husband was one of 178 people who tested the device . She says he wore the prototype one afternoon while he had pain and it got him through the workday without incident .
“ For me , this is a mission of spreading wellness ,” Sharma says . “ Yes , in my 20-plus years in medicine , I have realized that it ’ s not just important to save people ’ s lives . Improving their quality of life is probably even more important . Wellness supersedes everything else .”
Studying the brain
Of course , staying healthy is the best way to avoid pain and promote wellness . And most people know the basic requirements to maintain a healthy body : proper nutrition , exercise , limiting stress and getting enough sleep . But the brain often gets left out of the wellness conversation , despite its crucial role in overall health , according to Kimberley McAllister , director of the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience .
“ A lot of people know they ’ re supposed to sleep and eat well and decrease stress , but they just don ’ t prioritize those goals ,” McAllister says . “ Maybe if they knew how important those aspects of life are for brain health and for delaying brain disease , including improving mental health and delaying dementia , then there might be more motivation to get and stay healthy .”
When studying the brain , neuroscientists typically have looked at brain development up until the early 20s when neural connections are still forming and changing . But from that point until close to the end of life , there is virtually no research to draw from , McAllister says . To monitor the heart , physicians can check cholesterol levels and blood pressure . But the brain has no such regular screenings . This information gap is in part what the Healthy Brain Aging Initiative at UC Davis aims to fill .
“ We know nothing about what happens to typical changes in brain health from 20 to 80 ,” she says . “ The reason we want to understand how the brain typically ages is so that we can get a sense of what a healthy trajectory of brain function looks like .”
A Cardiologist ’ s Guide to Good Health
Dr . Ramin Manshadi , founder of the Manshadi Heart Institute in Stockton , has been studying human hearts and health for decades . A former soccer player , he is also the cardiologist for the Sacramento Republic FC soccer team . Manshadi has written two books , including his latest , “ The Wisdom of Exercise Health .” Sales of the book are used to purchase automatic external defibrillators for local high schools .
Why are so many Americans overweight , out of shape and unhealthy ? It comes down to education from early on , down to grade school . Childhood obesity is a huge issue right now in the United States because of lack of education , especially in our inner city . I wrote the book because I found those patients that are well educated are the ones that are more healthy . No . 2 is overindulgence . We are not able to always eat and eat and just sit around and play video games . We are made to always move and be active and be stimulated , whether intellectually or physically .
What are some ways we can lead a longer , healthier life ? No . 1 . Do not , do not make excuses . Move , move . No . 2 . Get educated . Don ’ t be afraid of knowing your body better . No . 3 . The best intervention is prevention .
For many , it ’ s a lack of motivation . How do you get started ? It goes back to the types of personalities that each individual or family or culture has regarding exercise and diet . It is true the pandemic has caused a number of individuals to gain weight . Obesity leads to diabetes and diabetes leads to heart attacks . So what do you do to start ? Everyone ’ s different . The best way to start I think , based on my experience , is walking . You hardly will ( ever ) die from walking . Start slow — 15 minutes . Work yourself up to 30 minutes . Thirty minutes , five days a week has proven to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by 50 percent .
What if someone has chronic pain issues ? It is best to find other avenues when you think it ’ s really bad joint issues . Find a place where you can swim two times a week . Try a rower or treadmill . You have to find a set point . OK , on this day , I ’ m going to start just by walking . That ’ s the mentality of exercising — getting yourself there changes things .
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