Yoga boosts brainpower

Julia Roberts, Madonna, Colin Farrell and Dr. Oz all do poses – yoga poses, that is – along with 20 million other North Americans. The popularity of this practice, which originated in India, is thanks in large part to the guru B.K.S. Iyengar (he died at 95 in August 2014). In 1952, the American-born violinist Yehudi Menuhin was visiting India when he was challenged to a headstand by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (remember the Nehru jacket?). Iyengar was there, and took the duo through poses. The publicity launched a wave of interest in the discipline that’s never ebbed.

The benefits of yoga are far-reaching (some aggressive or superheated styles, well, they aren’t the best options for everyone). Hatha yoga combines breathing techniques with poses that reduce stress, promote blood flow, flexibility and mental focus. It has been shown to ease everything from chronic lower-back pain and chronic inflammation to depression and elevated blood pressure. Now a new study shows that for folks 59 to 77, it also can boost brainpower: Mental flexibility, information recall and task-switching abilities were far better in Hatha yoga participants than in a group who only did stretching and toning exercises.

What’s the difference? We suspect Hatha is brain-friendly because of its emphasis on stress-busting deep breathing (that provides more oxygen to those brain cells and protection of memory connections) and intentional focus on slow movement that also helps control stress responses.

Vitamin D benefits

There are two sides to every argument, so the saying goes, and usually the truth lies somewhere in between. Fortunately, you don’t have to takes sides in the debate about whether D-2 and D-3 are vitamins or hormones. Either way, they deliver nothing but good health to folks who get enough every day.

You see, D-2 and D-3 (they have similar actions in your body) function as vitamins by helping your body achieve normal growth and development. As hormones, they work to regulate calcium absorption, immune-system functioning and bone health. But it doesn’t stop there.

New findings indicate that guys with erectile dysfunction have significantly low vitamin D levels, and the more severe their dysfunction the greater the deficiency. Scientists also have found that women with the highest levels of D (above 30ng/mL) have a pregnancy rate of 30 percent from in vitro fertilization; women who are deficient (below 20ng/mL) only have a 21 percent success rate.

Achieving a healthy level of vitamin D-2/3 is cheaper and better for you than taking ED meds or going through multiple in-vitro routines. So, get a blood test to check your levels. Take a 1,000 IU D-3 supplement daily until you get results – then take what your doc recommends (it’s hard to get enough from what you eat). Plus, get outside (with SPF 30 sunscreen) for 30 minutes a day and eat vitamin-D-rich foods such as salmon, D-3-fortified whole-grain cereals and nonfat dairy or nut milks and white mushrooms. D-licious.

The dangers of the powdered margarita

Weird ways to consume alcohol have been popping up on social media and YouTube – and are enough to make any college counselor or parent’s heart skip a beat. There’s booze-soaked gummy candy called Rummy Bears and Wodka Worms; hand-sanitizer cocktails that run around 120 proof; and there’s even a vodka-drenched tampon – it’s called “slimming.”

Those risky and juvenile ways to get buzzed are pretty fringy, but now there’s something more sinister with the potential to become mainstream: powdered alcohol. It’s been approved by the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau, a division of the ATF. One small packet of trouble is 65 percent alcohol by volume and comes in five sugary flavors including rum, vodka and kamikaze (the manufacturer’s version of a margarita).

Concerned legislators, parents and doctors are yelling for the Food and Drug Administration to step in and ban its sale before kids start turning up in the emergency room or worse because of it.

Our suggestion: Parents, get in front of powdered alcohol. Talk to your kids about how foolish it would be to drink it, eat it or sniff it. Now, before there’s an advertising onslaught (you know it’s coming), you have the opportunity to turn kids off to the product. Your kids do listen when you talk to them about avoiding dangerous situations, such as drinking or using marijuana and driving. Underage drunk-driving fatalities have been declining over the past 10 years. So have a conversation about powdered alcohol, and let’s stay on that road.

Lunchbox safety

When New York City fourth-grader Zachary Maxwell told his folks that he wanted to take his lunch to school, they insisted he stick with the school’s oh-so-tasty and nutritious-sounding hot-lunch program. So he made “Yuck” (www.yuckmovie.com), a 20-minute documentary revealing what was really being dished up: not the designer meals his parents saw on the menu, but a woeful combo of cheesy, fatty, mostly veggie-free meals on polystyrene “plates” (a ban on those goes into effect in NYC in 2015). Even Rachel Ray’s and Ellie Krueger’s super salads for the lunch program arrived on his plate missing most of their essential ingredients.

So if you think (like Zachary and now his parents) that a packed lunch from home is a better choice, make sure the lunchbox you put the food in isn’t a health hazard. It should be lead-free (vinyl is often made using that toxic metal). Check for a lead-free tag or the letters EVA on the lunchbox. Also, don’t let harmful bacteria thrive in the box: Wash it daily, inside and out. Pack food using frozen ice packs to keep food at a safe temperature. Wash fruit and veggies, even if they will be peeled before eating. Don’t reuse food-wrapping materials from day to day. Teach your child to place food on a paper plate, napkin or cloth – not directly on lunchroom tables.

The power of music

Music may soothe the savage beast, but it can up your game and competitiveness, too. Seems you can amplify your sense of power, improve your abstract thinking (what is the meaning of life?) and cut your reaction time if you do what snowboarder Shaun White and dozens of other athletes do.

Crank up that old time rock ‘n’ roll – or whatever hard-driving rhythm inspires you – and let it fly! During White’s first official try at a Double McTwist 1260, he was listening to Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City” on his earbuds. Since 2008 the Seattle Seahawks have employed an on-field DJ who spins tunes at top volume during practices. So, for would-be athletes, nervous job applicants (note: remove earbuds before the interview) and the slightly weary, cranking up tunes can be transformative.

Music’s sound waves can actually alter your nervous system as your brain waves begin to resemble the sound waves you’re hearing. But choose your tunes carefully. Figure out what works best to produce the emotions and motivation you want in various situations. It also can work to your benefit if the tunes are on the calmer side: We know that music can help reduce anxiety in cancer patients, ease patient stress during surgery and promote healing.

Just one caution: Biking or rollerblading with earbuds can prevent you from being aware of what’s around you. That can land you in the emergency room, where all you’ll hear is the tweet-tweet of cartoon canaries.

This story was originally published September 15, 2014 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Yoga boosts brainpower."