To Your Health! A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE RIVERTOWNS ENTERPRISE | OCTOBER 17, 2014
The preventative power of meditation 40 minutes a day to better health
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By TODD SLISS
magine you’re sitting in the lotus position, surrounded by candles, dressed in a long robe, making a low humming sound, your thoughts worshiping something ancient. Now take that vision and toss it out of your mind — that’s not what meditation has to look, sound or feel like. And the impact it can have on one’s health is astounding. Just 20 minutes of you, quiet and your mantra twice a day through transcendental meditation methods could be all you need. Say hello to lower risk of the many ailments, conditions and diseases that are negatively impacted by stress — and that’s according not only to proponents of the discipline, but scientific studies as well. “Stress is known to be a factor in almost every single disease and it’s because stress is a major factor in debilitating the immune system,” said Sam Katz, director of the nonprofit Transcendental Meditation Center in Bedford Hills along with his wife, Melody. “Whether you’re fighting cancer, a cold, digestive problems, cardiovascular problems, neurological problems, if you can enhance your
immune system then you have a better opportunity for better health. Just as important is reduction of anxiety and depression. The number of people in the United States who are afflicted with debilitating levels of anxiety and depression is something like 1 in 5. It’s become an epidemic. The World Health Organization recently came out with a statement saying that stress is the epidemic of the 21st century.” Katz added, “Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. More than cancer, more than traffic fatalities, more than infectious diseases. The American Heart Association came out with a scientific statement that said there are no meditation techniques that have actually shown to reduce heart disease and high blood pressure, except for transcendental meditation.” According to the Mayo Clinic website, there are a host of ways to meditate. They are: guided meditation (imagery and senses), mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation (increased awareness during meditation), qi gong (combines relaxation, movement and breathing), tai chi (“gentle Chinese martial arts”), transcendental meditation (mantra “allows your body to settle into a state of profound rest and relaxation”) and yoga (postures and breaking for a “more flexible body and a calm mind.”) Continued
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MEDICINE
Addiction, abuse and Adderall By ANTHONY R. MANCINI
INSIDE HEALTH... Sugar substitutes may backfire, lead to insulin resistance............................................................ 3A Sam Kaye: Sedentary to a successful health career....................................................... 4A News Notes......................................................... 6A Ticks: New need to be vigilant as ever................ 8A Don’t just sit there! Healthy solutions for those with desk jobs................................................... 10A Mental Health: Lowering risks of dementia.......11A Prescription drugs, heroin use have link.......... 16A Improve your day with these breakfast ideas.............................................. 20A
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dderall, ever since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 1996, has been officially used to treat symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but has also been taken as a study aid and as a recreational drug. Despite Adderall’s usefulness in the medical field for treating ADHD, it as recognized as having a high potential for abuse. A 2009 study conducted by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a federal agency, have shown that college students who have used Adderall in a nonprescribed manner have a higher likelihood of abusing other prescription drugs or illicit drugs than students who have not used Adderall in a nonmedical fashion. Adderall is a stimulant comprised of equal
parts of four amphetamine salts: amphetamine aspartate monohydrate, amphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine saccharate and dextroamphetamine sulfate. The stimulant effects of amphetamine compounds such as these were first realized in the
late 1920s. Since the discovery of its pharmaceutical effects, amphetamine was used to treat a wide range of medical problems such as asthma and obesity. Eventually, amphetamine’s high potential for abuse became well known and the drug is diagnosed for far less applications than it was once used for. Amphetamine salts are Schedule II drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, first passed by Congress in 1970. Schedule II drugs are identified as having a high potential for abuse, having accepted medical use and potentially leading to physiological or physical dependence. Other drugs within Schedule II include cocaine, methamphetamine, opium, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and phencyclidine. Adderall is available both in instant and extended release forms. According to a report revised in 2011 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse about the abuse of prescription drugs, the amphetamine salts within Adderall work by Continued
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