My Daily Wellness Tip

Study: Sedentary Behaviour and Obesity

(Taken from Statistics Canada)

A new study finds a positive association between the number of hours spent watching television and the likelihood of being obese.
The study, "Sedentary behaviour and obesity," is based on data released from the 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey.
The study, which used data from 42,600 men and women aged 20 to 64, found strong evidence of a positive association between the time spent watching television and obesity among both sexes. It is one of the first studies based on a nationally representative data set to examine associations between sedentary behaviours and obesity among Canadian adults.
The study also found an association between computer use and obesity for both sexes. But a third sedentary activity, reading, was not associated with obesity for either sex.
When factors such as age, marital status, education, household income, immigrant status and urban-rural residence were taken into account, the odds of obesity among men and women who reported watching television 21 or more hours a week were almost twice the odds for men and women who averaged 5 hours or fewer in front of the tube.
The associations persisted when infrequent leisure-time physical activity and low consumption of fruit and vegetables were taken into account. This reinforces findings of other studies that found television viewing to be related to obesity, independent of physical activity and dietary intake.
As well, leisure-time computer use was significantly associated with obesity among men and women. When age and other socio-demographic characteristics were taken into account, those who used computers for at least six hours a week had increased odds of being obese, compared with those who averaged no more than five hours.

Water - drink more to hold less in your body

It seems that most people have water consumption confused. They think that if you are holding too much water in your body you need to drink less.

But the opposite is true in fact. If you aren't drinking enough water your body is smart and will hold onto any it can. To flush excess water out of your body you need to drink more water.

Not drinking enough water is not the only reason you can hold water weight though. Too much sodium/salt in your diet as well as too many carbs can do the same.

Key is moderation!

Canada Looks at Vitamin D for Swine Flu Protection

(taken from Mercola.com)

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has confirmed that it will be investigating the role of vitamin D in protection against swine flu.

The agency started a study last year on the role of vitamin D in severe seasonal influenza, which it said it will now adapt to the H1N1 swine flu virus.

Part of the researchers’ goal is to understand whether vitamin D levels are in any way responsible for the fact that most people with seasonal influenza develop a mild illness, but a small minority go on to develop severe symptoms.

According to PHAC, results from its study will indicate the extent and nature of the role of vitamin D in severe seasonal influenza.

                                                         
Sources: 
  NutraIngredients August 10, 2009

 

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

Canada appears to be one of the first countries to literally “see the light.”

Over the course of at least three flu seasons, Canada’s public health agency plans to analyze the impact vitamin D levels have on flu severity and, if they find a correlation between severe flu cases and vitamin D levels, will then decide whether vitamin D can be used to lessen serious cases of seasonal flu. While the study started out focused on seasonal flu, the agency is now adapting the study to the swine flu virus.

This is exactly the type of research that stands to make a real difference in public health, with the unfortunate aspect being that it may take years to bear out.

I highly suggest you don’t wait for their results to come in, as there is already overflowing evidence showing that your vitamin D levels play a role in your likelihood of getting the flu.

 

 

Chewing Gum May be the Cause of Your Digestive Problems

 

When you chew a piece of gum, you don’t notice it, but you trigger the digestion process and your body starts to produce digestive enzymes.  It’s the chewing motion in the jaw that activates the process.  Unfortunately, if someone chews gum on a chronic basis, this could result in a lack of digestive enzymes when they actually eat food later on.  This is due to the fact that the organs that produce the digestive enzymes are not functioning at 100% anymore due to overuse.  As a result, someone might experience symptoms of indigestion, bloating, etc.  Therefore, if you chew gum on a regular basis and also experience digestion problems, this might be something to consider as the cause of your problems.

The Appendix is NOT a Useless Organ

For many years, people have been told that the appendix was a useless organ, and whether or not someone had their appendix, it wasn’t going to affect their overall health.  This concept has become so widely accepted by the medical profession that when an individual requires abdominal surgery, which is not related to their appendix, often times, they also remove the appendix at the same time in case the patient would develop an acute case of appendicitis in the future.

 

I have finally come across research which proves that the appendix is NOT a useless organ.  According to the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, the appendix stores good bacteria in order to repopulate the gut should the normal intestinal flora get disturbed (i.e. during an infection).

 

In light of this research, I sincerely hope that the medical profession will take notice and that modifications to current medical protocols will happen in the near future.

Is it a Cold or the Flu?

This table from WebMD can help determine if you have cold or flu symptoms.

 

Symptoms	Cold	Flu
Fever	Sometimes, usually mild	Usual; high (100-102 F; occasionally higher, especially in young children); lasts 3 to 4 days
Headache	Occasionally	Common
General Aches, Pains	Slight	Usual; often severe
Fatigue, Weakness	Sometimes	Usual; can last 2 to 3 weeks
Extreme Exhaustion	Never	Usual; at the beginning of the illness
Stuffy Nose	Common	Sometimes
Sneezing	Usual	Sometimes
Sore Throat	Common	Sometimes
Chest Discomfort, Cough	Mild to moderate; hacking cough	Common; can become severe