Tag: meditation

  • How Meditation Benefits Alzheimer’s Patients

    How Meditation Benefits Alzheimer’s Patients

    Several claims about the benefits of meditation toward Alzheimer’s Disease have become more apparent these days. This leads then to the notion that meditating may help slow down symptoms and even probably alleviate the condition.

    Alzheimer’s Disease

    Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common type of dementia among elders and seniors. As per the National Institute of Aging, it is “progressive” and “irreversible” as it causes brain damages, which then results in problems memory, thinking skills, and behavior.

    In the United States, about 5.8 million individuals have Alzheimer’s. It was also released by Alzheimer’s Association that in this figure, nearly 97 percent are ages 65 and above. Only 200,000 of them are aged below 65.

    While the condition was said to be on the rise in recent times, it is worth noting that Alzheimer’s Disease is not normal for anyone. As it happens, it is not part of aging.

    Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease

    The main cause of Alzheimer’s Disease has yet to be known. Even so, several claims made by experts in the field, especially those who have experiences in handling memory care facilities for seniors, have been able to connect the dots and link the condition to various risk factors.

    As explained by NHS UK, the condition is “thought” to be the result of the abnormal protein build-up in brain cells. These proteins involved form “plaques” and “tangles” within the cells.

    It remains unknown, though, as to what causes this to happen. Nevertheless, it was attested that the process normally happens long before the initial symptoms manifest to a person.

    Some of the risk factors were also noted. And these include:

    •         Age
    •         Genetics
    •         Cognitive Impairment
    •         Head Trauma
    •         Cardiovascular Health
    •         Stress
    •         Poor Sleeping Habits
    •         Poor Lifestyle

    Cure, Treatments, and Prevention

    The same institutions revealed that there is no cure yet for Alzheimer’s Disease. So, there is no way yet to stop its progression. It is quite logical, though, as the main cause of the condition has not yet been discovered. But, once experts have been able to make a breakthrough in finding the cause, searching for the cure will surely then follow.

    In parallel with this conclusion, prevention is the best option for individuals who do not have Alzheimer’s. And the best ways to prevent it is to consider all the risk factors and move from there.

    Given all the variables that could contribute to the progression and manifestation of the disease, one could simply change their ways and habits, especially in the aspect of their lifestyle. It is worth noting that prevention is way better than cure.

    But, despite all of these things, there are still treatments that can be given to people who are suffering from AD. They are very evident in many senior assisted living homes and facilities today. Such treatments include medications, therapies, and other alternative treatments.

    By far, alternative treatments have become a very significant aspect in the field of treating Alzheimer’s. And one of these things largely tackles meditation.

    Meditation and Alzheimer’s Disease

    As we all know, meditation has been practiced by a lot of people since then. And the popularity of the practice has become a lot more emphasized today since the benefits of practicing mindfulness have been largely centered by many experts and actual practitioners.

    In terms of treating Alzheimer’s Disease, since the condition targets the mind, memory, and the quality of these aspects, many individuals in the field sought the importance of the links between meditation and the condition. Based on reports, the results were promising.

    According to a study conducted in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, meditation showed impressive effects on people who have Alzheimer’s Disease. It was concluded that the practice of mindfulness can effectively slow down the progression of the disease.

    An article was also published by Express UK claiming that meditation can also be utilized to protect individuals, especially the elderly, against dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. In the report, several experts also noted how studies have been able to make a breakthrough in this area.

    While the studies have not been conclusive yet, it was claimed that this is already a great discovery in preventing and treating AD and other forms of dementia.

    How Meditation Helps

    While the base and foundation of the research and studies about the benefits of meditation to Alzheimer’s today already proved that the practice is beneficial, several claims attested that these things need further basis and proof. But, even so, the specifications on how meditation can help the condition may already serve as a good starting point.

    Here are the proven points on how meditation can benefit people who have Alzheimer’s Disease:

    • Prevention From Cognitive Decline

    Cognitive decline is one of the risk factors of the condition. Also, the decline further happens when the disease starts to progress. But, as per Everyday Health, regular meditation increases and elevates the cerebral blood flow. As a result, it helps decrease stress and improves focus and concentration. Accordingly, the practice helps people with AD to fight cognitive decline and delay the progression.

    • Beta-Amyloid Change

    People who have Alzheimer’s Disease were always seen to have “clumps of beta-amyloid protein. It is unclear, however, if this mainly causes the condition.

    As per Medical News Today, data was gathered after controlling a group of seniors who practice meditation for 12 weeks. It was found that changes in the amount of beta-amyloid occurred. While it remains inconclusive, several claims have been already made that meditation can help people with AD in terms of the symptoms.

    •   Cellular Aging

    Cellular aging is a great risk factor as well to Alzheimer’s Disease. Aside from the development, it also comes with the progression.

    While aging is obviously irreversible, meditation, as well as, yoga is found to be great practices that can “physically change cells.” The paper was written by Linda Carlson from the Tom Baker Cancer Center in Canada.

    •   Hippocampus Structure

    The hippocampus of people who have AD shows significant shrinkage in its structures. However, Alzheimers Net suggests that individuals who practice yoga and meditation show “less atrophy” in the structure of the hippocampus despite having the disease.

    • Grey Matter and Cortical Thickness

    From the same institution, regular meditation has been noted to increase cortical thickness and grey matter in the brain. Because of this, the aging rate of the brain slows down, which helps alleviate brain-related conditions.

    It has been also suggested that the increase in such matters is linked to a person’s decision making and memory. And all of these are essential aspects that must be considered and paid attention to on people who are suffering from Alzheimer’s.

    Final Thoughts

    All in all, all of the studies and research in recent times linking meditation and Alzheimer’s Disease have remained inconclusive. Even so, the actual data gathered in each study already proves that meditation can largely benefit people who have Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

    Author Bio:

    This post was written by Holly Klamer. She loves to write on issues related to memory care facilities  for seniors, assisted and senior living  and retirement and is a frequent contributor on many blogs and online publications


  • How to Overcome Stress With CBD, Meditation, and Yoga

    You may have experienced some form of unease, and you get confused with everything that comes your way; that is stress. Stress is a phenomenon where the brain tries to respond to different kinds of demands that can make you feel comfortable. Work, exercise, school, and relationships are some of the major events that cause this kind of trauma on your brain. Two types of stressful conditions can affect your healthy living include long-term and short-term kinds of stress. 

    You need to choose the right path to manage and overcome anxiety without affecting your neighbor. CBD is known to have a low-psychoactive effect that can keep you enthusiastic during any form of stress. CBD is available in the form of oils, capsules, and tincture.

    Meditation is the practice of focusing on a given object or activity to help you derive a certain point and overcome a given condition and feeling. Meditation assists in maintaining attention and general awareness of your state. Stress need flight and fight responses to make the body and mind relax. Light exercise such as Yoga can highly assist during any form of brain trauma as your brain concentrates on fitness rather that the situation on the ground. 

    Here are some of the useful ideas of how to overcome stress with CBD, meditation, and yoga:

    Why take CBD for stress?

    Stress can lead to different conditions that will negatively affect your health. When you have a prolonged type of stress, you may end up suffering from depression, high blood pressure, and hypertension. If the situation is not short-term, then you need an immediate intervention to reset your baseline stress- response. The medical intervention takes a long way, and this can make you feel uneasy. You should consider supplementing your situation with the essential products of CBD that are safe for use. The safety precautions must come from the FDA, and this involves screening of the marijuana seeds and the whole process of extraction and processing of the products.

    Plenty of convincing research explores the interaction of the body with these kinds of products during any anxiety caused by stress phenomenal. The anti-anxiety property assists the clinician and psychotherapists to subject their clients to CBD. Some of the major conditions that CBD can overcome include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, obsessive anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. All these conditions affect the brain, which in turn reacts with different perception considering the nature of your body.

    Anxiety comes with feelings such as dread, unpreparedness, and imminent danger that recur, leading to various thoughts and physical reactions. The small difference in genetic variation can work on your hormones and chemicals to try to calm the situation. Norepinephrine and serotonin can have a good impact on anxiety. The high level of stress hormones interferes with the endocannabinoid balance. From the CBD, the Phytocannabinoids and terpenes must have a reasonable ratio to the body for effective action.

    The CBD binds with the 5-HTA1, which is a receptor that controls the release of the stress hormone serotonin. Serotonin releases the receptors that bind to the neurotransmitters and make the brain to remain at ease. The endocannabinoid system faces imbalance during stress. With the introduction of CBD, the system can restore overstimulation by binding to CB1 receptors, which in turn assist in the release of fear and tension.

    ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM

    Learn More about the Endocannabinoid System from Dr. Judy Mikovitis at this interview with local Dr. Michael Karlfeldt on HealthMade Radio.

    How does meditation counter-attack stress?

    Man Wearing Black Cap With Eyes Closed Under Cloudy Sky

    Image

    Anyone can practice meditation because it is simple, cost-effective, not time consuming, and does not require any equipment. Meditation does need a specific environment as compared to other forms of stress relievers. The research noted that mediation help in deepening the level of self-awareness. It also helps in stress reduction and a general relaxation of the mind. Many people consider the process of meditation as complementary medicine for the mind and body.

    During meditation, when under stress, you may focus your attention on a stream of jumbled thoughts in your mind. Sometimes it may take the shortest time possible, and at times, you may go for hours because of the comfort you are feeling. The process can give you calmness, peace, and effective balance that provide you emotional well-being. At some point, you may carry out your activities without stress after undergoing the meditation process.

    You may get stuck in a stressful situation because of the inability to perceive an idea effectively. With meditation, you can have a new perception of stress, and this may help you carry on. Building new skills on the management of stress, increasing general self-awareness, reducing negative emotions, and high levels of creativity are some of the major benefits of meditation.

    How Yoga assists in fighting the stressful condition

    Stress is unavoidable, and you need to check on your lifestyle to overcome the condition. Prolonged stress can affect your sleep, digestion, social relationship, and sex drive. Yoga can be the best remedy for this kind of situation, and you need to adapt. It is a form of exercise that involves the postures that connect by flowing sequences. The sequence must have the rhythmic breathing, and it ends with the best relaxation of the body and mind.

    The physical fitness can be soothing as a hug or a massage. A hug and massage, when combined, reduce the general tension. The forward bends and inversions have that good calming effect when your brain is full of thoughts. The calmness comes when the adrenaline glands soothe and create a comfortable environment. 

    When you are holding a posture and flowing through the sequences, you can focus and slow down the rate of blood flow in your body. The slow blood flow sequence helps low down the body temperature and reduces the anxious effect. The repeat of these sequences enables you to develop new habits of relaxation.

    Conclusion

    The notes above assist you in understanding the effects of yoga, meditation, and CBD to your stressful condition. Stress is like an airborne-diseases because it is everywhere, and the only way to avoid it is to have the best practices. CBD, Yoga, and meditation are cost-effective, and they can act as a remedy to your stressful condition.

    Author Bio:

    Tammy Taylor is a full-time content marketing specialist. He has been closely studying the cannabis industry trends for quite some time. He has worked for various domains before he came to the cannabis industry. When he is not working, Tammy likes to work out, trying new foods and playing with his dog.

  • Sitting in Silence Proven to Improve Chronic Conditions

    Mediation tends to imply ‘religious’ practices. However, Dean Sluyter explains that it is simply sitting quietly and intentionally. Meditating has been found to be beneficial for improving a variety of conditions including high blood pressure, stress, heart disease, insomnia, depression, anxiety, chronic pain management, drug and alcohol addiction. even AIDS and cancer patients. Although it was once considered an alternative treatment method, meditation is now not only acceptable but encouraged by a variety of traditional physicians, hospitals and health care centers.

    You learn to savor the quiet. It’s something most of us don’t have, quiet, and it takes some getting used to. When we’re driving our cars or out exercising or eating or working, we have music playing or we talk with people or we have the television on. Quiet can be amazing, though, because it helps us calm down, contemplate, slow down to savor the emptiness. 

    Stress and anxiety are known factors in causing pain, physical and emotional. A healthy lifestyle starts with a mindset – we need to slow down. Meditation is intentionally putting a pause in an very busy lifestyle. – Michael Karlfeldt

    In Zen and the Brain, Dr. James Austin tells us that meditation actually rewires the brains circuitry. This theory has been confirmed with imaging techniques that record brain activity.

    In another study published in the American Medical Associations Journal – Hypertension, researchers reported that meditating was just as effective for controlling high blood pressure as prescription drugs.

    While a study at the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Mass. by Jon Kabat-Zinn, M.D. reports that participants were able to reduce chronic pain by more than 50 percent. The participants in this study also experienced an increased ability to perform their daily activities and long-term improvements in mood.

    In another study by psychologist, Dr Gregg Jacob at Harvard University, found that 75 percent of people with long-term insomnia were able to falls asleep within 20 minutes after retiring with the
    use of meditation and relaxation.

    In a five year study by Dr. James Blumenthal of Duke University, participants with heart disease were able to reduce their risk of having a second heart attack by 74 percent using meditation, compared to participants who were using prescription medication.

    Aside from specific health conditions, meditating is one of the most effective methods for reducing and managing stress and achieving relaxation, which is something we can all benefit from.

    Learn More About Meditation from Dr. Michael Karlfeldt and Dean Sluyter.

    Natural Meditation: Balance for Mind and Body