Spirit, Mind & Body BHS, PLLC, Dra.Myrta Morciglio Benkert

08/24/2025

Scientists found a natural way to lower your blood pressure. No pills, and no side effects.

Drinking beetroot juice has been shown to help lower blood pressure in older adults.

And it's not just because of its nutrients, but because it changes the makeup of bacteria in the mouth.

In the largest study of its kind, University of Exeter researchers found that consuming nitrate-rich beetroot juice twice daily for two weeks significantly reduced blood pressure in people in their 60s and 70s.

The study also found a shift in the oral microbiome: beetroot juice reduced potentially harmful bacteria and boosted beneficial ones, enhancing the body’s ability to convert dietary nitrate into nitric oxide—a compound crucial for maintaining healthy blood vessels.
Interestingly, younger participants did not experience the same drop in blood pressure, likely because nitric oxide production naturally declines with age.

This suggests older adults may benefit more from nitrate-rich diets, which include not only beetroot but also vegetables like spinach, celery, and fennel. The findings highlight a promising, non-pharmaceutical path to supporting cardiovascular health through nutrition.

With further research, targeted dietary strategies may become a powerful tool for healthier aging—especially in reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Source: Vanhatalo, A. et al. Ageing modifies the oral microbiome, nitric oxide bioavailability and vascular responses to dietary nitrate supplementation. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, July 3, 2025.

08/24/2025

The Medical Mind is the home for all of APA’s podcast content, and features new series and as well as highlights from AJP Audio, Finding our Voice, Psychiatric Services from Pages to Practice, and more. https://ow.ly/9AEA50WGR5O

08/24/2025

No fridge? No problem! From jerky to canned tuna, hard cheeses to nuts and seeds, here are safer school lunch options that don’t need to be kept cold.

08/24/2025

Remember to register for our next TAMFT webinar, "TEACH OUD: Texans Expanding Access to Compassionate Healthcare for Opioid Use Disorder," which will be presented by Daniel Sledge and will take place next Friday, August 29, from 12 to 1 PM CT.

About the Webinar:

The Texans Expanding Access to Compassionate Healthcare for Opioid Use Disorder (TEACH OUD) initiative aims to increase provider uptake of evidence-based, person-centered practices for opioid use and opioid use disorder (OUD). By providing free education and clinical resources to providers in our community, we hope to decrease stigma and improve health and quality of life for people who use drugs.

Learning Objectives:

- Recognize the individual and societal impacts of opioid use and opioid use disorder (OUD) with an emphasis on Texas.
- Discuss evidence-based practices and effective treatment planning for OUD.
- Demonstrate person-centered, ethical approaches to patient care and patient communication.
- Identify opportunities to implement evidence-based practices.

Registration closes next Wednesday, August 27th, at 11:59 PM. Register here: https://bit.ly/3HNzRTX

08/24/2025

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08/24/2025

Like our page TODAY to keep up with news and events with all types of Veterans telling their stories of service.

We believe every Veteran has a story. What’s Yours? Help us build a community that understands and values the experiences of our military veterans so that every day is Veterans Day.

https://www.facebook.com/VeteransBreakfastClubUSA/

08/24/2025

New to Medicare and confused about your Medicare options?

MedicareOnDemand is serviced by MedicareCompareUSA, a licensed insurance agency, and made available to our patients at no cost or obligation. Visit https://ow.ly/HNY950WE2Ho to learn more.

MedicareCompareUSA is an independent insurance agency not affiliated with the federal Medicare program.

08/24/2025

Dreaming of A+ days and happy kids? 😴 It all starts with a solid back-to-school sleep plan 🛌. Try these simple steps to ensure your child is well-rested:

✔️ Start early. Begin adjusting bedtimes a week or two before school starts.
✔️ Consistency is key. Set a regular bedtime and stick to it every night.
✔️ Wind down with a routine. A calming bath, bedtime story or simple tuck-in works wonders.
✔️ Power down screens. Have your child turn off electronic devices well before bedtime.

08/24/2025

Try these 4 anti-cancer diet tips: Eat organic whenever possible. Choose fresh, raw produce or clean frozen when fresh produce is unavailable. Fill half your plate each meal with non-starchy vegetables. If you eat animal products, make sure they’re pastured and grass-fed meats and dairy goods (including eggs). Use only high-quality oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, or grass-fed butter. Cut back drastically on grains and sugars.

08/24/2025

Female frogs—particularly among some species like the common frog (Rana temporaria)—have been observed feigning death to avoid unwanted mating attempts by males.

This behavior is referred to as "thanatosis" or tonic immobility, a strategy more commonly known for deterring predators but now recognized in a mating context.

During the breeding season, large groups of male frogs often compete aggressively to mate, leading to chaotic scenes in breeding ponds where multiple males may latch onto a single female in what's called "amplexus."

This can be dangerous and even fatal for the female if she’s overwhelmed. To avoid mating with unsuitable or too many males, some females have evolved this behavior where they suddenly go limp and float belly-up, mimicking death.

This deters males from continuing their attempts, as they often lose interest in a non-responsive or seemingly lifeless mate.

A study published in Royal Society Open Science in 2022 by researchers from the Natural History Museum in Berlin provided controlled observations of this behavior in European common frogs.

The researchers found that some females used multiple tactics to resist mating—such as rotating their bodies, making release calls, and even playing dead.

This insight is a powerful example of how sexual conflict and survival pressures can shape animal behavior in complex and unexpected ways.

08/24/2025