Wednesday, February 24, 2010

High Protein Diet Disadvantages

High protein diets are all the rage, but is is all hype? They had gotten a reputation as heart healthy because high protein diets did not seem to raise cholesterol. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that high protein diets resulted in mice that had more plaque build up in their arteries.

The conclusion? Even if blood tests show cholesterol levels are ok, there are other negative effects that seem to show up as a result of a high protein, lo carb diet. More info here: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/08/21/0907995106.abstract

If you need help with weight loss, have you considered acupuncture? It an help reduce appetite, and of course lessen stress. Visit www.AcuSpaWellness.com for more information, or call us at (650) 588-0888.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Drinking Tea Extends Lifespan

Looking for another reason to trade your daily coffee for tea?

A study in Hong Kong looked at the genes of tea drinkers (average 3 cups a day) vs. non-tea drinker (average 1/4 cup a day) and found that they seem to be biologically younger. Telemere length in tea drinkers were longer than those that were not. Telemeres are tails found on genes that are thought to limit cell division to a set number of times. Longer telemeres seem to correlate with more healthy cell divisions.

Biologically speaking, tea drinkers were thought to have cells with telemeres that looked about 5 years younger than non-tea drinkers. This is theorized to be linked to the strong antioxidant properties of tea.

More info on the studa can be found here: http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Tea-consumers-may-have-younger-biological-age . Do you know what else you can do to live a healthier life? Get periodic acupuncture. A "maintenance" schedule to keep adults healthy and well is about one session a month. Your body will thank you for it! Visit www.AcuSpaWellness.com for more information on our gentle and relaxing acupuncture sessions. You'll leave feeling great!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Mega Dosing is so last Decade

Mega dosing is the idea that large amounts of supplements like Vitamin C or Vitamin E are good for you. This conclusion was drawn after some research done by Linus Pauling in the 1960's, but it seems that the interpretation of the data is incorrect.

More modern studies in Germany at the University of Jana have concluded that there seems to be a detriment to megadosing of Vitamins C & E. While regular doses of these vitamins are ok, large amounts can subvert some of the benefits for exercise by neutralizing reactive oxygen species, which help the metabolism. They discovered that diabetics could have some of the benefits of exercise negated if they were megadosing on Vitamins E & C at the same time.

More info on the study here: http://www.natap.org/2009/newsUpdates/061909_01.htm

If you'd like to feel well, we suggest Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. More info can be found at www.AcuSpaWellness.com

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Chocolate may benefit Heart Health

A Study in Sweden showed that people who ate chocolate were less likely to suffer from a fatal heart attack. However, it did not show any benefit in relation to non-fatal incidents. There are more than a few problems with the study...

It was done as a survey. This study showed correlation, not causation. People that eat some chocolate could have many other things in common that are good for health. The doctor in charge, Kenneth J. Mukamal, MD, cautions that chocolate is not without it's downsides and should still be consumed in moderation.

More info on the study http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/health/15choc.html

If your sweet tooth is getting the better of you, try acupuncture and/or Traditional Chinese Medicine to help bring your body back into balance. Visit www.AcuSpaWellness.com for more info.