It is not only our ancestors who never ate with over-indulgence of food.  Think about the cultures around the world and how much they have to eat.  There is some sort of bread, vegetables, a bit of meat and usually not much in the way of sweets.  People are healthy for the most part.  It is usually when people cannot till their land due to war is when a famine might start.  Nature has its role, but people can store food for the lean times.

Over-abundance of foods is a relatively new phenomenon.  For thousands of years the human body was programmed for periodic unavailability of food.  This happened usually in the spring when the supply of food was diminished and new crops were not yet ripe. 

It is said that this lack of food or "spring hunger" when people had to ration food was actually healthy.  Not starvation but abstinence had a beneficial effect on health.  This was a time that the body got a chance to cleanse itself from any toxins that accumulated over a period of time.

When the organs get a rest from constantly working and digesting food it has a healing effect on the body.  It restores the body, helps in fighting disease and increases longevity.

Modern scientific research today says the under eating and periodic fasting is good for our health.

Brian Anderson restored a turbo-charged 1964 AMC classic Rambler that he calls "The Rumbler". He gets invited to meets because people like to see this classic car.  This four-door Rambler is an unusual choice for a Hot Rod.  Brian bought when it became available and was relatively inexpensive - he was 16.  It was not in great shape, but it was  a 60's era V8 with only 56,000 miles.

Brian took a job at an auto parts store so he could get the employee discount.  He rebuilt the engine and began to drive  it to high school.  The Rumbler was something he became attached to so he began saving to restore it better.  Cheap and available parts were hard to find, but with the help of an engine-building guide book; parts were bought from various vehicles.  This is the story of one Classic Hot Rod.

You can doodle for better short-term memory - boy, can I doodle!  I always had an extra page in my notebooks for this - it prevents boredom and gets you to focus and be alert when you would otherwise tune out.  And you will be able to remember thirty percent more of what you are hearing.  Taking notes in between helps a great deal.

If you are stumped on a puzzle (crossword or Sudoku), let the mind wander to the right hemisphere which encourages more creative thinking.  Mark Jung-Beeman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist at Northwestern University and claims this method helps to come up with the solution.  It is simply called daydreaming - and I was good at that too.

Memory loss can be helped with fish oil.  Omega-3's help to strengthen cell membranes that halts damage that can kill cells.

I always let my kids relax when they came home from school.  They had already had a long day and home work could wait a while.  they were allowed to play outside with friends and do something enjoyable.  They were good students.  Dinner was served and then homework.  Research shows that kids can focus longer when they get rid of pent up energy.  It makes homework time easier and they get more answers correct.

Gabrielle Lichterman for Woman's World

Walking, it is said, is the best exercise and it does not cost anything.  Women who stay fit even if you are a some pounds overweight tend to have a sixty-three percent less chance of developing metabolic syndrome.

The most important thing that you can do is walk.  Thirty minutes a day of brisk walking is an aerobic exercise that is terrific.  Cycling or dancing is recommended too.  If you go to a gym or swim than you are on your way to great health as well.  It is suggested that if time is a problem, one hour a week working with weights is a good alternative.  Exercise eliminates the problem for a third of women.

Almonds will regulate blood sugar - one ounce of the dry roasted nuts has 80 mg. of magnesium which reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome by up to 31%.  Four hundred milligrams of magnesium is the recommended dosage. Bran cereal, Brazil nuts, halibut, cashews and spinach all have magnesium to give you sufficient amounts of magnesium Your multivitamin should have 400 mg of folic acid and 200 mcg of chromium. 



Woman's World  written by Brenda Kearns  Nov. 9, 2009