Over the past half-year I have been writing about how the choices that we make every day about what we eat and how we exercise ultimately affect our state of wellness. These daily decisions, when grouped together, can be characterized as our lifestyle. Do we sleep enough, eat fruits and vegetables every day, enjoy our free time that we spend with friends and family? Or, are we sleep-deprived, eating too much junk foods or skipping meals altogether, and can't find the time to relax with our friends and family?
My belief has always been that the lifestyle that we choose does indeed determine our state of health and our chances of living a long life full of zest and joy.
In a recent edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of Michigan reported some very counterintuitive findings: They looked at death rates during the Great Depression, the worst economic slump of the 20th century. From the stock market crash of 1929 through the early 1930s, economic activity fell sharply, dropping 14 per cent in 1932 alone.
Black and white images from the era of bread lines and migrant farmers make it easy to assume the economic misery would have affected public health. But when the researchers looked at mortality rates among men, women and children from 1920 to 1940, they found death rates declined during years of falling economic activity and rose when times were better.
And so it is with no surprise to the researchers that the same conclusions have already been drawn during the recent worldwide recession: When the economy gets sick, people get healthier. What's going on? How is this possible?
It seems that people adopt smarter lifestyles in recessions. People have less money to spend on alcohol and cigarettes. And less economic activity means people are working less, or not at all. Thus, they have more free time to go to the gym, or even for a walk. Exercise leads to weight loss, which in turn cuts down on the incidence of many maladies, particularly cardiovascular diseases. There's more time for sleep, which improves health. And with less money to spend, people drive less, which reduces pollution. Recent studies have linked particulate matter from cars and trucks and carbon monoxide with heart attacks and strokes.
A University of North Carolina study has found that a one-percentage-point rise in the unemployment rate reduces the death rate by 0.5%. Those are U.S. results, but other studies show the same effect in the 23 OECD countries in aggregate.
The recent downturn in dead people is a reminder that the No. 1 culprit for sickness and disease is lifestyle.
So, why wait for an economic downturn to become healthier? These statistics and studies support my very own enduring belief that the choices we make in how we live our lives determine our own health.
I am often asked for my opinion from friends on which foods are healthier, or which exercises give the quickest results, or how to lose weight and keep it off permanently. It is apparent that old habits are difficult to break and new behaviours are not easy to integrate into our daily routine. Ostensibly, most of us want to improve our health and happiness, but without a change in lifestyle, it doesn't seem to me possible. My response invariably is to choose one modification in behaviour, perhaps going for a half-hour walk every evening, learning a new sport, or attending a weekly lecture and then discover the enjoyment in this simple pleasure. Why not start 2010 off with a new commitment to enhancing your own lifestyle?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Jet lag... can we elude it?
Most of us have the pleasure (or obligation) of flying overseas for vacations, family visits or work. The more time zones that we cross in one journey, the greater the likelihood of suffering from jet lag. Some people may require several days or even a week or more to adjust to a new time zone, while others experience little disruption. How do we know in which group we fall? Here are the typical symptoms for most of us:
- Fatigue, temporary insomnia
- Disorientation, irritability, anxiety
- Headache, nausea
- Digestive problems
Why do people get jet lag? Since the dawn of jet travel we have learned that when traveling across a number of time zones, the body clock will be out of synchronization with the destination time, as it experiences daylight and darkness contrary to the rhythms to which it has grown accustomed: the body's natural pattern of eating, sleeping and hormone regulation is upset!
There are many home remedies that purport to reduce jet lag. How many of these have you tried?
Melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. One of melatonin's key jobs is controlling the body's circadian rhythm--our internal clock that plays an important role in when we fall asleep and when we wake up.
Adjusting sleep and wake time. Involves adjusting a person's bedtime and wake time to the destination time prior to traveling.
Homeopathy. The usual remedies include some or all of these ingredients: Arnica, bellis perennis, chamomilla, ipecacuanha, lycopodium
Valerian. An herb used as a natural sleep aid.
Avoiding alcohol and caffeine. Both can cause dehydration and disrupt sleeping schedules.
To date, with the exception of melatonin, there are no scientific studies to support or reject these remedies.
If you suffer from jet lag, here's my advice for your next trip: The focus of your efforts to minimize, even eliminate, jet lag must be on sleep. As soon as you get a good night's sleep (of eight hours) at your destination, your jet lag is essentially over. If you can at all accomplish this goal on the first night, you may not even get jet lagged at all.
Let's work backwards from that first night's sleep.
If you arrive at your destination in the morning or afternoon, the best advice for sleeping well will be to stay awake all day. This will be challenging if you failed to sleep on the plane, but anything more than a one-hour nap at your destination will probably interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night. Spending the afternoon outside in the daylight and fresh air will help the body to adjust to the new time zone and guarantees that you will be exhausted at bedtime.
If you arrive at your destination in the evening, then you will want to go to bed soon after your arrival. In this case the best advice for sleeping well will be to try not to sleep on the airplane during the flight. This will ensure that you arrive at your destination a little sleep deprived and eager to go to bed.
If you follow my suggestions on your next trip, let me know your conclusions. I will report the results in a future article.
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