Nutrition and Exercise? What a load of baloney....

by Patrick Vaughan

Promoting exercise is not the only method of action that can be taken to become healthier. Nutrition is also a factor which can be controlled and utilized to create a smarter/healthier you. Diet in conjunction with exercise plays a crucial role in shaping the cognitive capacity and the evolution of the brain (Franklin). Food helps to provide energy; the building materials for our bodies, and it also helps to protect against disease (Franklin). 

It is essential that you begin/continue to watch what you eat, in conjunction with how you exercise!

WHY?!?

The Ugly:

·          

     1.) Excess energy production from a high caloric intake can result in the formation or reactive oxygen species

o   When the reactive oxygen species exceeds the buffering capacity of the cell, synaptic plasticity and cognitive function become compromised (Franklin).

·        2.) High saturated fats are notorious for reducing molecular substrates that support cognitive function,

o   They also can increase the risk of neurological dysfunction in humans (Franklin).

            Summary = Eating too much food, and too many "unhealthy foods" high in saturated and Trans Fats - a staple of processed foods - will disrupt the ability of neurons to communicate with one another through electrochemical interactions, or they will "reduce" the hormones in the brain-signaling pathway respectively. Either way, the result is an impaired/reduced state of cognitive functioning!

The Good:

There is also evidence that supports the influence of our digestive tract upon the acquisition of new memories. The ingestion of food triggers the release of hormones and other molecules, which can assist in activating specific regions of the brain, such as the hippocampus and the hypothalamus - contributing to overall learning and memory. 

·         1.) Antioxidants such as several fruits [like the tart cherry or cucumin “Curry”] may mediate the effects of oxidative stress on neuronal plasticity (Gómez-Pinilla).

·         2.) Folate, which is found in Spinach/orange juice/yeast, has also demonstrated that it can help to prevent cognitive decline and dementia during aging (Gómez-Pinilla).

·          3.) Omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids [such as fish oils] are normal constituents of cell membranes and they are essential for normal brain function,

o   Has been shown in rodent studies on fish oil deficiency in the diet (Gómez-Pinilla).

These demonstrate just a few of the essential nutrients needed in the sustenance and in the development of a healthy mind!

Summary = Eating the "right" foods, can help to foster a healthier, and an overall better state of mind. Consuming antioxidants can help aid in efficient communication between neurons, folate has been associated with memory retention, and the fish-oils are necessary for memory-retention - as a rodent fish-oil deprivation study noted that memory (in navigating a maze) significantly declined from the control group under such deprived conditions - noting that having fish-oils as a part of ones regular diet is key to keeping those memories.

I Hope that your brain has formed a few new connections from reading this article, and I wish you all success in practicing those "healthy" eating habits, so that you can retain what you learned here today! 


Check out another article I wrote on how Exercise effects the brain!
http://nutritionnatural.blogspot.com/2013/08/exercise-can-make-you-smarter.html 

Works Cited

Franklin, Barry A. "Recent Advances in Preventive Cardiology and Lifestyle Medicine." Recent Advances in Preventive Cardiology and Lifestyle Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2013.

Gómez-Pinilla, Fernando. "Brain Foods: The Effects of Nutrients on Brain Function." Nature Reviews Neuroscience 9.7 (2008): 568-78. Print.

 

Is Farm Raised Salmon Praised?

Things to Consider When Choosing Your Salmon

By Tim

Source

When choosing the salmon that is right for you and your family, you may want to take a closer look at what type of salmon you are purchasing. Not all salmon sold in stores are identical and there are some choices that may be better for your health than others. Below I am going to highlight different types of salmon and offer a suggestion on the kind I like to buy when I am out shopping.

First off, there are two main types of salmon out there, and that is "Atlantic" and "Pacific". They both belong to the same family, but are part of different genuses. Pacific salmon can only spawn once before they pass away, while Atlantic salmon can spawn many times. Wild salmon populations are always at risk of depleting quickly seeing as salmon is one of those seafood options that even the "I don't like fish" people like, due to the lack of "fishy" taste. Due to this, populations are carefully monitored for both species.

As we have advanced in society, we have also developed more convenient and cost-efficient ways of producing food for the mass populations in the world. One of the many processes that has been adopted into our culture is that of farm-raised salmon. The practice of farm-raising salmon has come under scrutiny recently and it should be noted the differences between wild and farm-raised salmon. Let's look at some differences.

Fatty Spots:

When looking at Wild vs. Farm-Raised salmon, one major indicator to which one you are purchasing is the amount of fat in the fish. When looking at the salmon itself, you will see more prominent white streaks in the farm-raised salmon than you would in the wild salmon. However not always is it easy to tell by this test.

Taste:

Wild salmon has a stronger "fishy" taste than farmed salmon. This obviously doesn't help much when purchasing your fish, but it is a way to indicate a difference between the two.

Price:

Farm-Raised salmon is going to be cheaper than their counterparts from the wilderness. It takes less effort to raise them and they can farm hundreds of thousands of salmon per year per farm.

Label:

I am putting label here to give you a warning. DON'T ALWAYS TRUST THE LABEL! Wild Salmon season is usually during the summer months and ends somewhere around September. Most of the time when the label states that the salmon is wild during the summer months, it is correct. However, there have been instances where, during the winter months when wild salmon fishing isn't in season, farm-raised salmon has been labeled as wild. Just be careful when considering a label as a consideration.

Now that you can have a better idea of what you are getting into, I am going to list some concerns about farm-raised salmon.

• Farm-raised salmon are usually grown in open aired pens and this makes them susceptible to disease and other organisms in the environment. This makes them susceptible to disease and other organisms, so they are given various pesticides and antibiotics
• Farmed fish may contain higher levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) which can lead to an increased risk of developing a form of cancer when consuming. PCBs have actually been banned by many countries, including the USA, in use of "open environments" leaving them allowed to be used in closed environments. Compounds within PCBs are closely related to the toxin, dioxin, and can negatively affect the endocrine system.
• Some farm fish come out a lighter colored pink or even grey. To combat this at to make the fish more marketable to the average consumer, they are given a dye to give them a more vibrant, bright reddish tint. This dye is a carotenoid called "canthaxanthin" and it has been discussed that canthaxanthin may have led to an eye disorder that formed yellow deposits on the eye's retina when it was used in tanning pills. This wasn't proven, but it is definitely something to look out for

My suggestion is, be careful with what type of salmon you are buying. Do not just buy the farm-raised salmon because it is bigger or cheaper. Sometimes paying a little more for more organic food is a better option than trying to save a quick buck. You will still get your nutrients (thiamin, niacin, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids) from a smaller piece of wild salmon all while consuming less toxins. If the price really does cripple your family, then the best bet is to just skip salmon all together and try cheaper options. You can actually obtain Omega-3 fatty acids from flax seeds, walnuts and soybeans, if you are unable to purchase wild salmon.

  

One thing I cannot stress enough is that your diet is something to not go cheap on. Your body and health are important and it is something that is definitely worth the money!

Sources:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA400062

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/salmon-factory-farm-vs-wild/#axzz2cigOMTSD

https://www.ncga.coop/newsroom/fish

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/finfish-and-shellfish-products/4259/2

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-pacific-and-atlantic-salmon.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polychlorinated_biphenyl#History

Exercise Can Make You Smarter?

 by Patrick Vaughan

Evidence has arisen that Exercise and physical activity does indeed make you smarter! Here is the proof to back it up.

Study 1.)

In terms of achieving better retention in graduation rates here at MSU, graduate student Samantha Danbert, under the direction of Dr. Jim Pivarnik has undertaken a study based upon Academic Success and the Role of Recreational Sports Fitness Facilities. The study was split into two groups; those with a Campus Recreational Fitness Facilities [CRFF] membership, and those without one. The findings from this study were highly significant [p<0.05].

Results:

•  Those who had memberships had higher GPA’s, completed more credits, and were more likely to be retained as MSU students than those who did not have memberships.  (Danbert)

• There tends to be a strong correlation between those with fitness memberships and their level of academic achievement. (Danbert)

• This research helps to support the notion that providing students with better access to fitness facilities, could potentially aid in fostering the retention rate of students as proposed (Danbert)

Study 2.) 

Other studies have indicated that submaximal aerobic exercise performed for durations between 20-60 minutes, facilitates multiple cognitive processes critical to optimum performance and adaptive behavior. 

In a study by Tenenbaum et al., 8 team handball players decision-making abilities were evaluated while walking/running on a treadmill. Pictures of game-like situations were flashed for a period of two seconds, followed by a verbal response to the situation.

Results:

• Following exercise, people are better able to engage in action, concentrate, and solve problems than they are prior to exercise (Tomporowski).

•  Regardless of skill-level or experience, decisions were significantly better at higher intensities than at lower levels of exercise [Running vs. Walking] (Tomporowski).

• The consensus is that exercise does indeed influence the speed of decision-making once the information has been coded (Tomporowski).

Supporting Evidence/Additional Studies:

1. Learning complex movement sequences and utilizing problem-solving during athletics/exercise can stimulate the prefrontal cortex, which aids in carrying out executive functioning (Sallis)
2. Release of neurohormones during exercise, can help to improve classroom attentiveness (Sallis)
3. Continual exercise is associated with advantages in cognitive functioning, math, acuity, and reaction time (Sallis) 
4. Studies provided by SPARK [Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids], demonstrate that more active and physically fit students could indeed be better learners as well.           

a.   They increased the amount of Physical Activity within the scheduled day of 1^st-6^th graders, and decreased their time for instruction. Despite14-26% reduction in instruction time for subjects other than PE, there was an overall increase in fitness, psychomotor abilities, and class grades.

                                                              i.      Most notably is that there was no difference from the SPARK schools in standardized testing as opposed to other schools [Despite the 14-26% reduction time in instruction], and in addition the students in the SPARK program also scored higher than the control schools in terms of standardized mathematics testing. (Sallis)

To get a fresh start on working out for your brain, check out these home workout videos for exercises you can do during your down time at home, new ones will be posted every week! 

http://nutritionnatural.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html  

 -Click on this link here, OR on the Home Workouts link in the right column of this page- 


To learn more about how nutrition effects the brain, check out this link below!
http://nutritionnatural.blogspot.com/2013/08/nutrition-and-exercise-what-load-of.html
 

 

Works Cited

Danbert, Samantha J., James M. Pivarnik, Richard N. McNeil, and Ira J. Washington. "Academic Success: The Role of Campus Recreation Fitness Facilities." (Not Published): n. pag. Web.

Sallis, James F`. "Effects of Health-Related Physical Education on Academic Achievement: Project SPARK." Taylor and Francis. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2013.

Tomporowski, Phillip D. "Effects of Acute Bouts of Exercise on Cognition." Effects of Acute Bouts of Exercise on Cognition. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2013.