Remarkable Testimony to the Power of Your Brain

Look no further for evidence of the human brain’s astounding capacity to recover and adapt to events that would normally be incompatible with normal life.

A 44-year old French civil servant went to the hospital after he suffered mild weakness in his left leg. Once the doctors learned of his past medical history, which included having a shunt inserted into his skull to drain away water on the brain as an infant, they performed a CT scan and an MRI of his brain.

To their amazement, they found that his lateral ventricles were massively enlarged, leaving but a sliver of brain tissue. Normally, these ventricles are tiny chambers that hold the cerebrospinal fluid that cushions the brain.

Intelligence tests showed he had an IQ of 75, which, although below the average score of 100, is not considered disabled or mentally retarded.

Dr. Muenke, a pediatric brain defect specialist, commented, “If something happens very slowly over quite some time, maybe over decades, the different parts of the brain take up functions that would normally be done by the part that is pushed to the side.”

The body, including the brain, is truly a marvelous piece of “machinery.” Just take a look at these other examples of incredible brain power, despite (or in some cases because of) head trauma or autism: The Boy With the Incredible Brain, or the Most Amazing Demonstration of Memory You Have Ever Seen.

Reuters.com July 19, 2007

Mercola.com

75 Percent of the U.S. Population Will be Overweight by 2015

A research team at John Hopkins University has examined 20 different published studies and national surveys about weight and eating behavior.

Their conclusion is far from encouraging.

Americans across all age groups, genders and races are getting fatter, and if the trend continues, 75 percent of U.S. adults will be overweight by the year 2015.

Obesity is definitely becoming the norm.They also found that an astounding 80 percent of african american women over the age of 40 are currently overweight, with 50 percent falling in the obese category, putting them at great risk for heart disease, diabetes and various cancers.
Yahoo News July 18, 2007

Dr Mercola"s comment's

This may actually be optimistic. At least one study predicted that 90 percent of men and 70 percent of women will eventually become overweight.

I find it very difficult to agree with that, but it is definitely true that, as a result of the obesity epidemic, the average American lifespan is falling like a rock and could drop even more in coming decades.

In fact, by the middle of this century, the increased risk of obesity-caused diabetes, heart disease and cancer could lower the average life expectancy of 77.6 years by as much as five years.

That's certainly a far cry from the 2002 Social Security Administration forecast that projected the maximum human life span to reach 100 in roughly six decades.

If this epidemic is not reversed we will, for the first time in history, see children living shorter lives than their parents.

And their quality of life may be worse as well. In addition to the diseases they will suffer, they may also need to spend more of their money on their illnesses; medical expenditures for morbidly obese adults in the year 2000 were 81 percent more than for normal-weight adults.

The high price tag for health care costs for morbidly obese adults is also weighing heavily on U.S. health care system. In that same year, the U.S. health care budget that needed to treat those with excess body weight shot up to over $11 billion.

I have dedicated a large portion of my life to reversing this deadly trend, by providing you with the tools you need to fight obesity in your own home.

Simple lifestyle changes can help re-balance your body to its unique ideal weight, and drastically improve your overall health:

Change your diet to one that is based on your body's unique nutritional type.

Re-balance your intake of animal based omega-3 fats.

Reduce or eliminate grains and sugars from your daily diet.
Start an exercise program that works for your personality and lifestyle, keeping in mind the three vital factors of effective exercise: length of time, frequency, and intensity.

Your emotions have a huge impact on disease, so address your emotional issues related to your weight and health with fast and effective tools like the Emotional Freedom Technique.

www.mercola.com

Five Powerful Reasons to Eat Slower

Can the act of eating slower change your life? Maybe so.

The Slow Food Movement grew out of Italy, some two decades ago, to counter the encroaching fast food movement. But it is not just about slow-cooked, healthy food -- it’s an entire lifestyle.

Eating slower has several benefits that, overall, may pave the way to a more fulfilling existence.

What can you gain from slowing down at mealtime?

• Lose weight. Eating slowly gives your body the time it needs to register that it's full, which curbs overeating.
• Gastronomic pleasure. You have to eat -- why not make it an enjoyable experience?
• Improved digestion. Digestion starts in the mouth, so the more you chew, the less work your stomach needs to do.
• Reduced stress! No time to defrag and meditate? Let mealtime be your moment of mindful being.
• Connect with the people around you.

ZenHabits.com July 13, 2007

Dr Mercola's comments:
www.mercola.com

The modern lifestyle is built around speed, but as a previous article pointed out, living the fast life may rob you of the good life. Once in a while, it’s good to stop and ask yourself, “Am I living my life fully, or am I just rushing through it?”

Incorporating the habit of eating slower can be that first step to a more relaxed, more fulfilling life—that moment each day when you “stop and smell the roses,” if you will.

Slowing down your eating will also help you better digest your food, as you will be chewing it more and mixing it with salivary digestive enzymes. Additionally, chewing helps stimulate intestinal digestive enzyme release.

People are slowly but surely beginning to recognize that certain “slow” times are a vital part of life—without them, you are missing some of the most important reasons for being alive. Once those moments are passed, you can’t get them back at a later “more convenient time.”

Eating slower also goes right along with the lifestyle of eating healthier food, rather than zipping through the nearest fast food joint. This combination of healthier selections, together with slowing down the whole eating process (and sharing time with others), can put you squarely on the right track toward a healthier body, mind and emotional state.

In addition to selecting as much fresh, locally grown organic foods as you can, following a diet that is custom made for your nutritional type will bring you optimal results.

When you eat just the right fuel that your body needs, your overall health will improve in many profound ways. You can expect to:

• Optimize your weight
• Improve your emotional well-being
• Have increased energy throughout the day
• Prevent chronic and degenerative diseases of all kinds
• Look and feel younger
• Avoid common illnesses, like colds and the flu
• Increase your mental focus
• Live years longer with a higher quality of life
• Feel satisfied and reduce or eliminate cravings

Please also remember that we offer a free Nutritional Typing Mini Course that explains even more about nutritional typing and all the benefits it offers.

What Turns Walking Into a Good Workout?

A Japanese study has confirmed that high-intensity interval walking can protect against high blood pressure and decreased muscle strength among older people.

The study examined almost 250 adults over a period of five months. The study participants engaged in either no walking or moderate to high-intensity walking. The group which engaged in high-intensity walking experienced the most significant improvement in their health.

In the July issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Dr. James Levine used this study as a means of discussing the many benefits of walking. In his editorial, Levine opined that walking is an excellent form of exercise because it “is there for everyone ...

Walking doesn't cost you anything, you can do it barefoot and you can do it now, this minute.”
Science Daily July 13, 2007

Dr Mercola's comments:

There is no doubt that getting out and taking a walk is much better than sitting on the couch all day. Getting out and moving is a necessary and important part of a healthy lifestyle, whether you're seeking to normalize your blood pressure or diabetes, reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease or joint problems, or simply to improve your mental health.

But that still leaves many questions to be answered -- for optimum health, how much should you exercise, for how long, and how strenuous does it really need to be?

Just as I've mentioned in previous articles, the Japanese study mentioned above once again confirms that the higher the intensity of the exercise, the greater the overall health benefits.

That is why high-intensity interval walking produced more results than moderate walking. The other major benefit of this approach is that it take MUCH less time to exercise this way.

You simply don't have to do one hour of aerobics or running to get fit. That can be a major waste of time and actually counter productive.

If you're looking to lose or maintain weight, remember that the key to weight loss is not just about how many calories you burn, but how many calories you burn over a unit of time (in other words, the difference between your basal metabolic rate and your activity.)

Vigorous exercise burns calories immediately, AND helps reset your internal thermostat to keep burning calories even while you're at rest. Less intense exercise does not have this effect.

So what's the right amount of intensity? You should exercise vigorously enough so that it's difficult to have a conversation with someone next to you. If you find yourself huffing and puffing to where you can't talk at all, then it's too strenuous.

Because of this, if you want to lose significant weight, or truly change your risk for heart disease, you are going to need to work out much harder than going for a leisurely stroll.

One of my new favorite types of workouts is this high intensity exercise training. There are many varieties out there but a good example is the one developed by Al Sears, MD who reawakened me to the value of interval training with his P.A.C.E. program.

http://www.mercola.com/