Nature Therapy (Ecotherapy) Medical Benefits

Nature therapy may mean that better health is right outside your door.

A stroll outside on a sunny day is a great pick-me-up. Now it may also be just what the doctor ordered.

The benefits of nature for both body and soul are finding their way to the prescription pad as more health care providers are telling their patients to take a hike -- literally.

Many health care researchers and practitioners say that ecotherapy (also known as green therapy, nature therapy, and earth-centered therapy) -- a term coined by pastoral counselor Howard Clinebell in his 1996 book of the same name -- can have regenerative powers, improving mood and easing anxiety, stress, and depression.

But that’s not all. Health care providers are also giving their patients “nature prescriptions” to help treat a variety of medical conditions, from post-cancer fatigue to obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.  

Scientists have long known that sunlight can ease depression, especially seasonal affective disorder (SAD). New research is expanding those findings. A 2007 study from the University of Essex in the U.K., for example, found that a walk in the country reduces depression in 71% of participants. The researchers found that as little as five minutes in a natural setting, whether walking in a park or gardening in the backyard, improves mood, self-esteem, and motivation.

The growing interest in ecotherapy has even given rise to academic programs, such as one begun at John F. Kennedy University, which offers a graduate-level certificate in ecotherapy, an umbrella term that includes horticultural therapy, animal-assisted therapy, time stress management, and managing “eco-anxiety.”

John F. Kennedy University ecotherapy professor Craig Chalquist, PhD, co-author of Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind, has acknowledged that research has not proven that spending time in nature can prevent, treat, or cure any particular condition.

But a growing body of research offers a “hopeful picture” of the effectiveness of ecotherapy, Chalquist says.

Kathy Helzlsouer, MD, director of the Prevention and Research Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, has long been recommending to breast cancer survivors that they get outdoors more.

For 30% to 40% of breast cancer survivors, persistent fatigue follows their treatment, says Helzlsouer. To help her patients learn how to manage this fatigue, Helzlsouer created “Be Well, Be Healthy,” a holistic program that includes tips not only on managing stress and improving diet and exercise patterns, but also on incorporating nature as part of the healing process.

“Among the frustrations we saw in our patients,” Helzlsouer says, “was that they didn’t have the energy to garden, a favorite activity for many of them.”

For people who enjoy gardening, Helzlsouer prescribes getting back outside, even if it’s starting out with five minutes of weeding. People who aren’t gardening enthusiasts are advised to find a nearby park where they can take a walk, "commune with nature," and reap the mind-body results of a relaxing setting and physical exercise.

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Joint Replacement: Risks vs. Benefits

How to decide if a hip or knee replacement is right for you.

After a skiing injury 30 years ago, Bert Pepper, MD, got osteoarthritis in his left knee. "I stopped skiing and gave up tennis, running, and other sports that are tough on the knee," he says. "I turned to speed-walking to stay fit, but the knee kept me from walking at a good pace."

As his pain got worse and walking became harder, he looked into having a knee replacement. It's not a decision to make lightly, says Pepper, who is a psychiatrist. "It's a major life event. You have to be prepared to lose a few months to pain after surgery, limited mobility, and vigorous rehabilitation." And like any surgery, it's important to weigh the risks and benefits carefully.

An Exercise Fix for Knee Osteoarthritis

Jerry Wade used to love bird-watching with his wife, an avid birder. "I'm not a birder myself, but I like being active and getting out there with her," he says. "Bird-watching puts you into natural areas and some rough terrain -- it's not an easy physical activity." But in the fall of 2005, the 66-year-old Columbia, Mo., resident, who had retired in 2000 from a career in community development, started noticing "pains and twinges" in his knees. A visit to his doctor in January 2006 brought...

Read the An Exercise Fix for Knee Osteoarthritis article > >

"There are two main reasons to have a joint replacement," says Charles Bush-Joseph, MD, a professor of orthopaedic surgery at Rush University Medical Center. "The best reason is pain relief."

During a hip or knee replacement, a surgeon removes the painful, damaged surfaces of the joint and replaces them with plastic or metal implants. This gets rid of the pain, because the diseased cartilage and bone are no longer there.

The second reason is to improve joint function, Bush-Joseph says, but these results are less predictable. After a joint replacement, many people can walk more easily. Some may be able to ride a bike or play golf. But there are no guarantees.

Joint replacements carry the same risks as other major surgeries. This includes the risk of dangerous infections or blood clots. People with heart conditions, poorly controlled diabetes, or weak immune systems are the most vulnerable. Surgeons use antibiotics and blood thinners to try to prevent some complications.

The other major risk is that the new joint may not work as well as hoped. Weakness and stiffness are common problems, particularly in the knee. "Patients who don't actively rehabilitate will not regain the maximum range of motion," Bush-Joseph tells WebMD. For best results, knee surgery patients should stick to their rehab schedule of exercise, rest, and medicines.

Less common problems include an implant that becomes loose or dislocates. And it's important to know the implant could wear out after about 20 years. That means you may need another joint replacement down the road.

Joint replacement may be the right choice if you're in a lot of pain and other treatments haven't helped enough. But you want to be sure the joint is the true source of pain, says Michaela M. Schneiderbauer, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "The source could be something other than the joint itself, even if arthritis is visible on an MRI."

If you actually have nerve or muscle pain, a joint replacement won't help, Schneiderbauer says. Your doctor can tell the difference by doing a careful physical exam and by asking you questions about your pain. "Be cautious if a doctor tells you you need a hip or knee replacement without doing a physical exam," she adds.

View the original article here

Mediterranean Diet Benefits Heart, Even Without Weight Loss: Study

Healthy eating helped men lower bad cholesterol

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Men at high risk for heart disease might reduce their "bad" cholesterol by eating a heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, even if they don't lose weight, a small new study suggests.

The study included 19 men, aged 24 to 62, with metabolic syndrome, which means they had three or more major risk factors for heart disease and stroke. The risk factors among men in this study included large waist size, high blood pressure, low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and high triglyceride and fasting glucose levels.

For the first five weeks of the study, the men ate a standard North American diet, which is high in fats, carbohydrates, refined sugar and red meat. For the second five weeks, they ate a Mediterranean diet, which is high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains; low in red meat; and includes olive oil and moderate amounts of wine.

This was followed by a five-month weight-loss program, then another five weeks of a Mediterranean diet.

Regardless of whether they lost weight, the men had a 9 percent decrease in levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol when they ate a Mediterranean diet, according to the study, scheduled for presentation Wednesday at a meeting of the American Heart Association in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The Mediterranean diet "may be recommended for effective management of the metabolic syndrome and its related risk of cardiovascular disease," said lead study author Caroline Richard, a registered dietitian and doctoral candidate in nutrition at Laval University in Quebec, Canada. The study, however, showed only an association between a Mediterranean diet and lowered cholesterol, not a cause-and-effect relationship.

Data and conclusions presented at meetings typically are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

View the original article here

The Morning Scoop: Flywheel's Fly New Fashion, Fiber's Latest Health Benefits and More!

Spin studio Flywheel (which has 22 locations nationwide) has upped their style game, now offering a chic line of activewear to rock during your class -- and after, too. [Well+Good NYC]

As if we didn't love fiber enough for its belly-filling benefits, a new study suggests ingesting more of it can also reduce your risk for stroke, too. Yay fiber! [HuffPost]

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard announced the birth of their first child, baby girl Lincoln. Congrats to the happy couple! [People]

You guys know how much we love olive oil -- it is a superfood, people. New research suggests that it may be the oil's scent that can help you consume less food. [NYTimes]

Have you filed your taxes yet? If not, get on it! But first, read up on what this sage CPA says about the 10 biggest mistakes people make. (Need more money advice? Click here.) [Lifehacker]

Image Credit: via Well+Good/Courtesy of Flywheel Sports

View the original article here

Everyday Activities May Have Same Health Benefits as Going to Gym

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

SUNDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Short stretches of physical activity -- such as taking the stairs or raking leaves -- throughout the day can be just as beneficial as a trip to the gym, according to a new study.

Researchers looked at more than 6,000 American adults and found that this "active lifestyle approach" appeared to be as effective as structured exercise in providing health benefits such as preventing high blood pressure, high cholesterol and the group of risk factors known as metabolic syndrome that increases the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

"Our results suggest that engaging in an active lifestyle approach, compared to a structured exercise approach, may be just as beneficial in improving various health outcomes," study author Paul Loprinzi said in an Oregon State University news release. "We encourage people to seek out opportunities to be active when the choice is available. For example, rather than sitting while talking on the phone, use this opportunity to get in some activity by pacing around while talking."

Loprinzi was a doctoral student at Oregon State University when he conducted the study. He is now an assistant professor of exercise science at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky.

The researchers also found that 43 percent of adults who did short bouts of exercise met the federal physical activity guidelines of 30 minutes a day, compared with less than 10 percent of those who did longer exercise sessions.

"You hear that less than 10 percent of Americans exercise and it gives the perception that people are lazy," study co-author Brad Cardinal, a professor of exercise and sports science at Oregon State, said in the news release. "Our research shows that more than 40 percent of adults achieved the exercise guidelines, by making movement a way of life."

The study was published in the January/February issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Many people say they don't get enough exercise due to lack of time. These findings are promising in that they show that simply incorporating movement into everyday activities can provide health benefits, Cardinal said.

"This is a more natural way to exercise -- just to walk more and move around a bit more," he noted. "We are designed by nature as beings who are supposed to move. People get it in their minds: 'If I don't get that 30 minutes, I might as well not exercise at all.' Our results really challenge that perception and give people meaningful, realistic options for meeting the physical activity guidelines."

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers a guide to physical activity.

View the original article here

Daily Dialysis Has Risks, Benefits for Kidney Disease Patients

Title: Daily Dialysis Has Risks, Benefits for Kidney Disease Patients
Category: Health News
Created: 2/7/2013 6:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/8/2013 12:00:00 AM

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With Benefits Unproven, Why Do Millions of Americans Take Multivitamins?

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of Americans take multivitamins and other supplements, but convincing scientific evidence of any true health benefit is lacking, experts say. Now a new study explores why people continue to consume nutritional supplements.

"Most people were using supplements because they believe it will improve their health, but we really don't know whether that's true," said study lead author Regan Bailey, a nutritional epidemiologist in the Office of Dietary Supplements at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

"Moreover, the vast majority of supplements used in the U.S. are based on personal choice, not because they are recommended by health care professionals," she added.

Nearly half of U.S. adults use dietary supplements, Bailey noted, and supplements are a $30-billion-a-year business.

"People have very strong beliefs about these products and I don't know where they are getting their information," Bailey said. "It's not from the doctors. The majority of scientific data available do not support the role of dietary supplements for improving health or preventing of disease."

Another expert said supplements can be expensive.

"A multivitamin might cost $20 a month. Why not spend that on more fresh produce?" said Marian Neuhouser, of the cancer prevention program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle. "If someone is eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and whole grains -- a wide variety of foods -- they should be getting all the nutrition they need."

The new report was published online Feb. 4 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

To examine why Americans take multivitamins, Bailey's team collected data on nearly 12,000 adults who took part in the 2007 to 2010 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The researchers found that 45 percent of those taking a multivitamin did so because they believed it would improve their health, and 33 percent did so because they thought it would maintain their health.

Only 23 percent said their decision was based on advice from their doctor. When they recommend supplements, doctors are most likely to recommend calcium for bone health (24 percent) or to improve overall health (18 percent), or fish oil for heart health (12 percent) or to supplement diet (11 percent), Bailey said.

It's hard to tell whether vitamins actually improve health, because "adults who use dietary supplements tend to report more healthy lifestyles," Bailey said. "They report better overall health, more exercise, moderate alcohol consumption and are more likely to [have never smoked] or be former smokers."

A clear role exists for some dietary supplements -- such as folic acid to reduce the risk of birth defects. Calcium and vitamin D play an important role in bone health, Bailey said.

View the original article here

'Coming Out' Can Bring Health Benefits, Study Says

TUESDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Being open about their sexual orientation offers health benefits for lesbians, gays and bisexuals, according to a new study.

"Coming out is no longer a matter of popular debate but a matter of public health," said study lead author Robert-Paul Juster, of the Centre for Studies on Human Stress at the University of Montreal's Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital.

He and his colleagues looked at 87 men and women, about age 25, who had different sexual orientations (gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual) and found that lesbians, gays and bisexuals who were out to others had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression and burnout.

When a person is under chronic stress, cortisol contributes to "wear and tear" on a number of the body's systems. Taken together, this strain is called allostatic load, the study said.

"Our goals were to determine if the mental and physical health of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals differs from heterosexuals and, if so, whether being out of the closet makes a difference. We used measures of psychiatric symptoms, cortisol levels throughout the day, and a battery of over 20 biological markers to assess allostatic load," Juster said in a university news release.

The researchers found that, contrary to their expectations, gay and bisexual men had lower depressive symptoms and allostatic load levels than heterosexual men. And, "lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals who were out to family and friends had lower levels of psychiatric symptoms and lower morning cortisol levels than those who were still in the closet," Juster added.

The findings, published Jan. 29 in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, highlight the positive effect that self-acceptance and being open about their sexual orientation can have on the health and well-being of lesbians, gays and bisexuals, the study authors said.

But that may only be the case in open and tolerant societies.

"Coming out might only be beneficial for health when there are tolerant social policies that facilitate the disclosure process," Juster said. On the other hand, he added, societal intolerance during the disclosure process generates increased distress and contributes to mental and physical health problems.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender health.

View the original article here

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex

The perks of sex extend well beyond the bedroom.

Being "in the mood" just might help your health.

How does a juicy sex life do a body good? Let's count the ways.

Having sex could lower your stress and your blood pressure.

That finding comes from a Scottish study of 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. The researchers put them in stressful situations -- such as speaking in public and doing math out loud -- and checked their blood pressure.

People who had had intercourse responded better to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.

Another study found that diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number of your blood pressure) tends to be lower in people who live together and have sex often.

Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A, or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. 

A Wilkes University study had 112 college students keep records of how often they had sex and also provide saliva samples for the study. Those who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of IgA, an antibody that could help you avoid a cold or other infection, than other students.

Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.

"Sex is a great mode of exercise," Los Angeles sexologist Patti Britton, says. It takes both physical and psychological work, though, to do it well, she says.

A 20-year-long British study shows that men who had sex two or more times a week were half as likely to have a fatal heart attack than men who had sex less than once a month.

And although some older folks may worry that sex could cause a stroke, the study found no link between how often men had sex and how likely they were to have a stroke. 

University of Texas researchers found that boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex.

That finding makes sense to sex, marriage, and family therapist Gina Ogden. She also says that those who already have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better.

"One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about themselves," she says. "Great sex begins with self-esteem. If the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises it."

Of course, you don't have to have lots of sex to feel good about yourself. Your self-esteem is all about you -- not someone else. But if you're already feeling good about yourself, a great sex life may help you feel even better.

View the original article here

Pediatricians Promote Benefits of Recess

Dec. 31, 2012 -- The American Academy of Pediatrics has two New Year's resolutions for schools: Keep the school nurse and don't drop recess.

The recommendations are part of two new policy statements published in Pediatrics.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says there's a growing trend in schools to take away recess and use the time to teach subjects.

"There is pressure on schools to increase performance on standardized testing, and a lot of times teachers are using withdrawal of recess as a punishment for children," says Robert Murray, MD, a co-author of the recess policy statement and a professor at the Ohio State University in Columbus.

"Recess is an important part of the school day that should not be cast off without thinking," he says. 

It is not a reward, he says. Recess is necessary and important to help children learn and grow.  

"No matter what kind of recess, whether indoors or outdoors, structured or unstructured, kids need a safe place to play," Murray says. "And the equipment should be good and people who supervise should be well-trained."

The benefits of recess are many. "The child who gets regular breaks in the day performs better cognitively in the classroom and gets a lot of social and emotional benefits," he says. "Recess provides kids with the chance to be creative and play with others just for the fun of it."

It doesn't have to be a full hour or half-hour either, he says. Recess can come in shorter bursts of play time sprinkled throughout the school day. "We need to carve out time that belongs to a child."

Recess is not the same as physical education or gym either, says the policy statement's co-author Catherine Ramstetter, PhD. She is a health educator at the Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Cincinnati.

"Recess promotes a healthy learning environment. Importantly, recess should be used as a complement to physical education classes, not a substitute," she says. "It would be ideal if every school had deep pockets to build huge, amazing playgrounds. But every kid will play differently anyway, and every school doesn't have the resources. We need to protect recess as it benefits the whole child."

A second AAP policy statement wants schools to assign important roles for a school doctor and school nurse.

School doctors serve school districts as advisors, consultants, volunteers, team doctors, or school district doctors.

But there's no single set of rules for states and school districts about what a school doctor should do. The new policy statement wants all school districts to have a doctor to oversee health services.

What's more, school doctors should help coordinate policy and practice plans for kids with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and asthma. The AAP policy statement says kids spend about seven hours a day,180  days a year, in school. During that time they may only see their doctor once a year.

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Barefoot Running: Benefits, Technique, Injuries, and More

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WebMD Feature Reviewed byKimball Johnson, MD

Running is often touted as the perfect exercise, partly because it's so simple: Lace up your shoes and go. Now, a small but vocal contingent of runners says it can be even simpler and perhaps healthier -- just lose the shoes for an even better workout.

Barefoot running divisions are cropping up at organized runs across the U.S., and Christopher McDougall's barefoot running book, Born to Run, landed on the New York Times best seller list.

Curious? Here's the lowdown on barefoot running and what you should keep in mind if you try it.

Why the sudden interest in barefoot running?

It's not so sudden, advocates say, just more in the spotlight.

Barefoot running has been around since antiquity, proponents such as McDougall say. He visited the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico and found that they wear flimsy sandals but manage to run hundreds of miles without being plagued by injuries.

That triggered McDougall's conversion to running barefoot or wearing "minimal" running shoes designed to resemble a glove for the foot. McDougall says he typically logs 50-plus miles a week running barefoot.

Other long-time runners recall past fads of barefoot running. Jeff Galloway, a 1972 Olympian and veteran runner who directs a marathon training program says, "I've been running for 51 years, and every 10 years, barefoot running makes a comeback."

What's different about barefoot running?

It's not just about what's on -- or not on -- your feet. It's a matter of how your foot strikes the ground.

Supporters say that barefoot running has the ability to change the way the foot strikes the ground, with the impact farther forward on the foot rather than on the heel..

In contrast, "It's really hard not to do a heel strike in conventional running shoes," McDougall says.

Shifting the impact forward cuts the collision force, according to a study published in Nature in January 2010.

That study showed that barefoot runners who strike on their forefoot -- in other words, land on the balls of their feet -- generate smaller collision forces than runners wearing running shoes who generally strike on the heel. The forces on the heel are up to three times the runner's body weight.

When running barefoot, "you are much better at sensing where your body is in relation to the ground. It forces you to be gentle," McDougall says. ''All this is about being more gentle and landing more lightly. It's hard to imagine how being more gentle could be bad."

Is a forefoot foot strike really better?

Not all experts agree. "I've always been a proponent of landing on the heels for long-distance running," says Jeffrey A. Ross, associate clinical professor of medicine at Ben Taub Hospital in Houston.

It's common for sprinters to land on the ball of the foot, Ross says. But forefoot strikers who go long distances risk pulling too much on the Achilles tendon. That could spell trouble, Ross, who is also a spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine, says.

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