Health, Lifestyle & Fitness

Posted by Zack Lynch

From prefix to adjective and now David Brooks makes "the Neuro" a noun. The meme lives.

12 Oct 2009 05:27 AM

When you first start out at the gym it may be intimidating to you. You look around and see that almost everyone is in good to great condition. Take a closer look though. You will see those that are working out and are at the same point that you are. You have to start somewhere and you have made an important step in conditioning your body to its fullest potential.

Before you begin to devise a workout plan for yourself you should become knowledgeable about everything that you can regarding the specific goals that you are attempting to achieve for yourself. For example, if you are interested in toning your upper arms, research which exercises will benefit you the most for this body part. Doing this will allow you to better concentrate and target this area, which will increase your successes in toning this part of your body.

If weight loss is your primary goal then you would want to concentrate on a calorie-burning regime. However, most people who desire to lose a certain amount of weight would want to keep the rest of the body toned while they are losing it. In addition, when you are toning up the body you are building muscle mass, which increases better calorie burning. Working your muscles is a win-win situation.

Do not let how anyone else looks sway your desire to become a better and healthier you. When you step into the gym put your best foot forward, hold your head high, tell yourself to keep on moving ahead and go in and work on your body. We all have to start somewhere and you deserve a big round of applause for having the gumption to start being in the best physical condition that you can be in!

Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, single parenting, media, health and fitness.

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Posted by Zack Lynch

The Neurotech Development Foundation is organizing a Translational Neurotech Summit on May 18, 2010. This one day gathering of scientists, entrepreneurs, executives and investors will be held coordination with The 5th annual Neurotech Investing and Partnering Conference May 19-20, 2010. The goal of the summit is to facilitate the movement of promising neurotechnology (pharmaceuticals, biologics, cell-based therapeutics, devices and diagnostics) from universities, government labs and research institutes into the private sector.

CALL FOR SPEAKERS
Showcase your translational research project to potential investors and partners:
* Cutting edge research projects ready for investment or hand off to industry (preclinical or clinical)
* Pharmaceuticals, biologics, cell therapies, devices, and diagnostics
* Presenter abstracts accepted from October 1 through January 5, 2010
* Presenters notified by February 15 and coached on presentation, partnering, and start-up strategy
* Presentations selected based on quality of research, interest to industry, and fit with program
* Presentations will be 10 minutes plus Q&A with session panel

The summit will feature the top researchers from across translational neuroscience including Alzheimer's, addiction, ALS, anxiety, depressive disorders, epilepsy, migraine, mild cognitive impairment, Huntington's, multiple sclerosis, obesity, pain, Parkinson's, schizophrenia, age-related macular degeneration, sensory disorders, sleep disorders, and stroke. Download Fillable Presenter Submission Form

Steering Committee:
-Casey Lynch, Managing Director, NeuroInsights & President, Neurotech Development Foundation
-Frank Eeckman, MD, PhD Consultant, NeuroInsights
-Jill Heemskerk, PhD, Program Director, Office of Translational Research, NINDS/NIH
-Charles Jennings, PhD, Director of McGovern Institute Neurotechnology Program, MIT
-Zack Lynch, Executive Director, Neurotechnology Industry Organization
-Dan O'Connell, Managing Director, NeuroVentures Capital
-Gail Schechter, PhD, Director Center for Bioentrepreneurship at UCSF
-Guy Seabrook, PhD, Head of Neuroscience External Basic Research, Eli Lilly

The summit is hosted by the Neurotechnology Development Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to accelerate the development of treatments for the brain and nervous system by promoting translation of basic research.

26 Sep 2009 04:48 AM

If you have a crazy work schedule, travel a lot or enjoy experimenting with unstructured fitness plans, then it might be challenging to find a consistent workout partner.

Enter man's best friend.

Fido and Fifi often make ideal four-legged fitness companions.

Exercising with a dog is the perfect solution for individuals, who long for company while they burn calories, but can't seem to mesh schedules with a two-legged pal.

That said there are some general tips you should consider before making your little wagster your main workout buddy:

Agility activities: According to experts, medium dogs, especially herding breeds, are good at agility activities. Which is not to say that big or small dogs can't do agility activities, but the herding breeds (e.g. Border Collies and Australian Shepards), overall, are best at completing exercises, such as hiking and catching Frisbees.

Arms: If you want to sculpt your arms by playing fetch with a dog, then seek out a retrieving breed such as a Labrador or Golden Retriever. Also, you don't have to limit yourself to playing fetch with a stick. Many dogs enjoy playing fetch with tennis balls, racquetballs, or other small toys.

Swimming: Most dogs love to swim. What's more, swimming is a non-joint stressing exercise for you and your pooch. If you live in a warm climate, then consider taking your pup to a lake or pond that is dog friendly. Otherwise find a pool, which allows you to take a dip with your dog.

Running: Jogging with your dog is a wonderful form of exercise. However, before bringing Spike along on your next 10-miler, you need to get him acclimated to hard surfaces first. If your dog is used to running on soft grass in the yard, you will need to make the transition slowly. Move from grass to dirt, then to gravel or cement. If you are running in hot weather, be mindful that your dog may suffer from burns to the pads from hot cement or asphalt.

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Posted by Zack Lynch

Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn have joined forces to publish "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women" which was released earlier this month. I just ordered my copy. Here is their reasoning why.

IN THE 19TH CENTURY, the paramount moral challenge was slavery. In the 20th century, it was totalitarianism. In this century, it is the brutality inflicted on so many women and girls around the globe: sex trafficking, acid attacks, bride burnings and mass rape.

Yet if the injustices that women in poor countries suffer are of paramount importance, in an economic and geopolitical sense the opportunity they represent is even greater. “Women hold up half the sky,” in the words of a Chinese saying, yet that’s mostly an aspiration: in a large slice of the world, girls are uneducated and women marginalized, and it’s not an accident that those same countries are disproportionately mired in poverty and riven by fundamentalism and chaos. There’s a growing recognition among everyone from the World Bank to the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff to aid organizations like CARE that focusing on women and girls is the most effective way to fight global poverty and extremism. That’s why foreign aid is increasingly directed to women. The world is awakening to a powerful truth: Women and girls aren’t the problem; they’re the solution."

I couldn't agree more.