Running to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

If you’re a runner, you probably already know the many great health benefits you receive from participating in this great activity, but did you know that running can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease? Exercise is the best way to prevent this frightening illness.

A report that was released early this year warned that one out of every eight baby boomers, including those born from about the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s, will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. That equates to up to ten million boomers that can expect to develop the disease, for which there is no prevention or cure.

Those are scary statistics, but if you already participate in an exercise routine for at least 30 minutes three or four times per week, you’re well on your way to greatly lessening your risk of the devastating illness.

As many as 50% of Alzheimer’s cases can be prevented through lifestyle changes, including leading an active lifestyle rather than a sedentary one.

If you’re a runner, the chances are that you don’t have high blood pressure, aren’t obese, don’t smoke or have diabetes; all factors that can lead to the illness. In addition to reducing your risk of those negative aspects, the exercise itself has been proven to lower your risk. The p hysical activity appears to inhibit Alzheimer’s-like brain changes in mice, slowing the development of a key feature of the disease.

The Director of the Alzheimer’s Research Center at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Ronald Petersen remarked, “Regular physical exercise is probably the best means we have of preventing Alzheimer’s disease today, better than medications, better than intellectual activity, better than supplements and diet.”

While Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, it is not a normal part of aging. If you need another excuse to motivate yourself to get into the good habit of running, or any type of aerobic activity consistently, this is a good one.

Alzheimer’s is a fatal brain disease and a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, behavior and thinking that gradually worsen over time. Eventually people with the illness completely lose their independence. Early symptoms can include memory loss , difficulty solving problems, inability or difficulty completing simple tasks, confusion as to the date and/or time, trouble interpreting distances or problems with reading, communication difficulties, losing things, poor judgment or a decrease in judgment, withdrawing from involvement in social or work activities, and changes in mood.

It’s not a disease anyone should want to wish even on their worst enemy.

If you’ve been living on the couch or at the keyboard far too much lately, it’s time to get up and get active.

(Source: Yahoo Contributor Network – K.C. Dermody has been an avid runner, hiker, and yoga enthusiast for twenty years, and as a trained yoga instructor she taught a variety of students from senior citizens to competitive athletes. She also has an addiction to disc golf – especially promoting the sport to others, and enjoys combining her passion for sports, emotional and physical well-being with her love of writing.)

Listen Without Reacting

LISTENING is harder than speaking.  Even the best listeners sometimes have to bite their tongues to stop from reacting, interrupting, or trying to console the person talking.

Here are three ways you can truly listen:

1.   Avoid Distractions

This doesn’t just mean putting down the Blackberry or closing your web browser. Try not to think about what you’re going to say next. Simply focus on what the other person says.

2.   Repeat Back

This sometimes feels silly, but repeating back what you heard shows the other person that you’re listening.

3.   Ask Thoughtful Question

Ask open-ended questions that help you see the issue more clearly and allow your conversation partner to go deeper into what he/she cares about.

(Source: Harvard Business Review Blog, 30 December 2011 – adapted from “How to Really Listen” by Peter Bregman)

Happy New Year to Welcome 2012

Dear Visiting Guests,

As year 2011 comes to a close, Wishing you all a very blessed, happy and awesome New Year 2012 !!!

A New Attitude For A New Year
Another fresh new year is here …
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest  …
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs
To pray for peace, to plant a tree
And sing some joyful songs!

(Author – William Arthur Ward, American Writer 1921-1994)

6 PRINCIPLES OF LIFE

1.  No point using limited life to chase unlimited money.

2.  No point earning so much money you cannot live to spend it.

3.  Money is not yours until you spend it.

4.  When you are young, you use your health to chase your wealth; when you are old, you use your wealth to buy back your health. Difference is that, it is too late.

5.  How happy a man is, is not how much he has but how little he needs.

6.  No point working so hard to provide for the people you have no time to spend with.

Remember this:

• We come to this world with nothing,

• We leave this world with nothing!

• This is the proof that you don’t have to have money to be happy.

Sanskriti’s conclusion: With money one must have time too. Both are equally  important in life, without money also you can’t live and without time you can’t enjoy.

(Source: Author, Mukul Chaudhri, Writer/Motivational Speaker … http://mukulchaudhri.blogspot.com)

What You Should Know About Osteoporosis

When you say “osteoporosis”, we immediately think it is caused by lack of calcium. Doctors will recommend you to take more calcium, vitamin D, and sun exposure or sunbath.

However, the latest findings in various hospitals show that the majority of osteoporosis patients are not caused by lack of calcium.

Their bones are complete and absorbing calcium. So what is wrong with them?  CT scan results show no signs of osteoporosis, yet, the patients easily suffer from bone fractures. What’s going on?

Here, we came to know about a new strain of osteoporosis that was discovered since about two years ago.

The most common type of bone fracture nowadays is “spinal fracture”. If spinal fracture occurs, the risk of death is eight times higher than any other type of bone fractures.

What is the reason that bones are weakening? Why do patients suffer from broken spine?

It is an important factor to have bone strength, not just bone density. Bone collagen connective tissues are also an important factor to create flexibility.

Many of us didn’t realize this at first sight. In the past, osteoporosis was viewed more on bone strength, and we never hear and realize about these connective tissues.

To improve bone density, it’s a common knowledge to do regular exercise and have a higher calcium intake like by eating calcium-rich dried fishes.

But now, we have to think of a new measure to maintain bone collagen connective tissues to have enough flexibility. From this simple measure, you may escape from the risk of death caused by fracture of spinal bones.

To measure or determine strong bone and bone mineral density are not as easy as what you may think.

Clinically, it has to pass various tests.

Well, what is the major cause that leads to reduction of bone collagen connective tissues? Do you believe that it is because of high blood sugar?

The major component of bone, which is about one half of its structure, is calcium, and collagen is the other half. Collagen fibres run through hundreds of bone materials (calcium), and the bones that we know are made.

You can imagine that the bone materials (calcium) are somewhat bonded by collagen and kept with reasonable flexibility. However, when blood sugar increases, the collagen will be joined as if there is an adhesive cement around, and the bone will become brittle.

To avoid the increase of blood sugar, exercise is one of the best things to do. Aside from it, we recommend you to take a balanced diet that contains vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, and foods such as mackerel, sardines, clams, folic acid, broccoli, spinach, garland chrysanthemum, soybeans, and asparagus.

By taking these foods, you can have strong flexible bones.

3 COMMON MYTHS ON OSTEOPOROSIS:

# 1 Myth: Young people should not worry about osteoporosis

Wrong. You will not realize that you have osteoporosis until you have this condition in advanced stages. That is why it is very important to begin proper nutrition and regular exercise as early as childhood to promote healthy bones.

# 2 Myth: Only women get osteoporosis

Wrong. Although less common, men can get osteoporosis, too. 20% of those affected by osteoporosis are men.

# 3 Myth: Drinking plenty of milk will help you prevent osteoporosis

Not entirely true. Even though drinking milk is a good way to get calcium, it is not the only factor in preventing osteoporosis. There are others as mentioned in this article.

(Source: The author, Junji Takano is a Japanese health researcher involved in investigating the cause of many dreadful diseases. In 1968, he invented PYRO-ENERGEN, the first electrostatic therapy device for electro-medicine that effectively eradicates viral diseases, cancer, and diseases of unknown cause.)

Lessons in Life from An Elderly Couple

Faithful Even In Adversity

I had the opportunity to visit an elderly couple recently whom I had not met for many years. The husband, whom I addressed as Uncle Sam, is an elderly gentleman in his eighties but he was physically healthy and fit. His wife is in her late seventies and was paralyzed and blind for many years. She lives confined to her room which she shares with her husband.

We made a prior telephone appointment to visit them and as expected Uncle Sam was eagerly waiting at the gate to greet me and my wife. His action was a lesson on punctuality which is rarely seen these days. I was surprised with the radiant smile on his face which reflected the feelings in his heart. I was in for greater surprise on meeting his wife in her room. Although she could not move out of her chair or see us, she was full of cheer on meeting us. She appeared pleasantly surprised at our presence. Their hospitality even in their times of difficulty was unbelievable and it touched us very much.

We talked for a long time about the past and they readily shared their experiences in their lives with us. They are staunch believers in God but they could not understand why He had to ‘punish’ them with such bitter experiences in their lives, ending up by being lonely and handicapped at this advanced age. Although they could not understand why God has led them to the state they are in today but they contend that He knows what He is doing and that He is always right.

Uncle Sam does everything for his wife, feeding, bathing, attending to her calls of nature and above all keeping her company 24 hours a day without fail, with the aid of a maid who happens to be very wonderful person. He says he is so blessed to have such a caring maid and he is so worried as she will be leaving soon after being with them for seven years. According to the Uncle, his wife looks for him every now and then and he can hardly leave her alone to attend to the household chores.

His ‘job’ demands his full attention day after day throughout the year. There is no such thing as taking leave to relax and unwind after a hard day’s work like what we do. His greatest fear is what will happen to his handicapped wife if he is suddenly called to the Lord. That fear really makes him shiver with fright and occasionally breaks down and cries. If that happens not all the money and wealth that he may have is going to help her in this cruel world.

It made me reflect on the many foolish things we do in life to accumulate money and wealth much more than we really need. Most of these acts are driven by greed and selfishness in the process we compromise on our principles and lose our compassion for fellow men. We buy huge insurance policies for our spouse and children to make them comfortable when we leave them. But if we end up like these elderly couple, no number of such policies is going to give them the security and reassurance like our own physical presence.

In a world that is driven by greed and lust this elderly couple stand out as a shining example of love and faithfulness between a husband and wife. The husband never complained about having to take care of his disabled wife all by himself. Instead he is taking it in a stride as his sacred duty; he has done it for ten long years and is willing to continue doing so till death does them apart.

Meanwhile his wife despite being bedridden and blind for the past ten years, she is so cheerful and treasures every moment of her life with the man she loves. She is full of praise for him saying that he never abandons her and never fails to be there when it matters most. She doesn’t curse and swear for the condition she is in but happily accepted it as a ‘blessing’ in disguise from God.

Uncle Sam then gave me his Ten Principles for Peace of Mind which were derived from the various bitter experiences in his life of over 80 years.

These are:

1.   Do Not Interfere In Others’ Business Unless Asked.

2.   Forgive and Forget

3.   Do Not Crave for Recognition

4.   Do Not Be Jealous

5.   Change Yourself According to the Environment

6.   Endure What Cannot Be Cured

7.   Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

8.   Meditate Regularly

9.   Never Leave the Mind Vacant

10.  Do Not Procrastinate and Never Regret

After spending about an hour with this fabulous elderly couple we left rather enlightened that there are much more to learn and endure in life. Life is not about making money and enjoying ourselves but to make others happy even if your own spouse.

The next day I was surprised to receive an E-mail from Uncle Sam which read, “Thank you very much for being a special part of our life” and he attached a beautiful and inspiring poem by the great Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore entitled ‘My Philosophy in Life’ which I enclose below.

‘MY Philosophy in Life’

Go not to the temple to put flowers at the feet of God.      

First fill your own house with the fragrance of love.

Go not to the temple to light candles at the altar of God     

First remove the darkness of sin from your heart

Do not go to the temple to bow down your head in prayer   

First learn to bow in humility before your fellow men

Go not to the temple to pray on your bended knee  

First bend down to lift someone who is down-trodden

Do not go to the temple to ask for forgiveness for your sins     

First forgive from your heart those who have sinned against you

                                                             -Rabindranath Tagore-

I do not know whether I can ever emulate this elderly man with regards to his attitude towards his paralyzed and blind wife. I do not know whether I can emulate his wife by being so cheerful under the circumstances like she is in. What I have learnt from them is that I must try as that is what being a human is all about.

(Source: by Dr Chris Anthony)

The Hidden Secret To Effective Customer Service

LEAD WELL  …  LEAD RIGHT

In today’s challenging market place, gaining and retaining high quality customers are a cornerstone of organizational effectiveness.  And, one of the best ways to make that happen is to: Focus on the people who focus on the customers.

“Motivate them, train them, care about them, and make winners out of them … we know that if you treat our employees correctly, they’ll treat the customers right. And if the customers are treated right, they’ll come back.” by J. Marriott Jr.

Here are four powerful tips and techniques to focus on the people who focus on your customers:

• The first step in providing good customer service is hiring the right people.  Make your selection process part of your customer service strategy.  During interviews, ask questions like: “If you get this job, describe the kinds of things you will do to provide superior customer service,”  Also, pose hypothetical customer service situations and ask candidates to describe how they would handle them.

• Provide training and resources to help your people develop customer service skills.  Make sure the training reinforces your specific service expectations.

• Adopt the attitude that your employees are your customers, too. Give them the same respect and attention that you want them to give to their customers. Satisfied employees tend to produce satisfied customers.

• CELEBRATE SUCCESSES! Recognize and reward employees who provide exceptional customer service. Share their stories with others. This will motivate the entire team. Motivated employees go above and beyond for your customers … and for the organization.

Walking the customer service talk is not about perfection. Rather, it’s about being better than you were yesterday and being better than your competition.

(Source: Steve Ventura – walkthetalk.com)

The Right Way to Issue a Company Apology

When your company messes up, avoid the half-hearted, half-baked apology. Instead craft a clear, strategic message that explains what went wrong and how you’re rectifying the situation. Here are three tips for doing that:

Keep it simple – Get to the point and don’t deviate. Don’t include any veiled attempts to shirk responsibility or appease investors. You’ll just upset customers and muddle the message.

Mean what you say, and say what you mean – If you’re truly sorry for your company’s actions, say so and leave it at that. Avoid clarifying phrases and long, self-lauding explanations.

Reaffirm your company’s core values – Reaffirm what your company stands for and communicate how you intend to bring the company back to the values that guided it to success in the first place.

Adapted from “Smart Apologies Should Be Strategic” by Rosanna M. Fiske.

(Source: Harvard Business Review, 14 December 2011)

An Insight Into Prince Philip’s Personality

An insight into Prince Philip’s Personality when interviewed by BBC News on turning 90 in June 2011:

“His mind is so together and he wants to know about everything.  He has that kind of mind that has kept him going.” – by Royal Biographer Ingrid Stewart.

“I reckon I’ve done my bit so I want to enjoy myself a bit now, with less responsibility, less frantic rushing about, less preparation, less trying to think of something to say. On top of that your memory’s going, I can’t remember names and things,” “It’s better to get out before you reach the sell-by date.” – by Prince Philip

“My father plain and simply is very modest about himself and doesn’t believe in talking about himself. One of his best pieces of advice he gives to everybody is talk about everything else, don’t talk about yourself – nobody’s interested in you.” – by Prince Edward

“Meeting him is rather extraordinary. You get the impression of meeting a bird of prey, a hawk or an eagle, there’s something absolutely penetrating about the eyes, you feel like you’re being scanned. You raise your game, you rather hope he’ll like you.” – by Actor Joanna Lumley

“He’s formidable, he’s daunting, partly because of his position, but also because he is a very considerable intellect. The first time I met him, it was absolutely clear that if you turned up and you hadn’t mastered the papers, he would detect it very quickly and you would be in trouble.” – by  Broadcaster David Attenborough:

“Get him on a bad day and it’s quite hard work. Get him on a good day, and you really don’t want to be with anybody else.” – by Theologian Martin Palmer:

(Source:  BBC News)

Management Tip – Don’t Stay Late OR Go Home?

Do you control your work hours or do they control you?  More people are staying late at work and suffering because of it.  Before you have dinner at your desk (again), do these three things:

• Know your priorities – When deciding whether to stay and finish a task or put it aside until the next day, remember what your priorities are. If the task furthers your professional and personal goals, then it may be worth putting in the extra time.

• Agree on expectations at home – Discuss your work hours with the people closest to you – your partner, spouse, or friends – to be sure your expectations are aligned.

• Talk about it at work – Make it clear that you are willing to stay late if there is a legitimate reason, such as a client deadline. But emphasize that this should be the exception, not the rule.

(Source: Harvard Business Review, 23 December 2011 – adapted from “Should You Stay Late OR Go Home” by Ron Ashkenas)