I majored in Biochemistry in college and spent a year before Medical School working in the lab of Dr. Daniel Koshland. He was a great scientist and a wonderful man. After a 3 month trip to India, I was telling him and the group about my adventures, and how I had gotten sick at each [...]
06/16/2013
How often to Exercise?
I’ve wondered about the science behind optimal exercise regimens. When I was studying ballet intensively in my youth, we had class every day of the week, except Saturday and Sunday. The teachers said that working out on sore muscles made you stronger. Does it? Doesn’t it? The bottom line of this article is that you [...]
06/11/2013
Acupuncture and Isometric Exercises for Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee osteoarthritis has been one true success story for acupuncture research. In this study, they compare acupuncture and isometric exercise for knee osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, they don’t describe the isometric exercises well. At. all. Int J Prev Med. 2013 Apr;4(Suppl 1):S73-7. Comparison of the effects of acupuncture and isometric exercises on symptom of knee osteoarthritis.Saleki M, [...]
06/10/2013
Acupuncture Works for High Blood Pressure
Acupunct Electrother Res. 2013;38(1-2):1-15. The effect of acupuncture on high blood pressure of patients using antihypertensive drugs.Cevik C, Iseri SO. Dept. of Clinical Biochemistry, Director of The Acupuncture Clinic & The Coordinator of The Acupuncture Certificate Courses, Gazi University Medical Faculty, Ankara/Turkey. Abstract Blood pressure control is an important component of cardiovascular disease prevention. Despite [...]
06/09/2013
Coffee, Good for you
Yay! Having only sporadically been able to kick the coffee habit, extremely happy to hear that it’s good for you. The Swedes, where they drink 5-6 times the amount we drink here in the States, must be even more happy. June 6, 2013, 12:01 am This Is Your Brain on Coffee By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS For [...]
05/27/2013
Statins Interfere with Exercise Fitness?
This post on a study showing that statins, for some reason, can undercut the fitness benefits of an exercise regimen. They have no idea why, but it underscores the hazards of taking medications with far reaching effects. As readers of this blog know, I worry about statins for that very reason. What can it say [...]
05/19/2013
7 Minute Work Out?
An article about a 7 minute work out, where you work to “failing” in a number of different exercises. It’s kind of hard for me to believe you could do all those exercises in 7 minutes, especially with a 10 second rest in between. There’s very good evidence” that high-intensity interval training provides “many of [...]
05/07/2013
Depression and Dementia Link
This article discusses the link between depression and the onset of dementia and alzheimer’s disease. Sapolsky’s work shows that stress can lead to a deterioration in the hippocampus which then leads to more stress so you get an acceleration of aging. So given that mood deteriorates with stress and conversely, mood improves with stress reduction [...]
