Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an increasingly serious health problem among African American women. Consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks was associated with an increased risk of diabetes in 2 studies but not in a third; however, to our knowledge, no data are available on African Americans regarding this issue. Our objective was to examine the association between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in African American women.
Methods A prospective follow-up study of 59 000 African American women has been in progress since 1995. Participants reported on food and beverage consumption in 1995 and 2001. Biennial follow-up questionnaires ascertained new diagnoses of type 2 diabetes. The present analyses included 43 960 women who gave complete dietary and weight information and were free from diabetes at baseline. We identified 2713 incident cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus during 338 884 person-years of follow-up. The main outcome measure was the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Results The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was higher with higher intake of both sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks. After adjustment for confounding variables including other dietary factors, the incidence rate ratio for 2 or more soft drinks per day was 1.24 (95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.45). For fruit drinks, the comparable incidence rate ratio was 1.31 (95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.52). The association of diabetes with soft drink consumption was almost entirely mediated by body mass index, whereas the association with fruit drink consumption was independent of body mass index.
Conclusions Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in African American women. While there has been increasing public awareness of the adverse health effects of soft drinks, little attention has been given to fruit drinks, which are often marketed as a healthier alternative to soft drinks.
Julie R. Palmer, ScD; Deborah A. Boggs, MS; Supriya Krishnan, DSc; Frank B. Hu, MD; Martha Singer, MPH; Lynn Rosenberg, ScD
Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(14):1487-1492.
Author Affiliations: Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University (Drs Palmer, Krishnan, and Rosenberg and Ms Boggs), Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health (Dr Hu), and Section of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine (Ms Singer), Boston, Massachusetts.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Qigong for Optimum Health
The word Qigong is a new term established in the 1950’s by Dr. Guizheng Liu who founded the Beidaihe Quigong Institute in 1956. The actual practice of Qigong dates back to at least 5000 years to its conception under different names.
The work Qigong (pronounced chi gung) is composed of two concepts: Qi means air, breath of life, or vital energy of the body, and gong means the skill of working with, or time for cultivating, self-discipline and achievement or mastery.
The word Qi originated from ancient Chinese philosophy, which holds that the Qi is the foundational substance of the universe, and all the phenomena are produced by the changes and movement of Qi. In ancient China, Qi was thought to be the basic elements of the entire universe.
Although the word Qigong was first used by a Chinese Daoist monk in 300 BC, the word was not mentioned again until the early 19th century in a chapter called Qigong Supplementary of a book titled Yuan He Pin. Special Therapy for Tuberculosis – Qigong Therapy, written by Donghao. It was in the 1950s when Liu Guizeng wrote and published a book called Practice in Qigong Therapy that Qigong was given a full explanation and recognized as a formal name instead of various terms.
In Practice in Qigong Therapy, Qi was identified as breath, while gong means “continuous regulation of breathing and postures.” In light of medical knowledge, different styles of Qigong exercise have been created and studied, and the efficacy in curing diseases and preservation of health proven. Qigong therapy has become more widely accepted and has enjoyed popularity throughout the country.
The distinctive features of Qigong are the following:
Qigong is an exercise based upon the ancient Chinese philosophy of at least two aspects. One is that the framework of Qigong originated from philosophy, rather than different schools of religion. Secondly, the methodology on Qigong is different from modern science on which the biomedical model is still based.
Qigong is characterized by its unique method mainly based on a triple coordination of body, breath, and mind activity, all of which the orderly training of mental activity is the core part assisted by the body adjustment and breathing exercises.
The aim of Qigong practice is the optimal state and waking up the potential abilities of human beings. The optimal state is defined as the “pre-natal” state.
In ancient China, Qigong masters divided the mind into two different types: the post-natal mind and the pre-natal spirit. The characteristics of the post-birth mind are extroverted, scattered, and disordered. The prenatal spirit, on the other hand, is highly ordered and harmonized to keep our life process in a homeostatic condition.
The mind regulation of the Qigong practitioner involves the procedural training from the post-birth mind to the prenatal spirit by slightly concentrating within, or upon a single object, proceeding from the many to the one. As the prenatal mind is awoken, the prenatal Qi would be cultivated, bringing about an optimal state. Practitioners can use this state for different purposes, including maintaining health, treating illness, and promoting vitality and spiritual awareness and insight.
(Summarized from POSITIVE HEALTH (Portsmouth, England) Issue 114. Aug, 2005, pp42-45. Article by: Dr. Lianting Zhao, Copyright© 2005 Positive Health. )
The work Qigong (pronounced chi gung) is composed of two concepts: Qi means air, breath of life, or vital energy of the body, and gong means the skill of working with, or time for cultivating, self-discipline and achievement or mastery.
The word Qi originated from ancient Chinese philosophy, which holds that the Qi is the foundational substance of the universe, and all the phenomena are produced by the changes and movement of Qi. In ancient China, Qi was thought to be the basic elements of the entire universe.
Although the word Qigong was first used by a Chinese Daoist monk in 300 BC, the word was not mentioned again until the early 19th century in a chapter called Qigong Supplementary of a book titled Yuan He Pin. Special Therapy for Tuberculosis – Qigong Therapy, written by Donghao. It was in the 1950s when Liu Guizeng wrote and published a book called Practice in Qigong Therapy that Qigong was given a full explanation and recognized as a formal name instead of various terms.
In Practice in Qigong Therapy, Qi was identified as breath, while gong means “continuous regulation of breathing and postures.” In light of medical knowledge, different styles of Qigong exercise have been created and studied, and the efficacy in curing diseases and preservation of health proven. Qigong therapy has become more widely accepted and has enjoyed popularity throughout the country.
The distinctive features of Qigong are the following:
Qigong is an exercise based upon the ancient Chinese philosophy of at least two aspects. One is that the framework of Qigong originated from philosophy, rather than different schools of religion. Secondly, the methodology on Qigong is different from modern science on which the biomedical model is still based.
Qigong is characterized by its unique method mainly based on a triple coordination of body, breath, and mind activity, all of which the orderly training of mental activity is the core part assisted by the body adjustment and breathing exercises.
The aim of Qigong practice is the optimal state and waking up the potential abilities of human beings. The optimal state is defined as the “pre-natal” state.
In ancient China, Qigong masters divided the mind into two different types: the post-natal mind and the pre-natal spirit. The characteristics of the post-birth mind are extroverted, scattered, and disordered. The prenatal spirit, on the other hand, is highly ordered and harmonized to keep our life process in a homeostatic condition.
The mind regulation of the Qigong practitioner involves the procedural training from the post-birth mind to the prenatal spirit by slightly concentrating within, or upon a single object, proceeding from the many to the one. As the prenatal mind is awoken, the prenatal Qi would be cultivated, bringing about an optimal state. Practitioners can use this state for different purposes, including maintaining health, treating illness, and promoting vitality and spiritual awareness and insight.
(Summarized from POSITIVE HEALTH (Portsmouth, England) Issue 114. Aug, 2005, pp42-45. Article by: Dr. Lianting Zhao, Copyright© 2005 Positive Health. )
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Meditation and the Traditions of East Asian Healing
The cherished East Asian idea of the body is built on a foundation of of self-cultivation - derived mostly from meditation. In Buddhism, Daoism and Shintoism, meditation is a technique for observing and becoming attuned to the intricate workings of the life-supporting energy system that exists beyond or beneath the psych-physiological activity of the living human body.
In the East Asian meditational perspective, the "flow body" is compared to a river with pristine and transparent water. The body that flows is invisible to the senses in everyday life, and most of us are relatively unconscious of it, unless we are engaging in the heightened state of awareness from meditation.
Ki-energy is that which is tapped through acupuncture, as ki-energy travels through circuits or “ki-meridians” underneath the skin. For example, the practice of acupuncture manages the absorption process and release of the energy - for most of us - unconsciously, between the comprehensive body and its environment.
According to East Asian tradition, then, healing occurs in several ways: (1) religious healing, (2) acupuncture, (3) visualization and (4) enlightenment.
The East Asian traditions of meditation and related healing practices transform one's daily consciousness, allowing the individual to develop harmony with creative energies of nature, awakening their spirit and body to natural, healing powers.
(Summarized from UNESCO COURIER, April 1997 pp15-20, by Shigenori Nagatomo)
In the East Asian meditational perspective, the "flow body" is compared to a river with pristine and transparent water. The body that flows is invisible to the senses in everyday life, and most of us are relatively unconscious of it, unless we are engaging in the heightened state of awareness from meditation.
Ki-energy is that which is tapped through acupuncture, as ki-energy travels through circuits or “ki-meridians” underneath the skin. For example, the practice of acupuncture manages the absorption process and release of the energy - for most of us - unconsciously, between the comprehensive body and its environment.
According to East Asian tradition, then, healing occurs in several ways: (1) religious healing, (2) acupuncture, (3) visualization and (4) enlightenment.
The East Asian traditions of meditation and related healing practices transform one's daily consciousness, allowing the individual to develop harmony with creative energies of nature, awakening their spirit and body to natural, healing powers.
(Summarized from UNESCO COURIER, April 1997 pp15-20, by Shigenori Nagatomo)
Sunday, August 3, 2008
TREAT THE BODY HEAL THE MIND
As every psychiatrist knows, miracle drugs don’t always lead to miracle cures. Sometimes the inevitable side effects of psychiatric drugs – ranging from chronically dry mouth to panic attacks- become too much for a patient.
One practitioner, James S. Gordon, has a radical new approach to depression. Gordon is certainly well-acquainted with the nuances of depression. But for the past 15 years, as founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Gordon has helped patients replace their drug prescriptions with a program of alternative therapies. He’s convinced that holistic medicine can be as effective as antidepressants. Most people with chronic depression, he believes, don’t need drugs to feel good.
Gordon’s approach is quite controversial in psychiatry, where the ability of antidepressants to correct abnormal brain chemistry isn’t questioned, and the idea of asking seriously depressed patients to gamble on unproven alternatives is viewed with alarm. Yet, Gordon has had many successes. Jim Norman, an epidemiologist at the National Institutes of Health suffered from depression. He tried for years to stabilize himself with tranquilizers, and then he tried Gordon’s recommended therapies. Five years later, Norman finally feels he can control his moods without drugs. “The ups and downs still exist,” he says, “but they’ve leveled out.”
Should you try mind-body medicine? Depression is not an illness to fool with. If you are depressed and haven’t consulted a psychiatrist or psychologist, go see one. But if your depression is mild, or if you’re already being treated for it, but find you have other ailments, you can consider the approach of James Gordon. But, be discriminating. Two alternative practitioners rarely have the same training or philosophy, let alone the same track record.
Following are some of the alternative therapies to consider:
(1) Acupuncture – Employs the use of needles inserted at certain points in the body. Some experiments suggest needle treatment spur higher levels of serotonin and endorphins in the brain. These chemicals may be involved in improving mood and lessening pain. However, there’s little evidence that acupuncture mental anguish.
(2) Herbal Remedies – Need to be suited to one’s needs by someone trained in Chinese or botanical remedies. Few herbs have been studied as antidepressants, but a review of research in Germany involving the use of St. John’s Wort showed that it worked against moderate depression as well as synthetic drugs. However, herbal remedies are unregulated in this country, and must be used under the supervision of a physician or pharmacist who has studied herbs.
(3) Exercise – By focusing mind and body on a rhythmic activity, exercise lessens anxiety and other negative emotions. Seriously depressed people, though, have a hard time making the effort to exercise on their own.
(4) Meditation – Regularly taking ten to 20 minutes to focus thoughts on a single phrase or image can lower blood pressure, decrease pain and reduce anxiety. However, there’s no direct evidence that meditating helps seriously depressed people. Yet, it does induce a “relaxation response”, a calm state that turns off the “fight or flight” reaction that is part of many anxious and depressed patients.
(5) Nutrition – Gordon and other alternative medicine physicians believe that certain foods, particularly caffeine and sugar, strain the endocrine system and promote depression. No one should fast without a doctor’s supervision; some people are too run down to stop eating. For most people, the best food therapy may come down to good nutrition.
(Summarized from HEALTH Jan. / Feb. 1997 pp 72-78. Article by: Peter Carlin, Reprinted from HEALTH, Copyright © 1997.)
One practitioner, James S. Gordon, has a radical new approach to depression. Gordon is certainly well-acquainted with the nuances of depression. But for the past 15 years, as founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Gordon has helped patients replace their drug prescriptions with a program of alternative therapies. He’s convinced that holistic medicine can be as effective as antidepressants. Most people with chronic depression, he believes, don’t need drugs to feel good.
Gordon’s approach is quite controversial in psychiatry, where the ability of antidepressants to correct abnormal brain chemistry isn’t questioned, and the idea of asking seriously depressed patients to gamble on unproven alternatives is viewed with alarm. Yet, Gordon has had many successes. Jim Norman, an epidemiologist at the National Institutes of Health suffered from depression. He tried for years to stabilize himself with tranquilizers, and then he tried Gordon’s recommended therapies. Five years later, Norman finally feels he can control his moods without drugs. “The ups and downs still exist,” he says, “but they’ve leveled out.”
Should you try mind-body medicine? Depression is not an illness to fool with. If you are depressed and haven’t consulted a psychiatrist or psychologist, go see one. But if your depression is mild, or if you’re already being treated for it, but find you have other ailments, you can consider the approach of James Gordon. But, be discriminating. Two alternative practitioners rarely have the same training or philosophy, let alone the same track record.
Following are some of the alternative therapies to consider:
(1) Acupuncture – Employs the use of needles inserted at certain points in the body. Some experiments suggest needle treatment spur higher levels of serotonin and endorphins in the brain. These chemicals may be involved in improving mood and lessening pain. However, there’s little evidence that acupuncture mental anguish.
(2) Herbal Remedies – Need to be suited to one’s needs by someone trained in Chinese or botanical remedies. Few herbs have been studied as antidepressants, but a review of research in Germany involving the use of St. John’s Wort showed that it worked against moderate depression as well as synthetic drugs. However, herbal remedies are unregulated in this country, and must be used under the supervision of a physician or pharmacist who has studied herbs.
(3) Exercise – By focusing mind and body on a rhythmic activity, exercise lessens anxiety and other negative emotions. Seriously depressed people, though, have a hard time making the effort to exercise on their own.
(4) Meditation – Regularly taking ten to 20 minutes to focus thoughts on a single phrase or image can lower blood pressure, decrease pain and reduce anxiety. However, there’s no direct evidence that meditating helps seriously depressed people. Yet, it does induce a “relaxation response”, a calm state that turns off the “fight or flight” reaction that is part of many anxious and depressed patients.
(5) Nutrition – Gordon and other alternative medicine physicians believe that certain foods, particularly caffeine and sugar, strain the endocrine system and promote depression. No one should fast without a doctor’s supervision; some people are too run down to stop eating. For most people, the best food therapy may come down to good nutrition.
(Summarized from HEALTH Jan. / Feb. 1997 pp 72-78. Article by: Peter Carlin, Reprinted from HEALTH, Copyright © 1997.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
