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5 Ways A Healthy Gut

Makes A Healthy Brain 

The idiom “trust your gut” means relying on intuition, rather than thoughtful, deep analysis, to make a decision. But research shows there is actually a tangible connection between gut health and brain health, and that linkage can affect emotions and cognitive processing.

Research conducted at the California Institute of Technology by Elaine Hsiao showed how unhealthy or healthy microorganisms in the stomach can influence behaviors differently. Another study, led by Kirsten Tillisch at UCLA, suggested probiotics can have a positive effect on behavior, mental outlook and brain function.

“Scientists have now determined that humans have two brains; the second one resides in the gut and is called the enteric nervous system,” says Richard Purvis, author of Recalibrate: Six Secrets To Resetting Your Age and CEO of Skin Moderne Inc. (www.skinmoderne.com). “It has more neurons than the spinal column or central nervous system.  Understanding the relationship helps to clarify why the process of taking care of the gut and the brain within it also helps improve the health of the brain in your head.”

Given Americans’ notoriously poor eating habits, Purvis says gut health has never been more important. A Tufts University study estimates that over 318,000 deaths a year – or nearly half of American deaths caused by heart disease, stroke and diabetes – were hastened by unhealthy eating.

“Processed foods and sugar are among the biggest culprits  for promoting the growth of bad bacteria in the gut,” Purvis says. “You can greatly improve your gut health – and by extension your brain health – by being kinder to it on a daily basis.”

Purvis recommends four nutritional tips – and a nature trip – that benefit your gut and your brain:

• Daily servings of cultured, fermented probiotic-rich foods. “Sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha pickled veggies, yogurt, and kefir encourage the growth of good bacteria,” Purvis says.  “By ingesting healthy, probiotic-rich foods, you are guaranteed colony-forming units of bacteria, plus food sources are much cheaper than supplements.”
• Prebiotic foods. Non-digestible short-chain fatty acids help your good bacteria flourish, says Purvis. These are found in artichokes, garlic, leeks, dandelion greens, beans, oats, onions and asparagus.
• A diet that keeps blood sugar balanced. “This also keeps gut bacteria balanced,” Purvis says. “A diet high in rich sources of fiber, especially derived from whole fruits and vegetables, feeds the good gut bacteria and produces the right balance of those short-chain fatty acids to keep the gut lining in check.”
• Gluten reduction.  Reducing gluten, or avoiding it altogether, Purvis says, will further improve gut health as well as healthy brain physiology. He agrees with medical professionals who say gluten can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, hurting digestion and sometimes leading to “leaky gut,” or damaged intestine walls.
• Getting outside and into nature. “You need to connect with more microorganisms – the more, the merrier,” Purvis says. “Their purpose is to perform life-sustaining functions. Move outside, do some gardening, plant flowers, mow the lawn, take a walk in the woods. Do things that connect you and your immune system with all the microorganisms in the soil.”

“Lifestyle choice is considered by most the culprit contributing to our unhealthy bacteria,” Purvis says. “So you have a choice, and the one you make with your diet will affect your whole body, and not least of all, your brain.”

About Richard Purvis

Richard Purvis is the CEO of Skin Moderne Inc. (www.skinmoderne.com) and author of Recalibrate: Six Secrets to Resetting Your Age. He has more than 30 years of experience in nutrition, exercise, anti-aging and overall wellness. Along with starting Skin Moderne, he is the founder of wellness companies Nutrimax, Nutritbrands and Skin Nutrition, and the co-founder of Noggin Nosh.

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5 Non-Surgical Steps For Treating Your Arthritis
Arthritis afflicts 54 million U.S. adults, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

It is the leading cause of disability among U.S. adults over 55, and in many cases leads to total-joint replacements. That is a big decision – sometimes necessary, sometimes premature, says Dr. Victor Romano (www.drvictorromano.com), an orthopedist and author of Finding The Source: Maximizing Your Results – With and Without Orthopaedic Surgery.

“Total-joint replacements are wonderful and can be life-changing, but they also can wear down and become infected,” Romano says.
“The best approach for arthritis of the knee, for example, is to wait as long as possible before replacing the knee. There are several steps you can take to deal with arthritis before a surgical option. These measures, some of which you can perform without the aid of a medical professional, often can significantly lessen the pain and improve the quality of life.”

Romano recommends five steps you can take to handle arthritis before opting for surgery:

•    Wear good shoes with arch supports. With weight bearing and time, the arches in feet tend to fail. “Good shoes with arch supports improve the alignment of the feet and ultimately improve the alignment of the knees,” Romano says. “The feet and ankles act as shock absorbers for the knees.”

•    Have a daily exercise and balance program. Studies show that arthritic patients who exercise do much better than those who don’t. Romano recommends at least a 20-minute daily exercise program for all patients with arthritis. “Exercise should include stretching, aerobic activity, and strength training,” he says.

•    Use a hinged knee brace, as needed, for support.  Wear the smallest brace that makes you the most comfortable. “Do not wear the brace for everyday activities,” Romano says, “but for extra activities such as golfing, shopping or exercise. It unloads the arthritic area and allows you to pursue more pain-free activities, which you may not have been able to do otherwise.”

•    Eat nutritious foods; keep your weight under control.  Weight loss reduces the stress on your knees and increases mobility.  “Why not try an anti-inflammatory diet?” Romano says. “Sugar and processed foods cause inflammation of the arteries as well as inflammation of the joints.”

•    Improve your bone health. Improving your bone health with increased calcium intake, daily vitamin D, and weight-bearing exercises can lessen the pain of arthritis. “Should you eventually need a total joint replacement, building up your bone density will improve your chances of having a long-lasting replacement,” Romano says.

“Arthritis is not something that can be removed with surgery or scraped out with a scope,” Romano says. “You must listen to your joints. When you’ve tried all of these non-surgical measures and they don’t seem to work any longer, then surgery may be your best option. If surgery is necessary, rapid and successful recovery is possible by having optimized your physical and nutritional health beforehand.”

About Dr. Victor Romano

Dr. Victor Romano (www.drvictorromano.com) is an orthopedic surgeon in Oak Park, Ill., and the author of Finding The Source: Maximizing Your Results – With and WithoutOrthopaedic Surgery. He is board-certified in orthopedics and sports medicine with over 25 years of experience in the field. He graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame and completed medical school at the University of Loyola-Chicago.

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With National Police Week kicking off on May 13, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s Best & Worst States to Be a Police Officer.

In order to determine the best states to pursue a career in law enforcement, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key indicators of police-friendliness. The data set ranges from median income for law-enforcement officers to police deaths per 1,000 officers to state and local police-protection expenses per capita.
 

Best States for Police Officers

Worst States for Police Officers

1

North Dakota

42

Missouri

2

New York

43

Tennessee

3

Connecticut

44

South Carolina

4

Minnesota

45

West Virginia

5

California

46

Kentucky

6

Washington

47

New Mexico

7

Illinois

48

Alaska

8

Texas

49

Idaho

9

Maryland

50

Louisiana

10

Maine

51

Arkansas

 
Best vs. Worst

• The District of Columbia has the most police and sheriff’s patrol officers per 100,000 residents, 779.96, which is 6.2 times more than in Oregon, the fewest at 125.31.
   
• Illinois has the highest median annual wage for police and sheriff’s patrol officers (adjusted for cost of living), $82,233, which is 2.2 times higher than in Hawaii, the lowest at $37,419.
   
• Rhode Island has the fewest individuals killed by police per 1,000,000 residents, 4.75, which is 10.4 times fewer than in New Mexico, the most at 49.53.
   
• Maine has the fewest violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 1.24, which is 9.7 times fewer than in the District of Columbia, the most at 12.06.
   
• The District of Columbia has the highest state and local police-protection expenses per capita, $887.19, which is 5.9 times higher than in Kentucky, the lowest at $151.26.

 
To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit: 
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-to-be-a-cop/34669/