Put De Lime In De Coconut - an essay on death, fashion, exercise and PD

A wildlife guide once told me that more tourists die from being hit on the head by a falling coconut than from violence.I can believe this because (a) the trees are full of coconuts. The city tries to keep tourists safe by removing as many coconuts possible but hey, can you ever defeat nature.? I saw one coconut fall and break into two pieces upon impact. I would not have liked to have been directly beneath. (b)As for violence, this part of south Beach resembles a police convention there are so many cops within the 17 blocks that comprise the old art deco section.

But, enough of death, onto fashion. Take my word for it people, the hot colour this year is "Lime green". I have seen lime green running shoes, lime green bathing suits, lime green sun glass frames, lime green shoe laces, lime green shirts, lime green socks and lime green shorts. I even saw one runner who was dressed in lime green from head to foot. The highlite came in the late afternoon when the main drag, Ocean Drive, is always bumper-to-bumper traffic. In the space of 3 blocks, we saw 3 lime green Mustangs. So be prepared. If South Beach is a trend setter, lime green will be the next big thing.

Any one for lime green parkas up there in Canada?

Of course, I see all this lime green fashions on my daily walks. I stick to the popular beach walk and thereby avoid death from above as there are very few coconut palms along the walk that present an imminent danger. I have two routes, each 3 miles long. I do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. When we first arrived here, I kept my right hand in my pocket to hide or control my right hand tremor but, after 11 days of 2-a-day walks (6 miles in total) my tremor has disappeared completely.

What Happened - Where did my tremor go?

• Theory #1 - I was misdiagnosed - No chance, I was diagnosed by 3 neurologists.
• Theory #2 -I was mysteriously cured - yeh right! Parkinson's has no cure.
• Theory #3 - PD is in remission - maybe, for a short while. I think the dopamine cells are still jumping ship.
• Theory #4 - exercise has had a positive effect. Eureka!

Does Exercise Impact Parkinson's?
By Giselle M. Petzinger, M.D.
This article was originally published in the Fall 2009 issue of PDF's newsletter, News & Review.

We all know that exercise is helpful to good health. We also know it is good for the heart and the muscles. But can it change the brain, and might these changes make an impact on Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms?

The answer to both of these questions is yes.

Can the Brain Change?

We know that in PD, neurons — the brain cells that produce the chemical transmitter dopamine — are damaged and lost. We also know that there is a lag between the time when the loss of neurons begins and the time when Parkinson’s motor symptoms start to show. In fact, by the time most people are diagnosed, nearly 80 percent of their dopamine neurons are already gone.

During this lag time, the brain is actually changing, compensating for the loss of dopamine neurons that occurs during the process of neurodegeneration. In fact, the brain reshapes itself throughout life in response to experience. As children learn motor skills, their brain cells are making connections and this process continues through adulthood. Scientists call this ability to change and compensate exercise-dependent neuroplasticity. Exercise may have an effect on the brain by driving this compensation. On a day-to-day basis, people with PD who exercise can move more normally than those who do not. We believe that exercise may be contributing to neuroplasticity — helping the brain to maintain old connections, form new ones and restore lost ones. This may actually outweigh the effects of neurodegeneration.

But what has been proven? There is compelling scientific evidence in animal models of PD that intensive exercise can alter the way the brain works and promote recovery. Research in my lab and those of my colleagues at the University of Southern California (USC), is showing how exercise improves walking and other motor skills in people with PD. It is also shedding light on how exercise influences neuroplasticity at the molecular level.

See the complete article here