HELPING OTHERS CAN REALLY PAY OFF

It may pay to volunteer an hour a week. People who volunteered for that amount of time had a 30% lower mortality rate than those who did more, less, or none at all. SO make sure to volunteer that hour per week. Helping others really helps you too!

A CURE FOR GOUT

If you suffer from gout, there is a very effective natural remedy reported in The Doctors Book of Food Remedies. Believe it or not, it's simply eating 6-cherries a day (black cherry juice also seems to work). It's one of those cures that doctors don't understand the why but do know it does work.

STRETCHING THE HAMSTRINGS DOES WORK!

A while back, I shared a study that said stretching the hamstring muscles in the legs for 60 seconds makes a big difference in how you whole body functions, as well as reducing lower back pain. Well, even though I do Hatha Yoga every morning, I was only holding the hamstring stretch for a few seconds.

I increased the time of my stretch to 60 seconds and discovered what they reported is true. I've been noticing much less lower back discomfort during the day and more flexibility, too. So if you haven't started doing the stretching, right now's a good time to start.

60 SECONDS TO GREATER FLEXIBILITY

How long should you stretch to gain greater flexibility. A study done with healthy 85 year olds had them stretching their hamstring muscles for 15, 30 or 60 seconds. The group stretching for 60 seconds increased their flexibility and range of motion almost twice as much as the other groups. Their mobility increased, they had greater ease bending over, and they had less back pain. All from only 60 seconds of stretching.
    So can you afford not to take an extra 60 seconds and stretch your hamstrings? 

PREVENTING COMPUTER FINGER SORENESS

If you're typing at a computer and you wind up with sore hands and fingers, you might take a different approach. Just like an a athlete warms up before a sporting event, you need to warm up your fingers before you start typing. You can begin by stretching your fingers as wide as you can without straining them. Next, curl them closed slowly. Next, straighten your fingers while you bring your thumb into the center of your palm.

CHOCOLATE....YUM....

First...let me say..Happy Earth Day! Now for some really good news....
It's official!  Chocolate has now been found to have the same chemicals called OPCs that give wine and grape juice their power as antioxidants.
Dark chocolate contains four times the amount of catechims as brewed tea.  So...does this mean eat as much chocolate as you'd like - well... no, because of all the sugar that comes with the chocolate.  It does mean moderate amounts are ok, so enjoy!

THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDS

The concept of use your brain or lose it got some more validation.  A study was done with aging mice.  One group was put in an environment with lots of playmates and toys.  The aged mice developed three times as many new brain cells as mice that were kept in boring environments.

This means the elderly need to keep active with friends and activities.

In addition, friendships can actually help speed recovery from a stroke.  A study reported in "Stroke", January 1993, had 46 first-time stroke patients that felt they got the most tender loving care from families and friends.

The biggest difference came after six months.  The people who did not feel supported by friends saw their abilities after the stroke improve slightly after the stroke and then dropped dramatically six months later.

The people who felt the most supported scored 65% higher on the tasks of daily living.

Some guidelines to help the person:
Be a good listener to the person.
Don't be overprotective of the person.
After six months, most of the improvement has probably taken place.
Assert the stroke person in repetitive practice as they need to relearn basic tasks.

Having Friends At The Office Increases Productivity

Researchers have reported that loneliness at the office decreases productivity. Having a least one friend at work actually increases a worker’s productivity. 

So, loneliness is not just a personal problem, it’s an organizational problem. 

If you manage others, make sure your folks have at least one person that they are friends with.

(Reported Prevention, June 2012)