If you live in the U.S., you're most likely to be happiest - and healthiest - if you make your home in the west. The city of Boulder, Colo., came out on top in a study based on interviews with more than 353,000 Americans about such issues as satisfaction with their present life, emotional health, healthy behaviors, work environment, physical health and access to food, medicine and health insurance. At the bottom: Huntington, W. Va.. Among the highest scoring cities were Honolulu, Hawaii, and the California municipalities of Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, Santa Rosa-Petaluma, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara. Only one east coast city, Washington, D.C. and surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs, ranked in the top 10. The lowest scoring cities were in the South, according to the study's research director. Something else to ponder: the people who expressed higher levels of well-being and more optimism about the future were residents of big cities with populations of one million or more. However, residents of small cities (250,000 or less) were more likely to feel safe walking alone and night and were more likely to be able to afford housing. Of the top 10 cities, nine that ranked highest on assessments of current living conditions and expectations for the next five years had a major university, a nearby military base or a state capitol - all of which might provide hedges against economic recession.
My take? My hometown, Tucson, Ariz., ranked 47th, but I'm pleased to say, it came in at number 12 for healthy behavior, which includes not smoking, eating fruits and vegetables and getting physical exercise. In this category, Tucson's ranking was higher than five of the top 10 cities. (Number one in healthy behaviors was Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif.) While this survey is an interesting comparison, in my view where you live doesn't matter as much as how you live and how well you take care of yourself physically, mentally and spiritually.
Personal Vitamin Recommendation
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More Potassium, Fewer Strokes, Less Heart Disease
Here, the findings come from an analysis of 10 studies that included nearly 280,000 adults. The potassium in question was from foods that provide plenty of this essential nutrient: leafy greens, potatoes, bananas, soybeans, apricots, avocados, prune juice, dried beans and peas and plain non-fat yogurt. Researchers found that participants in the studies who had the highest intake of raw fruits and vegetables, more than 262 grams per day, were 36 percent less likely to suffer a stroke than those who ate less than 92 grams per day of raw fruits and vegetables. However, no reduction of stroke risk was seen with consumption of processed fruits and vegetables, regardless of the amounts eaten. In this review, the highest intake of potassium-rich raw fruits and vegetables was also associated with an eight percent lower risk of coronary heart disease. The study's findings, from the University of Naples, in Italy, were presented on March 3, 2010 at the American Heart Association's Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Conference.
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For Your Aching Back
Rethinking your aching back could go a long way toward relieving the pain. A study from England found that patients with chronic lower back pain who underwent up to six group sessions of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in addition to standard treatment reported greater improvements than a similar group of patients who received standard treatment alone. The CBT was aimed at helping patients change patterns of negative thinking about their back pain, especially thoughts that lead them to avoid being active and, as a consequence, further weaken their backs. Of the 701 patients who participated in the study, those who had CBT showed a 2.4 percent improvement on one disability test and a 13.8 percent improvement on another, compared to improvements of only 1.1 percent on one test and 5.4 percent on the other among those who experienced standard treatment alone. The study was published online in the Feb. 26, 2010 edition of The Lancet. In some respects these findings concur with the work of Dr. John Sarno, a physician and professor of rehabilitation medicine at New York University and author of Healing Back Pain: the Mind Body Connection (Warner Books, 1991) and Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain (Warner Books, 1998). Dr. Sarno believes that treatment for chronic low back pain should be aimed at changing patterns of thinking, feeling and handling stress, all of which contribute to the pain.
Personal Health Guidance
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Healthy Recipe: Steamed Asian Pears with Honey
According to the Chinese, pears are considered a cooling fruit and they are excellent for fevers, ulcers or other stomach ailments. For the Chinese, almonds come in two main varieties: there are "northern" (bitter) and "southern" (sweet) almonds. Both are used by the Chinese for food and medicine. Sweet almonds have a neutral nature, while the bitter are warming, but both lubricate the intestines and temper coughs. Almond tea made with almonds steeped in boiling water, then sweetened with rock sugar, is often drunk as a remedy for coughing.
Food as Medicine: Diets that feature fiber-rich foods such as pears have been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.
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Healthy Aging Tip
Courtesy of Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging
Eating for Your Energy: Stay Hydrated. Dehydration is a common cause of fatigue, so be sure you're drinking at least 6 to 8 glasses of good quality water each day, especially during exercise or hot weather. Alcoholic and caffeinated drinks not only dehydrate you, but can sap energy as well.
Featured Discussion:
"Should an 8-year-old dog be spayed?" asks ShebasGirl.
Friends got an 8-year-old golden retriever from The Humane Society and she is not spayed… Some say, why put her through this at her age? Some say if she still goes into heat, that's hard on her and some cancers can develop. What do you…think?
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What's New
2010 Integrative Mental Health Conference
March 22-24, 2010 - Phoenix, Arizona
This conference, sponsored by the Arizona Health Sciences Center at the University of Arizona and presented by the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, is the first conference of its kind to assemble leaders in integrative mental health (IMH), creating a new field and framework with which to promote mental wellbeing. Registration information.
Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century 2010
April 15-18, 2010, San Francisco Bay Area
Psychedelic Science will bring together international experts to present on psychedelic research and psychedelic psychotherapy topics for the largest conference dedicated solely to psychedelics in the U.S. in 17 years. There will be three full days of programming with concurrent tracks exploring clinical applications, issues relevant to healthcare professionals, and social and cultural issues surrounding the therapeutic and recreational uses of psychedelics. Dr. Weil will be speaking at the CME-track of the MAPS Conference in April, 2010, via live video link. More information from the MAPS website.
7th Annual Nutrition & Health Conference
May 10-12, 2010 - Atlanta, Georgia
The 7th annual Nutrition and Health: State of the Science and Clinical Applications conference is the premier nutrition conference for health professionals in the U.S. Co-presented by the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, the conference assembles internationally-recognized researchers, clinicians, educators, and chefs, all of whose work focuses on the interface between nutrition and healthful living. Find conference registration information here, and information on the Public Forum (Tuesday, May 11, 2010 7-9pm).
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