Eat More Fish to Cheat Death

If you're like most American men, you're missing out on a powerful nutrient that can improve your health and add years to your life

Forget that icelandic men eat practically no vegetables, and that they affectionately refer to their local liquor as Black Death. Chances are, you could learn a lot from them about healthy eating.

You see, the men in Iceland live longer than those anywhere else on the planet—an average of 78.7 years, to be exact. That beats the second-place Japanese by a couple of months, and the likes of you by more than 4 years. The natives claim that the secret to their longevity is their Viking blood. Science points to their dinner plates.

Every year, the people of Iceland eat 29,000 tons of fish, which equates to 200 pounds of fish per capita, more than any other nation, except for a few tiny, unpronounceable island states. (No offense to our loyal readers in Tokelau and Niue.)

That's 200 pounds of live weight, but even after you subtract for bones, heads, guts, and leftovers gone bad, it's more than 6 ounces of fish every day, for every man, woman, and child—eight times the amount the average American eats. It's not difficult to connect the dietary dots.

What is it about fish? Scientists believe it's the fat. Nutritionists usually recommend that you avoid the fat in beef and pork, but the fat in fish is, well, an entirely different animal. That's because it's rich in omega-3 fatty acids—healthy polyunsaturated fats that are essential for many biological functions. In fact, you need them to live.

"Omega-3 fatty acids are part of the membrane of every cell in the body; they're also the building blocks of hormones that govern much of the body's physiology," says David Katz, M.D., director of the Prevention Research Center at the Yale school of medicine.

A quick primer on omega-3 fatty acids:

• There are three types: eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid, known respectively as EPA, DHA, and ALA.

• EPA and DHA, the omega-3 fatty acids that are most easily used by your body, are found in significant amounts only in marine life, particularly cold-water fish (because they carry more fat for insulation).

• ALA, on the other hand, is obtained from plant-derived foods, such as flaxseed, canola oil, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts.

An important detail: "For ALA to provide any health benefits, your liver must convert it into EPA and DHA," says Bruce Holub, Ph.D., a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Guelph, in Ontario. "The estimated average efficiency of conversion is around 10 percent to 15 percent."

That means for every gram of omega-3s you take in from fish sources, you need about 6 grams from plant foods to glean an equivalent amount of EPA and DHA. And that may be why fish consumption is related to longevity.

In the 1970s, scientists observed a very low death rate from heart disease in Greenland Eskimos, despite the high fat content—nearly 40 percent of total calories—of their diet. This became known as the "Eskimo Paradox," since it contradicted previous findings that a high-fat diet increased cardiovascular-disease risk. In subsequent investigations, Danish researchers found that the pivotal factor was the source of the fat.

Turns out, there was a strong correlation between the Eskimos' low incidence of heart disease and their high consumption of fatty fish, a finding that was later echoed in studies of other fish-eating cultures—in Japan, Alaska, and the Mediterranean.

And that established a direct link to the life-extending benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, since they're mostly absent in plant and land-animal food (unless you count lamb and pig brain).

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6 Ways To Boost Your Child’s Immune System

Runny noses. Constant colds. Recurrent flus. Gastrointestinal bugs. Most parents think these conditions are just par for the course with children in day care or school. But not all children are getting sick. Not all children have runny noses. Not all children will contract that GI bug.

As a naturopathic physician and expert in pediatric natural medicine, I see children of all ages coming in with recurrent infections and immune systems that catch every bug that crosses their path.

But after ten years in naturopathic medical practice, I have seen firsthand that a great immune system is not all about great genes. I also know how many powerful tools there are available to parents to easily boost their child’s immune system safely and effectively.

We don’t just have to accept our child’s current state of health. We can actually take measures to boost their defenses, speed healing, and help them to gain a greater level of wellness.

Here’s how:

1. It starts with a great diet.

Children’s immune systems can take a hit if they're constantly being bombarded with food intolerances, additives, preservatives, and sugar. When a child has a food allergy, her digestion suffers, inflammation is ramped up, which makes fending off viruses and bacteria much more difficult. It’s a similar story when a child takes in more additives and preservatives than her body can deal with.

Sugar has been shown in many clinical trials to actually suppress immunity. To keep kids well, limit their overall intake of additives, sugar, and find out which foods are allergens. Focus on plenty of fresh veggies, whole fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, eggs, and meat.

2. Maintain your child's microbiota!

Probiotics are the friendly helpful bacteria that naturally occur in our guts. They protect our digestive tracts, help us to digest food, assist in toxin clearance, and shield us from invading bacteria and viruses. When this bacterial balance becomes disrupted in children, we can see changes in a child’s ability to fend off infections.

I recommend starting children on a probiotic supplement containing lactobacillus and bifidobacteria strains early on — between 5 and 20 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) per day depending on age.

3. Help calm their stress and anxiety.

In today’s fast-paced world, parents are overstressed, children are over-scheduled, and everyone suffers. Children’s bodies have the same response to stress that adults’ do — their cortisol and adrenaline rises. When this elevation in stress hormones is sustained, their immune systems’ response is lowered.

It’s important for children to have lots of down time, time for creative play, and simply times of rest. Busy bodies need to take a break every now and then for their immune systems to thrive.

4. Make sure they're getting enough good sleep.

Most children are not getting the required amount of sleep. Depending on age, children need between ten and 14 hours of sleep per day. And it’s the quality of sleep that matters most. For proper secretion of melatonin (our sleep hormone), children need to sleep in the dark, without a night light. Since electromagnetic frequency has also been shown to affect sleep quality, make sure your child’s room is unplugged. Make sure all electronic devices are unplugged or better yet, just keep them in another room.

5. Remember that fever helps fight infection.

Although many parents panic at the first sign of a rise in temperature on the thermometer, it’s important to recognize that fever is only a sign of and not an illness itself. Fever is your child’s body’s response to an infection and without it, her body isn’t as effective at fighting the illness. The truth is, your child’s immune systems works better at a high temperature too, so she can get better quickly. Please note that while I do encourage fevers, it’s important to see a physician to make sure the fever is not a sign that something else is going on.

6. Supplements and herbs can work wonders.

The best supplements to boost a child’s immune system are vitamin D and zinc. The herbs elderberry and astragalus are my favorites for recurrent respiratory tract infections. For allergies, fish oil, vitamin C, and nettles work wonders. Please make sure to see your physician before starting your child on any new supplement or herb regimen.

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Prevent children's vision problems

We all want our kids to be tech-savvy, but there are risks that come with all that digital screen time: headaches, backaches, blurry vision and poor concentration. These symptoms can affect our children’s learning and productivity, but there are ways to prevent digital eye strain, commonly called computer vision syndrome (CVS).

Kids are wired starting at a young age
With PCs, hand-held video games, smartphones and e-readers at their disposal, kids are spending an exorbitant amount of time in front of digital screens. A 2010 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 7.5 hours a day or more of electronic media time is common among kids eight to 18, up one hour and 17 minutes from five years ago. Because they spend so much of that time "media multitasking" – using more than one medium at a time – they actually pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content into those 7.5 hours!

Children suffering digital eye strain
VSP Vision Care optometrists report that nearly one-third of their patients suffer from CVS symptoms. The company has launched a webseries to help prevent CVS, including this video:

While digital eye strain is commonly regarded as an adult condition, children are suffering from the side effects of overuse, says Dr. Leanne Liddicoat, a VSP optometrist. "With children spending upwards of 1.5 hours texting day, it's no wonder their eyes are causing them pain."

Tips for children's eye health
Easy steps parents and children can take to prevent digital eye strain.

Get regular eye exams
It's important that a child has the best vision possible when using digital devices. This starts with an examination by an eye doctor, not just a school screening. Children should have their first eye exam at six months, again at three years, before starting kindergarten and every year after that.

Follow the 20/20/20 rule
To avoid fatigue and digital eye strain symptoms, eye doctors recommend the "20/20/20 rule." Every 20 minutes, stop and look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.

Ensure proper lighting
Poor lighting often causes eye strain. Ease strain by keeping bright lights overhead to a minimum and position a desk lamp to shine on your desk, not at you. Position the computer screen in a way that reduces reflections and glare from windows or overhead lights.

Limit electronic device use
Set time limits on the amount of screen time. Children under two years should have no screen time, and older children should have less than two hours per day. Be aware of how long children are using digital devices and look for digital eye strain symptoms such as squinting, rubbing of the eyes and complaints of back, neck or head pain.

Keep a working distance
The closer the eyes are to the object they're looking at, the harder the eyes have to work. A good rule is to apply the Harmon Distance (the distance between the elbow and first knuckle) as a guide. If a child is holding video games and digital devices closer than their Harmon Distance, let their eye doctor know.

Go outside
Not only does outdoor play feel good, but research shows that it helps prevent the development of nearsightedness. Just remember to use sunglasses and sunscreen.

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7 Foods That Are Good For High Blood Pressure

Hypertension: The Silent Killer

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a serious health problem common among Americans. Over time, it causes blood vessel damage that can lead to heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and other problems.

Hypertension sometimes is called the silent killer because, by itself, it produces no symptoms. If you don’t get your blood pressure checked regularly, hypertension could go unnoticed, and untreated, for years.

High Blood Pressure and Diet

Your diet plays a big role in whether you have high or normal blood pressure. Dietary recommendations for lowering blood pressure, such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, include reducing your intake of fat, sodium, and alcohol.

The DASH guidelines also suggest eating more foods rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium. In general, you should eat more low-fat protein sources, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. The following slides present some of the best foods you can eat to lower your blood pressure.

Leafy Greens

Foods high in potassium give you a better ratio of potassium to sodium. Improvements in this ratio can help with lowering blood pressure. Leafy greens like romaine lettuce, arugula, kale, turnip greens, collard greens, and spinach are high in potassium.

Try to opt for fresh or frozen greens, as canned vegetables often have added sodium. Frozen vegetables, on the other hand, contain just as many nutrients as they do when fresh and are easy to store.

Berries

Berries, especially blueberries, are rich in natural compounds called flavonoids. One study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming these compounds may prevent hypertension, and possibly help to reduce high blood pressure as well.

Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are easy to add to your diet. Put them on your cereal every morning. Keep frozen berries on hand for a quick and healthful dessert.

Potatoes

Potatoes are high in both potassium and magnesium, two minerals that can help to lower your blood pressure. They are also high in fiber, which is necessary for an overall healthy diet. Enjoy a baked potato as the centerpiece of your dinner. Instead of fattening and salty butter and sour cream, try adding plain yogurt or salsa for flavor.

Beets

Researchers at the Queen Mary University of London found that patients with high blood pressure saw significant improvements in blood pressure from drinking beetroot juice. The study authors concluded that it was the nitrates in the juice that brought down the participants’ blood pressure within just 24 hours.

You can juice your own beets or simply cook and eat the whole root. Beetroot is delicious when roasted or when added to stir-fries and stews. Remember to use caution when handling beets—their deep red color will stain your hands and clothes.

Skim Milk

The DASH diet recommends increasing the amount of calcium-rich foods that you eat. Skim milk is an excellent source of calcium and is low in fat, another important element of a diet for lowering blood pressure.

Swap out your higher-fat milk for skim milk, or if you don’t care for milk, eat more low-fat or non-fat yogurt. Just watch out for those that are high in sugar.

Oatmeal

High-fiber, low-fat, and low-sodium foods are just what you want for lowering your blood pressure, and oatmeal fits the bill. Oatmeal for your breakfast is a great way to charge up for the day.

On its own, oatmeal can be bland, but refrain from adding too much sugar. Instead, add fresh or frozen berries to sweeten it up, and maybe just a touch of honey.

Bananas

Bananas are a great way to add potassium to your diet. Adding foods that are rich in this mineral to your diet is better than taking supplements, and it’s easy. Slice a banana into your breakfast cereal or oatmeal, or take one to work every day for a quick, easy, and inexpensive snack.

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Fasting May Not Be Needed Before Cholesterol Test

The requirement to fast before a cholesterol check can be a major inconvenience.

People who forget to fast may be told to reschedule their appointments. For those who remember, sitting in a doctor's waiting room with a growling stomach can make for a rough start to the day.

Now a large new study shows that cholesterol levels aren't radically different in people who ate compared to those who fasted before their blood was drawn.

The study, which is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, suggests that people may not need to fast before they get a cholesterol test.

Experts who were not involved in the research called the results an eye-opener.

"This information is actually very, very interesting. It might change how we approach a patient," says Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Fasting and Cholesterol
For the study, researchers looked at the results of all the cholesterol tests processed at the same lab during a six-month stretch in 2011. Because the lab does all the testing for the entire city of Calgary, Canada, that amounted to test results for more than 200,000 people. Doctors also recorded how long it had been since the patient had last eaten.

When researchers broke down the results by fasting time, they found little change. Overall, total cholesterol and HDL "good" cholesterol varied by less than 2%, depending on when a person had last eaten. Total cholesterol and HDL are important because they are the main measures used to calculate a person's risk for heart-related events.

LDL "bad" cholesterol was less than 10% different in people who'd recently eaten compared to those who had been fasting for at least eight hours.

Triglycerides, or blood fats, were the most sensitive to food. They varied by no more than 20% between people who had fasted and those who had not.

Study Limitations
Because the study is just a snapshot in time, it has important limitations. It doesn't prove that cholesterol levels don't change significantly before and after a meal for individual patients.

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