquired thru the pharmacy it's easy to go to a doctor and get pills to make yourself happy but is that a true happiness or just contrived. I wouldn't presume to speak for all persons I am sure there are people who need a little boost with medications for a short term but in the long run you need to eat right,exercise and surround yourself with the right people keep a positive attitude get some sun and you will feel much better and be happier.Till next time

Health/Happiness

There has been a lot said lately about happiness. I think one of the television news magazines Dateline did a story on this recently.

I have been thinking about this for quite awhile ,I think happiness is different for everyone and every ones perception is their own reality. If you are generally a happy person it shows and this is also true for those who are unhappy.

Happiness and health seem to run in correlation with each other. It seems happy people are healthier and tend to live longer. How each of us finds happiness is different for some its family others its work still others its exercise or many other things that we immerse ourselves into or combination of things there is no right way or wrong way to happiness.

The path to happiness for some is short for others the journey is long and arduous but its a journey worth taking even if its incrimental steps for in the long run it will effect your wellbeing.

Life is too short to be unhappy it makes you miserable and the people around you miserable and they will usually try to avoid being in that situation. So look for ways to make yourself happy and in so doing you will feel better and the people around will feel better also its a win win for all.

Happy you . Till next time Don

Drugs

Lots of new things happening in this world. A company called Instymeds has developed a medical dispensing machine that will hold up to 100 common prescriptions. You go to your doctor he makes out a prescription for you and electronically sends your presription to a dispensing machine ,you go back out to his waiting area go to the machine put in a code number and some personal information use your credit card or cash and your medicine is dispensed to you on the spot , hows that for innovation. This will work for common prescripts for common ailments such as colds,flu's and some antibiotics but more involved medicines will still need to be done by a pharmacy,but it will make it convenient for a lot of people and make better use of the doctor's time. Sounds to me like I better invest in this idea,whats your take on this new thing? Till next time

Alzheimer's and MSG

I was listening to talk radio today some interesting things with all the political speak but something else caught my attention.
Socialized Medicine, seems that this country is going steadily toward this endeavor I don't think this is a good idea but there are at least two sides to everything so I am open to others opinions would like to hear other points of view. Let me know what you think .
Some new information today concerning MSG in the foods that we eat seems that there is MSG in a lot of products that we buy but it's been disguised so as not to appear to be. A lot of food has MSG naturally occurring so how much is too much and how much does our body need, if it is in certain vegetables and yeast products it would seem that we need some of it.
MSG has been tested in the laboratory and it shows some detrimental issues too the brain mostly in younger brains however it could have some affect on senior citizens.
Is there a correlation between MSG and Alzheimer's ? Just thinking perhaps maybe more in depth studies need to be done . Till next time

Drug Use

A few thoughts on drug use, I was reading an article on the use of drugs in America, was surprised to see that prescription drugs caused more deaths in our country than illegal drugs.

Illegal drugs accounted for 10 to 20 thousand deaths approx. per year while prescribed medications were the cause of 100 thousand deaths that a wide range. Same article showed that 2 million people suffered severe complications from thier medication. I think a lot of times Doctors do the best they can with the information they have been supplied with from the drug representatives and or the manufactures of the drugs, however I think too much drug interaction with other drugs takes place in our bdies causing these problems. Phamacist's go a long way in helping to understand this interaction I think before taking many different meds we should check with a phamacist to see of adverse interaction they have the knowledge about medicines and are kept up to date on new items and technology. Our best bet is to eat right, exerise and get the proper amount of sleep.

Having said all that its about taking better care of yourself from top to bottom inside and out that way we shouldn't have to take so many medications lessening the chance for med errors in our bodies. Here's to you Till next time.

Alzheimer's vs Dementia

New day new start to the work week looks to be another good one. In keeping with the context of the previous blog my thoughts went from Alzheimer's to Dementia.

As we grow older our minds seem to loose some of its for lack of a better word its elasticity. Things that we could remember easily as a youngster seem to fade as we get older such as dates,names,places. For some it is sudden but for the majority of us its very slow and gradual it kind of sneaks up on you,stalking first from a great distance but coming ever closer as the years grow on us. We start by seeing a face but cant remember the name and so the progression grows next its the face and so on.
Alzheimer's Disease can only truly be diagnosed after death during an autopsy, I think many times we use the word Alzheimer's when we just mean dementia which is a nice modern word for senility. This is just the aging process I don't think we were meant to retain everything we learned as we were growing . We learn something new everyday the brain is only so big it must release somethings to let important things in. So let some of the trivial things go so you can remember the important things such as your anniversary or your spouses birthday. That would make life so much better don't you think? Till next time

Alzheimers

Some thoughts on Alzheimers Disease and sugar. I recently read an article concerning sugar and its impact on the brain. Research at the University of Alabama has shown that mice that ingested 10% sugar water vs mice that didn't had a 17% better chance of getting amyloid plaque deposits which is a link to Alzheimers. Now I know your going to say well 10% sugar water in mouse seems like a lot compared to its size but how much sugar do we consume daily. There is hidden sugars in a great deal of products we buy daily,such as sodas, bread, canned vegetables,and how much sugar do we put in coffee and tea when we prepare it. There are lots of places we get sugar and don't realize it. Elderly people generally lose some of their taste buds,as growing older seems to have this effect on us so we tend to add more salt and sugar than we should to food to enhance its flavor. Just an observation we probably need less sugar in our diets. Does someone in your family who is an elder seem to use too much sugar or isn't eating right let me know. We could discuss changing eating habits, to give them a healthier ,longer life. Till next time