Posted 8/14/2008

MAKE FRIENDS, DRINK WINE, EAT WATERMELON AND MEDITATE TO STAY HEALTHY

It may seem a strange bundle of habits, but they lead to healthier, higher-quality lives, according to the latest research.

Make at least three friends and socialize. Play golf, bridge or poker, join book clubs, sing in groups, phone, email – whatever, but do it all with friends. A study of 2,200 women over 78 showed that women with at least three close friends reduced their risk of dementia by 26%. Curiously, marriage had no positive effect.

Drink red wine and you slow age-related deterioration in the heart, bones and eyes, according to a study by the National Institute on Aging. The key is an ingredient in red wine called "resveratrol." If you can't drink alcohol, you might want to munch on grapes and nuts, which also contain resveratrol, leading to better bone density, fewer cataracts and improved coordination.

Eat lots of watermelon, which can help your system produce a compound that relaxes your blood vessels, benefits your heart and improves your overall immune system. Watermelon contains an ingredient called "citrulline," which reacts with your enzymes to produce an amino acid that does wonders for your blood vessels and heart. This key study was produced at Texas A&M University.

Meditate and curb your stress genes. Actually, any relaxation technique seems to work. If you don't like the idea of meditating, try yoga, tai chi, breathing exercises, muscle relaxation exercises and even prayer. A study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital studied blood samples drawn from people who had meditated or prayed for years and found that their behaviors altered their "gene expression patterns." Meditation and prayer were found to cause over 2,200 genes to be activated differently. Besides switching off stress genes, relaxation practices tended to change your cellular metabolism.

Less stress tends to result in longer, healthier living.

The worst kinds of stress should be treated as quickly as possible. For example, post-traumatic stress disorder increases the risk of heart disease about the same as smoking two to three packs of cigarettes a day, according to a study by the Geisinger Health System. Its researchers claimed that post-traumatic stress disorder makes the body release stress hormones that basically "cook" your cardiovascular system.

Families of Iraq War veterans who have been exposed to explosive devices should be particularly active in getting our soldiers help. You should act as quickly as possible, because it will take the Defense Department at least ten years to start to understand and acknowledge the problem.

I have to hurry to the store now. We're having friends over, so I need to pick up some red wine, nuts and watermelon. In the car I will be praying for good weather.

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