HEALTH & HAPPINESS 4 YOU: Issue 23 by Vijay Rana

Spring 2017

HEALTH & HAPPINESS 4You

How to breathe properly 8 tips for healthy eating How to boost your energy

Drink more water to control your weight Yoga and meditation help in depression

Deep sleep may act as a fountain of youth in old age

Sugar-laden diet foods may lead to weigth gain Most of us try to avoid high-fat foods to control our weight. But a new study from the University of Georgia has found that sugar-laden "diet" foods could also be contributing to unwanted weight gain."Most so-called diet products containing low or no fat have an increased amount of sugar. They are given fancy names, leading us to believe that they are healthy, but the reality is that those foods may damage the liver and lead to obesity as well," said the study's principal investigator, Krzysztof Czaja. He found that rats fed a diet high in sugar but low in fat meant to imitate many popular diet foods - increased body fat mass when compared to rats fed a balanced rodent diet. The high-sugar diet induced some other problems, including liver damage and brain inflammation. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is caused by fat buildup in the liver. It can result in liver damage comparable to that caused by heavy alcohol use. The unbalanced diets also induced chronic inflammation in the intestinal tract and brain. The brain changes resulting from these unbalanced diets could be long term and even irreversible.

Vijay Rana Editor, Health & Happiness 4 You

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CONTENTS Spring 2017, Issue 23 5 – Drink more water to control your weight 7 – Higher tobacco taxes may reduce 3m deaths in South Asia 8 – 200,000 tonnes of sugar to be removed from the UK market 9 – One Hookah session gives you 25 times more tar than a cigarette 11 – Look at the bright side and live longer 11 – How to breathe properly 12 – Deep sleep helps as a fountain of youth in old age 13 – Yoga and meditation can help in depression 14 – Media violence may cause aggression 15 – Express gratitude to be happy and healthy 18 – Let your kids lose to help their decision making

How to get in touch Editor: editor@ajivan.com Advertising enquiries: sales@ajivan.com Subscription enquiries: info@ajivan.com Tel: 07850 374 595 Website: www.healthandhappiness4you.com HEALTH & HAPPINESS 4 YOU is a voluntary group dedicated to spreading the message of positive health and wellbeing. Disclaimer: The information available in this magazine is for general awareness only. It is NOT a substitute for the knowledge and judgment of qualified medical experts. We make no warranty as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of this information. Should you have any medical condition, you are strongly advised to consult a qualified health care professional. Views expressed by our contributors are their own and we take no responsibility for their views.

Want to control your weight?

Drink more water For people who want to control their weight or reduce their intakes of sugar, sodium and saturated fat, tap water may be what the doctor ordered. A new study that examined the dietary habits of more than 18,300 U.S. adults found the majority of people who increased their consumption of plain water by 1 percent reduced their total daily calorie intake as well as their consumption of saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol. People who increased their consumption of water by one, two or three cups daily decreased their total energy intake by 68 to 205 calories daily and their sodium intake by 78 to 235 milligrams, according to a paper by University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Ruopeng An. They also consumed 5 grams to nearly 18 grams less sugar and decreased their cholesterol consumption by 7 to 21 milligrams daily. “The impact of plain water intake on diet was similar across race/ethnicity, education and income levels and body weight status,” An said. “This finding indicates that it might be sufficient to design and deliver universal nutrition interventions and education campaigns that promote plain water consumption in replacement of beverages with calories.” An examined data from four waves (2005-12) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,

conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Participants were asked to recall everything they ate or drank over the course of two days that were three to 10 days apart. An calculated the amount of plain water each person consumed as a percentage of their daily dietary water intake from food and beverages combined. Beverages such as unsweetened black tea, herbal tea and coffee were not counted as sources of plain water, but their water content was included in An’s calculations of participants’ total dietary water consumption. On average, participants consumed about 4.2 cups of plain water on a daily basis, accounting for slightly more than 30 percent of their total dietary water intake. Participants’ average calorie intake was 2,157 calories, including 125 calories from sugar-sweetened beverages and 432 calories from discretionary foods, which are lownutrition, calorie-dense foods such as desserts, pastries and snack mixes that add variety to but are not necessary for a healthy diet. A small but statistically significant 1 percent increase in participants’ daily consumption of plain water was associated with an 8.6-calorie decrease in daily energy intake, as well as slight reductions in participants’ intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and discretionary foods along with their consumption of fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.

EIGHT NHS TIPS FOR HEALTY EATING The NHS website offers eight tips for healthy eating: 1- Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates. 2 - Eat lots of fruit and veg. 3 - Eat more fish - including a portion of oily fish. 4 - Cut down on saturated fat and sugar. 5 - Eat less salt - no more than 6g a day for adults. 6 - Get active and be a healthy weight. 7 - Don't get thirsty. 8 - Don't skip breakfast.

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Higher tobacco taxes may reduce

35 million premature deaths in South Asia Higher taxes on tobacco could reduce consumption in South Asia by at least one-third and avoid 35-45 million premature deaths, concludes an analysis published today in The British Medical Journal. South Asia, with a population of 1.1 billion adults, has about 170 million adult smokers – mostly male and mostly from India – and very low rates of cessation. The analysis, led by Dr. Prabhat Jha, calls on South Asian countries to implement the World Health Organization’s global tobacco control treaty and its requirements for high tobacco taxes, smoke-free public spaces, warning labels, comprehensive advertising bans and support for smoking cessation services. Previous research by Dr. Jha, director of the Centre for Global Health Research of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, has shown that raising the tax on tobacco is the single most effective intervention to lower smoking rates and to deter future smokers. Evidence from high-income countries, including Canada and the United States, and emerging evidence from China, shows that cessation has an almost immediate impact. Smoking cuts at least 10 years off a person’s lifespan, but people who quit smoking before they turn 40 regain almost all of those lost years, according to the research by Dr. Jha. Dr. Jha said the price of cigarettes, bidis (a small traditional Indian cigarette) and chewing tobacco is lower in South Asia than in high-income countries in the West because the excise taxes are so low. He said the main reason for this is opposition from the tobacco industry because of the considerable profit margins. Annual

increases in tobacco taxes are below the rate of inflation and income growth, so cigarettes remain affordable. In addition, the sale of single cigarettes is common in South Asia, which reduces the effectiveness of tax increases. Dr. Jha said South Asian countries should also strengthen the most effective non-price interventions to control smoking, including a complete ban on tobacco advertising, use of large pictorial warnings or plain packaging on tobacco products, and a complete ban on smoking in public places. The use of plain packaging or prominent pictorial warning labels is particularly relevant given the high levels of illiteracy among tobacco users in the region. Dr. Jha also noted that smoking cessation programmes are uncommon in South Asia. Most people who quit do so without physician advice, nicotine replacement therapy or electronic cigarettes. Dr. Jha said that for this analysis researchers looked at 140 million current and future smokers aged under 35. “Unless large numbers of them stop smoking, at least half of the 140 million young and future smokers would die because of smoking,” he said. “At least half of these 70 million deaths would occur before age 70, losing decades of good life. Not starting smoking or complete cessation before age 40 would avoid nearly all of these deaths.” Dr. Jha said a tripling of the excise taxes, designed in particular to decrease substitution from more expensive to cheaper brands would likely reduce smoking in South Asia by at least one-third.

Feeling exhausted? Three simple ways to boost energy levels Drink a cup of coffee or tea. A little caffeine can jump-start your day. You don’t need more than that, but it can offer a mental and physical lift, especially if you have trouble with morning fatigue.

Go for a 30-minute walk. If you can’t get outside, walk around your house in bouts of 10 to 15 minutes, two to three times a day.

Take a nap. A midday nap can help overcome tiredness later in the day. Keep naps to about 20 to 30 minutes, as studies have suggested that napping for 40 minutes or longer can have the opposite effect and leave you feeling groggy. Also, don’t nap too late in the day or in the early evening, when it could interfere with your night sleep. By Dr. Suzanne Salamon, a geriatric physician with Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

200,000 tonnes of sugar removed from the UK market per year by 2020 Public Health England have announced new guidelines for industry to reduce sugar in everyday foods eaten by children. They say UK businesses could be global leaders in kids health, removing 200,000 tonnes of sugar per year by 2020 if they innovate their products and reduce sugar by 20%. In a market where 28.2% of kids aged 2 to 15 are classed as either overweight or obese, changes like these could make a real difference.

What has PHE recommended? PHE has recommended sugar reductions in nine highly consumed food groups, including biscuits, cakes, breakfast cereals, sweet spreads, ice creams and yogurt. The PHT has also recommended three approaches the food industry can take to reduce sugar. It has asked manufacturers to reformulate products to lower the levels of sugar. Secondly, it has suggested reducing the portion size and the number of calories in single-serve products and finally, it has recommended that the industry should shift consumer purchasing towards lower or no added sugar in the food products. “We can’t duck the fact a third of children are leaving primary school overweight or obese and obesity generally

is having a profound effect, not just on the costs for the health service, but on the overall health of the nation. Our economy is affected as obesity can lead to long term health problems that result in time off work,” said Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of PHE. One of the main commitments in the Government’s Childhood obesity: a plan for action was to reduce the amount of sugar contained in food. The challenge is to reduce sugar by 5% by August 2017 and overall by 20% by 2020.

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One hookah session delivers 25 times the tar of a single cigarette

The study, led by the University of Pittsburgh School per day, while a frequent hookah smoker may only of Medicine and published in the January 2016 issue of participate in a few hookah sessions each day. the journal Public Health Report, shows that hookah The research team also notes that these findings may smokers are inhaling a large load of toxicants. be helpful in providing estimates for various official As cigarette smoking rates fall, more people are purposes. smoking tobacco from hookahs--communal pipes that "Individual studies have reported different estimates for enable users to draw tobacco smoke through water. inhaled toxicants from cigarettes or hookahs, which made The research team reviewed it hard to know exactly what to Compared with a single 542 scientific articles potentially report to policy makers or in relevant to cigarette and hookah educational materials," said cocigarette, one hookah session smoking and ultimately author and expert in meta-analysis delivers approximately 125 narrowed them down to 17 Smita Nayak, research scientist at times the smoke, 25 times the studies that included sufficient the Swedish Center for Clinical tar, 2.5 times the nicotine and data to extract reliable estimates Research and Innovation. 10 times the carbon monoxide. on toxicants inhaled when These estimates come at an smoking cigarettes or hookahs. important time. The Centers for "Our results show that hookah tobacco smoking poses Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that, for real health concerns and that it should be monitored more the first time in history, past 30-day use of hookah closely than it is currently," said lead author Brian A. tobacco was higher than past 30-day use of cigarettes Primack, assistant vice chancellor for health and society among U.S. high school students. in Pitt's Schools of the Health Sciences. Additionally, about one-third of U.S. college students Dr. Primack and his co-authors note that comparing a have smoked tobacco from a hookah, and many of those hookah smoking session to smoking a single cigarette is a individuals were not previous users of other forms of complex comparison to make because of the differences tobacco. in smoking patterns. 9 HEALTH & HAPPINESS 4 YOU A frequent cigarette smoker may smoke 20 cigarettes

Look on the bright side and you might live longer Adopting a sunnier outlook may improve your health and even extend your life. In these turbulent times, it's sometimes a struggle to maintain a glass-half-full view of life. But if you can, it may serve you well. A growing body of research links optimism—a sense that all will be well—to a lower risk for mental or physical health issues and to better odds of a longer life. One of the largest such studies was led by researchers Dr. Kaitlin Hagan and Dr. Eric Kim at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Their team analyzed data from 70,000 women in the Nurses' Health Study who, in 2004, had answered questions about how they viewed their futures. The researchers found that women who scored higher on the optimism scale were significantly less likely to die from several major causes of death over an eight-year period, compared with women who scored lower. In fact, compared to the most pessimistic women, the most optimistic had a 16% lower risk of dying from cancer, 38% lower risk of dying from heart disease, 39% lower risk of dying from stroke, 38% lower risk of dying from respiratory disease, and 52% lower risk of dying from infection.

How you can acquire optimism Even if you consider yourself a pessimist, there's hope. Dr. Hagan notes that a few simple changes can help people become more optimistic. "Previous studies have shown that optimism can instilled by something as simple as having people think about the best possible outcomes for various areas of their lives," she says. The following

may help you see the world through rosier glasses: Accentuate the positive. Keep a journal. In each entry, underline the good things that have happened and things you've enjoyed, and concentrate on them. Consider how they came about and what you can do to keep them coming. Eliminate the negative. If you find yourself ruminating on negative situations, do something to shortcircuit that train of thought. Turn on your favourite music, reread a novel you love, or get in touch with a good friend. Act locally. Don't fret about your inability to influence global affairs. Instead, do something that can make a small positive change—like donating clothes to a relief organization, helping clean or replant a neighbourhood park, or volunteering at an after-school program. Be easier on yourself. Self-compassion is a characteristic shared by most optimists. You can be kind to yourself by taking good care of your body—eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep. Take stock of your assets and concentrate on them. Finally, try to forgive yourself for past transgressions—real or imagined—and move on. Learn mindfulness. Adopting the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment and accepting it without judgment can go a long way in helping you deal with unpleasant events. If you need help, you should look for a mindfulness trainer. There are also books, videos, and smartphone apps to guide you.

How to breathe properly We breathe 18 times per minute, 1,080 times an hour and 25,920 times a day and yet most of us do not know how to breathe properly. Jane Boston, the editor of a new book ‘Breath in Action’ says that paying attention to your breathing can be the best preventative treatment for numerous health issues – notably asthma and high blood pressure, but even aches and pains picked up from bad upper body posture – as well as leading to a better awareness of your sense of self. One key to good breathing technique is learning how to breathe with your diaphragm. That’s the muscle beneath your rib cage, the same one you use for singing or laughing. If you’re breathing properly, you can feel your diaphragm pushing down into your belly.

Deep sleep may act as a fountain of youth in old age

As we grow old, our nights are frequently plagued by bouts of wakefulness, bathroom trips and other nuisances as we lose our ability to generate the deep, restorative slumber we enjoyed in youth. But does that mean older people just need less sleep? Not according to UC Berkeley researchers, who argue in an article published April 5 in the journal Neuron that the unmet sleep needs of the elderly elevate their risk of memory loss and a wide range of mental and physical disorders. “Nearly every disease killing us in later life has a causal link to lack of sleep,” said the article’s senior author, Matthew Walker, a UC Berkeley professor of psychology and neuroscience. “We’ve done a good job of extending life span, but a poor job of extending our health span. We now see sleep, and improving sleep, as a new pathway for helping remedy that.” “Unlike more cosmetic markers of aging, such as wrinkles and grey hair, sleep deterioration has been linked to such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and stroke”, he said. Moreover, the shift from deep, consolidated sleep in youth to fitful, dissatisfying sleep can start as early as one’s 30s, paving

the way for sleep-related cognitive and physical ailments in middle age. And, while the pharmaceutical industry is raking in billions by catering to insomniacs, Walker warns that the pills designed to help us doze off are a poor substitute for the natural sleep cycles that the brain needs in order to function well. “Don’t be fooled into thinking sedation is real sleep. It’s not,” he said. Meanwhile, non-pharmaceutical interventions are being explored to boost the quality of sleep, such as electrical stimulation to amplify brain waves during sleep and acoustic tones that act like a metronome to slow brain rhythms. “Previously, the conversation has focused on how many hours you need to sleep,” said Bryse Mander, the co-author of the study. “However, you can sleep for a sufficient number of hours, but not obtain the right quality of sleep. We also need to appreciate the importance of sleep quality. “Indeed, we need both quantity and quality,” Walker said. 12 HEALTH & HAPPINESS 4 YOU

Yoga and deep breathing help to reduce symptoms of depression People who suffer from depression should participate in yoga and deep breathing classes at least twice weekly plus practice at home to receive a significant reduction in their symptoms. The findings, which appear in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, provide preliminary support for the use of yoga-based interventions as an alternative or supplement to pharmacologic treatments for depression. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common, recurrent, chronic and disabling. Due in part to its prevalence, depression is globally responsible for more years lost to disability than any other disease. Up to 40 percent of individuals treated with antidepressant medications for MDD do not achieve full remission. This study used lyengar yoga that has an emphasis on detail, precision and alignment in the performance of posture and breath control. Individuals with MDD were randomized to the high dose group, three 90-minute classes a week along with home practice, or the low dose group, two 90-minute classes a week, plus home practice. Both groups had significant decreases in their depressive symptoms and no significant differences in compliance. Although a greater number of subjects in the high dose group had less depressive symptoms, the researchers believe attending twice weekly classes (plus home practice) may constitute a less burdensome but still effective way to gain the mood benefits from the intervention. "This study supports the use of a yoga and coherent breathing intervention in major depressive disorder in people who are not on antidepressants and in those who have been on a stable dose of antidepressants and have not achieved a resolution of their symptoms," explained

corresponding author Chris Streeter, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and a psychiatrist at Boston Medical Center. According to Streeter compared with mood altering medications, this intervention has the advantages of avoiding additional drug side effects and drug interactions.

Depression in the UK Since 1974, the number and proportion of older people in the UK population (aged 65 and older) has grown by 47%, making up nearly 18% of the total population in 2014. The number of people aged 75 and over has increased by 89% over this period and now makes up 8% of the population. Depression affects around 22% of men and 28% of women aged 65 years and over, yet it is estimated that 85% of older people with depression receive no help at all from the NHS. It is estimated that the number of people living with dementia worldwide was 44 million, and this was predicted to double by 2030. It has been estimated that the total cost of dementia in the UK is ÂŁ26.3 billion, with an average cost of ÂŁ32,250 per person.

Media violence and other factors causing aggressive behaviour New research offers compelling evidence that media violence affects aggressive behaviour. This first-of-its-kind study, led by Craig Anderson, a Distinguished Professor of psychology at Iowa State University, confirms six decades of research showing the effect is the same, regardless of culture. Anderson and a team of researchers in seven different countries designed the study using the same methods and measures in order to determine if the results varied by culture or were equal. The effect of media violence was significant even after controlling for several risk factors. The paper is published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. The researchers identified four key findings from the study: •

•

Violent media use was positively and significantly related to aggressive behaviour in all countries Exposure was related to heightened aggressive thinking and lowered empathy Media violence remained significant even after controlling for other risk factors The effect of media violence was larger than all other risk factors, except peer delinquency

• • • •

Peer victimization = 17 percent Gender = 12 percent Neighbourhood crime = 11 percent Abusive parenting = 9 percent

"The findings strongly suggest that media violence is similar to other known risk factors for aggression," said Douglas Gentile, an ISU professor of psychology and one • of the co-authors. "That's not to say media violence deserves special attention, but that it should be considered as seriously as other risk factors such This study clearly contradicts the as coming from a broken home. What "This is strong evidence that the current view of the entertainment matters most, however, is not any main psychological processes that single risk factor, but how they can industry that media violence has cause repeated media violence combine to increase the risk of exposure to lead to increased little social impact. aggression." aggressiveness are essentially the same across cultures, at least during normal times," Diverse, large sample Anderson said. "However, we believe that local cultural Researchers surveyed 2,154 adolescents and young and social conditions may influence such processes when adults in Australia, China, Croatia, Germany, Japan, those conditions are more extreme." Romania and the United States. The average age was 21 Anderson went on to explain that in war-torn societies, years old and 38 percent of participants were male. media violence exposure might have heightened effects Researchers asked participants to list their most due to the real violence children and teens experience frequently watched or played TV shows, movies and daily. video games, and to rate the level of violence. Anderson notes that the measures were based on selfImpact of other risk factors reports and the study was cross-sectional. However, the In addition to measuring media violence, researchers large, diverse cultural sample allowed for direct examined five other risk factors: neighbourhood crime, peer delinquency, peer victimization, gender and abusive comparisons of media violence effects across nations. It parenting. Combined, these factors substantially predicted also disproves claims by the entertainment industry that dismisses all media violence effects. aggressive behaviour and as a set were more powerful "There are highly motivated groups dedicated to than any individual effects. Researchers tested the denying scientific findings of harm, such as the tobacco importance of each factor -- media violence was the second most important predictor. Here's the breakdown of industry's decades-long denial of harmful effects of their products on cancer," Anderson said. "This study clearly all six: contradicts the denialism that currently dominates news media stories on media violence effects." • Peer delinquency = 28 percent • Media violence = 23 percent 14 HEALTH & HAPPINESS 4 YOU •

Expressing gratitude makes us healthy and happy Numerous studies show that expressing and experiencing gratitude increases life satisfaction, vitality, hope, and optimism. Moreover, it contributes to decreased levels of depression, anxiety, envy, and job-related stress and burnout. Authors of a new report explore the connection between gratitude expression and psychological and physical well-being. As it turns out, all this expression of gratitude is a good thing for our minds and bodies. In a new article in the National Communication Association's Review of Communication, authors Stephen M. Yoshimura and Kassandra Berzins explore the connection between gratitude expression and psychological and physical wellbeing. As one might expect, positivity begets positive results for our well-being. What the authors write may seem obvious: "Gratitude consistently associates with many positive social, psychological, and health states, such as an increased likelihood of helping others, optimism, exercise, and reduced reports of physical symptoms." However, the authors argue that not enough research has been done on the communication of gratitude and its effect on wellbeing, and they propose further avenues for analysis of gratitude messages and their impact. Expressions of gratitude are often a response to others' acts of generosity -- if you receive a gift from someone, or sometimes publicly, to highlight the giver's altruistic act. an act of kindness, you reciprocate by showing gratitude, Gratitude is a different emotion from happiness because it so often stems from the actions of another individual. "To experience it, one must receive a message, and interpret the message," the authors write. Perhaps most intriguing is that people who experience and express gratitude have reported fewer symptoms of physical illness, more exercise, and better quality of sleep. Who wouldn't be grateful for that? While the immediate effects of gratitude expression are clear, the authors argue that it also contributes to longterm success in relationships and personal well-being --

"up to six months after a deliberate expression to one's relationship's partner." Just as we periodically boost our immune systems through vaccines, we can boost our relationships and mental state by expressing gratitude to our partners on a regular basis. The authors leave us with a general health practice: ‘Why not regularly communicate gratitude to enhance our social connectedness?’

Chronic knuckle-crackers were more likely to have swollen hands and reduced grip strength. Cracking your knuckles might be an annoying habit, but it probably won't raise your risk for arthritis. That's the conclusion of several studies that compared rates of hand arthritis among habitual knuckle-crackers and people who didn't crack their knuckles. The "pop" of a cracked knuckle is caused by bubbles bursting in the synovial fluid — the fluid that helps lubricate joints. The bubbles pop when you pull the bones apart, either by stretching the fingers or bending them backward, creating negative pressure. Even if knuckle cracking doesn't cause arthritis, there's still good reason to let go of the habit. Chronic knuckle-crackers were more likely to have swollen hands and reduced grip strength. And there are at least two published reports of injuries suffered while people were trying to crack their knuckles. Source: Healthy Hands: Strategies for strong, pain-free hands, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.