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Men who smoke have an elevated risk of dementia, according to a new analysis of nationwide health claims from South Korea.

Compared with continual smokers, long-term quitters had a 14 percent lower risk of dementia, while men who had never smoked had a 19 percent lower risk, according to the analysis, which was published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.

The analysis also found that men who had never smoked had an 18 percent decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, compared with continual smokers.

The research also found that long-term quitters had a 32 percent decreased risk of vascular dementia compared to continual smokers, while men who had never smoked had a 29 percent decreased risk.

The study included 46,140 men aged 60 years or older from a Korean health screening program from 2002 to 2013.

“Smoking cessation was clearly linked with a reduced dementia risk in the long term, indicating that smokers should be encouraged to quit in order to benefit from this decreased risk,” said senior author Dr. Sang Min Park of Seoul National University in South Korea.

Source: Wiley

Cat/cow is a gentle stretch you can do when first waking up that warms the body and brings flexibility to the spine.

Not only will it open your chest and increase your ability to breathe deeply, it can also help to relieve stress and calm your mind first thing in the morning. It's a great one to start with, especially if you have a stressful day ahead.

Begin on your hands and knees with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Your fingertips should be pointed forward, and your neck should be neutral.

Start with cow stretch by first inhaling as you drop your belly. Lift your chin and chest as you gaze up toward the ceiling. Relax your shoulders.

Next, go into cat pose by exhaling and drawing your belly toward your spine as you round your back toward the ceiling. You should feel like a cat stretching its back in this stretch.

Repeat this sequence at least five to 10 times.

Dangerous characters with multiple personalities continue to be part of cinema. M. Night Shyamalan’s new film Glass, coming to theaters in January 2019, is a sequel to his 2017 movie “Split” and includes a villain with multiple personalities. Two other movies slated to come out in the next few years also depict volatile characters with multiple personalities: “Cowboy Ninja Viking” and the new film from DC Universe with the character “Crazy Jane.”

In “Split,” a sociopath with twenty-four personalities abducts three children. One personality, The Beast, is a cannibal with super-human strength. “Split” is just the latest in a long line of films that depict dangerous, evil characters with multiple personalities. The list includes “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” “Psycho,” “Dressed to Kill,” “Raising Cain,” “Primal Fear,” “Fight Club” and “Mr. Brooks.”

There’s a name for the condition these movies attempt to portray: dissociative identity disorder (DID), called multiple personality disorder until renamed by the American Psychiatric Association in 1994. In the popular imagination, people with this disorder are dangerous and manipulative. But is that true? Mental health professionals and people with DID disagree with the stereotype.

Dr. Michelle Stevens, a psychologist who has DID, pushes back: “We [people with DID] don’t lurk in dark alleys. We aren’t kidnappers who lock teenage girls in basements, and we certainly aren’t murderers. Instead, we are husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, friends and neighbors who silently suffer from a painful, scary, often debilitating condition in which our sense of who we are feels divided into fragmented parts.”

Most people who suffer from DID are survivors of severe trauma. Dissociation was their brain’s method to endure terrible things; painful memories were locked away into different selves. Brittany* and Dez both developed DID due to extreme childhood trauma.

Brittany is an American college student who describes her experience of DID as being in a car with six seats. Occasionally, she and her other selves switch out who is driving. When Brittany herself is in the driver’s seat, she describes that as being “awake.” When Brittany is triggered or overwhelmed, another self might take over as driver as Brittany falls “asleep.”

Brittany experiences memory gaps when one of the other selves has been the driver for a time, so she’s worked out strategies for keeping up with life. She keeps a notebook so that she and her “others” can write down what happens. Pre-set alarms on her phone remind the current driver of the day’s responsibilities.

Brittany has been able to conceal her experience of DID. Like many people with this disorder, she is constantly afraid of being found out and having “my life fall apart.” Brittany fears that if people knew, their view of her and her abilities would dramatically change. She describes feeling like an imposter living a successful life while feeling broken inside.

Dez Reed is a middle-aged husband and father who lives in Sasketchewan. His wife, Charmaine Panko, is a lawyer and mental health advocate. Dez describes his experience of DID (with more than twenty different selves) as normal. For most of his life, he thought other people also had memory gaps. Dez explains, “It’s like my whole life is Angela Lansbury just trying to piece together what happened the night before.” He didn’t realize he had a disorder until Charmaine stumbled on this possible explanation for some of his behaviors. A psychiatrist’s evaluation confirmed her hunch.

Receiving Dez’s DID diagnosis was the clue to a lifelong mystery, but living with that new truth hasn’t been easy. Dez describes going from being the most sought-after comedian in Saskatchewan to being unable to book a single gig after going public as having this disorder.

Brittany and Dez’s experiences are relatable to other people living with DID. At the same time, the experience of DID varies widely and there is no typical. One common thread is the stigma that Brittany and Dez describe. When people with DID take the risk to explain their experiences, they may be seen as manipulative, potentially dangerous, or faking symptoms for attention. As a result, they often become skilled at hiding their systems.

Recently our culture has grown in awareness and acceptance of mental illness. But the stigma of DID has persisted. People coping with DID shouldn’t have to live with the added burden of unfair judgment and suspicion. Let’s change the way we view dissociation so that people with DID can find acceptance and understanding, even outside of the closet.

More information about dissociative identity disorder:

PsychCentral: Dispelling Myths about Dissociative Identity Disorder

From the American Psychiatry Association: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/dissociative-disorders/what-are-dissociative-disorders

From The Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9792-dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder

The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation http://www.isst-d.org/

References:
Garzon, Justin. “The Media and Dissociative Identity Disorder.” York University: The Trauma and Mental Health Report. January 18, 2013.

Stevens, Dr. Michelle. “Open Letter to M. Night Shyamalan: ‘Split’ Perpetuates Stereotypes About People with Dissociative Identity Disorder.” The Hollywood Reporter, February 1, 2017.

Personal interviews with Dez Reed, Charmaine Panko, and Brittany*
*name changed to protect privacy

Mindfulness doesn’t have to be sitting still with your eyes closed. You can go for a quiet walk. You can eat mindfully, appreciating the food, the colors, and smells and textures. You can just be conscious of what’s happening around you in the moment, to stop, take three breaths, observe what’s happening with your body, and then proceed.

What is zeaxanthin and how does it play a role in brain health, eye health, and immune health? Learn more about this antioxidant.

Chances are if you had a green smoothie the past week, an omelet with orange peppers, or a fruit salad with kiwi and grapes, or a zucchini pasta dish, then you’ve been eating your fill of zeaxanthin (and lutein)!

What Is Zeaxanthin?

Zeaxanthin is one of the most common carotenoids (antioxidants) found in food. Zeaxanthin gives plants and foods their characteristic color (yellows and reds) (1).

Zeaxanthin is found in many whole foods from spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, pumpkin, winter squash, spirulina, to egg yolks. If you’re consuming a whole food, chances are good that you’re eating enough of this carotenoid to reap the health benefits.

What Is Does In Our Body

Typically when zeaxanthin is mentioned, it’s powerful antioxidant relative, lutein, is discussed. Both of these carotenoids are found in the retina in the eye, hence the research with these antioxidants and decreasing the risk of age-related macular degeneration. (2)(8)

Why are antioxidants important? Remember that we’re all exposed to things that damage our cells and free radicals, antioxidants are the way our body defends against those. Especially those in the eye!

Using our eyes requires a lot of oxygen and they’re also exposed to light which causes stress on our eyes. It’s a great thing that both lutein and zeaxanthin are naturally present in the eye, in abundance, to help counteract this free radical damage and stress. (3)

Just like fat-soluble vitamins, some antioxidants like carotenoids are best absorbed in the body with some fat. So, the next time you’re eating a meal or a food rich in zeaxanthin, be sure to eat some healthy fat with it like olive oil, avocado, nuts or seeds. (4)

What’s the goal amount of these carotenoids we should be eating daily to get the health benefits? Although there’s currently no RDA for zeaxanthin or lutein, studies support that to get the most benefit for eye health we know adults in the US get about 1-2 mg lutein a day from their diets, which may not be enough to reap the health benefits. (5)(6)

Health Benefits Of Zeaxanthin

Zeaxanthin and eye health

Have you been on the computer, watching Netflix, and on your iPhone a lot today? Then most likely you’ve been exposed to a lot of blue light (depending on your settings). Lutein and Zeaxanthin help your body absorb some of the light which can help protect your eyes!

More research is needed to be done on the long-term effects of blue light on eye health, but viewing your electronics on night mode or warmer can help ease the tension of your sight. (7)

There have been several studies showing lutein and zeaxanthin support eye health from decreasing and protecting against age-related macular degeneration, slowing the formation of cataracts, reducing stress markers associated with diabetic retinopathy, and reducing inflammation in the eye. (8)(9)(10)

Top 7 Food Sources Of Zeaxanthin

Egg Yolks

Egg yolks are a rich source of vitamins and minerals from vitamin B12, vitamin A, E, D, to choline, zinc, iron, and selenium. Egg yolks are also a great source of antioxidants, mainly zeaxanthin and lutein.

The protein content found in egg yolks is about 2g versus the egg white which is about 5g of protein. The egg yolk is where all the fat is in the whole egg, which is made up of saturated and monounsaturated fats with about 40mg of omega-3 fatty acids.

In one large egg, the amount of lutein and zeaxanthin is 186mg. If an animal protein is rich in zeaxanthin, it means that animal ate a diet also rich in zeaxanthin, for example, the egg yolks from chickens.

Corn

In about 1 cup of corn flour or maize, there’s 2249ug of both lutein and zeaxanthin. If you were using maize in a recipe, it’s most likely that 1/2 cup would be a serving.

One study found that egg yolk and maize contain the highest percentage of total lutein and zeaxanthin, more than 85% of the total carotenoids in the study. (2)

Greens: Spinach, Kale, Turnip, Collards, Dandelion, Mustard, and Broccoli

If you haven’t learned this yet from NS, then hear it here first. Dark leafy greens are so rich in nutrients! Not only are dark leafy greens a good source of fiber, but they’re also rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

The amount of both lutein and zeaxanthin in these mentioned dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, dandelion greens, mustard greens, collards, and broccoli) range from 29mg for spinach to 2mg for broccoli per 1 cup serving.

Pumpkin

It’s not just pumpkin that’s rich in these carotenoids, it’s also squash like winter squash zucchini, yellow squash, etc.

In one cup of cooked pumpkin, there is 2.5mg of both lutein and zeaxanthin. If you love pancakes, soups, smoothies, or pumpkin pie then this is an easy one to incorporate into your diet!

Spirulina

Just one tablespoon of spirulina or chlorella (blue-green algae) provides four grams of protein, along with a healthy dose of calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Spirulina is also rich in both lutein and zeaxanthin.

Summary Of Foods Rich In Zeaxanthin:

1. Egg yolks
2. Corn
3. Dark leafy greens
4. Pumpkin
5. Zucchini
6. Spirulina

Recipes Rich In Zeaxanthin

When you’re looking for a recipe or a food rich in zeaxanthin, look no further than fruits and vegetables that are rich in reds, oranges, yellows, and sometimes greens. Use the food sources listed above to help you choose recipes that are rich in these antioxidants.

Contribute

Did you know what the antioxidant zeaxanthin was? Now learning food sources of this nutrient, what are your favorite foods that are rich in zeaxanthin? Share below or tag me in a photo on Instagram the next time you eat a zeaxanthin-rich food or meal!

References

1. Lutein + Zeaxanthin Content of Selected Foods. Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 2014.
2. Sommerburg O, Keunen J, Bird A, van Kuijk FJGM. Fruits and vegetables that are sources for lutein and zeaxanthin: the macular pigment in human eyes. The British Journal of Ophthalmology. 1998;82(8):907-910.
3. Koushan K, Rusovici R, Li W, Ferguson LR, Chalam KV. The Role of Lutein in Eye-Related Disease. Nutrients. 2013;5(5):1823-1839. doi:10.3390/nu5051823.
4. Loane E., McKay G.J., Nolan J.M., Beatty S. Apolipoprotein E genotype is associated with macular pigment optical density. Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2010;51:2636–2643. doi: 10.1167/iovs.09-4397
5. Ranard KM, Jeon S, Mohn ES, Griffiths JC, Johnson EJ, Erdman JW. Dietary guidance for lutein: consideration for intake recommendations is scientifically supported. European Journal of Nutrition. 2017;56(Suppl 3):37-42. doi:10.1007/s00394-017-1580-2.
6. Institute of Medicine . Dietary reference intakes for vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and carotenoids.Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2000
7. Roberts JE, Dennison J. The Photobiology of Lutein and Zeaxanthin in the Eye. Journal of Ophthalmology. 2015;2015:687173. doi:10.1155/2015/687173.

8. online 2011 Sep 8. doi: 10.1017/S0007114511004260

Starting out on your muscle-building journey can be a tough endeavor. From training to supplementation, getting the right balance can be difficult, but we're here to make it easy for you. Here are 10 mistakes you should avoid if you want to build muscle without sacrificing your health.

Some predictions for the year ahead: Tom Brady will lead the Patriots in yet another Super Bowl. A Star Is Born will win big at the Oscars. And our dollars won’t stretch quite as far as they do today. Yep, it’s likely we’ll pay more this year for a lot, spanning from credit card interest to new cars and groceries. Here’s what to start budgeting more for now.

1. All kinds of debt

The Federal Reserve (our central bank) uses interest rates as its primary lever to influence the economy. When the economy needs a boost, rates stay low; when it’s healthy, the Fed typically raises them.

In 2018 we had four interest rate hikes, and we’ll likely have another in 2019. That’s positive news for the economy, but not so great for anyone with variable-rate debt, like most credit cards, as well as some mortgages and auto loans. For example, the seven interest rate increases between December 2015 and September 2018 already cost Americans an extra $9.65 billion in credit card interest payments. If you can afford to accelerate your debt payment schedule, now’s the time. (Here’s how.)

Some good news? Savers can benefit from the Fed’s moves, as higher interest rates eventually mean higher yields for savings accounts, CDs and money market accounts. As of late November last year, many high-yield savings accounts were offering to pay 2 percent or more in interest a year (with some restrictions).

2. Shipping fees

If you’re an online shopper, regularly send care packages across the country or have a small business that ships physical products, 2019 may hit your wallet hard: FedEx recently announced that it’ll raise shipping rates by nearly 5 percent in January. The U.S. Postal Service also plans to raise rates on Priority Mail by almost 4 percent — and proposed upping the cost of a Forever stamp from 50 to 55 cents. One way to save: Try batching any online purchases so you’re placing larger orders that qualify for free shipping at many retailers.

3. Travel

According to the Global Travel Forecast, the average cost of flights worldwide is expected to increase by 2.6 percent next year, and hotel stays are expected to jump nearly 4 percent. Luckily, airline and destination choice can make a big difference in cost. For example, while the cost of flights in Western Europe is expected to rise by almost 5 percent, North American flights are projected to see a more reasonable 2-percent increase—good news for those staying a little closer to home.

4. A place of your own

Thanks to a strong labor market and (modest) wage growth, more of us are in the market for homes. That increased demand, paired with a lack of inventory, has pushed prices higher and created an ideal “seller’s market.” According to a Reuters poll of property analysts, house prices are forecast to rise by 4.3 percent in 2019. To add insult to injury, FreddieMac is forecasting that average interest rates on a 30-year mortgage will spike from 2018’s 4.6 percent to 5.1 percent (another result of federal interest rate hikes). Many U.S. housing experts expect the return of a buyer’s market in 2020 or 2021, meaning you might be rewarded if you can wait to buy, depending on where you live.

5. Health insurance

This year is shaping up to be a good one for those buying health insurance through the ACA marketplace: The average cost of Silver-tiered plans is (slightly) decreasing for the first time in years. For everyone else? Health care prices are heading up. The cost of employer-sponsored health insurance plans is expected to rise an average of more than 4 percent in 2019, which likely translates to higher premiums and deductibles for employees. Using tax-advantaged health accounts, like flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSA), can help offset those higher costs.

6. New cars

If you’re shopping for a new ride, you may want to act fast: Tariffs on steel and aluminum imports have already led to higher car prices, and potential tariffs of 25 percent on foreign-made vehicles could raise them even more. (It’s rumored that these tariffs have been put on hold for now, but there’s been no official announcement.) If the tariffs are enacted, it’s estimated that we’ll pay nearly $7,000 more for imported cars and trucks and more than $2,200 for U.S.-built vehicles.

Tossup: Other tariff-sensitive goods

This administration’s willingness to move swiftly — and often against expectations — on trade policies makes this hard to predict. But, at least for now, it seems like we’ll pay more for a lot of other imported goods next year. In September 2018, the U.S. levied 10-percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese exports. We may see a further escalation later this month.

If so, businesses are likely to pass on at least a portion of those higher costs to consumers. That means groceries, furniture, soap, electronics — and more than 5,000 other items — will cost more.

In 2018, a New York Times analysis indicated the average American household wouldn’t pay that much more because of tariffs — about $60 extra a year — which probably won’t break the bank. But remember, any small amount saved or invested can grow into a fortune over time. So pay attention to your spending and how each of these changes may shift your monthly expenses.

We may not be able to control federal policies and consumer prices, but we can own our spending and financial futures.

Read the original article on Grow. Copyright 2018. Follow Grow on Twitter.

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Image via Unsplash

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican who favors some restrictions on abortion access, came out in support of a bill introduced Wednesday to protect abortion rights in the state.

The bill, which would protect abortion rights should conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court strike down Roe v. Wade, was introduced on the house floor by Reps. Ann Pugh (D-South Burlington) and Maxine Grad (D-Moretown), and it has overwhelming support in the Democratic-majority house and state senate. Wednesday marked the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. 

Scott dodged questions in 2016 about whether he’d sign abortion restrictions, but recently said he supports the legislation protecting Roe and would sign it.

Advocates are relieved that Vermonters will be ensured access to abortion services even if Roe is overturned by the Supreme Court.

“It is pretty wonderful we have a Republican governor whose thinking about abortion rights has been evolving in a really progressive way, in a way we support and celebrate. And we are very pleased that he has come out publicly saying he supports [the pro-choice bill],” Lucy Leriche, a vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood Northern New England, told Rewire.News.

Abortion rights became a campaign issue for Scott when he ran for governor in 2016. He claimed he was pro-choice but said he would consider supporting bills that required parental notification and restricted later abortion care. That put him in the crosshairs of Planned Parenthoods affiliated PAC, which ran ads campaigning against him in the 2016 race.

Activists said abortion is unlikely to ever be banned in Vermont, but given the conservative makeup of the Supreme Court and the Trump administration’s assault on reproductive rights, a state law codifying abortion protections is the best way to make sure Vermonters will continue to have access to abortion care.

Even in the largely liberal New England state, the University of Vermont Medical Center only reversed a long-standing policy severely limiting when it would provide abortions last year. If it seems strange that Vermont does not already have a law protecting reproductive rights on the books, Leriche said they haven’t needed state protections since Roe was passed.

“It’s very fortunate for us that we have not up to this point felt a need to put any abortion statutes on the books because we have enjoyed full, unrestricted access to abortion care here,” she said. “There’s nothing on the books neither permitting nor prohibiting any kind of abortion care, which means that the U.S. Supreme Court decision is the only edict we have to follow.”

Vermont would become the latest state to codify Roe protections into state law with the threat of Supreme Court conservatives striking a blow against the landmark ruling.

“When an individual decides to end their pregnancy, they should be able to get safe, timely, affordable care in their community without anyone shaming, threatening or trying to impose their own beliefs,” Pugh, the bill’s co-sponsor, said in an email. “It is an issue of access to care and of economics. When individuals are able to control their reproductive decisions, they are able to make their own decisions about their participation in the workforce, in their communities and Vermont is stronger for it.”

Food insecurity -- difficulty affording enough food to support regular, balanced meals -- was associated with increased likelihoods of binge-eating disorder and obesity in a recent International Journal of Eating Disorders study.