Boom. Boom. Boom. Music makes endangered hearts beat cardiovascular diseaseand kids who get their groove on early, are a whole lot smarter. Nevertheless heavy metal blasts can bee harmful, that said, heavy hands make for healthier kids. When it comes to heavy metals, the advice to avoid fish during pregnancy is a little fishy, however lipstick lickers be warned – you’re flirting with trouble. Contaminated air is a real problem, it could be making you fat, fortunately contaminated water is less of a problem, because it can easily becleaned up with a sprig of cilantro. Finally dance the night away at the Colon Hotel.
The E-spoons E-zine is a monthly compilation of stories appearing on Better Body Chemistry blog. The stories are based on the latest science tit bits and will help you become a little healthier, wealthier and wiser by explaining the why. As a friend of Spoonful of Science you have been included on our mailing list – should you wish to unsubscribe follow the link at the bottom of the E-zine.
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Music makes endangered hearts beat cardiovascular disease
You’ve been diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) – which is code for, your ticker could blow any minute. Your heart’s impending demise, has sucked the “happiness” out of your life. No more sitting on the couch, watching the game and eating what you like – you’re permanently on diet and regular exercise sessions, are now mandatory.
Everything that was pleasant, has now become a health hazard. Well, not quite EVERYTHING.
Coronary artery disease arises because the cells lining your blood vessels, lose their groove. But MUSIC is the groove…. so to help your endothelial cells find their groove, you need to sit in your favourite chair, turn up the speakers on the stereo system and soak up THE MUSIC, for at least 30 minutes a day. Doctor’s orders !
This is a prescription that is kind of pleasant ! And it WORKS…. it’s been scientifically proved.
Click here to read more about the music effect.
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Looking for more than a lucky charm to beat heart disease ? Complete a body audit to discover how small lifestyle changes can improve your health, so you create BETTER BODY CHEMISTRY. To book your body audit, drop me an e-mail at drsandy@spoonfulofscience.com To book your body audit, drop me an e-mail at drsandy@spoonfulofscience.com
Want to raise a genius – sign up junior for music lessons
I can’t say I have too many early childhood memories……… the moments that stuck are few and far between. But I do remember the music lessons, not the actual music…. the building, it was a high rise with a lift, pretty cool when you live in suburbia, and the colourful elephants, dancing across the pages of the pink and yellow music books.
My mom signed me up for the Yamaha School of music at the tender age of 2½ years. Not sure why, but it was a bold move, for a working mom.
The experience definitely did not turn me into a musician – I’m good at quite a few things, music is definitely not one of them. But………. those three years of music, probably shaped my destiny. Graduating from music school – helped me graduate with a PhD.
The reason……..
Early music changes brain wiring
Specifically the wiring that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain, early music lessons builds a strong corpus callosum.
But this musical gift is… only for under sevens. Click here, to find out why it is imperative to start early.
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Bees are impervious to heavy metal blasts
The world’s bees are in trouble…..
Now if you’ve even been a victim of a bee sting or are just beephobic, because you’re witnessed someone else being stung, your first response might be – good. Something less to worry about as you cool off while sipping your favourite fizzy cold drink.
But…….. the health of bees does matter – without them, countless flowers and trees won’t be able to procreate. If plants fail to make a little whoopee – there is less for humans to eat.
So why are bees in trouble ?
The latest theory… bad flower mojo – caused by pollution.
As your car rushes down the road – it burns fossil fuels, in the process, it spits out fumes, the fumes include a variety of heavy metals, such as nickel, mercury, lead and aluminium. This metallic dust eventually settles on the shrubs and falls to the ground, accumulating in soils. An “invisible” mantle…….. We can’t see it, neither can the bees. The Pittsburgh research team suspect these heavy metals are poisoning the bees.
Click here to learn more about BEEING kind.
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Small kids need UNCOOL mothers who RULE with an iron fist
Growing up – my Mom had RULES. Lots of them.
A lot of my childhood was spent, testing those rules, but for the most part, I conformed. Something you do, when you have a UNCOOL mother.
Times have changed. It seems the rule is, ANYTHING GOES. This free-for-all attitude, penetrates every aspect of our lives, including what happens in the home.
The fly by the seat of our pants lifestyle, is probably not good for any of us. Even adrenaline junkies. But for small kids, this is a recipe for obesity. Click here to read how home routines are an effective weight loss programme for children under 5.
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The advice to avoid fish during pregnancy is a little fishy
You want to give your little one the very best start in life, AND.. you want your baby to be normal ! You don’t want to be part of the autism stats.
So………… when health gurus tell you to AVOID FISH, because the fish are FULL OF MERCURY, and MERCURY causes AUTISIM – you AVOID FISH, it is the right thing to do. But is it ? Few health gurus suggest avoiding fish as a health move for anyone who is NOT PREGNANT, because fish are full of vital nutrients. Top of the list are the omega-3 fish oils, but the list includes selenium, iodine, vitamin E and protein. All nutrients required for a healthy pregnancy. So do fish dinners really create “madness” ?
Researchers from the University of Rochester sort answers to this fishy dilemma. To explore the topic, the research team headed for the Republic of Seychelles, where fish dinners happen pretty much every day.
They kicked off their study over a decade ago, by enrolling 1784 babies-to-be in a long term study. Click here to read more.
Despite the fact that all the kids were exposed to levels of methylmercury, significantly higher than the average Mom living in the West – the kids were fine.The team found that there was absolutely no correlation between autism-spectrum-like behaviours and prenatal exposure to mercury. Nothing. Nada.
Fishy dinners containing mercury, are not creating fishy behaviours.
So the standard advice to cut fish from the menu during pregnancy…… is a bit fishy. The mercury risk, while present on paper, does not exist, in big fish eaters, so it is highly unlikely it exists in small fish eaters i.e. someone eating fish 2-3 times a week.
As a pregnant Mom, looking to give your little one the best start possible, don’t be afraid to add fish to the menu.
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Do you know someone who is expecting ?
Enrol in our free e-course for Tips and Strategies that will help improve your little one’s body chemistry or book a session with Dr Sandy. E-mail drsandy@spoonfulofscience.com or phone 083 262 5023.
Lipstick lickers be warned – you’re flirting with trouble
Lipsticks have some “NASTY” ingredients. All the brands tested by a Californian team contained a collection of metals. Some more, some less. Click here for a complete list.
So what ? Metals are ubiquitous. Small amounts aren’t going to do any harm, are they ?
Well if you’re the kind of gal who applies it on high days and holidays, the tiny amounts of metal would be just that – tiny. In the big picture of things – a blip on the radar.
But if lipstick is an EVERYDAY, multiple times a day, accessory – the tiny amount adds up. The team calculated the average women ingests 24 mg of lip makeup, a day, with kisses and lickers, being high end users.
The kissers don’t have to worry – they’re spreading the love and a few other things, but lickers could be ingesting as much as 87 mg of lipstick each day. 87 mg, everyday adds up – in a year, that’s 31 g.
In a lifetime, that could be a kilogram of the metal tainted lipstick. The tiny amounts of metal inside the tube of lipstick, are not looking quite as innocent.
Based on this science, it might be prudent to limit the touch ups. You want to keep your lipstick consumption in check !
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Could air pollution be making you fat ?
You’re part of the obesity epidemic. The prevailing view, you joined the overweight crowd because..
You ate too much and exercised too little.
In a nutshell, it’s ALL your fault. But is it ?
The vast majority of individuals with weight issues, exhibit some degree of insulin resistance. The INSULIN RESISTANCE is blamed on the OBESITY. But…. STRESS can also cause insulin resistance.
And stress is not an emotion, it is a physiological response to an awkward situation, which is creating a “CRISIS” for your body. It is
- an infection.
- a sleepless night.
- exposure to air pollution
A group of German researchers just proved, kids breathing “dirty” air, show higher levels of insulin resistance.
Click here to read more about this study and it’s implications for YOU.
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Clean up your water glass with a sprig of cilantro
Times they are a changing……
It is now considered COOL, not cheap, to provide jugs of water for refreshments at a social function. The trick to making water a WOW factor on the table :
- a stylish jug,
- generous amounts of ice, if it’s in a special shape, kudos to you and………
- a little greenery.
The good news, if the greenery is strategically chosen, it will do more than just satisfy the deep human urge to SEE GREEN, it will also make that urban water a lot cleaner.
Introducing……….. the cilantro squeegee.
A sprig or two of this common herb, also known as coriander or Thai parsley, plopped in a pitcher of water – quickly mops up, those potentially toxic heavy metals.
Click here to read more about the biosorbent powers of this spicy herb.
So as you cool off this summer, be sure to include a little greenery in the water, you join the ranks of the chic in crowd and keep a toxin or two, out of you.
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Be sure to check out the latest episode of
Other stories from the blog this month…………..
- When you need your immune system to stand down – think zinc
- Want a better time? Better add a little betaine to the water
- It’s hard to be normal these days
Thank you for taking the time to read the e-zine. I love hearing from readers, so drop me an e-mail to let me know which story you enjoyed the most, did you learn something new or do you have a different perspective.
Next month we will be BATTLING FOREIGN INVADERS, look out for the next edition of E-spoons in your inbox on 4 December 2013 (the first Wednesday of the month).
Yours scientifically
Dr Sandy
Phone : +27 (0)11 452 2207
Cell : 083 262 5023
E-mail : drsandy@spoonfulofscience.com
The cartoons were drawn by Guy Alain Ngangob – drop him an e-mail if you need a cartoon or two. If you want to access the science articles used to compile the newsletter, visit the relevant pages on the blog and follow the link.
Copyright © 2013 by Sandra Evans. YOU ARE WELCOME TO COPY the e-Zine’s contents for use in your own newsletter, company or club publication, BLOG or website. Please give proper credit and a link back to https://www.betterbodychemistry.com.
Disclaimer : The e-zine is provided as a service. Dr Sandy’s reports and opinions are for information only, and are not intended to diagnose or prescribe. For your specific diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor or health care provider.