Let's all take naps!

5 tricks for the best nap ever 

Published December 04, 2014 

Naps used to get a bad rap, conjuring up all sorts of unfortunate-and unfair-images of slackers, rambunctious kindergarteners in need of time outs, and AARP members looking to rest their weary bones. Not anymore. A 2013 Gallup Poll revealed that 40 percent of Americans get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep a night; what's more 43 percent admitted they'd feel better if they got more sleep. So it makes sense that we'd try to catch some extra zzz's whenever (and sometimes wherever) we can. 

And more and more people are doing just that. Companies like Google, Ben & Jerry's and Proctor and Gamble encourage employees to take nap breaks. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is one of several colleges to set up rooms for napping. (Located in the school's library, UM's nap station is equipped with vinyl cots, disposable pillowcases, and a 30-minute time limit.) And Barclays PLC, a global financial group, got some unwanted publicity last year, when the Wall Street Journal revealed that exhausted interns were slipping into stalls to take "toilet naps," using their phones as an alarm. And then there's Google Naps, a parody of Google Maps, which can tell you the best places in your city to catch a few winks-from libraries to park benches. 

Before you Type A's get all judgy, know this: Feeling sleepy before bedtime is completely normal. Our body's internal biological clock (otherwise known as circadian rhythm), which regulates our physical, mental, and emotional changes 24/7, also controls our wakefulness. According to research from Harvard Medical School, we usually feel alert during the day then gradually become sleepy as we move toward evening. But some of us experience a bout of mid-afternoon drowsiness, and a quick snooze can be just the ticket for handling that fuzzy feeling. What's more, studies show that there is a virtual laundry list of benefits to be had from nabbing some shut-eye (hey, they don't call it a power nap for nothing). Among them: A nap can boost brain power, make you more alert, and improve your memory. Oh, it can also help your waistline: lack of sleep can trigger hunger and could lead to overeating. And now that the weather's turned ridiculously cold (in the some parts of the country, anyway), can you think of a better time to indulge in a little cozy midday shut-eye? 

Here's how to get the most from hibernating: Find the middle ground as with many things in life, timing is everything. "Basically, the best time for a nap is as close to the middle of the day as possible," said Michael Grandner, psychiatry instructor at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. "Before lunch is too early," he said. "Lie down too late in the day and it will interfere with your nighttime sleep. Now it's getting darker earlier and daylight has shifted, so probably not before noon and not after 3:00. 

Keep it brief Telling yourself, "I'll lay down for however long I sleep" is not a great idea. You need figure out a set length of time for your nap and set the alarm. Ideally, a power nap should be 20 to 30 minutes. "You can go to 60 minutes, though once you go beyond 30 minutes, you get diminishing returns as far as improving brain function and reaping other benefits from your nap," Grandner said. Plus, he says, if you extend your nap past 60 minutes, you'll enter into a deeper (or slow-wave) stage of sleep and might wake up feeling groggy-which could affect how the rest of your day goes. 

Sack out on the sofa.Your bed signals to your body that you're nodding off for the night and can put you in a nighttime sleep mode. What you're looking for, Grandner said, is a place that's comfy, but not too comfy. The couch is your friend. 

Keep it quiet. Be protective of your sleep space, Grandner said. You're looking for a place that's as quiet as possible (consider a white noise machine or ear plugs to drown out any noise). It should be dark enough to close your eyes, but not pitch dark. "You don't want to confuse your brain into thinking you're retiring for the night," Grandner said. The temperature shouldn't be too hot or cold-slightly cool is ideal for maximum comfort. (If you're too hot or too cold, your body has to regulate its temperature, which might make it hard to relax.) Coordinate the caffeine It might seem counter-intuitive, but a 2003 Japanese study found that downing a 'cup' of Joe right before settling down can contribute to a restful nap. Here's why: Caffeine doesn't kick in until about 20 to 30 minutes after it's ingested. So you'll wake up just as the coffee is taking effect-and feel wonderfully refreshed. Simply resting can help, too Looking for a doze at work? Grandner assures that rest, even without sleep, can be beneficial. Just relax, close your eyes, take deep breaths, and you'll perk back up in 20 to 30 minutes. In fact, we may have found just the thing to help you wind down during your 9-to-5: Meet the Nutshell sleep pod, a wearable sack of blissful solitude, designed by a resourceful student at the New York School of Visual Arts. It's just a prototype right now, but fingers crossed. (Hey, it beats hanging out in a restroom stall, right?) 

Blast from the past holiday recipe! No family event was complete without this....

Strawberry and Pretzel Salad

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups crushed pretzels

3 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup butter or margarine

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 12-ounce Cool Whip

1 6-ounce package Strawberry Jello

2 cups boiling water 1 -10 ounce bag frozen sliced strawberries

Whipped cream or Cool Whip for garnishing

Directions

Topping: Add 2 cups boiling water to Jello; mix well. Add strawberries to jello. Cool Jello mixture in fridge until thick.

Crust: Melt butter; add sugar. Crush pretzels with rolling pin and add to butter mixture. Press into bottom of greased 9X13 inch baking pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees; cool well. Filling: Combine cream cheese and 1 cup sugar; beat well. Add Cool Whip; spread over cooled crust. Pour or spoon thickened jello mixture over cream cheese mixture and set until firm. Spread additional Cool Whip over the top, cover with foil & refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

The importance of continuing to read and use our technology

Mental engagement may preserve health literacy in aging 

Published December 05, 2014 Reuters 

Surfing the net, going to museums or joining a club might have an unexpected side effect: improving the ability of older people to understand drug labels and doctors' instructions, according to a new study in the UK. "We found that the effects of internet use and cultural activities, along with other social activities, including civic activities and leisure activities, added up," said lead author Lindsay Kobayashi of University College London. "The more social activities people engaged in, the better it was for their health literacy. 

Health literacy is the ability to understand and apply basic health information, and past research shows that older people with low health literacy are less able to care for their chronic diseases and more likely to use the emergency room, the study team writes in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. They analyzed health literacy among 4,368 people age 52 and older who were part of a larger long-term aging study in England. In 2004-2005 and again in 2010-2011, the participants were shown a fictitious medicine label for an aspirin bottle and asked four questions to test their understanding of the instructions. They also answered a questionnaire about their internet and email use and their social engagement, including a variety of activities that required some intellectual and physical stimulation, such as belonging to a political party or trade union, being a member of a club or exercise class and going to the cinema or art galleries. At the start of the study, 73 percent of the participants had adequate health literacy. After six years, health literacy scores had declined in 19 percent by one or more points (on a four-point scale), but 18 percent improved their scores. 

While a decline was more likely with age, the researchers note, the participants who improved their health literacy did so regardless of age. During the entire study, 32 percent of participants used the internet or email consistently and 40 percent never used either. People who used the internet or emailed regularly were 32 percent more likely to maintain their health literacy skills than those who didn't, taking into account their overall health, cognitive decline and ability to function in daily living tasks. Those who kept up with cultural activities were 39 percent more likely to keep their health literacy skills and the more they participated, the better their ability. "Internet use could help promote health literacy skills by providing opportunities to gain knowledge from health-related online content, by improving cognitive abilities such as reasoning, by providing advice and support through social networking websites or by training the navigational and digital skills that also would help a person navigate the health care system," Kobayashi said in an email. 

The people who lost more of their health literacy tended to be older, non-white, poorer and less educated. People who had more trouble remembering things and poorer function at the start of the study, and had more cognitive issues on follow-up, also did worse on the second literacy test. The vast majority, 88 percent, of people who consistently used the internet maintained their health literacy, as did those who participated in civic, leisure and cultural activities, according to the results. The study does not prove that online and social engagement improved health literacy - it just shows they appear to go hand in hand. Kobayashi pointed out, though, that the study accounted for other factors like wealth, education and health, so the results do not merely reflect participants' overall financial or physical ability. Dr. Ruth Parker at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, who was not involved in the research, said the study is important because health literacy is crucial for older people. "We've known for a long time in general as people age, they are more likely to have lower health literacy skills and also greater health literacy needs because they are more likely to have chronic health conditions and need to be able to navigate and understand health content," she said. Kobayashi noted that older people or their caregivers need access to the internet to refine their skills, whether from home computers, smart phones, libraries or community centers. Internet training and instructions on which websites to search would also be important, as would access to cultural and other social activities. The caveat, she added, is "these things take time, money and sometimes require transportation. 

Parker said it would also be important for older people to make sure doctors are giving them the information they need. She encourages everyone "to make sure they review with their health care provider what they should be doing for every one of their health conditions. 

Smile for the day!

Horse trots into hospital: It's therapy, no joke 

Published December 04, 2014 Associated Press Though it may sound like one, this is no joke: Two miniature horses trotted into a hospital. Doctors and patients did double-takes when the equine visitors ambled down long corridors in the pediatric unit at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center. Wide-eyed youngsters hooked up to IV poles stepped into hallways to get a glimpse, and kids too sick to leave their rooms beamed with delight when the little long-lashed horses showed up for some bedside nuzzling. 

Mystery and Lunar, small as big dogs, are equines on a medical mission to offer comfort care and distraction therapy for ailing patients. It is a role often taken on by dogs in health care settings - animal therapy, according to studies and anecdotal reports, may benefit health, perhaps even speeding healing and recovery. Mini-horses add an extra element of delight - many kids don't know they exist outside of fairy tales. "I want one," said 14-year-old Elizabeth Duncan, stroking Mystery's nose from her propped-up hospital bed. These horses and two others belong to the animal-assisted therapy group Mane in Heaven, based in Lake in the Hills, a suburb northwest of Chicago. They have visited nursing homes and centers for the disabled, but this November visit was their first-ever inside a hospital. It was also the first horse-therapy visit for Rush, and more are planned. "We have long had animal-assisted therapy here at Rush and just seen the enormous benefits that animals can have on most children - just the joy that they bring, the unconditional love," said Robyn Hart, the hospital's director of child life services. Mini horses "are something that most people whether kids or adults have never seen before, and so that builds in a little more excitement and anticipation. They almost look like mythical animals, like they should have wings on," Hart said. 

Some people confuse these horses with better-known Shetland ponies, but minis are less stout, with a more horse-like build. The therapy they offer contrasts starkly with the austere high-tech hospital environment - soft ears to scratch, fluffy manes to caress, big soulful eyes to stare deeply into. "They're so nice and they don't judge and they're so sweet," said epilepsy patient Emily Pietsch, 17, after gently tracing Lunar's heart-shaped muzzle with her fingers. Mane in Heaven's owner, Jodie Siegel, a former obstetrics nurse, says the minis bring "smiles, joy, love and laughter and that's the true healing in action. Some research has suggested that animal-assisted therapy may reduce pain and blood pressure, and decrease fear and stress in hospitalized children. But much of it is based on patients' reports. A review of 10 years of studies about in-patient therapy using dogs, published in April in the Southern Medical Association's journal, concluded that it's safe and can be effective. Dr. Caroline Burton of Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, a co-author of the review, owns seven dogs, four regular horses and a donkey, and strongly supports animal-assisted therapy. Burton acknowledged that skeptics dismiss it as "touchy-feely" and lacking hard evidence of any meaningful medical benefits. She said studies are needed on whether animals in hospitals can shorten patients' stays and reduce readmission rates - something her hospital is looking into with dogs and heart failure patients. While some worry about animals bringing germs into hospitals, Burton's review found no associated infections in patients. 

Guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that animal-assisted therapy in health care settings stems from evidence that having pets at home helps some patients recover more quickly from medical procedures. The guidelines focus mostly on infection control procedures and hand-washing for patients and hospital staff. Siegel, Mane in Heaven's owner, and her horse helpers carry lots of hand sanitizer and a pooper scooper on therapy visits. Siegel doesn't feed the horses beforehand, to help avoid accidents. Even so, one of the horses pooped in a hallway during the Chicago hospital visit, but the volunteers cleaned up in a flash and no one seemed phased. The horses were "a smashing success," Hart said. "We're looking forward to having them visit monthly. 

Benefits of spicy foods

Puttanesca, the healing pasta sauce 

By Chris Kilham 

Published December 03, 2014 FoxNews.com 

It's called puttanesca, which means the sauce of the ladies of the night. It's spicy, sharp, intensely flavorful, and very, very good for you. Ingredients include olive oil, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, hot chile peppers, capers, anchovies and olives. In addition to packing a powerful taste punch, it's exceptionally beneficial, proving the notion that food can also be medicine. Let's run through this marvel of culinary pharmacology. 

First of all, you start with olive oil, extra virgin. This is heart-healthy oil, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is the primary killer of adults worldwide. Rich in mono-unsaturated fats, olive oil is a key part of a heart-healthy diet. 

Tomato sauce provides the base for a good puttanesca, and it also provides lycopene, a red antioxidant pigment that helps to protect cells overall, and has specific protective benefits for the prostate gland, helping to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. 

Onions seem common, and often people don't think about them much. But they are exceptionally good for reducing serum triglycerides, for thinning blood, and for reducing the risk of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Onions are highest in the super-antioxidant quercetin, which not only inhibits the aging process, but has anti-cancer properties as well. 

Garlic is legendary for keeping vampires away, but its best role is in fighting bacteria. Used as an antibiotic, garlic kills almost every bacteria that can contaminate food. Studies show that garlic also helps to reduce high blood pressure, acting in a manner similar to that of blood pressure medications, by decreasing peripheral vascular resistance. 

Hot chile peppers do more than add some zip to a dish. They also act as vasodilators, improving the rate and volume of blood flow, thereby improving nourishment to all parts of the body. Additionally, hot chiles are thermogenic, which means that they burn calories. In fact, hot chiles can help you to burn an average of 20 percent more calories after eating. On top of that, hot chiles cause the brain to produce feel-good endorphins, thus enhancing mood. 

Capers, which come from a Mediterranean bush, not only add a bit of salty flavor to the sauce, but also possess anti-cancer properties. Capers help to reduce the risk of ulcers by inhibiting the ulcer-causing H. pylori bacteria, and they additionally improve blood sugar by reducing high blood sugar after a meal. As if that weren't enough, capers are a traditional remedy for the relief of rheumatic pain, due to their anti-inflammatory action. 

Anchovies add a bit of fish flavor and protein to puttanesca sauce, and are also rich in heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3's help the body to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, improve skin and metabolism, enhance mental health and cognitive function, and are anti-inflammatory, thus reducing the risk of most major chronic degenerative diseases. Mashed up in puttanesca, anchovies add a special tang. Lastly olives round out puttanesca, providing many of the same cardio benefits as olive oil, in addition to adding flavor and texture. 

It's easier than many people imagine to cook and eat foods that simultaneously provide a flavorful eating experience, plus health benefits. In fact, many recipes do exactly this. In the case of puttanesca, we have a pasta sauce that delivers complex, rich flavor, while offering numerous significant benefits for health at the very same time. You will find various puttanesca recipes online and in good Italian cookbooks. Happy eating- and healthy living to you. 

Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the world, from the Amazon to Siberia. He teaches ethnobotany at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is Explorer In Residence. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies and is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide. His field research is largely sponsored by Naturex of Avignon, France. Read more at MedicineHunter.com . 

Are you cold all the time?

Cold all the time? Here's why 

By Dr. Manny Alvarez 

Published December 01, 2014 FoxNews.com 

We all feel chilled to the bone every now and then - especially during cold winter months. But when you just can't warm up - is there a deeper, underlying issue? 

We received this email from a viewer: Q: I'm always cold. My doctor tested my thyroid levels, which were normal. Is there another reason, or test I can have to diagnose my constant cold hands? Your thyroid can contribute to being cold all the time, but other reasons may include: * Skipping meals - The body conserves energy and produces less heat when you don't eat. * Not getting enough sleep - This can make you feel rundown and less active. * Anemia - A simple blood test can detect if you are anemic.* Hormonal imbalances - In women, fluctuating estrogen levels can make you sensitive to cold temperatures. * Raynaud's disease - The blood vessels and smaller arteries that supply blood to the skin constrict and limit circulation. * Low body weight - Alvarez said he is referring to muscle mass and body fat. 

Using your muscles generates heat, and fat acts as insulation. If you are always feeling cold, go to your primary care physician and have a physical. And you may even want to see an endocrinologist. Do you have a health question you want me to answer? Email me at DrManny@foxnews.com Dr. Manny Alvarez serves as Fox News Channel's Senior Managing Editor for Health News. Prior to this position, Alvarez was a FNC medical contributor. Follow Dr. Manny on Facebook . 

December

Hi everyone,
I am meeting myself coming and going trying to help everyone with open enrollment issues. If you haven't heard from me, please call Krystal at 501-664-7100.  I am trying to get everyone worked in before Sunday.

Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet