| n it comes to plant-based foods, think black. Black | | | | instead of the Fountain of Youth. |
| foods are especially healthy. Black rice is high in | | | | We should also be practicing the "relaxation |
| anthocyanin, which fights cardiovascular disease. Black | | | | response" - sitting quietly, eyes closed, for 10 to 20 |
| beans are rich in terpenoids, which stop the growth | | | | minutes silently repeating a word or phrase. Patients |
| of certain cancers. Black tea is rich in flavonoids, | | | | being unsuccessfully treated with medications for high |
| which protect against neurological disease; and | | | | blood pressure participated in a 3-month study with |
| blackberries are rich in polyphenols, which help | | | | the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine. |
| prevent diseases related to chronic inflammation. | | | | Practicing the relaxation response daily enabled 66% |
| Then there's the pigment that makes these foods | | | | of the patients to significantly lower their blood |
| black. It provides antioxidants that also protect our | | | | pressure. The relaxation response helps the body |
| health - and give new meaning to black power. | | | | increase nitric oxide, a compound which causes blood |
| A study done by St. Louis University gives new | | | | vessels to open, which lowers blood pressure. For |
| meaning to calorie restriction. In the study healthy | | | | continued results, however, pressure to practice the |
| volunteers ages 50 to 60 were divided into 3 groups. | | | | relaxation response has to remain high. |
| The calorie-restriction group cut 300-500 calories a | | | | If that's too much pressure, research done at the |
| day, the exercise group exercised regularly while | | | | Salk Institute for Biological Studies shows that a |
| maintaining its usual diet and the control group made | | | | mid-day nap of 10 minutes increases alertness, |
| no changes. One year later only the calorie-restriction | | | | improves physical dexterity, boosts stamina and |
| group had experienced a decrease in T3 thyroid | | | | lowers stress. I think most employees realize a nap |
| hormone. This decrease causes a decrease in both | | | | would improve their performance. It's employers who |
| metabolism and tissue aging - which increases the | | | | need to wake up to this fact. |
| likelihood we should be looking for a calorie counter | | | | |