Health Podcast: Nocturia; Pre-Sleep Massage; Home Workout Breakdown.

In this episode we feature:

The Key to Calorie Restriction

Scrabble Immunity.

Longevity Hobbies.

Learned Insomnia.

And more ways you can improve your health today!

For more information, and to sign up for our private coaching, visit tesh.com

Our Hosts:
John Tesh: Instagram: @johntesh_ifyl facebook.com/JohnTesh
Gib Gerard: Instagram: @GibGerard facebook.com/GibGerard X: @GibGerard

Transcript

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Gib, hello and welcome to another episode of the podcast. I'm Gib Gerard here with another special intelligence for your health episode of the show. We were just talking about this on our Thursday coaching call. We have, if you are interested in our coaching calls, we've got a transformation Tuesday call and a Thursday coaching call that is much more intimate. Both of them are available@tesh.com you can sign up and be a part of them live happen, you know, twice a week, so you can check that out. But we were just talking about about the intelligence for your health show, and there were a lot of questions about it. And so I'm excited to bring you another episode. This is where we take our weekly intelligence for your health radio show, and we take all of the audio from that, and we turn it into a podcast that you get to put in your pocket and take with you wherever you're going. Intelligence for your health. All right, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, let's do intelligence for your health with Connie Celica. We are always hunting for new strategies to help us all live longer. And to that end, here's an eating habit recommended by biologist Dr David Sinclair, Director of the Center for the biology of aging at Harvard Medical School. He says, whenever possible, restrict your eating in a way that leaves you feeling slightly hungry. Dr Sinclair says we often turn to calorie restriction when we're trying to lose weight, but his research shows it's a much more effective way of slowing aging, because calorie restriction is a moderate form of fasting, and when your cells aren't busy processing food, they have more time to focus on repairing damage, including the damage that leads to disease. It's why Dr Sinclair says he eats the smallest portions possible during meals and for dessert. He limits himself to no more than a forkful of a sugary treat. The idea is to eat just enough to satisfy cravings, but never enough to feel full. Are your feet always sore since you started running for exercise or standing all day at work, here is how to reduce the pain. Grab things with your toes. Foot pain is frequently caused by plantar fasciitis, which is inflammation in the band of tissue that holds up the arch. Podiatrists suggest putting a towel or bath mat on the floor and trying to grab or scrunch it with your toes. You can even multitask and do it sitting in front of your computer or TV again, avoid foot pain by grabbing a towel with your toes. Do you find yourself lying awake at night, tossing and turning, massage your wrists. Research in the journal sleep medicine reviews suggest targeting the crease along your inner wrist in line with your pinky, and massaging that spot on each wrist for 45 seconds an hour before bedtime. The four week study found participants fell asleep easily on the first night, and those who did wrist massage nightly saw their overall sleep quality improve by a full 20% so why does wrist massage improve sleep? Because it activates an acupressure point called Shen Men in traditional Chinese medicine, which helps produce the sleep hormone melatonin. You don't need to use wet wipes after using the bathroom. Internist, Dr Holly Phillips says there's no hygienic advantage for adults to clean themselves with baby wipes instead of toilet paper, plus some wipes have things like aloe, vitamin E and alcohol added to them, which sounds great, but they might actually irritate your skin and leave it stinging and inflamed when dealing with anything that touches your Private Parts, always choose products that are unscented and chemical free. This is intelligence for your health, and I'm Connie salica. When you buy chewing gum, how often do you think about your salivary flow rate? That's the term dentists use to measure the amount of saliva flowing in our mouth at any given time. And according to the International Journal of dentistry, some gum flavors produce more saliva than others, which is a big deal, since saliva literally helps wash away food particles that cling to our gums and teeth. Saliva is also filled with minerals that help neutralize acids that cause cavities, meaning the more saliva we produce, the healthier our mouth. So which gum flavors had the highest salivary flow rate? Well, researchers did a study where they actually measured the amount of saliva produced while people chewed various flavors of sugar free gum, and the two flavors that came out on top were cinnamon and spearmint. The researchers say it has to do with how those flavors impact the acidity in our mouth. Because with fruit flavors, for example, our mouth tends to become more acidic, which is linked to a smaller salivary flow rate. But cinnamon and spearmint flavors tend to be more basic in the chemistry sense, and as this study found, the more basic. The flavor, the more saliva we produce, which generally translates to a cleaner, healthier mouth. Again, the two flavors of gum that came out on top for saliva flow were cinnamon and spearmint. Nocturia, it's the excess of need to wake up and pee after going to bed. Normally, our body clock regulates our bladder capacity, increasing it during the night so we can sleep without needing to get up and go, but at least one in three adults wake up to use the bathroom a few nights per week. So is nocturia something we should worry about? Generally speaking, no because most cases are the result of drinking too much liquid before bed. And as we get older, our bladder tends to lose holding capacity. So an easy way to solve nocturia is to avoid drinking any liquid within two hours of bed. But if you have unexplained nighttime urination that isn't the result of drinking too much liquid, talk to your doctor, because nocturia can also be a side effect of taking medications like blood pressure drugs, or it can be a symptom of more serious health conditions, including prostate problems, sleep apnea, diabetes or even congestive heart failure, and that's today's medical term, nocturia. We know overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria, but there's another concern type two diabetes, scientists found antibiotics alter the balance of our microbiome. Those are the billions of microorganisms living in our gut, and when the balance is off, it can cause changes in insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, which can increase the risk of type two diabetes, so don't take antibiotics unless you have a bacterial infection that requires them. It looks like at home, workouts are here to stay. The American College of Sports Medicine recently named online training its number one fitness trend for 2021 and since last year, 76% of people polled said they've tried working out at home, and 66% say they prefer it to the Gib, one of the biggest reasons people like at home workouts is convenience. There's simply no excuse not to work out at home. You never have to wait for equipment to free up. There's no commute and no awkward undressing in the locker room. Dr Michelle Seeger, the director of the University of Michigan's sport health and activity Research Center, says another huge factor in the boom of at home workouts is connectivity. With connected classes, we have an external motivator now your friends are waiting for you in the peloton class, and your trainer will know if you bail on your virtual class. Why does going somewhere always seem to take longer than coming back home again? Well, according to the Journal of Consumer Psychology, an outbound trip will feel longer than a trip returning back home because we mentally map out a bigger geographical area that we consider home. So the sensation of being almost home crops up sooner, like when you enter the city limits, but when you're traveling somewhere away from home, the journey lasts right up until you get to your destination before you cozy up under a wool blanket on the couch. Know this, it could be teeming with allergy causing dust mites. According to microbiologist Dr David Clark, wool attracts 42% more mites than cotton, because it has a deeper pile and more twists than the fibers, and that allows mites to crawl inside, hunker down and multiply. So before you use the wool blankets, wash them and allow them to dry completely, especially if you can let them dry in the sun. The UV rays help destroy the allergens mites leave behind, and then repeat the washing and drying every two weeks. This is intelligence for your health. And I'm Connie salaka. What we think about when we crawl into bed at night can mean the difference between waking up rested and tossing and turning all night. So here's one thing you should always think about before bed. Visualize tomorrow's success. Just thinking about achieving your goals before falling asleep can have a significant impact on your mood and energy level the following day. That's according to integrative medicine expert, Dr Sharon Norling. She says the brain reacts to imaginary things exactly the way it reacts to real events. In other words, your brain can't tell the difference. Make sure the thermostat is turned up if grandma and grandpa are visiting, because cold temperatures increase the likelihood of falls. That's because our muscles function best above a certain temperature, and that becomes even more pronounced with age. In fact, in a study, when a bunch of 70 year olds were left sitting in a chilly room for just 45 minutes, they had a drop in leg strength, and it was enough to hamper their ability. Ability to catch themselves if they were falling. So what's the ideal temperature for grandma? And when is it too chilly? Well, anything below 60 degrees will affect muscle function, and the ideal temperature is around 70 degrees. Coffee or tea will not dehydrate you no matter how much you drink. That's according to Dr Daniel vigil, a clinical professor of Family Medicine at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr vigil says each cup of coffee or tea contains a lot of liquid with a relatively small dose of caffeine, meaning you end up taking in more liquid than you lose through the diuretic effect of the caffeine. In fact, Dr vigil says a caffeinated beverage will actually hydrate your system, because your body will absorb as much fluid as it needs and expel the rest. That means any coffee and tea you drink should definitely count toward your recommended eight or so glasses of water per day, and if you find yourself feeling jittery or headachy after your morning coffee. Dehydration is probably not to blame. You may just be sensitive to caffeine, or you could be dehydrated for other reasons, like from exercise hot weather, or simply consuming too little liquid, in general. Here's a quick healthy eating tip. The peel of a red delicious apple has 500% more antioxidants than the peel of other apple varieties. That's according to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. In fact, the peel of a red delicious beat out eight common varieties of apples for antioxidant content. But if you're peeling apples to make a pie pick a northern spy Apple, its flesh has more antioxidants than any other apple variety. This is intelligence for your health, and I'm Connie salica. Do you find the older you get, the harder it is for you to daydream. We instinctively learn to zone out and daydream as kids, but as we get older and take on more responsibilities, we increasingly view daydreaming as a waste of time. University of Florida psychology professor Dr Erin Westgate says daydreaming is actually an important skill we can use to be happier and healthier, because our thoughts and emotions are closely linked, so it makes sense that having more positive thoughts or daydreams can lead to happier emotions, that in turn gives us more energy, a stronger immune system and even a higher tolerance for pain. But Dr Westgate found, as we age, most adults get bogged down with negative thoughts and emotions triggered by work, stress and responsibilities. It's why she recommends re embracing daydreaming whenever possible. Also, she says, if you're struggling to find something positive to daydream about, try focusing on your future goals, upcoming events and favorite memories that are meaningful to you. Because research shows that when people were guided to daydream about those topics, they reported a 50% increase in positive emotions almost immediately your favorite hobby is good for your health, for example, gardening or even just caring for plants inside your home, increases your heart rate, challenges Your muscles and improves joint mobility, playing backgammon or scrabble spurs new connections between brain cells, reducing your risk of dementia. The rhythmic movement of knitting relaxes you the same way meditation and yoga do, and scrapbooking stimulates areas of the brain responsible for intelligence and memory. The foods you eat have a huge impact on your life span. In fact, a study from the University of Michigan found that even one serving of some foods can increase your life span by up to 80 minutes or decrease it by over an hour. The researchers developed a nutritional index ranking nearly 6000 foods based on their impact on our life expectancy, right down to the minutes gained or lost of healthy, good quality, disease free life per serving overall sugary drinks, fried foods and processed meats like ham, bacon and hot dogs were linked to the most minutes of healthy life Lost. For example, a serving of chicken wings translated to three minutes of life lost from the sodium and trans fats, and a single beef hot dog translated to 36 minutes lost mostly from the detrimental effects of processed meat. At the other extreme, fish, fruit, vegetables and whole grains were linked to the largest gains in longevity. For example, baked salmon or rice and beans added about 12 minutes to a healthy life, and a serving of nuts added about 33 minutes. So what's the easiest way to eat your way to a longer life? The researchers say trading just 10% of your daily calories. From junk food and processed meats for fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and fish, could add 48 minutes to your lifespan every single day, time to book that ski vacation. According to research, skiing makes people happier and healthier. The study was published in the journal applied research in quality of life, and it found that the pleasure gained from a ski trip is enough to improve a person's overall happiness, even if they only get to the mountains. Occasionally, the skiers who got the most benefits were those who became most engaged in the activity and who forgot everything else in their lives while they were on the slopes, the researchers found that even a one time ski trip had a positive impact on participants. They also found that skiers showed a greater level of enjoyment in their activity than snowboarders. How do you normally spend the last hour of your day before bed, watching TV, reading, checking email? You may want to adopt what sleep expert Michael Bruce calls a power down hour. It refers to breaking up the last hour before bed into three crucial 20 minute segments. First, spend 20 minutes preparing for the next day, say, by packing lunches for your kids, choosing the outfit you'll be wearing, and writing down a list of the top tasks you'll need to conquer. Dr Bruce says, The more prepared you feel before bed, the more relaxed you'll feel in bed. Also devote 20 minutes to personal hygiene that includes brushing and flossing, showering and any other routine that helps you feel your best before bed. Having a wind down routine primes your brain to get into sleep mode. Finally, Dr Bruce recommends devoting the last 20 minutes of your power down hour to relaxing, whatever that means to you, from reading to meditating to not watching the news. So again from sleep. Dr Michael Bruce, devote your power down hour to 20 minutes of preparing, 20 minutes of hygiene, plus 20 minutes of relaxing. If you want to start working out more, tell yourself I'm an exerciser or I'm a runner, instead of telling yourself I'm going to exercise or I'm going to run according to the journal self and identity, when people used that strategy, they were better at sticking to an exercise regimen. That's because you're giving yourself an identity, not just a command, and that makes you feel like exercising is part of who you are. It also makes you feel like you belong to a community of exercisers or runners, and feeling that you're part of an active tribe makes you more motivated to keep up. This is intelligence for your health. And I'm Connie Celica prolonged grief disorder or PGD, that's a newly recognized mental health condition that refers to having unusually persistent symptoms of grief. And while there's no such thing as a normal time frame for grieving. PGD is typically diagnosed when grieving lasts at least six months in children or more than a year in adults. And it's not necessarily that you're still crying and sobbing all the time. In fact, many people with PGD report feeling no emotions. They just have a general numbness or a sense of disbelief related to their loss that will not go away, and you may also feel some guilt over the fact you're not getting over your grief. According to the American Psychiatric Association, prolonged grief disorder usually comes from the fact that some deaths or breakups are so sudden and unexpected it's almost impossible to get proper closure, and we feel like there's unfinished business. But remember, there's no right or wrong way to grieve, and if you think you're experiencing PGD, you may want to think about seeking counseling or joining a grief support group, and that's today's medical term, prolonged grief disorder, here's a fun way to boost your immune system. Play a game like Scrabble. According to a UCLA study, your body sees competition, even in a board game, as something it might need to defend itself against. That increases immune cell function, making them more active. So immune cells move more quickly into the bloodstream, where they spread throughout your body, and that protects you from illness causing pathogens. So play a friendly game against someone to boost your immune system. Here's the definitive answer, should you cover a cut or let it breathe? Cover it. So says a report from the Academy of Dermatology, they found cuts heal 40% faster when they're covered with a germ killing ointment and a bandage. If cold weather is getting to you, you can warm up by increasing your circulation. Here are three ways to do that. First, you can warm up with a cup of hot cocoa, not just because it's physically warm, but because. Cocoa boosts circulation. According to Harvard researchers, study participants who did nothing but sip a mug of cocoa every day, increased their circulation by 10% in two weeks. Cardiologist Dr Stephen Gundry says it's due to the polyphenols in cocoa powder, which dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow from your toes to your brain. Another way to warm up, watch a comedy. The University of Maryland School of Medicine says laughing increases blood flow by 35% which is similar to an aerobic workout. One final way to get your circulation going and warm up, eat some pomegranate seeds, the antioxidants in the seeds increase blood flow by 17% all you need is a half cup of seeds or three ounces of pure pomegranate juice a day. So you blew your diet and had three pieces of pizza for lunch. Cut yourself some slack and move on. Research in the Journal of Consumer Psychology found that beating yourself up about diet mistakes increases the chance that you'll repeat the mistake by over 20% that's because when we dwell on our slip ups, it creates self doubt. We see it as a personal flaw, and that depletes our willpower, so we're more likely to eat half a gallon of ice cream after that pizza binge. So acknowledge your mistake, forgive yourself and move on. You'll be less likely to do it again. A big reason a lot of people have trouble falling asleep is that they put too much pressure on themselves. It's known as learned insomnia, and it happens when you worry so much about whether or not you'll be able to fall asleep that you can't. Then the next night, you start worrying again, leading to increased stress before bed. Pretty soon, it becomes a conditioned psychological response, and every time you even think about going to bed, it ratchets up your stress. So stop pressuring yourself to fall asleep. In fact, force yourself to stay awake. When you focus on staying awake, it frees you from sleep anxiety, and people who use that technique fall asleep faster than those who don't. The next time you're sidelined by a headache or backache, take some ibuprofen and listen to classical music. The journal frontiers in neurology found that combination increases the effects of over the counter pain relievers by 93% study subjects who took a pain reliever and listened to Mozart had a greater reduction in their pain response, and it worked faster. The experts say it works because classical music boosts the production of a brain protein called B, D and F that reduces pain sensitivity, plus classical music taps into our parasympathetic nervous system, lowering heart rate and blood pressure and stabilizing blood sugar. So classical music makes it much easier for our body to absorb medications, which makes them more effective, so try some ibuprofen with a side of Mozart the next time you need to stop a headache cold. Experts from Ohio State University say the rowing machine gives the best workout at the gym. First, you don't have to already be in shape to use it, you can adjust the resistance to your preference. Another benefit of a rowing machine, it's an all over body workout that boosts your cardiovascular health and endurance. Other machines target just your arms or legs, but the rowing machine works your shoulders, your chest, arms, back, core, glutes, quads and calves all at once, so it's a great machine to use if you're short on time and want to maximize your workout. Rowing burns roughly 500 calories an hour. That's about double what you'd burn walking on a treadmill, and even though it works out your entire body, it is gentle since you're sitting, it's low impact and doesn't stress your joints, plus it's good for stress. Rowing at a moderate pace of seven miles per hour relaxes muscles in a way that counteracts tension. That's it for our show today, our special intelligence for your health with Connie Selig. Edition of the podcast, I'm Gib Gerard. Don't forget to rate comment and subscribe on Apple podcast. Spotify, wherever you get your podcast. It helps us out a lot. And also, you can reach out to us on social media all of our media. All of our links are listed down in the show notes. We try to respond to every DM, every mention of the show, because ultimately, we do the show for you guys. So thank you so much for listening. You.