"The trouble with most of us is that we compare our insides with other people's outsides"
Marian Keyes
Rachel's Holiday
Lough Mask Mayo 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Champagne is good for you.
Those of us who take our health seriously know that red wine and good chocolate in moderation are good for the heart and vascular health. . Now it appears that Champagne and Cava are even better than red wine in terms of polyphenols and other stuff which seem to lower the risk of heart disease.
Champagne can be good for your heart, a new British study reveals.
"Drinking around two glasses of Champagne can have beneficial effects on the way blood vessels function," similar to the benefits of red wine, reported Dr. Jeremy Spencer of the University of Reading in the current British Journal of Nutrition.
Sparkling wine increases nitric oxide, which controls blood pressure, the study said. The polyphenols from the red and white grapes get absorbed into the system and "appear to slow down the natural removal of nitric oxide in the blood." That, in turn, "may help to decrease both blood pressure and the likelihood of blood clots forming."
Spencer admitted more research is needed to figure out the "long term effects of daily Champagne consumption."
In the meantime, though, he said, the "potential to reduce the risks of suffering from cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke is very exciting news."
The current study was done with scientists in France. Spencer's earlier study, in 2007 with an Italian university in Monserrato, found Champagne might protect neuron cells against brain injuries from stroke and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. That study also reported the levels of polyphenols in Champagne varied greatly from "variety, vintage and a wide range of environmental fact
Source The Observer 13th December 2009
Champagne can be good for your heart, a new British study reveals.
"Drinking around two glasses of Champagne can have beneficial effects on the way blood vessels function," similar to the benefits of red wine, reported Dr. Jeremy Spencer of the University of Reading in the current British Journal of Nutrition.
Sparkling wine increases nitric oxide, which controls blood pressure, the study said. The polyphenols from the red and white grapes get absorbed into the system and "appear to slow down the natural removal of nitric oxide in the blood." That, in turn, "may help to decrease both blood pressure and the likelihood of blood clots forming."
Spencer admitted more research is needed to figure out the "long term effects of daily Champagne consumption."
In the meantime, though, he said, the "potential to reduce the risks of suffering from cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke is very exciting news."
The current study was done with scientists in France. Spencer's earlier study, in 2007 with an Italian university in Monserrato, found Champagne might protect neuron cells against brain injuries from stroke and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. That study also reported the levels of polyphenols in Champagne varied greatly from "variety, vintage and a wide range of environmental fact
Source The Observer 13th December 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
'It is not events but how we view them that matters' Epictetus.
Appraisal
The psychologist Richard Lazarus showed how appraisal of a situation can affect how stressful it feel.
He created a stressful situation as a research experiment to test the idea that it is our thoughts or 'reading' of a situation rather than the objective reality of the event that determines how stressful we find it.
He showed people films in which people were hurt - a finger was cut off by a saw!
One group were told beforehand that this was not real and was acted.
Another group were told beforehand that it was a training video used and so could distance themselves somewhat.
The third group were told that the people on film really suffered pain and infection later.
Lazarus then measured the stress reactions such as increased heart rate and sweating and participant's own evaluation of how stressed they felt.
Not surprisingly the third group showed most physiological activity and reported the most stress.
A few thoughts.
Not surprising perhaps.
Does this mean fake violence in the media is less harmful if it is framed as fake?
Are more sensitive people more at risk for stress? Probably.
It would seem to strongly suggest that we should stop banging on about stress to our young people in the media and perhaps in our schools.
How to get the balance right? To acknowledge and support people in stressful situations without leading them to view it as more stressful than they might have before!
Are you stressed?
Symptoms of Stress
Do you find that you...
Get headaches
Have aches and pains in your arms and legs
Feel tension in your neck and shoulders
Feel your stomach churning
Get more colds and flu
Feel tense and nervy
Feel impatient and irritable
Make silly mistakes
Find it hard to concentrate or make decisions
Feel stupid
Feel you can't cope with demands
Put things off
Avoid difficult situations
Drink,eat or smoke too much
Never have time for yourself
How many of these apply to you?
What do you need for yourself?
Do you find that you...
Get headaches
Have aches and pains in your arms and legs
Feel tension in your neck and shoulders
Feel your stomach churning
Get more colds and flu
Feel tense and nervy
Feel impatient and irritable
Make silly mistakes
Find it hard to concentrate or make decisions
Feel stupid
Feel you can't cope with demands
Put things off
Avoid difficult situations
Drink,eat or smoke too much
Never have time for yourself
How many of these apply to you?
What do you need for yourself?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
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