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to your Address Book or Safe List. Learn how here. | January 20, 2011 | |  |  | Boost Health and Well-Being with the "Brain" Inside Your Heart | | | Is Your Fish Oil Supplement Slowly Killing You? | | | Worrisome News About Red-Faced Drinkers | | | Forever Young | | | Way Beyond Calcium: Minerals Your Bones Need Most | | | |  |  | |  | |
 | | Boost Health and Well-Being with the "Brain" Inside Your Heart When I tell you that emotional well-being begins in the heart, you probably think that I’m referring to the metaphorical repository of love. But in fact, I’m talking about the actual organ. Research in a fascinating branch of biofeedback shows that particular heart-rhythm patterns accompany different emotional states and send distinct signals to the brain. These, in turn, influence our emotions, nervous system activity and cognitive abilities, including memory and problem-solving. It now appears that the heart has its own intrinsic nervous system (nicknamed the "heart brain") that independently senses and processes information. In fact, the heart sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart! I was intrigued to discover that a biofeedback technique called HeartMath, in which we learn to control our heart rhythms, can produce powerfully positive effects on the way we think and feel -- so I invited psychologist and HeartMath practitioner Corey S. Bercun, PhD, founder and director of the Trauma and Stress Recovery Center in San Francisco, to share his knowledge with us. Who can be helped: Studies published in The American Journal of Cardiology and Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science and elsewhere, plus case history data, show that this biofeedback technique can significantly improve health, psychological well-being and/or quality of life in people with... Psychological conditions, including anxiety, depression, panic disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. Physical ailments, such as hypertension, chronic fatigue, chronic pain and insomnia. How it works: Biofeedback consists of monitoring physiological activity -- typically brain waves, breathing patterns and/or the skin’s electrical conductivity -- with instruments that produce visual or auditory representations of the activity. With this feedback, patients learn which thoughts and breathing patterns enhance physiological rhythms... then they learn to reproduce these independent of the biofeedback device. HeartMath works basically the same way, Dr. Bercun explained, except that a device provides feedback on your heart rate variability (the naturally occurring variation in the time intervals between heartbeats). For instance... When you are anxious, angry, frustrated or in pain, your heart rhythm becomes erratic. Disorderly neural signals travel from the heart to the brain, triggering a cascade of biochemical changes that can inhibit clear thinking, deplete energy and produce extra wear and tear on the body. The HeartMath device depicts these erratic heart rhythms with angular, irregular marks on the graph that appears on the screen. When you feel positive emotions (appreciation, joy, love), your heart rhythm is ordered, stable and smooth. The accompanying signals from heart to brain facilitate cognitive function and allow the body’s systems to operate efficiently. The HeartMath device represents these heart patterns with smooth, wavelike lines on the graph. The goal: With training, you learn to consciously promote these favorable heart rhythms and, in turn, gain more control over your physical, mental and emotional state, Dr. Bercun told me. What to expect: Either of two biofeedback products can be used for HeartMath training -- a software program installed on a computer or a stand-alone handheld device. A sensor clip attached to an earlobe or finger conveys information about heart rhythms to the device, which produces audio and/or visual feedback. The practitioner provides instruction on how to focus on positive experiences and emotions to produce beneficial shifts in heart rhythm. Unlike typical relaxation techniques, which create a low-energy state, the aim with HeartMath is to achieve a state that is calm and balanced, yet energized and responsive. Sessions typically last 30 to 45 minutes. The number of sessions needed depends on how quickly the techniques are mastered. "Often there can be dramatic results in the first session. In my own practice, I’ve seen blood pressure drop by as much as 25 points for the top number and 12 points for the bottom number," Dr. Bercun said. Some insurance plans cover this therapy. To find a practitioner: Check www.HeartMathProviders.com. Home use: For maximum long-term benefits, especially when dealing with a chronic medical or psychological condition, Dr. Bercun recommended that professional training be followed up with home practice. Devices for home use: The emWave Desktop Stress Relief System computer software program with hardware costs about $300, has multiple graphic and audio options for representing heart rhythm, and can save session data and track your progress. The emWave Personal Stress Reliever, a $200 device about the size of an iPod, offers fewer features but is portable. These products can be used on your own without professional guidance, particularly if your goal is simply to reduce stress and enhance mental stamina. Product information: www.HeartMathStore.com. Source: Corey S. Bercun, PhD, is a psychologist, HeartMath practitioner and founder and director of the Trauma and Stress Recovery Center in San Francisco.
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 | | Worrisome News About Red-Faced Drinkers People whose faces flush when they drink alcohol may lack an enzyme called ALDH2. This enzyme deficiency, which impairs the body’s ability to completely metabolize alcohol, is only known to occur in people of East Asian descent (Japanese, Chinese, Korean) -- but it affects more than one-third of that population. The danger: ALDH2 enzyme deficiency increases the risk for alcohol-related esophageal cancer by six to 10 times, compared with the risk in people who don’t have the deficiency. Nondrinkers who are ALDH2-deficient have no increased risk for esophageal cancer. Self-defense: If you are of East Asian descent and get red-faced when you drink, tell your doctor and discuss this finding. Source: Philip J. Brooks, PhD, is an investigator with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Rockville, Maryland, and author of a report on facial flushing.
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| | | Way Beyond Calcium: Minerals Your Bones Need Most A recent study has us worried that getting too much calcium from supplements increases our risk for heart attacks (see the December 5, 2010, issue of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line). That’s why many of us are cutting back on calcium supplements to protect our hearts... and, hopefully, boosting our consumption of calcium-rich foods (which are not linked to cardiovascular problems), such as dairy products and dark green leafy vegetables, to protect our bones. But: This makes it more important than ever to guard against osteoporosis. An excellent strategy, according to Mao Shing Ni, PhD, DOM, LAc, author of Second Spring: Dr. Mao’s Hundreds of Natural Secrets for Women to Revitalize and Regenerate at Any Age, is to be sure to get enough of four other essential, yet less familiar, minerals that our bones need to stay strong. These minerals are especially vital for women given that we are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis. The ideal way to get these minerals is through food because foods contain complementary components that enhance nutrient absorption, Dr. Mao said. For a mineral-rich, bone-building diet, follow the guidelines below. For serving sizes, see "Amounts that constitute one serving of... " at the end of this article. Boron helps the body use calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients vital to bone formation. Be sure to eat: At least three servings per day of nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts) or nut butters... or fruits (apples, avocados, bananas, grapes, oranges, pears, tangelos). Added boost: Dried fruits are especially rich in boron -- but don’t overdo it on these, as they also are high in sugar. Onions are another good source. Manganese is essential for the proper formation and maintenance of bone, cartilage and connective tissue. Be sure to eat: Two or more daily servings of legumes (chickpeas, lentils, lima beans)... nuts (chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts)... or whole grains (barley, brown rice, bulgur, couscous, oats). Added boost: For extra manganese, have some pineapple, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries. Silicon assists calcium with bone growth and increases collagen, the protein component of bones. A study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research showed that silicon was particularly helpful for premenopausal women. Be sure to eat: Four or more servings per week of whole grains (barley, brown rice, oats)... or fruits (apples, bananas, cherries, grapes, mangoes, pineapples, plums). Added boost: Silicon also is found in cabbage, celery, cucumbers, green beans and tofu. Zinc produces enzymes that recycle worn-out portions of bone protein and help heal injured bones. Be sure to eat: Two servings a week of shellfish (crabs, lobster, oysters)... lean meat (beef, lamb, pork, veal)... poultry (chicken, duck, turkey)... legumes (black-eyed peas, chickpeas, lentils, lima beans, navy beans)... or seeds (pumpkin, sesame, squash, sunflower). Added boost: Other good sources include barley, bulgur, cashews, pine nuts, ricotta cheese and yogurt. Amounts that constitute one serving of... - Fish, meat, poultry or a soy product: Three to four ounces.
- Cooked grains or whole-grain cereal: One-half cup... or one slice of whole-grain bread.
- Chopped raw or cooked vegetables or legumes: One-half cup.
- Fruit: One whole small fruit... one-half cup of berries or diced fruit... or one-quarter cup of dried fruit.
- Nuts or seeds: Two ounces... or one tablespoon of peanut butter or other nut butter.
Source: Mao Shing Ni, PhD, DOM (doctor of oriental medicine), LAc (licensed acupuncturist), is chancellor and cofounder of Yo San University in Los Angeles and codirector of Tao of Wellness, an acupuncture and Chinese medicine clinic in Santa Monica, California. He is the author of 12 books, including Second Spring: Dr. Mao’s Hundreds of Natural Secrets for Women to Revitalize and Regenerate at Any Age (Free Press) and Secrets of Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100 (Chronicle). www.TaoOfWellness.com
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 |  |  Tamara Eberlein, the editor of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line, has been a health journalist for nearly three decades. An award-winning author of four books, she is committed to helping other women in midlife and beyond live healthy, fulfilling lives. She is also the "chief health adviser" to her husband of 25 years, college-age twins and teenaged son. |  | | Bottom Line Publications | 281 Tresser Boulevard, 8th Floor | Stamford, CT 06901
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