Living Well Magazine Nov-Dec, 2008

livingwell ~ September/October 2008

livingwell ~ September/October 2008

Western Montana

mind body soul

A Publication of the People in Missoula and Western Montana want to feel good, look good and live well. Now available in more than 150 newsstand locations throughout the area, Western Montana Livingwell is well suited for over 30,000 readers monthly who want health tips on fitness, nutrition, family, financial advice, wellness, therapy and beauty.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Missoulian or Lee Enterprises. The author of each article published in this publication owns his or her own words.

No part of the publication may be reprinted without permission. Š2008 Lee Enterprises, all rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

livingwell ~ September/October 2008

publisher Stacey Mueller sales & marketing director Jim McGowan art director & editor Kate Murphy assistant art director Mike Lake graphic design Megan Richter Chris Sawicki Youa Vang advertising sales Holly Kuehlwein 406-523-5223

contributors Laura Bender Ellen Carey Marla Crago David Hayes Melissa Picoli

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Skin care is ancient, and spa treatments date back thousands of years to the Egyptians, Greek and the Romans. Back then, going to the spa meant social bathing in springs that were thought to have special healing powers. Spas have evolved greatly since then, but one thing remains the same: spa treatments are meant to calm the spirit, rejuvenate the senses, and leave your skin feeling nurtured, healthy and beautiful.

Products themselves have evolved considerably with the advance of science; and although many of these advances support our quest for beautiful skin, it is also true that many products are laden with questionable chemicals, unproven promises and artificial fragrances that take away from, rather than enhance, healthy skin.

Your skin has a mighty, ambitious job. It protects every organ inside, helps purify your body, maintains body temperature, and it represents you to the outside world. It deserves to be supported and be taken care of. As we age, our skin’s natural ability to rejuvenate itself slows down. This process leads to a lackluster, dry appearance; to a decreased defense system, and ultimately, to the signs of aging we all want to slow down. Regardless of the promises on a fancy bottle, this process begins on the inside with proper nutrition, relaxation and hydration, and is supported on the outside with proper skin care.

I believe wholeheartedly in the benefits of professional treatments from well-trained, intelligent therapists, but skin treatments are not confined to the spa. Nor should they be considered a splurge! By stocking a few natural ingredients, and tuning in to your skin’s needs, you can create a spa ritual at home that will ensure radiant, healthy skin and a more peaceful spirit. Pick and choose from the recipes below, set aside a couple of hours just for you, and indulge. You can’t take care of the world without taking care of yourself first.

The Home Spa Ritual:

Living in Montana wreaks havoc on our skin. We play hard. We work hard. It’s dry, dry, dry. And we are always out of time. A weekly spa ritual at home can work wonders on the appearance of your skin and the wellbeing of your spirit!

Draw yourself a bath, steep a cup of tea and enjoy…this ritual is all yours.

Step 1: Start by “dry-brushing”. A dry brushing will speed up the exfoliation process and help prevent cellulite by supporting the circulatory system. Get a strong, natural bristle brush with a long handle, start at feet and brush your entire body using long strokes, always towards the heart, opposite blood flow.

Step 2: Sugar Scrub: Exfoliation leaves feeling your skin beautiful and silky and prepares it to absorb vitamins, enzymes and other nutrients.

1 cup brown sugar 1 cup Olive oil 10 drops essential oil Mix together. Use to scrub entire body (minus face) in shower. Rinse well, you will feel a light coating of moisturizing oil on your skin.

Step 3: Luxury Bath 2 Cups Organic Heavy Cream 1 Cup Plain Yogurt I cup honey 20-30 drops essential oil such as lavender and rose.

Draw a warm bath pour in all ingredients. The natural alpha-hydroxy acids in the cream and yogurt, along with the humectants and enzymes in the honey are all bioactive, meaning the ingredients are literally alive and working while you relax. Melt into this luxurious treatment and imagine yourself a modern day Cleopatra.

Step 4: Moisturize: ½ cup Olive or Sweet Almond Oil 10 drops essential oil of your choice Every structure of your skin depends on hydration and lipid balance.

Dehydrated skin and skin lacking oil are different, but both are important to avoid. Drinking water and eating healthy fats is vital, and a protective barrier, such as a good cream or lotion, to prevent further moisture loss, is a must!

Once your luxurious bath starts to cool off, it is time to rinse off and moisturize. You might be tempted to reach for your regular lotion, with all its promises, but resist the temptation for this ritual and reach for natural, light oil instead. Once the skin absorbs it, it does not feel greasy, rather, it feels smooth and soft, scented with beneficial essential oils and it is the secret of beautiful Mediterranean skin. Covering your body with good oil just a few times a month is enough to reap the benefits of the highly bioactive, nutrient dense oil

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Skin Sprayers: Spritzing your skin throughout the day helps prevent loss of hydration, and infuses the skin with active nutrients.

Make a skin freshening spritz you can take with you anywhere!

Choose the mixture that fits your skin, add to 1 cup distilled water, pour into spritz bottle and stash in your purse. Anytime you need a pick up, spritz away! You can also make larger batches and keep in the fridge for easy refills.

Oily/acneic: 10 drops lavender essential oil 2-5 drops rosewood essential oil Normal: 10 drops Geranium essential oil 10 drops Lavender essential oil 2 drops Chamomile essential oil Dry: 10 drops geranium 5 drops rose 5 drops chamomile ½ teaspoon olive oil Melissa Picoli has been an esthetician for almost a decade, and has trained throughout the world. Her recipes stem from years of studying skin care and a passion for ingredients that work. www.bijabody.com

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On Pins and Needles Acupuncture isn’t limited to the crunchy-granola set any more. From menstrual cramps to infertility to wrinkles, find out how and why some well-placed needles could be just what you need to get the power flowing

By Dana Carman CTW Features

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imply saying the word “needle” may be enough to elicit repulsion from some people. And the practice of inserting many small needles into the body? It probably sends them right over the edge.

But acupuncture, once considered a fringe therapy something to try when nothing else worked, or something that only those “crunchy, hippie” folk use - has increased in popularity and is sought not only as its own form of treatment but as a complement to conventional Western medicine.

How does it work?

Acupuncture is rooted in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine. According to this practice, within each of us flows an energy or life force called the “chi.”

The chi is balanced between the yin and yang - opposite yet complementary extremes. It’s believed that health issues result from a lack of balance or harmony in the chi. The chi flows throughout the body through pathways, or meridians, accessible via more than 360 acupuncture points. To rebalance the chi, needles are inserted into these points in various combinations. “Each pathway is associated with an organ, and the pathways interconnect,” says Virginia Burns, licensed acupuncturist with Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, Chicago.

“The potential for impacting the body is tremendous.”

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In Treatment Because acupuncture is so versatile, it’s used to treat a variety of ailments from depression to infertility, and virtually everything in between. Burns sees patients for sinus problems, menstrual dysfunction, hypertension, arthritis, back pain, headaches and more. For some, it’s the last line of offense when previous treatments have failed to provide relief. But more and more Burns is seeing people come in who are interested in “healing on a deeper level” and taking a more natural path to healing.

For others, acupuncture works in conjunction with conventional Western treatments. One area seeing a lot of teamwork, or a “handshake” as Robert Yauckoes, licensed acupuncturist with the Natural Wellness Clinic in Framingham, Mass., refers to it as, is in the treatment of infertility.

A recent scientific review of several studies involving acupuncture and in vitro fertilization (IVF) showed acupuncture might improve the odds of conception when administered within a day of embryo transfer into the womb. While some are quick to point out that more research is needed before a conclusion on its effectiveness in infertility treatment can be reached, its benefits have not escaped the attention of fertility centers - many are now partnering with acupuncturists. Beverly Tarbell, also a licensed acupuncturist with the Natural Wellness Clinic, Sun City, Calif., points out that one of

the unique aspects of Chinese medicine is that it works to undermine the root cause of an issue. “It looks at the interplay of the organs,” she says. “Each one affects the other one. Sometimes the organs have a deficiency or excess. We strengthen where there’s weakness and move where there’s excess. It unblocks areas that are blocked.”

It makes sense to Alison McKinzie, 35, of Berwyn, Ill. Migraines are what first led her to the acupuncturist, but in time she was relying on him to help her avoid surgically removing uterine fibroids, which her doctor suggested needed removal if she wanted to get pregnant.

While the acupuncture did relieve her of extremely painful menstrual cycles, McKinzie discovered one of its limitations - diagnostic ability. Without any radiological evidence, she couldn’t know for sure the fibroids were gone, even if the symptoms were. After surgery she continued with acupuncture, despite her doctor’s advice that drugs were necessary to achieve conception. After a few months, she became somewhat discouraged and decided to take a break and a trip to Prague. She didn’t feel well - and guess why not?

Now the mother of a healthy baby boy, McKinzie found in acupuncture what she feels Western medicine lacks - alternatives.

Pay As You Go Swearing off Western medicine altogether can be an expensive way to go since insurance coverage for acupuncture can be tough to find. “Insurance is either covering it or it doesn’t,” Burns says. “Oftentimes,

people pay for it out of pocket.” Prices vary, but generally a patient receives treatment at least once a week, so any out-of-wallet costs can add up quickly.

Jasmin Shah, 32, of Chicago, sees her acupuncturist for carpal tunnel in her wrist, back pain and recently found relief for a sinus infection and kidney infection.

In an ideal world, she would go every week - her job as a freelance photographer requires a lot of both her wrist and back - but at $65 an hour, the expense is too much.

For Shah, the biggest drawback of acupuncture is the cost. But when in need, the benefits outweigh the costs.

“Acupuncture makes a big difference,” she says. “He notices stuff without me even saying it. One time my back was more off than normal because I fell. I didn’t even think of it, but he noticed the difference. A Western doctor would never ever notice.”

Needle What?

Regardless of what particular problem you may be experiencing - heck, you could just hate your wrinkles - acupuncture might provide relief. At the very least, it’s a non-invasive form of treatment that works with your body’s natural energies rather than manipulating them.

Before you get needled, seek out a licensed acupuncturist with expertise in the area you need treatment. You should also feel comfortable with your practitioner. “You have to have a repertoire with the person you’re working with,” Tarbell says. And finally, don’t worry too much about being stuck. “Sometimes I don’t even feel it,” Shah says.

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mind matters

Ten Preventative Health Tips for Daily Living

By Laura Bender The human mind is at the controls of body central. Learning to engage the mind with the body is the key to disease prevention. Here are ten tips that you can try during your day that will help you achieve a healthy body as well as mind.

Early stretch

Wake up and do a little stretch in bed. Point your toes and reach your arms above your head. Reach as tall as you can. Bring your knees to your chest and your head to your knees. Good morning!

Meditation moment

Up and at ‘em. Practice a 10-15 minute stretching or yoga routine. Combine some deep breathing, meditation or prayer. Sometimes a daily list of “things I am grateful for today” is helpful and will help you tune your mind into your body. Do this before you wake up the kids.

Gut feeling

To aide in digestion a small cup of warm water is recommended. I use my 2-year-old’s cup. It’s little, it’s pink, and it makes me happy even if the warm water doesn’t. If you take a daily supplement, do it now. I recommend fish oil, vitamin B and C.

Get the fire burning

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While you’re at it, add some fiber (oats, whole wheat and grains) to lower cholesterol.

Mid-Day

Re-establish mental health during the day

At work, take a wellness break every 20 minutes.

Hydrate, walk around the block, go on an errand. A change of scenery will do you good. Notice the sky, trees, and be present in the moment. What does the world feel like?

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Eat a rainbow every day

Breakfast is not all the calories you need. Focus on eating 5 to 6 fruit and vegetables a day. A colorful plate makes eating fun. Enjoy a variety of flavors. Eat a little every 2 to 3 hours. Don’t live on simple sugars and bagels.

Prevent heart disease

30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise everyday is good for your heart. I contend that aerobic excursive should feel good and be fun. If you are doing something you hate or are using your run or walk to beat yourself up mentally, it is actually destructive to your health. Do the aerobics you love everyday.

Find joy in helping

Help someone everyday. Bring your stressed-out colleague a cup of coffee. Offer to help on a project.

Mindful joy is a step towards disease prevention.

End of day relaxation technique

Eat at the table with your family. Practice talking around the table. If you live alone use your meal time as a time to listen to music and truly enjoy your food.

Thankful

Be thankful at day’s end. Give thanks in the way you know best for your day and the people within it. Change begins with you.

Follow these preventative techniques and make sure you have your yearly check ups.

Laura Bender is a Master Fitness Specialist and Elite Personal Trainer. She owns Bodies by Bender. www.bodiesbybender.com

Run for Prevention

By Melanie Wanzek CTW Features

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or young women on the run, researchers say lacing up your tennis shoes can do more than keep your heart healthy – it can help prevent early breast cancer.

“We don’t have a lot of prevention strategies for premenopausal breast cancer, but our findings clearly show that physical activity during adolescence and young adulthood can pay off in the long run by reducing a woman’s risk of early breast cancer,” says lead investigator Dr. Graham Colditz, associate director of Prevention and Control at the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. “This is just one more reason to encourage girls and young

women to exercise regularly.”

Though breast cancer is often associated with older women, one-fourth of all cases are diagnosed in women before menopause.

In the study, researchers found that ageadjusted incidence rates dropped from 194 cases per 100,000 in the least active women to 136 in the most active. The most active women reported activity levels equivalent to running 3.25 hours a week, or walking 13 hours a week – and the benefit came from total physical activity, not any particular sport or intensity.

Now what? No matter what your fitness level, start moving. Whether it’s walking to work, mowing the lawn or going to the gym, every bit helps.

“You don’t have to be a marathon runner to get the risk-reducing benefits of exercise,” Colditz says.

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Burnout Busters Variety is the spice of any healthy workout-life that keeps boredom at bay and the calories burning.

By Darci Smith CTW Features

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nce upon a time, Molly Cue was all about spinning. She discovered the class at her gym and was soon spinning every day – sometimes even twice a day.

“I felt like I was overworking the same muscles, so they were just tired and sore all the time,” says Cue, 38, of Indianapolis. And she found that her fitness level wasn’t translating to any other physical activities she attempted, like jogging.

Eight months later Cue stopped spinning and working out altogether.

Variety is the spice of life, and exercise is no different. According to the American Council on Exercise, San Diego, Calif., one of the top mistakes people make in the gym is finding a routine or physical activity they like and then never changing it. Routine workouts can lead to 22

livingwell ~ September/October 2008

boredom, plateaus and – worse case scenario – injury or burnout.

Beginning exercisers are most likely to fall into the burnout trap, since they often try to do too much at first, says Michael P. Maina, associate professor of health and human performance at Roanoke College in Salem, Va. They may start out running two miles and then continue bumping up their mileage until they can’t keep up in time or effort.

“These people want to train like it’s a ‘Rocky’ video,” Maina says.

Those who increase their workouts to the extreme – in his opinion, spending more than an hour at the gym – are likely overdoing it anyway, or spending too much time talking.

Rather than hurrying to ramp up intensity, easing into the workout will keep exercisers consistent and still wanting more.

“Half is better than nothing. Ten minutes is better than no minutes,” he advises. “Take time, do less, but keep leaving it hungry every time and you’ll come back.”

Routine workouts become boring for your brain – and your body. Bodies acclimate to routines quickly and within three workouts have begun to adjust and burn fewer calories, says Natasha Augoustopoulos, a New York City fitness instructor and author of “Citystretch,” (Citystretch Publishing, 2007) a guide to yoga in New York City.

Throwing in something that uses different muscles in different ways is essential, whether it’s increasing the incline, walking backward or turning sideways on a treadmill – joining a class once or twice a week. “You’re going to shock your body in a good

Not sure how to mix up your exercise routine?

A good fitness program should include resistance training, cardiovascular training and good nutrition, says Edward Olko III, an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer in Hermosa Beach, Calif.

Choose exercises that fit your lifestyle and that you find interesting. “If you’re doing something you enjoy, you’re more likely going to stick with it,” he says.

Olka advises doing a variety of exercises each week for 30 to 60 minutes in duration, such as:

Monday

Rest.

Tuesday Resistance training with weights, resistance bands or tubing. If you’re intimidated by a weight machine or free weights, enlist a professional’s help.

Wednesday Cardiovascular training, like biking, jogging, swimming or a combination.

Thursday

Resistance training

Friday

Rest and stretch.

Saturday

Cardiovascular training. Try a class!

Sunday Cardiovascular training. Choose an outdoor activity you enjoy.

way,” Augoustopoulos says. “You’re adding a whole new movement, a whole new routine.”

Attending a class regularly will automatically provide variety, since a certified instructor will often focus on different muscle groups each week.

Plus, having people around is often a boost, adds Augoustopoulos.

“People tend to work a little bit harder and a little bit better when they’ve got that group energy,” she says.

Seattle athletic club Zum tries to keep exercise playful and encouraging so members don’t have to worry about burn out. The club even holds frequent member challenges, including a version of the President’s Fitness Challenge, with rewards like free T-shirts to keep people motivated, says Suzie Dashow, general manager.

“[Exercise] gets boring, even if you like it,” she notes.

Beginning exercisers in particular get in the habit of doing the same exercise, especially if it’s one they enjoy, adds Dashow. “We find as a management team, we definitely have to sneak [variety] in for them.”

Dashow finds short-term programs encourage people to change their routine every six weeks. At that point, typically a body has completely adapted to the movement of a certain exercise and has stopped getting benefit from it.

Zum also offers members seasonal training options, such as cardiovascular training and conditioning in the spring, followed by outdoor team sports in the summer and fall and strength training during Seattle’s rainy winter months.

A study at the University of Florida, Gainesville, found that adding variation to an exercise routine increased enjoyment and helped people stick with working out. The group in the study where exercise varied between workouts had fewer participants drop out than the groups required to perform the same exercise at each workout or with no set schedule or regulations.

In addition, the varied exercise participants enjoyed their workouts 20 percent more than the sameexercise participants.

Cue has returned to spinning class, but not manically.

“Now I try to mix it up and not focus on any one type of exercise,” Cue says. “I spin, jog, occasionally swim and do yoga. It feels very balanced. I think my body likes it.” livingwell ~ September/October 2008

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Tick, Tick, Tick Are you an ‘owl’ living in a ‘lark’s’ world? Internal clocks might control why we do what we do and when we do it, but resetting the time could allow you to make the most of every day

By ANNA T. HIRSH CTW FEATURES

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ake up every day at 6 a.m. Deliver a report at a staff meeting at 10 a.m.

Eat lunch at 12:15 p.m. Surf the Web for tomorrow’s weather at 3 p.m.

Take a 4-mile run at 5:45 p.m. Eat dinner at 7 p.m. Go to sleep at 9 p.m.

Why do we choose to do what we do when we do it? Or are we actually really “choosing” at all?

In her book “Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body” (Houghton Mifflin, 2007), science writer Jennifer Ackerman takes the reader on a 24-hour day-trip into the human body as it goes through the motions of work, play, refueling and rest. From the arousal of the senses in the morning to the reverie of sleep and dreams, Ackerman uncovers the latest findings about the cause and effect of everyday experiences, from stress, fear and fatigue, to sex, exercise and learning. The better we understand our bodies and what’s going on inside them, she attests, the easier it is to maximize the mental and physical potential of each day.

“Most of us are aware of the 24

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obvious 24-hour rhythm in our sleep and wake patterns, but we also have daily rhythms in body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, levels of stress hormones and sex hormones, alertness and even in the workings of the individual cells of our liver, heart, lungs and blood,” Ackerman says. “These rhythms are produced by our internal circadian clocks, little oscillating timekeepers in our bodies.”

In fact, says J. David Glass, Ph.D., a professor of biological sciences at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, the human body actually has thousands of these small circadian clocks “ticking” away within the endocrine system. Each one functions independently to produce a desired result (digestion, exertion, cell renewal, etc.), but they also are synchronized among themselves for optimal efficiency, output and health. For instance, hunger usually hits at a time when your temperature is higher and therefore more capable of metabolizing food.

It’s not simply a matter of being more focused or less weak – there really are, as Ackerman points out, better and worse times of day for certain activities such as eating a

big meal, napping, proofreading a manuscript, exercising, going to the dentist, taking medication for your rheumatoid arthritis or even making important decisions.

At the helm of this intricately choreographed ballet is a special part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN); although one could argue that the real master of ceremonies is the sun.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, Washington, D.C., exposure to light stimulates a nerve pathway from the retina in the eye to the SCN in the brain. It sets off a regulated pattern of activities such as raising body temperature and releasing stimulating hormones like cortisol, while also stemming the release of other hormones like melatonin, which is associated with sleep onset, until many hours later when darkness arrives.

One of the interesting aspects of this daily journey, Ackerman points out, is that the body usually experiences a dip in energy during the afternoon, usually between 1 and 3 p.m.

“This is what I call the ‘Doldrums,’” Ackerman says. “When the fog of sleepiness drifts into cloud

thinking and you function about as well as if you had quaffed a couple of beers.”

Contrary to what you might think, this drowsiness is not related to what you ate for lunch. No one knows exactly why we experience this afternoon trough, says Ackerman, but some scientists suspect it arises from two opposing processes that reach equilibrium about this time – the homeostatic sleep mechanism, which registers increasing sleep debt, and the circadian alerting mechanism, which has been growing in strength from its low at 3 or 4 a.m.

“Throughout the day, there’s this push-pull process going on – the need for sleep versus the drive for wakefulness,” Ackerman explains. “Around midday, the accumulating pressure for sleep is powerful and the wake signal hasn’t achieved adequate strength to offset sleepiness, so we feel this mountain of drowsiness.”

This natural ebb in energy means the early afternoon is not the best time to, say, give a lecture. Ackerman actually recommends taking an afternoon nap if at all possible – a common occurrence in Spain and other Latin cultures.

Research shows that even 15 or 20 minutes of sleep in the afternoon boosts alertness, mood and productivity later in the day.

Once you make it through these hours, your energy starts to rise again, and it is then, in the later afternoon or evening, that you are most likely to maximize your athletic performance. The circadian alerting system is strong, your body temperature is at its highest, your muscles are powerful, your joints are flexible, you breathe your easiest and your heart pumps more efficiently.

It’s also when your perception of your own exertion is lowest, so your workout doesn’t feel as difficult.

But keep in mind that this schedule is heavily dependent on normal sleep patterns and proper exposure to light. Without regular

light exposure at the right times, the SCN can literally lose its way, making it harder for your body to renew itself mentally and physically.

According to Glass, people who upset their circadian rhythms by working night shifts, such as nurses or factory workers, often suffer from more physical ailments, have more family problems, are more likely to have unhealthy diets, are more prone to alcoholism and have significantly higher rates of morbidity.

“When night shift workers walk out to their cars after work, they experience real sunlight, which confuses their clocks and can make it hard for them to get proper rest,” Glass says. “To make matters worse,

“Some people are larks,” Ackerman explains, “happily up in the early morning, happily asleep by 8:30 or 9 p.m. – just as an owl is revving up for a long night of wakefulness. There can be as much as six hours’ difference in the circadian cycles of extreme morning and extreme evening types.” they want to socialize with their families during normal hours on weekends and then return to work on Monday night, which is very hard to do because their bodies can’t adjust to the new schedule fast enough.

Getting off-track makes them less productive, and more prone to accidents.”

The real crux of the matter is that it is incredibly important to get enough sleep (seven to nine hours), and regularly. As long as plentiful, quality sleep is taken care of, individual circadian rhythms can actually differ.

“Some people are larks,” Ackerman explains, “happily up in

the early morning, happily asleep by 8:30 or 9 p.m. – just as an owl is revving up for a long night of wakefulness. There can be as much as six hours’ difference in the circadian cycles of extreme morning and extreme evening types.”

According to Ackerman, most people fall somewhere in between, with the majority of Americans tending toward owlishness. (You can find out your own lark/owl chronotype by going to a link on Ackerman’s Web site: www. jenniferackerman.net.) Our circadian rhythms are shaped by small variations in the genes that run our clocks, as well as age and daily exposure to light, both natural and artificial. We may have more owls in our society because of our exposure to nighttime artificial light, which delays our body clocks. If you are looking to “reset” your SCN in order to perform at an optimal level in a nine-to-five world, accomplish more and be your healthiest, the experts agree that exposure to morning light can help advance your clock.

“A brisk walk in the morning can also be just as effective because it boosts Serotonin,” Glass says, “and some people find that taking Melatonin (3 mg tablets) is helpful because it can aid in a more restful sleep. On the other hand, studies have found that both alcohol and marijuana effectively ‘blind’ the body clock to light, thereby disrupting your rhythms, so avoid heavy intake.”

We can’t add more hours to the day, but if we do our best to listen to our bodies and synchronize our actions with our biological rhythms instead of forcing them to follow unnatural routines, when it comes to energy and health, maybe we can turn back the clock.

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health tip Go bravely with ginkgo (ginseng, too)

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f you’re a fan of alternative medicines and like taking ginseng and ginkgo biloba for an energy boost, don’t worry about rumors that they interfere with drug absorption — they don’t, according to study result from the University of Kansas Medical Center.

In a study of 72 healthy, nonsmoking adults ages 20 to 59, Dr. Gregory Reed and fellow researchers studied how volunteers metabolized and absorbed these commonly used herbs.

“The scientists found no significant differences between those who received one, both or none of the ginseng and ginkgo biloba supplements in how their bodies absorbed or metabolized any of the five prescription drugs [also tested].”

Ginkgo biloba; also known as the Maidenhair Tree

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