The Benefits Of Sunlight

This is just so amazing.  The power of the sun is incredible on our bodies. Thank you Dr. Mao Shing Ni.

-- Dr. Dale.

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Dr. Mao Shing Ni's Wellness Living: The Benefits Of Sunlight

SUNDAY, 27 APR 2014, 8:47:00 AM

DR. MAO SHING NI

With the beautiful weather of spring here and summer closing in, people are spending more and more time outdoors and the power and benefits of the sun are essential. A lack of sunshine can affect us physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Many centenarians understand the power of the sun. They rise at dawn, and sundown is their bedtimes. Sunlight, as we know, can either be helpful or destructive to our health, depending on the level of exposure.

The ultraviolet rays of the sun are a natural sterilizer, killing bacteria and fungus on the skin as well as promoting the production of vitamin D. It can also stimulate your immune system, raising the levels of natural killer cell activity.

However, too much sun can cause skin cancer, heat stroke, dehydration and suppressed immune function. Here’s why you need to let the sun in and enjoy it!

The Sun’s Effect On Your Mood

Sunshine increases the hormone serotonin, which is connected with feelings of happiness and wakefulness. It also regulates the chemical melatonin, which is associated with sleep.

That could account for why we may feel like sleeping more in the winter and not feel as elated and energized as we do at the height of summer.

The Wonder Of Vitamin D

As more research is done, it’s becoming apparent that vitamin D is something of a wonder vitamin. It’s not only necessary to make calcium work in our bones, it’s been linked to a host of health benefits such as stimulating the immune system, lowering rates of cancer, bone fractures, diabetes, heart disease, even anxiety and depression.

And the most attainable, absorbable source of vitamin D is the ultraviolet rays of the sun. It only takes 15 minutes of sunlight exposure to get a full day’s supply, yet according to recent studies, 75 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient.

Let The Sun Shine

Instead of hiding under a quilt, get outside. Embrace the weather. Try to take a walk every day, even a short one when the sun is highest in the sky.

It not only makes you appreciate the contrast of seasons, it elevates your mood and lets you soak up that beneficial vitamin D.

Of course, if you happen to live in the southern climes your concern could be getting too much sun. In that case, maximize the benefit from the sun by limiting direct exposure to thirty minute or less, when the sun is at its peak.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

Dr. Mao Shing Ni, best known as Dr. Mao is a bestselling author, doctor of Oriental Medicine, and board certified anti-aging expert. He has recently appeared on “The Ricki Lake Show,” “Dr. Oz,” and contributes to Yahoo Health and The Huffington Post. Dr. Mao practices acupuncture, nutrition, and Chinese medicine with his associates at the Tao of Wellness in Santa Monica, Newport Beach, and Pasadena. Dr. Mao and his brother, Dr. Daoshing Ni, founded the Tao of Wellness more than 25 years ago in addition to founding Yo San University in Marina del Rey. To make an appointment for evaluation and treatment call 310.917.2200 or you can email Dr. Mao at contact@taoofwellness.com. To subscribe to his tip-filled newsletter, visit www.taoofwellness.com.

Polio.

Friends, please read.  This is important. --Dr. Dale

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/05/polio-spread-un_n_5266849.html

Spread Of Polio Is A World Health Emergency

LONDON (AP) — For the first time ever, the World Health Organization on Monday declared the spread of polio an international public health emergency that could grow in the next few months and unravel the nearly three-decade effort to eradicate the crippling disease.

The agency described current polio outbreaks across at least 10 countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East as an "extraordinary event" that required a coordinated international response. It identified Pakistan, Syria and Cameroon as having allowed the virus to spread beyond their borders, and recommended that those three governments require citizens to obtain a certificate proving they have been vaccinated for polio before traveling abroad.

"Until it is eradicated, polio will continue to spread internationally, find and paralyze susceptible kids," Dr. Bruce Aylward, who leads WHO's polio efforts, said during a press briefing.

Critics, however, questioned whether Monday's announcement would make much of a difference, given the limits faced by governments confronting not only polio but armed insurrection and widespread poverty.

"What happens when you continue whipping a horse to go ever faster, no matter how rapidly he is already running?" said Dr. Donald A. Henderson, who led the WHO's initiative to get rid of smallpox, the only human disease ever to have been eradicated.

The WHO has never before issued an international alert on polio, a disease that usually strikes children under 5 and is most often spread through infected water. There is no specific cure, but several vaccines exist.

Experts are particularly concerned that polio is re-emerging in countries previously free of the disease, such as Syria, Somalia and Iraq, where civil war or unrest now complicates efforts to contain the virus. It is happening during the traditionally low season for the spread of polio, leaving experts worried that cases could spike as the weather becomes warmer and wetter in the coming months across the northern hemisphere.

The vast majority of new cases are in Pakistan, a country which an independent monitoring board set up by the WHO has called "a powder keg that could ignite widespread polio transmission."

Dozens of polio workers have been killed over the last two years in Pakistan, where militants accuse them of spying for the U.S. government. Those suspicions stem at least partly from the disclosure that the CIA used a Pakistani doctor to uncover Osama bin Laden's hideout by trying to get blood samples from his family under the guise of a hepatitis vaccination program. U.S. commandos killed the al-Qaida leader in May 2011 in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad.

At the end of last month, there were 68 confirmed polio cases worldwide, compared with just 24 at the same time last year. In 2013, polio reappeared in Syria, sparking fears the civil war there could ignite a wider outbreak as refugees flee to other countries across the region. The virus has also been identified in the sewage system in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, although no cases have been spotted.

In February, the WHO found that polio had also returned to Iraq, where it spread from neighboring Syria. It is also circulating in Afghanistan (where it spread from Pakistan) and Equatorial Guinea (from neighboring Cameroon) as well as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya.

Officials also worry countries torn by conflict, such as Ukraine, Sudan and the Central African Republic, are rife for polio reinfection.

Some critics say it may even be time to accept that polio may not be eradicated, since the deadline to wipe out the disease has already been missed several times. The ongoing effort costs about $1 billion a year.

"For the past two years, problems have steadily, and now rapidly mounted," Henderson said in an email. "It is becoming apparent that there are too many problems (for the polio eradication effort) to overcome, however many resources are assigned."

Henderson and others have suggested the extraordinary efforts needed for polio eradication might be better spent on other health programs, including routine vaccination programs for childhood diseases. But he conceded that transitioning to a control program would be difficult. "If not eradication, how does one accomplish a 'soft landing' which could sustain the global program on immunization?" Henderson said.

Aylward said the WHO and its partners, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aren't yet considering pushing back their latest deadline to eradicate polio by 2018.

CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said the reemergence and spread of polio out of Pakistan, Cameroon and Syria pose "a serious threat to our ability to eradicate polio."

"Conflicts in many areas where polio is circulating are hampering efforts to vaccinate but success remains within reach," Frieden said.

Still, the independent board monitoring the progress being made on polio has called for overhauling the program.

"Few involved in (polio eradication) can give a clear account of how decisions are made," concluded a recent report by the group. "If a billion-dollar global business missed its major goal several times, it would be inconceivable that it would not revisit and revise its organizational and decision-making structure."

12 Foods To Keep You Fuller, Longer

This is great!  Perfect for summer and losing the undesired weight. -- Dr. Dale

--------- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/29/foods-control-appetite-full_n_5486104.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living

By Carey Rossi

When you're trying to lose weight, cutting back on the amount you eat is a given -- but feeling hungry all the time is one of the major reasons why most diets fail within a week. Still, you can silence your grumbling stomach without consuming extra calories. In fact, eating certain foods sends a signal to your brain that you're done eating and quiets your appetite. Shut out the ice cream pint that's calling your name by eating these healthy and satisfying foods.

1. Apples

   Chomp on an apple approximately a half hour before a meal -- the fiber and water from the apple will fill you up, so you'll eat less, says Debra Wein, RD, president of Wellness Workdays, a leading provider of worksite wellness programs.

2. Avocados

   Eating half of an avocado with your lunch may help you feel full for the rest of the afternoon, according to a study published in Nutrition Journal. Women who did that felt 22 percent more satisfied and had a 24 percent lower desire to snack three hours later than on days they ate a calorically equivalent lunch without the avocado.

3. Beans, Chickpeas & Lentils

   Dietary pulses such as chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas are protein-rich superfoods that also pack in fiber, antioxidants, B vitamins and iron. Eating more of them may also help you control your appetite. A recent meta-analysis published in the journal Obesity found that people were 31 percent more satisfied after a meal when it included pulses.

4. Soup

   In a Penn State study, people who slurped a bowl of low-calorie, broth-based soup before their lunch entrées reduced their total calorie intake at the meal by 20 percent. "Soups can take the edge of your appetite since they take up a lot of volume in your stomach, but with very few calories," says Beth Saltz, RD, owner of nutritionskitchen.com.

5. Pickles

   Pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi and other fermented foods have short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and recent research in the Annals of The New York Academy of Sciencesfound that they help strengthen the bond between the gut and the brain. SCFAs stimulate production of hormones that cross the blood-brain barrier and improve appetite signaling. Fermented foods also boast probiotics, the healthy bacteria that help digestion. Some experts believe probiotics may reduce appetite and aid weight loss, though research is inconclusive.

6. Chili Powder

   You may already know that capsaicin, the compound in chilis that gives them their kick, fires up your metabolism. Recent research from Maastricht University in the Netherlands shows that adding heat to your meal may also control your appetite. The study, which was published in the journal Appetite, found that adding 1/4 teaspoon of chili pepper to each meal increased satiety and fullness. What's more, some participants were only allowed to consume 75 percent of their recommended daily calorie intake, but didn't feel any more desire to continue eating after dinner than those who were given 100 percent of their daily calories.

7. Dark Chocolate

   When you're craving something sweet, reach for dark chocolate. Research suggests dark chocolate can help reduce blood pressure and protect the heart and brain. It's also more filling than milk chocolate and may help curb cravings for both sweet and salty foods, according to a study in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes. In fact, participants consumed 17 percent fewer calories at a meal following a dose of dark chocolate.

8. Eggs

   Starting your day with eggs will leave you satisfied until lunch. The power's in the protein: research from the University of Missouri at Columbia suggests that eating a 300-calorie breakfast made up of 30 to 39 grams of protein (think: eggs and sausage) reduces hunger pangs and increases fullness during the time between breakfast and lunch. What's more, the research revealed that high-protein breakfast eaters consume fewer calories throughout the day.

9. Nuts

   Nuts are another filling food that may help you eat less. In a British Journal of Nutrition study, obese women who paired either 1.5 ounces of peanuts or 3 tablespoons of peanut butter with Cream of Wheat cereal and orange juice felt fuller for up to 12 hours after finishing breakfast than those who didn't eat the peanut products. "Nuts are essentially designed by nature to control appetite because they're rich in healthy unsaturated fat, along with bonus protein and fiber," says Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, Health magazine contributing nutrition editor. Together, the three nutrients slow digestion and regulate blood sugar when combined with carbs like fruit, oatmeal or brown rice.

10. Oatmeal

    Consider ditching cereal for warm, gooey oatmeal. Oatmeal will keep you feeling fuller longer, suggests a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Participants were served 250 calories of cereal or oatmeal with 113 calories of milk. The oatmeal-eaters were satiated longer, and they also experienced a greater reduction in hunger and a decreased desire to eat compared to ready-to-eat cereal eaters. Why the difference? Oatmeal is higher in fiber and protein and also has higher amounts of beta-glucan -- the sugars that give oatmeal its heart-healthy properties, hydration and molecular weight compared to ready-to-eat cereals.

11. Water

    Being low on H2O can trick you into believing you're hungry. Why? The symptoms of hunger are similar to those of being dehydrated: low energy, reduced cognitive function, and poor mood. So next time you're craving an afternoon snack, drink a tall glass of water and wait 10 minutes. Chances are, your hunger pangs will pass, and you'll have saved hundreds of calories.

12. Whey Protein

    Dairy whey -- one of the two proteins that make up milk products -- may be the most filling type of protein. According to a study published in the journal Appetite, people who drank whey protein ate 18 percent less two hours later than those who had consumed a carbohydrate drink. Use whey protein powder to give smoothies a protein punch.