How old are your cells?

I took a couple of weeks off from this blog to get ready for a couple of presentations. The first one was "Explaining Health: Habits and Longevity," for UCSF Women's Health Today series, streamed live over the internet, and will be shown on UCTV.tv in a few weeks. I had hoped to stay present, while I was presenting, even though I was pretty excited. It helped that there weren't many people in the live audience. The potential audience in the weeks and months to come makes me hopeful that some of my information will motivate folks to take better care of themselves.

The other presentation was at The UCSF Integrative Medicine Forum, put on by the students. My lecture was "The Art of Massage Therapy: Pain relief at your fingertips," highlighting the history of massage therapy, showing some self massage points, and instructing the students on neck and shoulder massage on each other. I showed them some proper body mechanics, and commiserated with the dentistry students on how difficult it is for dentists to have good ergonomics.

I went to a lecture by Elissa Epel on Telomeres-Biological aging, lifestyle and well-being. She is doing some fascinating research on telomeres which are the protective ends of the chromosomes (like the little plastic end of your shoelace). The telomeres shorten when the cell divides, and when they get too short the cell dies. Telomere length determines biological age and her findings show that people who have a high degree of perceived stress have shorter telomeres. The good news is that vigorous exercise, omega-3, anti-oxidants and stress management have been shown to increase the length of telomeres, or to keep them the same length. All of the ingredients of a healthy lifestyle, now being proved in the lab.

Anti Rust

Like when you squeeze lemon juice over a cut apple to keep it from turning brown, that is an antioxidant. Fruits and vegetables contain many compounds, which are antioxidants. These molecules bind with "free radicals," which are extra oxygen molecules floating around your blood stream. These free radicals are thought to damage cells, damage their DNA, accelerate aging, are responsible for brown age spots and wrinkles. Populations that eat more fresh fruits and vegetables generally have lower rates of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. So eat your fruits and veggies!

Sedentary+Stress vs Movement+Mindfullness

The cells of your body are constantly responding to your inner environment. Mitochondria are firing up in your muscle cells in response to movement. Your digestive tract is interacting with the foods you eat. Your nervous system is responding to the threats you perceive. Your endocrine system is reacting to the way you feel.
Neurotransmitters, the molecules of emotion, like serotonin are found in the brain, but also in the gut. How you feel affects your physiology. You can affect your physiology by changing how you feel through movement, different food choices, and how you think about things. Constant worry wears down your immune system. You can set aside a time to worry and then stop it. You can pay attention to the content of your thoughts and change them. Instead of worrying, you can picture yourself lying on a on a beautiful warm white sands beach, listening to the sounds of the gentle surf, slowing your breathing, relaxing. Your body will appreciate the change of scenery.

Finding Balance

Imagine yourself poised in a kayak, ready to dip your double tipped oars in the water. If you push too hard on one side, you'll veer off to one side, and you may even capsize. If you pull too hard on the other side, you may head right back to shore. The trick is to dip each oar in lightly, evenly, to stay on an even course. Steering a healthy course in life can be like that, seeking balance, without going overboard. Sometimes we have to indulge, and then use the other oar to get us back on track. We don't want to run aground too soon, we want to enjoy the journey.

The "Hygiene Hypothesis"

I'm taking a mini-med school course at UCSF on the Immune System. The "hygiene hypothesis" is a new way of thinking about allergies and asthma. We are essentially an ecosystem for bacteria, we have more "bacterial" cells, than "human" cells. The right kinds of bacteria can help regulate the immune system. Allergies and asthma are examples of the immune system overreacting to harmless substances like pet dander or pollen.We need to be exposed to a wide range of pathogens as young children to "educate" our immune system. Studies show that children living on farms, close to animals, have a lower rate of allergies and asthma, than children living in inner city environments. Short of living on a farm, growing up with pets, especially dogs (that sleep on your bed!) can lessen the chance of developing allergies or asthma. Another strategy for ingesting beneficial bacteria, is eating yogurt with live cultures or fermented foods like sauerkraut. We want a balanced immune system, one that can fight off dangerous viruses and bacteria, but not so overactive that it produces autoimmune conditions like eczema or allergies.

And broccoli is good for you, too

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, part of the same family as cabbage, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. It has cancer fighting compounds like sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol. Broccoli is also  beneficial for the immune system, with anti-viral and anti-bacterial activity. It's effective against the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers. And it's been shown to help prevent heart disease.

Broccoli is easy to prepare, just steam it for 4-5 minutes. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon, and some ripe avocado for a special treat. Or saute it in some olive oil and garlic. Add a splash of water for the last minute of cooking to steam it slightly. Broccoli sprouts are also good for you.

Populations that eat the most fresh fruits and vegetables have the lowest rates of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Laugh all the way to the bank

Laughter is a great response, when confronted with something that you have no control over. Like being stuck in a traffic jam. Or missing the bus by a minute. Or finding that one dirty sock, after you finished doing laundry. Research is showing the benefits of laughter to your cardiovascular system, it improves blood flow to your heart. And laughing gently massages your abdomen, helping your digestion. And it lifts your mood. Laughter can help us cope, when things get too much. When it rains for days. When the news starts to read like science fiction. It can help you take a deep breath, and carry on.