April 2020 Health Newsletter


If you're a parent, you're aware of the vast amount of food advertising targeting children. In fact, you might be more than just a little annoyed with companies advertising their unhealthy food products to younger children, your children. However, new research coming from Ireland indicates the parent's eating habits are the most important predictor of what foods including unhealthy foods children are aware of and recognize. There's no question that the advertising of unhealthy foods and the fact that unhealthy foods tend to contain sugars and fats - something us humans enjoy - has an impact on children's knowledge and interest in those foods. However, this new research shows that ultimately parents have the most influence on unhealthy food awareness.  So if you're concerned about your children's dietary habits and influences (and you should be), check your pantry and your own dietary habits and ensure you're a positive influence - your children are watching!

Meditation and Yoga are known to drastically reduce stress, but they could also be the trick to staying healthier longer. In fact, a recent study asked various health providers to refer over 4,400 people to a "Relaxation Response Resiliency Program" to receive special Relax Response Training. This type of therapy calls for patients to perform intense relaxation exercises, like deep meditation and yoga positions, to loosen the grips of their anxiety and stress.  In a stunning result, around 42% of the study participants who tried Relax Response Training greatly decreased their doctor visits the following year. This also includes a 44% drop in mandatory lab work and another 21% drop in other health-related appointments. The study also looked at roughly 13,000 people who had never received Relax Response Training and saw no decrease in their annual doctor visits.  Decades of medical research shows a clear link between relaxation exercise, like yoga and meditation, and better overall health, but how does it keep the doctor away? Relax Response Training forces patients to slow down, take a breath, and focus intensely on their relaxation. This creates a positive physiological response that naturally reduces inflammation, improves muscle ability, and decreases stress to improve heart health.