healthbriefs
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study from Nagasaki University, in Japan, has found that reducing salt in the diet can cut down on the number of trips to the bathroom during the night. Researchers followed 321 men and women with high-salt diets and sleep problems for 12 weeks. Of the subjects, 223 reduced their salt intake from 10.7 grams per day to 8 grams and the remaining 98 increased their salt intake from 9.6 grams per day to 11 grams. The nighttime urination frequency rate for the salt reduction group dropped from 2.3 times per night to 1.4 times, while the increased salt group’s rose from 2.3 to 2.7 times per night.
EARLY BIRDS EAT BETTER AND EXERCISE MORE
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esearchers from Helsinki, Finland, analyzed data from 2,000 people to find out how sleeping patterns affected their food choices. They discovered individuals that wake up early make healthier food choices throughout the day and are more physically active. “Linking what and when people eat to their biological clock type provides a fresh perspective on why certain people are more likely to make unhealthy food decisions,” explains lead author Mirkka Maukonen, from the National Institute for Health and Welfare, in Helsinki.
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LESS SALT REDUCES NIGHTTIME POTTY VISITS
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Holistic Health Retailer Celebrates One Year
Yoga Eases Eating Disorders
esearchers from Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, have found that regular yoga practice can help reduce anxiety and depression in young women with eating disorders. The scientists followed 20 girls between the ages of 14 and 18 that were enrolled in an outpatient eating disorder clinic that comprised the larger control group. Those selected agreed to participate in a weekly yoga class and complete questionnaires after six and 12 weeks, assessing their anxiety, depression and mood. Of those that started the study, five attended all 12 yoga classes and six completed between seven and 11 classes. Researchers found decreases in anxiety, depression and negative thoughts among those that participated in the yoga classes, with no negative side effects. Another study from the University of Delaware, in Newark, supports these results. Half of the 38 residential eating disorder treatment program participants did one hour of yoga prior to dinner for five days and the other half did not. The yoga group showed significant reductions in pre-meal anxiety compared to the control group.
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New York City Edition
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Drugs, which has provided fertility Metro and compounded medicines in New
York City for 26 years, is celebrating the first anniversary of its transformation to Metro Integrative Pharmacy, a comprehensive holistic health and wellness store. Metro is independently owned and has a history of providing personalized and specialized pharmacy service to the Upper East Side community. The traditional pharmacy is now complemented by a product line focused on organic, natural and sustainably produced brands and a staff of credentialed practitioners who offer complimentary advice and private consultations. Metro carries a full range of professional health and beauty lines not available at most retailers, including nutritional supplements from Standard Process, Metagenics, Thorne, Mega Food and Jarrow; beauty and skin care from Jane Iredale and Dr. Hauschka; and homeopathic remedies from Boiron. The newly refurbished store also carries items such as essential oils, bath salts, candles, Bumble & Bumble hair products and natural beverages and snacks. The store’s licensed and trained naturopathic doctors, nutritionists, herbalists, estheticians and other professionals are accessible on the floor or by appointment to help customers choose the best approaches to overall wellness based on individual needs. There is no pressure, just informed and educated practitioners sharing knowledge. Metro also hosts lectures and events and offers an online newsletter, “Wellness and Enlightenment,” all covering the latest integrative approaches to concerns such as skin care, stress relief, allergies, Lyme disease, fertility and sleep. Free mini-facials and skin-care treatments are offered in-store. Metro is one of the country’s largest providers of fertility medications and has a state-ofthe-art compounding facility through which it provides custom doses of many medications. Metro Integrative Pharmacy is located at 931 Lexington Ave., between 68th and 69th Streets. For more information, visit MetroIntegrative.com or Metro Integrative Pharmacy on Facebook, call 212-794-7200 or email Info@MetroIntegrative.com. See ad on page 5 for a discount coupon.