It’s been called “the most effective, potent way that we can improve quality of life and duration of life.” If it were a drug, “it would likely be the most valuable pharmaceutical ever developed.” It isn’t a new supplement or super food, and best of all it’s free. It’s . . . exercise! In a recent issue of Time magazine, reporter Mandy Outlander explored the cutting edge of exercise research with various experts who have become increasingly excited about “exercise as medicine.” His own research prompted the rave reviews above from genetic metabolic neurologist Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky at McMaster University in Ontario. That exercise is good for us isn’t exactly news, but Dr. Tarnopolsky hopes that by pointing out all its wonderful rewards, he may motivate us enough to jump up out of our chairs and actually do it! Rewards being documented are both immediate and long-term. Right after a short exercise session, measurable results include improved mood, less arthritic and lower back pa…

For many people, fear of senility and dementia trumps even the fear of death, and there is justification for their concern. Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, recently advised retirees to plan for the fact that currently more than half of men and women over the age of 80 have either dementia or such serious cognitive impairment that they are unable to handle their own finances. Rates of Alzheimer's Disease are skyrocketing. A 2007 Johns Hopkins University study estimated that by 2050, one in every 85 people will have the disease -- that's 4 times the prevalence found in 2006. A recent survey published in the British Medical Journal found that mental decline begins in the mid 40s for most people. These investigators predicted that the average person will lose 20% of their cognitive ability between the ages of 45 and 75. But are you the average person? I hope not! The average person is eating a toxic and nutrient deficient d…