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Up for an Oscar this year is Colin Firth for his role as England’s King George VI in the World War II film, “The King’s Speech.” The drama, which focuses on King George’s battle with a stuttering speech disorder, has brought attention this commonly misunderstood stammering syndrome which affects 1% of all adults.

Stuttering is not indicative of mental illness.

The New England Journal of Medicine published this report regarding stuttering: Stuttering is a genetic speech disorder which impairs one’s ability to speak fluently; sufferers often repeat syllables, words and sounds in a single sentence, making it difficult to communicate clearly.  Sadly, most compulsive stutterers are unable to control their condition and are often conceived by others as being mentally slow, ineloquent and sometimes brain damaged; in actuality their symptoms are neurologically based and not a reflection of intelligence or mental clarity.

One percent of all adults stutter.

Stuttering is a genetic disorder which most, but not all stuttering children eventually outgrow. Many adults learn to stop stuttering by using speech therapy activities for stutterers such as stress reduction and breathing exercises; electronic stop stuttering devices are also employed.

Scientists search for clues to explain the causes of stuttering.

Researchers have linked stuttering to chromosome 12, noting mutations to a gene known as GNPTAB.  Scientists studied 123 Pakistani subjects who suffer from stuttering speech disorder, 46 of whom were of blood relation. Also included in this research were over 500 US and British participants, half of which stuttered compulsively.

The mutated gene which was detected in the Pakistani stutterers was also found in the stutterers from the US and the UK.

Of the US and English control groups, only the stutterers contained the GNPTAB gene which has been proven to contribute to stuttering, as well as various metabolic disorders such as cardiovascular disease and illnesses of the skeletal system,  liver, and brain development. Scientists hope to use these findings to develop a cure for stuttering.

Vitamin deficiency can also lead to stuttering.

Stuttering is also one of many symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 is necessary for production of red blood cells and the production of neurotransmitters of the brain.  A deficiency may lead to pernicious anemia, chronic fatigue and irreversible neurological damage.

Treatment for stuttering disorder includes:

• Stress management
• Meditation
• Vitamin B12 therapy
• Enzyme replacement therapy

Sources:

Emax Health

Fox News

Do you speak more than one language? A recent study shows that multilingualism is healthy for the brain.

Psychologist Ellen Bialystok of York University, Toronto recently conducted a study which focused on patients of  Alzheimer’s disease.  Out of the 450 test subjects, approximately half were bilingual, while the other half only spoke their Mother tongue.

The bilingual patients of Alzheimer’s suffered the same symptoms of brain deterioration as the patients who spoke only one language.  However, the onset of Alzheimer’s began 4-5 years later in life for the patients who were fluent in two languages than it did for the senior citizens who were only raised with one.

Dr. Bialystok explained it like this: the ability to speak fluently in more than one language enabled one focus group of seniors to cope with the symptoms of Alzheimer’s better than the test subjects who did not have the advantage of multi-language fluency. As a result, bilingual Alzheimer’s patients who are in the onset of the disease tend to be about 5 years older than early-stage patients who have been exposed to only one language.

FDA Approves Brain Scan to DetectAlzheimer’s Disease.

Her findings were presented at a meeting for the American Association for the Advancement of Science and was published in Neurology, 11/09/10.

Researchers believe that bilingual patients of Alzheimer’s are more functional than monolingual patients because of a difference in their brain makeup.  The ability to speak more than one language stems from a skill which employs the executive control system or our brains; because bilingual people exercise that brain function more often they are less likely to succumb to the symptoms of dementia.

The executive control center of the brain is essential for the following skills:

• Self-Evaluation
• Planning
• Initiation
• Time-Awareness
• Self-Correction
• Problem Solving

“It’s not that being bilingual prevents the disease,” explains Bialystok. “Instead, it allows those who develop Alzheimer’s to deal with it better.”

Source: Huffington Post

As reported by the Huffington Post, type 2 diabetes is on the rise, and many people who have it don’t even know it.

The following symptoms of type 2 diabetes are often misdiagnosed as old age, fatigue, stress or eating disorder:

• Decreased energy
• Weight gain
• Insatiable need for carbohydrates
• Increased appetite

Over 7 million people in the US are unaware that they suffer from type 2 diabetes.

The warning signs of type 2 diabetes tend to accumulate gradually, so many diabetics who are unaware of their condition chalk it up to old age or stress. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8.3 % of us have type 2 diabetes; that’s almost 26 million Americans.

What you can do about it:

• Get yearly check-ups. Every year your physician should perform the following  tests to monitor your blood sugar levels:

Glucose blood test- a standard fast followed by a blood test to check blood sugar. A healthy level is under 95.

Glycosylated hemoglobin A1C test. This is a blood test which reveals your blood sugar levels over the previous three months. A healthy diagnosis is anywhere between 4 and 6.

Triglyceride levels- your doctor should also include this test as part of your cholesterol monitoring. A triglyceride level over 200 could indicate the onset of type 2 diabetes.

• Keep a food journal. You might be unconsciously craving  carbs, which could mean an unhealthy response to insulin.
• Keep track of your waist size. A large waist circumference is often indicative of a diabetic condition; men with a waist size of over 40 inches and women over 35 inches should visit a doctor and be checked for type 2 diabetes.
• Include more vitamin B12-rich proteins in your diet, in addition to plant-based carbohydrates.
• Exercise regularly. Type 2 diabetes is often a result of excess weight gain, so stay fit by lifting weights and walking or jogging every day.

Image:

puravida

New research indicates that the vegan diet, while low in animal based fats, is nevertheless not as heart healthy as previously thought.

According to experts, eating an exclusively vegan diet may elevate your chances of developing blood clots and atherosclerosis– both of which may lead to heart attack and stroke.

The vegan diet excludes protein sources such as fish, meat, eggs and dairy, which are rich in essential vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids.

The report, published by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists have collected data over the past 30 years relating to cardiovascular health of vegans versus omnivores.  They concluded that vegetarians have a statistically high risk of accumulating blood clots and suffering from atherosclerosis as a result of not including vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids in their diet.

Good sources of vitamin B12 include beef liver, lamb, oysters, clams, cheese and eggs. Foods which are rich in omega-3 oils include oily fish such as salmon and canned tuna.

Vegans and vegetarians are advised to supplement their diet with adequate amounts of vitamin B12 and omega-3 in order to prevent heart disease, stroke and vitamin B12 deficiency.

Sources:

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

NCBI

OpposingViews.com

Homocysteine Forum

Images:

irish_eyes

We all know you need to work your body at least 2-3 times a week to stay flexible, build muscle and keep the metabolic juices flowing.  Many of us either go to the gym, walk during our lunch breaks or ride a bike to work.

What about your brain? Your mind also needs a good workout to stay limber, build neurotransmitters and keep the cerebral juices flowing.

Where’s your mental gym?

Use it or lose it.

Your body has over 800 muscles and joints which need to be flexed every day.

Your brain has 5 cognitive functions which need to be practiced, too.

These 5 habits will keep your mind stimulated and sharp; try incorporating them into your daily schedule:

(1)

Memories…

• Your memory skills need training in order to avoid short-term memory loss.
• Every time you memorize something like a password code, for example, you increase the amount of neurotransmitter acetylcholine in your brain.
• Some good memory exercises: try tying your shoes with your eyes closed or feeling your way around a familiar room in the dark.

(2)

Say what?

• Become distracted easily by outside noises? Find yourself repeating the same paragraph over and over? These are all signs of low attention skills.
• Do you often pass your freeway exit on the way to work? During very routine tasks we tend to go into “autopilot.”
• Shake things up a bit to stay in the zone; take an alternate route to work every other day or listen to an audio book while cooking dinner.

(3)

Learn the lingo.

• Language skills practice your ability to recognize, remember and understand words.
• Increase your vocabulary- check out an online thesaurus and make an effort to read a wide range of literature for word exposure.

(4)

Know you personal space.

• Visual-spatial skills help you focus better on your surroundings; they help you stay subconsciously aware of your environment while you concentrate on other tasks.
• Try this memory game once a day: stand in a room and look around at your surroundings.

Choose 3 items to concentrate on; let’s say a pen on your desk, a wall calendar or an interesting flower arrangement.

Exit the room.

Summon the items in your mind, trying to remember exactly where they were in relation to where you were standing before you left the room.

Now try to picture them again an hour later.

Work up to remembering more items, or increase the amount of time to several hours later.

• Practice seeing objects in your peripheral vision and remembering them later.

(5)

Take Charge.

• Executive function skills are used for logic and reasoning.
• Go to Barnes and Nobles or Borders and check out some magazines which specialize in brain-busting riddles and logic puzzles; Games monthly magazine has a wide selection of mind-benders to keep your brain sharp.
• Hook up with a chess partner; strategy board games like Monopoly or Stratego emphasize cause and consequence.

Sources:

Fox News

Wikipedia

The  Journal of the American College of Cardiology recently published a report confirming that gastric bypass surgery not only helps you lose weight- it also might give you a healthier heart.

Scientific evidence supports the health benefits of gastric bypass surgery.

Scientists from the Medical College of Georgia recently concluded a study which focused on a group of individuals who were morbidly obese; the subjects studied were overweight to the point that if they didn’t lose weight immediately they would die an early age.

What is gastric bypass surgery?

Gastric bypass procedures essentially involve:

• Division of the stomach into two pockets:  a small upper pocket and a considerably larger lower  pocket
• Reconnecting of the small intestine to both pockets
• Food bypasses the larger pocket in favor of the smaller stomach pouch

Typical life-threatening ailments resulting from morbid obesity include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and risk of stroke.

Out of the 733-member focus group, 423 elected for gastric bypass surgery while the rest did not.

Necessary weight loss led to reversed symptoms.

After two years the bypass surgery patients lost considerable amounts of weight, resulting in the following health benefits:

• Decreased body mass index
• Decreased waist measurements
• Lowered systolic blood pressure
• Lowered levels of triglycerides
• Lowered levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol
• Increased HDL (good) cholesterol
• Increased insulin response

Heart structure improved, as well.

Obesity physically distorts the heart structure by creating excess muscular mass in the left ventricle and stretching the gap in the cavity of the right ventricle.

However, two years after gastric bypass surgery the following cardiovascular changes occurred among the 423-member group:

• Reduced mass index in left ventricle
• Reduced width of right ventricular cavity
• Lowered heart rate

Gastric bypass surgery is a life-saving last resort.

In situations where obesity is not life-threatening physicians generally recommend losing weight naturally, no more than about a pound per week.  Gastric bypass surgery is proposed only as recourse when the only other alternative is premature death.  A dangerously high body mass index is necessary in order to qualify somebody for this elective surgery.

More information on the risks and benefits of gastric bypass surgery can be found at the Mayo Clinic.

Sources:

Huliq

Fox News

February 6, 2011 marks Super Bowl Sunday. Whether hosting your own Super Bowl party or going to a potluck supper you’ll need some hearty grub to keep the guys satisfied.

The following menu ideas are all high in Vitamin B12, which is essential for preventing heart attacks, building up red blood cells and regulating the nervous system.  Scroll to the bottom for recipes.

Get the party started with a platter of deviled eggs, prepared with low-fat mayonnaise, mustard powder and a dash of hot sauce. A yummy accompaniment would be a bowl of this Clam Dip served alongside an array of vegetable sticks and multi-grain crackers.

The Main Event:

Nothing says “Super Bowl” like a generous cut of beef. This lean Sirloin Steak recipe can be prepared with butter or trans-fat free margarine.  You don’t have to be a liver connoisseur to like this Fried Beef Liver with Onions recipe, which is jam-packed with Vitamin B12. Feeling exotic? Throw some lamb shoulder kabobs with rosemary-lemon dressing on the grill for a real crowd-pleaser.

Like seafood? How about frying up some fresh rainbow trout, breaded in cornmeal and buttermilk for a B vitamin extravaganza?  This Seafood Casserole is high in B12 rich ingredients like crabmeat, cheddar cheese, scallops and fish fillet.

Got vegans? Satisfy their veggie-loving taste buds with these Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches, make with fortified blocks of bean curd and slathered with garlic- yogurt dressing.

Clam Dip

1 tin (8 ounces) minced clams

1 clove garlic, sliced in half

8 ounces cream cheese

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Tabasco sauce, to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of pepper

Preparation:

Drain clams, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice for later.

Rub a medium serving bowl with the garlic halves.

Add cream cheese, beating with fork until smooth.

Mix in remaining ingredients, including the reserved 1/4 cup of clamjuice.

Blend well.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Serve with vegetable stick or multi-grain crackers.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups of clam dip.

Sirloin Steak

1/2 cup margarine

2 teaspoons garlic powder

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 pounds beef top sirloin steaks

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat outdoor grill on high.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt margarine over medium-low heat with garlic powder and minced garlic until golden brown. Set aside.

Rub salt and pepper into steak on both sides.

Grill steaks 4 to 5 minutes per side, or as desired.

Transfer to serving platter. Brush tops liberally with garlic margarine, and allow     to cool a few minutes before serving.

Fried Liver with Onions

1 lb. beef liver

3 or 4 onions, sliced

½ cup margarine

Flour for dredging

Milk

Salt and pepper

Rinse liver in cold wate

Place it in a bowl and cover with milk. Set aside.

In a large skillet,  melt margarine over medium-high heat and then stir-fry the onions until golden.

Remove the onions from skillet and set aside.

Dredge the liver in flour which has been sprinkled with salt and pepper to taste.

Place liver in skillet with hot melted margarine.

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through, being careful not to overcook.

Seafood Casserole

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds fish fillets (3 to 4 fillets), cut into large chunks

1 cup crabmeat

1 cup scallops

Preparation:

Melt butter in saucepan over medium-low heat.

Blend in flour.

Gradually stir in milk.

Cook, stirring constantly until thickened.

Add salt and shredded cheese.

Stir until cheese melts.

Set aside.

When cooled, add sour cream.

Place fish pieces in buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart baking dish.

Add crabmeat and scallops to the cheese sauce.

Pour over fish.

Bake at 325° for about 20 to 30 minutes, until fish is cooked through.

Serves 4.

Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches

1 (12 ounce) block of extra firm tofu

3 TB of canola oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

6 hamburger buns

Drain the tofu between paper towels and gently squeeze out liquid.

Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet.

Pan fry tofu strips until golden brown on both sides.

Add onion and fry for a few more minutes until onion is golden- brown.

Add barbecue sauce and heat a few minutes longer to seal in flavor.

Serve on hamburger buns.

Keywords

Super bowl recipes

Vegetarian super bowl recipes

Vegan super bowl recipes

Best super bowl recipes

Super bowl menu

Super bowl menu ideas

Sources:

http://southernfood.about.com/od/seafoodappetizers/r/bl30620o.htm

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/sirloin-steak-with-garlic-butter/Detail.aspx

http://www.grouprecipes.com/18809/fried-beef-liver-with-onions.html

http://southernfood.about.com/od/crabrecipes/r/bl01101i.htm

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/barbecue-tofu-sandwiches/Detail.aspx

Oprah Winfrey is taking her farewell season to new heights with her latest “Vegan Challenge.”

Only days after stunning her afternoon TV talk show audience with her highly anticipated revelation of a half-sister, Oprah Winfrey is once again making headlines. This time, it’s all about going vegan.

Recently Oprah announced that she and the rest of her 378-member Harpo staff would be taking a seven -day vegan challenge.  Promoting the new vegan diet book by author Kathy Freston, “Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World,” Oprah’s February 3, 2011 aired the results, including a shocking expose on a beef processing plant.

Her explanation for taking the Vegan Challenge- To raise awareness of animal cruelty and to demonstrate how living free of animal products can improve your health.

Kathy Freston’s book encourages getting your protein from whole grains, beans and lentils. Recipes featured on her show included a blueberry-banana-broccoli shake, Pumpernickel bread, veggie burgers and a new ingredient: Daiya, a cheese substitute derived from tapioca, arrowroot and peas.

And the results of the 7-day Vegan Challenge?

• Out of the 378-crew, approximately 300 were able to complete the 7-day vegan diet.
• Collectively they lost 444 pounds.
• Many volunteers reported having digestive difficulties adjusting to the vegan entrees, being unaccustomed to following a diet rich in legumes.
• Video editor Rich shared his success story- after 10 years of migraine headaches and chronic acid indigestion he has lost 11 pounds during the one-week challenge and has never felt better.

Unlike vegetarianism, which permits the eating of eggs, fish and cheese, the vegan diet is entirely plant-based; in addition to eschewing all foods which are even remotely derived from any animal source many vegans also shun leather goods and fur.

Considering going vegan? Proceed with caution; the typical vegan diet lacks Vitamin B12, a crucial nutrient which aids in red blood cell production and various neurological functions. A Vitamin B12 deficiency could lead to pernicious anemia, chronic fatigue syndrome, memory loss and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Sources:

http://www.examiner.com/oprah-in-national/oprah-recommends-vegan-diet-recipes-cookbook-veganist-by-kathy-freston

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24781094/ns/today-entertainment/

Have you checked your Vitamin B12 levels lately? If you’re over 30, then you should; your chances of becoming deficient increase with age.

What are some of the symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency?

• Restlessness
• Fatigue
• Memory loss
• Numbness or tingling
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty sleeping
• Increased aggression
• depression

Most of us eat about 15 mcg. of Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) everyday, which is more than the USRDA of only 2 mcg.  Good sources include most meat, fish and dairy products. However, scientists recommend 200 times that amount in order to prevent getting Vitamin B12 deficiency.

Why you need Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is necessary for healthy red blood cell reproduction and neurological functioning. A deficiency can have serious consequences which, left untreated, can be life threatening.

Diseases resulting from Vitamin B12 deficiency include:

Hematological

Megaloblastic anemia

Pancytopenia

Neurological illness

Peripheral neuropathy

Paresthesia

Combined systems disease

Psychiatric illness

Moodiness

Loss of short-term memory, dementia

Depression

Psychotic behavior

Cardiovascular disease

Increased likelihood for heart attack or stroke

Three Causes for Vitamin B12 Deficiency

1) Nutrition

Foods that are highest in Vitamin B12 include shellfish, liver, beef and cheese. Vegans are at high risk of developing Vitamin B12 deficiency and must take regular vitamin supplements to compensate.

2) Malabsorption syndromes

Some people are unable to utilize the Vitamin B12 found in food products and tend to develop Vitamin B12 deficiency. Pernicious anemia is an example of an autoimmune disease which results from a low presence of the intrinsic factor antibody, which attaches itself to and aids in the absorption of Vitamin B12.

3) Gastrointestinal causes

Dyspepsia, or indigestion, is another common cause of low Vitamin B12 since excess stomach acids make it difficult for the body to absorb Vitamin B12 properly.

Sufferers of Crohn’s disease are at particular risk and must supplement with vitamins in order to avoid severe malnourishment.

Patients who have had gastric bypass or other intestinal surgery are likely to develop B12 deficiency due to bacterial residue.

Treatment for Vitamin B12 Deficiency

See a doctor immediately if you suspect you have Vitamin B12 Deficiency; a simple blood test is all that is required for a diagnosis.

Once Vitamin B12 deficiency is determined your physician will prescribe a regimen of Vitamin B12 supplements, usually in the form of intramuscular injections followed up by sublingual tablets.

Sources:

American Family Physician

HealthAliciousNess.com

Web MD

Wall Street Journal

Image:

Morguefile

Following yesterday’s article, Fast Food Felonies, Part II: Top 10 Fatty Offenders, it only stands to reason that today’s article should be about indigestion. Anybody who felt compelled to try out any of the colossally colon-bursting burgers or fried foods is probably still suffering the aftereffects.

Symptoms of dyspepsia include:

• upper abdominal pain
• repetitive burping
• fierce nausea
• feeling of fullness or bloating
• heartburn
• vomiting

Help is just a teacup or spoonful away; here are some good treatments for indigestion, along with some very important behavior modifications.

Whoa, there!

It takes time for your body to get the message that it’s being fed; usually your brain needs about 20 minutes to receive the update from the stomach before it can start sending you happy “I’m full now” feelings.

Divide that by half.

Whatever portion you have heaped onto your plate- you probably only need about half that amount.

Chew on this for a while.

Remember to put your fork down between bites and chew slowly for better digestion.

No eating after 7.

Give your digestive system a chance to rest along with the rest of your body.

Can’t handle the heat?

Some people just can’t handle spicy foods and their tummies let them know it.

Join the tobacco-free revolution.

Quit smoking- along with lung damage, heart disease and emphysema it also causes indigestion.

Take it all in moderation.

That includes caffeine and alcohol.

Become your body’s journalist.

Keeping track of your eating habits can put things inter perspective.

Take a chill pill.

Relax! Those butterflies in your stomach are caused by excess stress.

Host a daily tea party.

Peppermint tea is naturally soothing to the stomach.

Host an army.

Drink probiotics and get a colony of “friendly” bacteria to live inside your digestive tract.

Holy basil!

Chewing a few leaves of the holy basil herb keeps acid production down to a minimum.

Just a spoonful of aloe…

Take a few teaspoons of Aloe Vera juice about 30 minutes before mealtime to boost digestion.

Get back to your roots.

Chewing a few tablets a day of deglycyrrhizinated licorice root (DGL) forms a healthy protective lining along the inside of your stomach.

Tried everything?

If symptoms are ongoing you should see a doctor to rule out irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Sources:

Huffington Post
NewsMax
National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
MedicineNet

Zbigniew Kosmal