New research has shown us why sleep is so important to our brain function.  During sleep the brain flushes away potentially toxic buildup.

In a study published on Oct. 18, 2013 in Science, scientist injected a marker into the cerebral fluid of mice.  When the mice were in the awake state nothing occurred, but when the mice were asleep, the fluid was flushed away. The study shows that the glial cells contract during sleep increasing the brain’s interstitial space and allowing unwanted fluid to be flushed away.  They then return to normal size in the awake state.

This study is a breakthrough in neurological diseases linked to protein build-up in the brain such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The bottom line is if you want to stay healthy and keep your brain functioning at its best, get enough sleep.

It has long been known that too much television is not healthy for developing children, but with the prevalence of  tablets, smart phones and video games  limiting total screen time is more important than ever.

According to the American Association of Pediatricians, “the average 8- to 10-year-old spends nearly 8 hours a day with different media, and older children and teens spend more than 11 hours per day. Kids who have a TV in their bedroom spend more time with media.  About 75 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds own cell phones, and nearly all teenagers use text messaging.”

Guidelines established by the American Association of Pediatrics suggest that children under 2 should not watch any television or entertaining media while older children should be limited to one to two hours a day.

Research shows that children with television in their bedroom have lower test scores.  The AAP supports the idea “screen-free” zones with no television, computers or video games in children’s bedrooms.

Background television is also an issue.  A study published in Child Development compared the length of time a three year old played with a toy while television was playing in the background compared to time  played with the television off.  When the television was on, the play time was significantly reduced.

There have also been strong links between health and television viewing.  Children who spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.  Simply having a television in the bedroom increases the risk of being overweight.  Other studies have shown correlations between increase screen time and increased incident of asthma as well as an increase in bone fractures.

How do you limit time?  There are a number of timer that have been developed to track and limit screen time on televisions and video games. These can track single or multiple children and devices.   There are a number of Apps such as Game Time Limits control the amount of time spent on tablets and smart phones.

If you are thinking of donating your time or money to help others, you might be surprise to learn that you are actually helping yourself.  Charitable giving and volunteering has been shown to increase longevity, decrease stress and to make you happy.

A study conducted by the University of Michigan followed 423 older couples over a five year period  It found that the elderly who are helpful to others reduced their risk of dying by nearly 60% compared to those who did not offer practical or emotional support to friends, neighbors and family during the same period of time.

A 2006 study by the National Institute of Health found that charitable giving creates a “helper’s high”; it activates the regions of the brain associated with trust, pleasure and social connection. The Harvard Business School conducted a study that found that “very minor alterations in spending allocations—as little as $5 in our final study—may be sufficient to produce non-trivial gains in happiness on a given day.”

A study published in Psychology and Aging found that volunteering 200 hours a year (4 hours a week) can reduce the risk of developing hypertension by 40%.  There was a 22% decrease in those who volunteered 100 to 199 hours a year (2 hours a week).

Next time someone asks you for help, do yourself a favor and say yes.

Looking at my practice, I am astounded at the number of my patients that are following the paleo diet.  My clients claimed to be feeling good, losing weight and having increased energy levels, but what I see is something else.

Their systems have become acidic and fatty and there was no doubt in my mind that their cholesterol and triglycerides are off the charts.  Their channels are very similar to what I had seen in those following the Atkins diet.  During the treatment of one patient, I felt phlegm and fat buildup.  I asked how his cholesterol levels were and if he was eating too much fat, he explained that he was eating only grass fed beef and putting organic butter in his tea.

The paleo diet calls for a wide variety of grass fed meats, fish/seafood, fruits and vegetables, eggs, nuts and seeds and healthy oils, perhaps a main issue is one of choice. There is a difference between choosing rib eye steak over a lean cut of fish and perhaps people are choosing the steak more often than the fish.

A study published in the British Medical Journal looked at over 40,000 Swedish women who followed a low carb high protein diet.  These women did not show consideration to the nature of the sources of carbohydrates or protein, they simply followed a low carb/high protein diet. The results showed that “a 20 g decrease in daily carbohydrate intake and a 5 g increase in daily protein intake would correspond to a 5% increase in the overall risk of cardiovascular disease.”

While there are some short term gains in following a low carb high protein diet, the long term effect of stroke and heart disease are not worth the risk.  Simply adding a small amount of unprocessed grains and focusing more on the fruit and vegetable component of the diet can give you the balance and the results you are looking for.