My own blood pressure went up over the summer so I have been keeping an eye on the numbers every week. My increase in exercise and eating better I believe have again made a difference. ( My very first blog post was called “Biking my Weight Off” about losing weight to help decrease my blood pressure ) The last two weeks I have recorded normal numbers. Today I checked with 120/75. Earlier in the summer it got high as 150/98. I don’t know why my numbers got so high, but I plan to continue to keep careful watch.

As we all know, high blood pressure can lead to heart disease and that is very serious indeed.  Cancer gets a great deal of press (for good reason) , but the facts are heart disease is the number 1 killer in America. So doing everything I can to keep my numbers normal is a big priority. As a result, I have been reading a great deal on what can keep blood pressure numbers normal.

Most recently, I read about two new studies, in Orlando Sentinel, about how the low-sugar fruit of blueberries may help folks at risk of  high blood pressure. I want to share this information with you. I wrote another blog post about blueberries called “Another Reason to Love Blueberries”

A team of researchers at Oklahoma State University recently found that consuming  blueberries every day  can help reduce some heart risk factors, such as high blood pressure. Published in the Journal of Nutrition, the study researchers wondered weather eating blueberries, which are very high in dietary antioxidants, would help patients with metabolic syndrome  who were at risk of hypertension

Arpita Basu, an Oklahoma State University nutritional sciences professor and lead author of a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, found a seven- to eight-point drop in the systolic blood pressure of 66 pre-hypertensive men and women who included a blueberry drink in their diet once a day for eight weeks.

The participants in the study were a group of 66 men and women with pre-hypertension, meaning their blood pressure was elevated.  “They were above normal, but not quite at the stage of being diagnosed with hypertension,” said Arpita Basu, an OSU nutritional sciences professor and the lead author.

In the eight-week study, one group of patients drank a beverage made from two cups of blended frozen blueberries once a day — and continued to eat a normal diet. Another group of patients drank an equivalent amount of fluids and ate their standard diet.

After eight weeks, Basu said, researchers saw a seven- to eight-point drop in the systolic blood pressure of patients who had been drinking the blueberry beverage. Additionally, the patients received the benefits of antioxidants in the berries, as well, she said. Basu said consuming one or two servings of blueberries per day can help both pre-hypertensive and hypertensive patients get control of their glucose levels.

This is early research to be sure, but I plan to include even more blueberries into my own lifestyle. Thank God I love to eat them!

Many of us love blueberries. And now we have another reason to love blueberries even more. A new study suggests that drinking wild blueberry juice daily may have the potential benefits of enhancing the memory of those at the risk of dementia and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Although there has been earlier research exhibiting that blueberries can improve memory in mice, this is the first time that research was conducted to demonstrate a similar effect in human beings. Robert Krikorian, psychiatrist at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Centre, one of the authors of the study stated, “The ultimate goal is to find ways to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.” He added, “These preliminary memory findings are encouraging and suggest that consistent supplementation with blueberries may offer an approach to forestall or mitigate neurodegeneration.”

The researchers conducted a study to establish whether blueberry can help in keeping the mind sharper in those with failing memory. The investigators divided 16 participants, who showed signs of “early memory changes,” into two groups. All those recruited were in their 70’s. Nine of the subjects were asked to drink two or more cups of blueberry juice daily for two months while the remaining seven forming the control group drank a sweet placebo beverage minus the blueberry juice.

During the course of the study, the participants were closely monitored for adherence as well as any side effects. At the close of the study the subjects were once again tested on their cognitive abilities, learning skills and recall performance.

Observations by researchers:

The scientists noted that after 12 weeks, the subjects consuming blueberry juice exhibited a marked improvement in the learning and memory tests as opposed to those in the control group. In addition, the researchers observed a decline in symptoms of depression and lower glucose levels in the wild blueberry drinkers.

However, the researchers felt that there was need for more study to understand the health implications involved before confirming the results. “The important thing is that there are things people can do to prevent dementia, with little or no side effects,” said Krikorian.

Blueberries are rich in valuable nutrients, low in sugar, are healthy and have a great taste. They contain a host of wonderful ingredients from phytochemicals to vitamin C, potassium, iron, fiber and antioxidants. The properties found in blueberries have been linked to lowering cholesterol levels, encouraging heart health, protecting the body against certain types of cancers, promoting healthy aging, reducing inflammation and cataracts.

Go figure. Like I need anymore reason to love blueberries.

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Many of us want to find creative ways of getting oomph! We all know we will not live forever, but how do we live into a ripe old age with plenty of zeal, energy, vitality, inspiration or shall we say…oomph!

Some of this information I received from various studies listed below and from health expert Joel Weber, who writes for Men’s Health magazine.

Personally, I think there are many ways to get oomph!, but here are 6 different key ways you can get oomph! and maybe even stick around a long time:

Exercise – I know, I know, maybe we all know this and maybe it’s boring to keep hearing about. But, I will tell you this, it also happens to be true. In fact just this month four studies were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine that show us that if you want to stay physically and mentally healthier in old age then better start or continue exercising. According to a study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham And Woman’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, women who exercised more during middle age had lesser chances of developing a serious disease after 70. Second study stated that there was improvement in attention spans and conflict resolution skills by a year of resistance training. A third study found that people age 55 or more who were into a moderate or high physical activity were able to fight cognitive impairment better.

Maintain Good Weight – The fat you carry today could kill you tomorrow. And if you do maintain good body-mass index (BMI) you can feel better. I know you can feel better, because I lost over 25 pounds last year and I do feel better. University of Alabama researchers discovered that maintaining a body-mass index of 25 to 35 can shorten your life by up to three years. Excess body fat raises your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer. In one landmark 2007 study, men with a 5-point increase in BMI – about 30 extra pounds on a 5’10 guy –had testosterone levels comparable to men who were a full decade older. Women need to watch their BMI, too. Research also suggests that women gaining more than 20 pounds from 18 to midlife doubles the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer.

Eat More Vegetables – I know, I’m not really using my imagination here on how to get oomph am I? What can I say, eating vegetables and good raw ones can give you a boost and expand you life. Italian researchers have found that eating as little as one cup of raw vegetables daily can add two years to your life. Why raw? Cooking can deplete up to 30 percent of the antioxidants (the stuff our bodies love) in vegetables. That said, sautéing or steaming them is far better than not eating them at all. If you consume more than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, you have a 26 percent lower risk of stroke than people who eat fewer than three servings, according to one British study.

Eat Some Nuts – When Loma Linda University researchers tracked the lifestyle habits of 34,000 Seventh-Day Adventists – a population famous for its longevity—they discovered that those who munched nuts five days a week earned an extra 2.9 years on the planet. ( watch the oomph profile on Jack Kirk – The Dipsea Demon. He was Seventh-Day Adventist ) Not surprisingly, nuts are one of the healthiest snacks you can have. High in monounsaturated fats and protein, they help keep your arteries clean and your stomach feeling full.

Okay here are two ways to get oomph! with a little more imagination:

Don’t Forget Your Friends – Studies show that good friends can help extend your lifespan. Chronic stress weakens the immune system and ages cells more quickly – ultimately shortening life-spans – but friendships can act as a buffer against stresses of everyday life. When Australian researchers looked at seventy somethings, for instance, they found that those with the largest network of friends had the longest lease on life. For the average person, this could add up to seven additional years. But acquaintances aren’t friends: You need people you can openly confide in.

Keep a Positive Frame of Mind – In a Yale University study of older adults, people with a positive outlook on the aging process lived more than seven years longer than those who felt doomed to deteriorating mental and physical health. If you’re outlook has some room for improvement, give back to your community by volunteering or mentoring-selfless actions that distract from unhealthy obsessing, according to studies. In addition to helping others, don’t forget to care about yourself. Make yourself happy by doing the activities you enjoy most – whether it’s going to the spa , playing golf, going to a movie or drinking green tea. Do something for yourself.

Well there you go with 6 ways to get oomph! I know there are many, many more ways to get oomph! I would love to hear back from you, on how you get oomph!

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