Happy Day my Friends!

Summer is here!!! The arrival of summer heralds a significant shift in our daily routines and lifestyle habits, presenting both opportunities and challenges for WellBeing. With children out of school, parents often find themselves navigating a different schedule, which can disrupt established routines. However, this break also offers a chance to embrace outdoor activities, fostering physical health and family bonding.

The increase in temperature during summer can present challenges and opportunities as well. It is encouraged to spend time outdoors, promoting vitamin D synthesis and overall well-being, during the morning hours and evening when temperatures are more tolerable. It's crucial to balance outdoor activities with proper sun protection and hydration to mitigate the risks of heat-related illnesses. On a positive note, the longer daylight hours can positively impact mood and sleep patterns, contributing to mental wellness.

As we embrace the longer days, the change in weather and establish seasonal routines, let’s take a look at what you will find in this newsletter.

In this newsletter, you'll discover May's blog articles: "The Role of Goals and The Coach in Habit Formation” and "Understanding the Soul". Both blogs expand on ideas presented in April's newsletter articles. The first article on this newsletter edition explains how setting goals can be a beneficial tool to shape lifestyle choices through habit formation. The second article presents historical views on human dimensionality and how mind, heart and will shape our reality. Additionally, you'll find insightful articles and studies highlighting the importance of exercise on molecular biology, how poor nutrition is linked to increased cancer risk, and the benefits of climbing stairs to promote longevity.

I trust you'll find this information both intriguing and valuable, fostering awareness and motivation to embark on the journey to WellBeing.

With gratitude, Coach Edna

Latest News

Health Science: Molecular Level Response to Endurance Exercise

This study titled "Temporal dynamics of the multi-omic response to endurance exercise training" published in Nature makes significant contributions to the field of exercise physiology and molecular biology research providing valuable insights into how our bodies adapt to endurance exercise over time. Here’s a simplified summary:

1. Understanding Exercise Benefits: The study looked at how different parts of the body (like muscles, liver and adipose) change at the molecular level in response to regular endurance exercise. This serves as a valuable reference for understanding the complex molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of exercise.

2. New Discoveries: Researchers found new proteins and genes that respond to exercise, which were not known before. This helps identify new ways our bodies adapt to physical activity at the molecular level.

3. Mitochondrial Improvements: A key novel finding is the upregulation of mitochondrial pathways in skeletal muscle and liver after 8 weeks of training, indicating enhanced mitochondrial function and biogenesis. This provides insights into how exercise improves mitochondrial (the energy powerhouses in our cells) health and energy metabolism.

4. Liver Changes: The study also found increased protein abundance and acetylation levels of peroxisomal proteins in the liver after 8 weeks, suggesting enhanced liver function and its potential role in metabolic adaptations.

5. Resource for Future Research: The data collected from this study provides a rich resource for future research, helping scientists further explore how exercise benefits our health and potentially develop new treatments for metabolic diseases and aging.

In summary, this study significantly advances our understanding of how our bodies respond to endurance exercise at a molecular level, highlighting new biological mechanisms and offering a valuable resource for future health research and its applications in health, disease and aging, but in specific the beneficial effects of exercise related to improved mitochondria health and energy metabolism. Meaning the more you move, the more energy you will produce.

For those with a scientific spirit, here the link to the study.

Nutrition: Poor Diet linked to Increase in Cancer Risk

On this edition, we provide links to two (2) studies which correlates poor eating habits with increase in cancer risk. The first study by the National University of Singapore found a link between poor diet and increased cancer risk as researchers discovered that methylglyoxal, a chemical produced when cells break down glucose, can cause DNA damage, leading to cancer. This chemical is higher in people with diabetes or obesity, suggesting diet-related diseases elevate cancer risk. The findings highlight the importance of diet in cancer prevention and propose that monitoring methylglyoxal levels could help manage cancer risk. For more details, you can read the full article here.

The second study by Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus, and  published on ScienceDaily highlights that a poor diet, particularly one high in ultra-processed foods, is linked to an increased risk of cancer. Ultra-processed foods are those that undergo significant industrial processing and often contain additives like preservatives, artificial flavors, and high levels of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. Examples include soft drinks, chips, cookies, fast food, and sugary cereals.

The research identified that consuming these types of foods is associated with a higher likelihood of developing colorectal cancer and possibly other cancers. The study underscores the importance of a healthy diet rich in natural, minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins to reduce cancer risk and promote overall health. For more details, you can read the full article here.

Fitness: Climb Stairs to Live Longer

The article titled "Climb stairs to live longer" published on ScienceDaily on April 26, 2024, summarizes a study presented by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Preventive Cardiology 2024 congress. The meta-analysis includes nine studies with 480,479 participants showing that regular stair climbing reduces the risk of dying from any cause by 24% and from cardiovascular disease by 39%. Here the key points are:

• The study conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the cardiovascular benefits of stair climbing.

• The analysis found that climbing stairs is associated with a longer life expectancy.

• The lead author, Dr. Sophie Paddock, stated, "If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift (elevator), go for the stairs as it will help your heart." She emphasized that even brief bursts of physical activity like stair climbing have beneficial health impacts.

• The study suggests that the more stairs climbed, the greater the benefits, although this needs further confirmation.

• Dr. Paddock encouraged people to incorporate stair climbing into their daily routines, whether at work, home, or elsewhere, as it is an achievable target for integrating physical activity.

In summary, the meta-analysis provides evidence that the simple act of climbing stairs is associated with increased longevity, highlighting the importance of incorporating even small amounts of physical activity into daily life for cardiovascular health benefits. Here the study link.

Other Facts and Events

Month Observance Days:

1. World Environment Day (June 5) - This observance day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972, during the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. It was first celebrated in 1974. The purpose is to encourage awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It serves as a platform for promoting environmental advocacy and highlighting the urgency of environmental issues.

2. D-Day (June 6) - This day refers to June 6, 1944, when Allied forces launched a massive amphibious invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France, during World War II. This operation, known as Operation Overlord, was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The successful landing marked the beginning of the end of Nazi occupation in Western Europe. It was a pivotal moment in the war, leading to the liberation of Paris and ultimately, the defeat of Nazi Germany.

3. Father's Day (June 16, 2024) - Father's Day honors fathers and father figures, recognizing their contributions to their families and society. The modern version of Father's Day was first celebrated in the United States on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington. The idea was proposed by Sonora Smart Dodd, inspired by the success of Mother's Day. President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers in 1966, and the day became a national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.

4. Juneteenth (June 19)- This observance day commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. The name combines "June" and "nineteenth" and marks the day in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas, that all enslaved people were free, in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, it took more than two years for the news to reach all parts of the Confederacy. Juneteenth is thus celebrated as the end of slavery in the United States of America.

5. Summer Solstice (June 21)  - This astronomical event marks the longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere. It occurs when the tilt of the Earth's axis is most inclined towards the Sun, resulting in the Sun reaching its highest position in the sky and appearing to stand still before reversing its direction. This event also signifies the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, the summer solstice marks the shortest day of the year and the beginning of winter.

June is also recognized for month-long observances like National Dairy Month, Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, and National Oceans Month, promoting awareness and appreciation in these areas. For more on these days follow the link​ (Reader's Digest)​.