Circular Perfection | Gold Light Art Studios

The sphere is perfect as a classroom exercise because there is no way of faking it! If you make one of the transition tones in the light even a little bit too dark it will look like a spot or blemish. Make the value too light in the dark range and the form doesn't turn. The more one works on it and the more real looking it becomes, the more delicate your handling must become or it will stand out compared to the previously painted passages.

Jessica Du painted this during the Sunday drawing and painting class. She is in high school and works very consistently here, even though she has the usual full high school schedule. This is all going into her college portfolio I am completely impressed at her level of focus and the care she puts into her studies. At that age, I had nowhere near her level of maturity or quality of finished work.

Medical Alert Goes on Television Courtesy of DRTV Agency Kre8 Media Inc.

Medical Alert Direct Response Via TV

Although it’s one of the veteran companies in its category, Medical Alert had never used direct-response television advertising before choosing Kre8 Media Inc. as its new agency. Medical Alert’s new TV campaign from Kre8 Media debuted in August and new leads and orders have spiked.
Medical Alert’s in-home personal alarm system lets people who are experiencing a medical emergency summon help by pushing a button on a wristband or pendant.
The campaign from Kre8 Media is aimed both at senior citizens who live by themselves and the people who care for them. This represents a combined audience in excess of 10 million people. Previously, Medical Alert, a unit of Connect America, had relied on print and online advertising.
Kre8 is using two of its trademark tactics to increase Medical Alert’s market share: telephone numbers that are unique to the networks on which the commercials run and the single Internet URL use www.medicalalert.com. Much of Kre8’s growth and success since its founding is the result of its ability to track Internet responses to the commercials that generated the responses with the aid of sophisticated metrics and modeling.

“Medical Alert is a natural for direct-response TV advertising,” said T. Lee Cutler, founder and president of Kre8 Media. “Their dual audience now has two ways of responding to the company’s offer: an 800 number for the seniors and an Internet address for their younger caregivers. Using this new approach, we’ve already seen an increase at this early stage in the TV campaign.” Kre8 Media’s DRTV Buying tactics have proven to be extremely effective.

New Jersey Pain Management

 

NJ_Pain_Management: If you suffer from chronic pain, NJCSPM provides effective, long-term pain management treatment.

Most Memorable List For 2011

What was the most memorable list in 2011 to you? Let us know in the comments.

According to Nielsen, the top web brands in 2011 (in the U.S.) were:

1. Google

2. Facebook

3. Yahoo

4. MSN/WindowsLive/Bing

5. YouTube

6. Microsoft

7. AOL Media Network

8. Wikipedia

9. Apple

10. Ask

For social networks and blogs (in the U.S.) the list was:

1. Facebook

2. Blogger

3. Twitter

4. WordPress

5. MySpace

6. LinkedIn

7. Tumblr

8. Google+

9. Yahoo Pulse

10. Six Apart TypePad

The Top online destinations for video (in the U.S.) were:

1. YouTube

2. VEVO

3. Facebook

4. Yahoo

5. MSN/WindowsLive/Bing

6. AOL Media Network

7. Hulu

8. The CollegeHumor Network

9. CNN Digital Network

10. Netflix

 

Twitter

Twitter's most tweeted events (tweets per second):

6,939 - JAN 1 - New Years

4,064 - FEB 6 - Super Bowl

5,530 - MAR 11 - Japanese earthquake and tsunami

3,966 - APR 29 - UK Royal Wedding

5,106 - MAY 2 - Raid on Osama bin Laden

6,303 - MAY 28 - UEFA Champions League

5,531 - JUN 13- NBA Finals

6,436 - JUN 27 - BET Awards

4,995 - JUL 11 - Home Run Derby

7,166 - JUL 17 - Brazil eliminated from the Copa America

7,196 - JUL 17 - End of FIFA Women's World Cup

5,449 - AUG 23 - East Coast earthquake

7,064 - AUG 25 - Steve Jobs resigns

8,868 - AUG 28 - MTV Video Music Awards

7,671 - SEP 20 - Troy Davis executed

6,049 - OCT 6 - Steve Jobs passes away

The top hashtags of the year were:

1. #egypt

2. #tigerblood

3. #threewordstoliveby

4. #idontunderstandwhy

5. #japan

6. #improudtosay

7. #superbowl

8. #jan25

The top topics were broken down by category

TV:

1. Pretty Little Liars

2. Two and a Half Men

3. The Craigslist Killer

4. Golden Globe Awards

5. People's Choice Awards

Movies:

1. Thor

2. The Dark Knight Rises

3. X-Men: First Class

4. Fast Five

5. Green Hornet

Music:

1. Rebecca Black and Friday

2. Nate Dogg

3. FEMME FATALE

4. Gerry Rafferty

5. Gil Scott-Heron

Actresses:

1. Elizabeth Taylor

2. Mila Kunis

3. Anne Hathaway

4. Raven Symone

5. Natalie Portman

6. Elisabeth Sladen

7. Jennifer Lopez

8. Nina Dobrev

9. Emma Watson

10. Fernanda Vasconcellos

Actors:

1. Charlie Sheen

2. Macaulay Culkin

3. Ryan Dunn

4. Ricky Gervais

5. Pete Postlethwaite

6. Tracy Morgan

7. Jake Gyllenhaal

8. Ashton Kutcher

9. Colin Firth

10. James Franco

Soccer:

1. Wayne Rooney

2. Fernando Torres

3. Howard Webb

4. Wembley Stadium

5. Colo Colo

Football:

1. Dallas

2. Green & Yellow

3. Superbowl MMXI

4. Jim Harbaugh

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

NBA:

1. Rashard Lewis

2. Ray Allen

3. Derrick Rose

4. Jason Terry

5. Dallas Mavericks

Baseball:

1. Texas Rangers

2. Bert Blyleven

3. Roberto Alomar

4. Vernon Wells

5. Justin Verlander

Food and Drink:

1. McLobster

2. Fried Kool-Aid

3. Starbucks Trenta

4. Devassa Beer

5. Guinness

6. BBQ

7. Mac & Cheese

World News:

1. Mubarak's resignation

2. Raid on Osama bin Laden

3. Japanese earthquake and Fukushima nuclear disaster

4. Shooting of Gabrielle Giffords

5. Gaddafi's death

6. Swine Flu outbreak

7. WoW Gold Guide

Cities and Countries:

1. Cairo

2. Egypt

3. Japan

4. Libya

5. Tokyo

6. Dallas

7. Vancouver

8. Hawaii

9. Joplin

10. Austin

Tech:

1. Mac App Store

2. Sony NGP

3. Guitar Hero

4. Mozilla Firefox

5. Duke Nukem Forever

6. iPad

7. iPhone

8. Nintendo 3DS

9. Mortal Kombat

10. iPod

Facebook

Facebook's top games:

Gardens of Time (Playdom)

The Sims Social (EA)

Cityville (Zynga)

DoubleDown Casino (DoubleDown Interactive)

Indiana Jones Adventure World (Zynga)

Words With Friends (Zynga)

Bingo Blitz (Buffalo Studios)

Empires & Allies (Zynga)

Slotomania-Slot Machines (Playtika)

Diamond Dash (wooga)

Facebook topic lists for 2011

US Top 10 status trends

1. lms (like my status)

2. tbh (to be honest)

3. Death of Osama bin Laden

4. Charlie Sheen

5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

6. Casey Anthony found not guilty

7. Packers win the Super Bowl

8. Hurricane Irene

9. Insidious (movie)

10. Death of Amy Winehouse

Fastest growing areas of interest on Facebook globally

Entertainment

Actors and TV Personalities

1. Megan Fox

2. Vin Diesel

3. Adam Sandler

4. Selena Gomez

5. Will Smith

6. Taylor Lautner

7. Jackie Chan

8. Ashley Tisdale

9. DJ Pauly D

10. Kim Kardashian

  

Movies

1. Harry Potter

2. The Twilight Saga

3. Toy Story

4. Avatar

5. Jackass

6. Shrek

7. Saw

8. Pirates of the Caribbean

9. Fast &Furious

10. Titanic

  

TV Shows

1. House

2. Two and a Half Men

3. The Simpsons

4. Family Guy

5. South Park

6. Grey's Anatomy

7. SpongeBob SquarePants

8. CSI: Miami

9. iCarly

10. The Big Bang Theory

 

Fictional Characters

1. Dr. House

2. Dory

3. Patrick Star

4. Mr. Bean

5. Upin & Ipin

6. Bob Esponja

7. Mario

8. Doraemon

9. Ari Gold

10. Sue Sylvester (GLEE)

Music

Musicians

1. Rihanna

2. Bob Marley

3. Avril Lavigne

4. David Guetta

5. Enrique Iglesias

6. Usher

7. Lady Gaga

8. Metallica

9. Green Day

10. Black Eyed Peas

Most Listened To Songs

1. We Found Love - Rihanna and Calvin Harris

2. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - Katy Perry

3. Sexy And I Know It - LMFAO

4. Titanium - David Guetta and Sia

5. First of the Year - Skrillex

6. Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites - Skrillex

7. Without You - David Guetta and Usher

8. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine

9. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People

10. Someone Like You - Adele

Sports

Athletes

1. Leo Messi

2. Cristiano Ronaldo

3. John Cena

4. Ricardo Kaka

5. David Beckham

6. Michael Jordan

7. Sachin Tendulkar

8. Andres Iniesta

9. Kobe Bryant

10. Cesc Fbregas

Sports Teams

1. FC Barcelona

2. Real Madrid C.F.

3. Manchester United

4. LA Lakers

5. Chelsea Football Club

6. Liverpool FC

7. A.C. Milan

8. Arsenal

9. Galatasaray

10. Fenerbahce

News

News Outlets

1. CNN

2. Fox News

3. NPR

4. The Onion

5. The New York Times

6. Al Jazeera Channel

7. Yahoo! News

8. The Times of India

9. BBC World News

10. PBS

Most Shared Articles

Satellite Photos of Japan, Before and After the Quake and Tsunami (New York Times)

What teachers really want to tell parents (CNN) No, your zodiac sign hasn't changed (CNN)

Parents, don't dress your girls like tramps (CNN)

(video) - Father Daughter Dance Medley (Yahoo)

At funeral, dog mourns the death of Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan (Yahoo)

You'll freak when you see the new Facebook (CNN)

Dog in Japan stays by the side of ailing friend in the rubble (Yahoo)

Giant crocodile captured alive in Philippines (Yahoo)

New Zodiac Sign Dates: Ophiuchus The 13th Sign? (The Huffington Post)

Frugal Dad put out this infographic comparing the year in review through the eyes of Twitter, Facebook and Twitter.

StumbleUpon

Top topics from StumbleUpon's explore box:

1. love

2. funny

3. tattoo

4. games

5. diy

6. wedding

7. harry potter

8. hair

9. recipes

10. food

Blogs

Pingdom ranked the top blogging services in terms of downtime:

1. Blogger

2. WordPress

3. Typepad

4. Posterous

5. Tumblr

YouTube

Most popular videos of the year:

1. Rebecca Black - Friday

2. Ultimate Dog Tease

3. Jack Sparrow (feat. Michael Bolton)

4. Talking Twin Babies (pt. 2)

5. Nyan Cat

6. Look at me now - cover by @KarminMusic

7. The Creep (feat. Nicki Minaj & John Waters)

8. Maria Aragon - Born this way cover

9. The Force - Volkswagen commercial

10. Cat mom hugs her baby kitten

Most viewed videos from major record labels:

Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor ft. Pitbull

LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem ft. Lauren Bennett, GoonRock

Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song [Official Video]

Nicki Minaj - Super Bass

Pitbull - Give Me Everything ft. Ne-Yo, Afroj

John Murdoch Art Classes

Gold Light Studios Art School

Background:  John Murdoch has devoted decades to the study and teaching of representational painting and drawing. He produces both portraiture, figurative and still life paintings with an otherworldly edge, often using hand-ground paints and gold leaf on wood panel or canvas.

Register online for portrait painting, oil painting, or atelier life drawing classes.

 

Restaurant Online Ordering System

Restaurant Online Ordering Software System

Learn how to streamline online food orders and payment transactions with this free restaurant online ordering software system created by Restaurant Online Solutions.

This video tutorial will show you how to add menu items to an online menu.

Video: Adding Menu Items

Restaurant Online Ordering System

Restaurant Online Ordering Software

Watch live demonstrations of the restaurant online ordering system to highlight software features for restaurant employees and owners.

Restaurant Online Ordering System

Learn how to add menu items with the free restaurant online ordering system.

Medical Alert Helping to Create a Support Network for Older Americans

 

 

Supporting Networks for Older Americans 

Disasters or emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time. Over the past two years alone, more than 130 Presidential Disaster Declarations have been declared in 45 states and territories. When a disaster strikes, older persons and persons with disabilities may experience public health and human service needs that threaten their well-being. In many cases, existing physical or mental impairments may worsen, and needed family and community-based supports may be disrupted by the emergency situation. Medical Alert helps create a prepared and safe home environment are the cornerstones for older Americans, who choose to live independent.

Create a Support Network

• If you anticipate needing assistance during a disaster talk to family, friends and others who will be part of your personal support network.
• Write down and share each aspect of your emergency plan with everyone in your support network.
• Make sure everyone knows how you plan to evacuate your home or workplace and where you will go in case of a disaster.
• Make sure that someone in your local network has an extra key to your home and knows where you keep your emergency supplies.
• Teach those who will help you how to use any lifesaving equipment, administer medicine in case of an emergency.
• Practice your plan with those who have agreed to be part of your network.

Supplies and Documents

Medications and Medical Supplies

If you take medicine or use a medical treatment on a daily basis, be sure you have what you need to make it on your own for at least a week, maybe longer.

Make a list of prescription medicines including dosage, treatment and allergy information.

 

Talk to your pharmacist or doctor about what else you need to prepare.

If you undergo routine treatments administered by a clinic or hospital or if you receive regular services such as home health care, treatment or transportation, talk to your service provider about their emergency plans. Work with them to identify back-up service providers and incorporate them into your personal support network.

 

Consider other personal needs such as eyeglasses, hearing aids and hearing aid batteries, wheelchair batteries, oxygen, and medical alert system.

Emergency Documents

Include copies of important documents in your emergency supply kits such as family records, medical records, wills, deeds, social security number, charge and bank accounts information and tax records.

Have copies of your medical insurance and Medicare cards readily available.

Keep a list of the style and serial number of medical devices or other life-sustaining devices. Include operating information and instructions.

Make sure that a friend or family member has copies of these documents.

Include the names and contact information of your support network, as well as your medical providers.

If you have a communication disability, make sure your emergency information notes the best way to communicate with you.

Keep these documents in a waterproof container for quick and easy access.

Whiplash – Which Treatment Method Is Best?

Whiplash, or better termed, cervical acceleration-deceleration disorder (CAD) is primarily an injury to the soft tissues of the neck – that is, the muscles, their tendon insertions, and the ligaments that hold the joints firmly together. Neck pain is a very common health problem that affects between 10–15% of the population and drives people to all types of healthcare providers. We have previously discussed the reasons why whiplash /CAD injuries occur, the examination process and the prognosis aspects but the argument continues as to what treatment methods work the best when managing patients with CAD.

In the May 21, 2002 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, a group of medical doctors and PhD’s reported on neck pain treatment comparing traditional medical and physical therapy approaches verses spinal manipulation. In the study, they compared three common neck pain treatment approaches in a group of 183 patients with chronic neck pain (patients who had neck pain for more than 3 months). The 3 methods included traditional medical care which included medication utilization and rest, manual therapy (chiropractic adjustments) and physical therapy (active exercise training). After 7 weeks of treatment, the percentage of patients who felt either totally resolved (cured) or much improved were 68.3% receiving manual therapy / chiropractic care, 50.8% receiving physical therapy, and 35.9% receiving medical care.

The author, Jan Lucas Hoving, PhD reports that manual therapy / chiropractic was found to be more effective than the other 2 methods “…on almost all outcome measures,” not just a few! Further, although PT scored better than traditional medical care, “…most of the differences were not statistically significant,” meaning, not that much better. The authors appropriately reported that further study was needed to better understand the differences between methods.

In 2008, the “Decade Task Force” reviewed 10 years of studies on the treatment of neck pain and found similar results and referenced many studies that indicated spinal manipulation for neck pain, headaches, whiplash, and other neck related conditions was one of the most effective methods and that patients with neck pain should be given the option of receiving manual therapy / chiropractic before other approaches as it was found to be less expensive, faster in obtaining satisfying results (shorter course of disability), and most effective in terms of long-term benefits. This comparison discussion is by no means meant to minimize the importance of medical and PT care.

However, there appears to be a bias among patients with neck pain to seek medical care first when the studies clearly show chiropractic care is the preferred method. Hence, the purpose of this article is to educate the reader that their choice in treatment for neck pain should favor chiropractic care FIRST, not last. In fact, the sooner manipulation can be applied to the injured joints of the neck, typically the faster the results. For example, long term disability and chronic neck pain can occur from prolonged use of a cervical collar as the structures tighten and stiffen up from being immobile - unable to move because of the collar. Unless there is some unstable condition to the neck (fracture, grade 3 ligament tear, progressive neurological loss, etc.), studies support manipulation / early mobilization of the neck joints after injuries like whiplash verses wearing a cervical collar and rest.

Natural Ways To Treat Infection

Did You Know?

Among the many natural ways to treat infection, tea tree oil is one of the very best. Tea tree oil is an essential oil taken from the leaves of the melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia. It has a wide variety of uses with strong antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. The aborigines in Australia used tea tree leaves to heal skin infections, wounds, and burns by crushing the leaves and holding them in place with a mud pack. Tea tree oil effectively treats a variety of conditions. If you choose to try tea tree oil, it is good practice to do a patch test on your skin first, as undiluted tea tree oil can irritate the skin. If the skin is sensitive, then it is necessary to dilute it. A good tea tree oil solution can be made by mixing 5 parts of tea tree oil with 95 parts of water. 

Please note: tea tree oil should never be taken internally, even in small amounts.

Here are just some of the many ways to effectively use tea tree oil:

• Acne - Tea tree oil kills the skin dwelling bacteria that cause acne. Dilute the tea tree oil as directed above and apply to lesions. Another way to apply it is by diluting it with aloe vera gel. To begin with, mix one or two drops to one ounce of the gel.
• Athlete's Foot - Every morning and evening, saturate a cotton ball with tea tree oil (you may need to dilute it) and apply to the affected and surrounding areas. Also, you may want to apply a tea tree oil enriched moisturizer. Tea tree oil is also very effective when treating nail fungal infections.
• Insect Bites - Apply full strength to the bite area. Tea tree oil is also an effective insect repellent.
• Wound Healing - Moderately apply tea tree oil (at a strength of 70% to 100%) on the wound at least twice daily.

Lastly, putting a few drops of tea tree oil in bathwater has a relaxing and rejuvenating effect. It will also soothe sore muscles and eliminate persistent body odor.

 

Low Back Pain: An Unusual Cause?

 

There are many causes of low back pain (LBP). Most of us can think of the time we bent over to lift a child, the heavy tongue of a trailer, a 5-gallon pail of water, or maybe simply sneezed too hard and threw out our back. These causes are common and most often associated with LBP. But, one unusual cause of LBP (not so unusual once you know about it) involves Vitamin D deficiency. Yes, you heard me – a VITAMIN DEFICIENCY!

One study reported on a 360 patient (90% women, 10% men) group being treated at spinal and internal medicine clinics over a 6-year time frame for LBP of 6 months or greater with no obvious cause. Doctors tested these patients for blood levels of vitamin D (25-hydroxy vitamin D), as well as calcium and alkaline phosphatase (an enzyme found in bone). Then, they administered Vitamin D supplements and the same tests were repeated. Their results are VERY INTERESTING! The findings showed 83% of the group studied (299 patients) had abnormally low levels of vitamin D before supplementation and after treatment of ONLY vitamin D, clinical improvement was seen in ALL the groups that had low vitamin D levels and in 95% of all 360 patients! THAT’S AMAZING! 

They concluded “Vitamin D deficiency is a major contributor to chronic low back pain,” and recommend screening for vitamin D deficiency and treatment with supplements which they say, “…should be mandatory...,” especially in areas that are “endemic” for vitamin D deficiency. They also conclude that bone softening diseases like osteomalacia may occur as a result of vitamin D deficiency, while many other studies have linked vitamin D deficiency with osteoporosis. Another question then arises, what geographic regions are most susceptible to low sunlight and hence, vitamin D deficiency? 

One study showed that during the 8 months centered around summer in the US (March-October), for all locations from the southern tip of Texas to just south of Portland, OR, no difference was found in the vitamin D levels. But, in the winter months (November-February), a significant difference was seen where as latitude increased northward, the amount of vitamin D decreased “dramatically.” However, in lower latitudes (< 25 degrees), no difference was found between summer vs. winter months. What about sun block? Does using it reduce vitamin D absorption from the sun? The answer is, YES. On “The Peoples Pharmacy” website, it was reported that the typical dose of vitamin D of 400 IU “…is probably inadequate to overcome a deficiency.” They recommend 10-15 minutes of time in the sun without sunscreen a few times a week or a higher dose of vitamin D3 (“…closer to 2000 IU of vitamin D”). 

There are many other benefits – not just in terms of LBP – from taking vitamin D that have good scientific support. In fact, a PubMed search for “benefits of vitamin D” resulted in 554 studies, some of which included conditions such as, HIV, heart conditions (many), chronic illness in the elderly, osteoporosis, cancers (colorectal, prostate, breast and others), kidney disease, autoimmune diseases (celiac disease, MS, rheumatoid arthritis, many others), types I & II diabetes, and more! You get the picture, I’m sure.

           

What food can sabotage your workout?

 

Did you know?

Did you know there is a food that will stop the production of the very important hormone you create during a high intensity workout? Researchers have found that the body will shut down the production of hemoglobin when sugar is consumed within 2 hours of exercise. If you want to maximize your workout results wait at least 2 hours. My best suggestion would be a whey protein shake. Be careful of many of the post recovery sports drinks since many are loaded with refined sugars such as high fructose corn syrup or fructose.

After working out your body will typically produce growth hormone and testosterone assuming you did not over-train. Refined sugars will inhibit the production of these very important fat burning hormones. It makes no sense to sabotage your workout with sugary drinks. What should you drink post workout?

1. It is best to take in a low glycemic drink such as a whey protein shake within and hour of your workout. This is when your body seeks to repair and regenerate muscle tissue.
2.  Avoid sugary post workout drinks. You will shut down the very hormones you fired up during your workout.
3. Avoid a meal more than 400 calories and once again, NO REFINED SUGARS. Your body does not not know the difference between a can of soda and a sandwich with white bread.

A meal beyond 400 calories will raise insulin levels which also inhibits growth hormone and testosterone and also will encourage your body to store fat. Understanding how foods you eat effect hormones can be a source for huge breakthroughs in your fitness regime. The workout and exercise alone is not enough. For big changes to be made you must understand the importance of proper eating. Sooner or later you will be spinning your wheels in the gym…literally. It is the proper understanding of foods where the biggest gains are.

 

     

Dietary Changes May Help ADHD

Health Update: Diet & ADHD

You are what you eat. This is not just a catchy saying – it is the absolute truth. Yet, most people ignore this “truth” and suffer from preventable diseases, aches and pains. Most seem to think it is easier to eat junk and take a pill later. There is always a miracle medicine to save you, isn’t there? The truth of the matter is… No, There Isn’t. It is abundantly clear and becoming clearer each and every day that taking medication is no substitute for eating right, exercising and practicing proper maintenance care. 

Clearly, having your teeth pulled and replacing them with dental implants is no replacement for brushing and flossing your teeth and going to the dentist for routine check-ups. Eating fat, sugar and processed foods for 40 years and then thinking a drug or surgery is going to save you is even more foolish. Here is some research on what you and your children eat that you will find very interesting.

Study #1: What You Eat and ADHD – A recent study found putting children with ADHD on a restrictive diet to eliminate possible, unknown food allergies decreased hyperactivity for 64 percent of kids. In the study, 41 kids completed the elimination diet and 32 saw decreased symptoms. Here’s a really important part: When certain foods thought to be “triggers” for each child were reintroduced, most of the children relapsed. The elimination diet, which lasted 5 weeks, consisted predominantly of rice, white meat and some vegetables.

Study #2: Eating This Increases Depression Risk – According to Dr. Joseph Mercola’s health blog, “Consumption of trans fats can increase your risk of depression, according to new research. However, healthier fats may actually reduce your risk.” Participants in the study with the highest level of trans fat consumption had up to a 48% increase in the risk of depression.

Study #3: Report Says Energy Drinks Unhealthy – According to a new report published in the Journal of Pediatrics, popular energy drinks may be harmful to children’s health. These risks are amplified if the child has diabetes, ADHD or a heart condition. The report also stated that 30-50% of children consume these drinks and they do not substantially increase performance or energy levels. Sales of products such as Red Bull, Full Throttle, Monster Energy and Rockstar are expected to reach about $9 billion in the U.S. this year, with children and young adults under 25 providing most of the revenue. Because these drinks are considered supplements, they are not regulated by the FDA.

Among 50 kids given a “control” diet that was just a standard, healthy diet for children, significant changes were not noted. Due to the results, lead author of the study and a psychiatrist at the Nijmegen Medical Center, Jan Buitelaar, recommended the elimination diet become part of the standard of care for children with ADHD.

Here’s an important note about this study – Many doctors frown upon the elimination diet, not because of its results, but because it is “difficult.” Because it is perceived to be hard and many won’t do it, it is tossed aside for an easier approach. Of course, it is “easier” to take medications, but is the easiest approach usually the best?

 

Is Exercise Bad For Your Heart?

Has Research Proven That Exercise Is Bad For Your Heart?

Exercise is good for you… right? Everyone knows eating right, exercising, reducing stress and routine maintenance check-ups are the key to living up to your genetic potential. Well, a new study just found a certain type of exercise seems to be bad for your heart.

 

Here’s the scoop: Not too long ago, researchers conducted a study on the heart health of a group of very fit older athletes -- men who had been part of a National or Olympic team in distance running or rowing, or runners who had completed at least 100 marathons. All of the men had trained and competed throughout their adult lives and continued to strenuously exercise. The results were not good. Half of these lifelong athletes showed evidence of heart muscle scarring. None of the younger athletes or the older non-athletes had fibrosis in their hearts. The affected men were the ones who had trained the longest and hardest.

Now, a new study done on rats has reproduced similar findings. In this study, published in the journal, Circulation, Canadian and Spanish scientists prodded young, healthy male rats to run at an intense pace, day after day, for three months, which is the equivalent of about 10 years, in human terms. At the beginning of the study, the rats had perfectly normal hearts. At the end of the training period, heart scans showed that most of the rodents had developed diffuse scarring and some structural changes, similar to the changes seen in the human endurance athletes. A control group of rats did not develop the heart changes, but when the rats stopped running, their hearts returned to normal within 8 weeks. 

What Does All This Mean For You? 

According to Dr. Paul Thompson, the Chief of Cardiology at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, and an expert on sports cardiology, in terms of exercise, unless you are going to the extreme like the elite athletes in the study, probably not much. He was one of the peer reviewers for the British athlete study. He said, “How many people are going to join the 100 Marathon club or undertake a comparable amount of training? Not many. Too much exercise has not been a big problem in America. Most people just run to stay in shape, and for them, the evidence is quite strong that endurance exercise is good [for the heart].” 

What Is Important For You?

One word: Moderation. Health really seems to be all about moderation. That goes for the foods you eat, the exercise you do and the stress you deal with. Not enough is not good, but too much can be just as bad. Sadly, most people think if something is good – more is better. There is an optimal level or range for everything. Above or below that level – for any length of time – leads to abnormal stress, strain and problems. When you are looking to get in shape and be healthy, you must first discover the proper definitions of in shape and health.