Conservative Musculoskeletal Management
LOW BACK PAIN...
Where Exactly Does Back Pain Come from?
“WHERE” exactly does the pain generate from. What structure? What neurological mechanism? And with some detective work I think we’ve uncovered some significant findings.
The modern era in the understanding of low back pain that we’re in right now began in 1976 when internationally respected orthopedic surgeon AIf Nachemson published his detailed review (136 references) in the new journal SPINE (1), entitled “The Lumbar Spine: An Orthopaedic Challenge”.
in this article, Dr. Nachemson notes that a staggaring 80% of us will experience low back pain at some time in our life. He further notes that:
“The Intervertebral Disc Is Most Likely
The Cause Of The Pain...”
Dr. Nachemson makes a VERY convincing case when he presents 6 lines of reasoning, supported by 17 references, to support his contention that the intervertebral disc is the most likely source of back pain, including the primary research completed by Smyth and Wright in 1958 (2). Regarding the work by Smyth and Wright, Dr. Nachemson notes:
“Investigations have been performed in which thin nylon threads were surgically fastened to various structures and around the nerve root. Three to four weeks after surgery these structures were irritated by pulling on the threads, but pain resembling that which the patient had experienced previously could only be registered only from the outer part of the annulus” of the disc.
It had been established in the 1930s that hemiation of the lumbar disc could put pressure on the nerve root or the cauda equina, resulting in sciatica. However, Dr. Nachemson in this context is saying something dramatically different;
He’s Claiming That A Non-Herniated Disc Problem
Was Causing Back Pain.
At the time (1976), claiming the intervertebral disc was capable of initiating pain was new and not only that, Nachemson claiming the disc to be the most probable source of back pain was both surprising AND revolutionary.
At the time, most authoritative reference texts stated the intervertebral disc was not even innervated with pain afferents and therefore not capable of initiating pain.
As an example, rheumatology professor Malcolm Jayson, MD (editor) in the 1987 text titled Lumbar Spine and Back Pain, states
“in the mature human spine no nerve endings of any description
remain in the nucleus pulposus or an
in any region of the vertebral column.” (3)
A conclusion we now know to be 100% false.
Support for Dr. Nachemson’ s contention of disc pain came in 1981 when anatomist and physician Nikoli Bogduk published an extensive review of the literature on the topic of disc innervation, along with his own primary research, in the prestigious Journal of Anatomy (4). Dr. Bogduk notes:
“In the absence of any comprehensive description of the innervation of the lumbar intervertebral discs and their related longitudinal ligaments, the present study was undertaken to establish in detail the source and pattern of innervation of these structures.”
Dr. Bogduk and his team concluded decisively:
“The Lumbar Intervertebral Discs Are
Supplied By A Variety Of Nerves”
and
“Clinically, The Concept Of ‘Disc Pain’
Is Now Well Accepted.”
Dr. Bogduk returned in 1983 updating his research notes in SPINE, stating more specifically:
“THE LUMBAR INTER VERTEBRAL DISCS ARE INNERVATED
posteriorly by the sinuvertebral nerves, but laterally by
branches of the ventral rami and grey rami communicantes...
The posterior longitudinal ligament is innervated by the sinuvertebral nerves and
the anterior longitudinal ligament by branches of the grey rami.
Lateral and intermediate branches of the lumbar dorsal rami supply the iliocostalis
lumborum and longissimus thoracis, respectively.
Medial branches supply the multifidus, intertransversarjj mediales, interspinales,
interspinous ligament, and the lumbar zygapophysial jóints.”
“The distribution of the intrinsic nerves of the lumbar vertebral column
systematically identifies those structures that are
potential sources of primary low-back pain.”
Adding to the growing momentum of this “disc-pain” concept... In 1987, SPINE published Dr.
Vert Mooney’s Presidential Address of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine. It
was delivered at the 13th Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, May 29-June 2, 1986, Dallas , Texas
Where Is the Pain Comming From?
In this article, Dr. Mooney notes the following:
“Six weeks to 2 months is usually enough to heal any
stretched ligament, muscle tendon, or joint capsule.
Yet we know that 10% of back ‘injuries’ do not resolve
in 2 months and that they do become chronic.”
“Anatomically the motion segment of the back is made up of two synovial joints and
a unique relatively avascular tissue found nowhere else in the body - the
intervertebral disc. Is it possible for the disc to obey different rules of damage than
the rest of the connective tissue of the musculoskeletal system?”
“Persistent pain in the back with referred pain to the leg
is largely on the basis of abnormalities within the disc.”
Chemistry of the disc is based on the relationship between
mucopolysaccharide production and water content.
“Mechanical events can be translated into chemical events related to pain.”
An important aspect of disc nutrition and health is the
mechanical aspects of the. disc related to the fluid mechanics.
“Mechanical activity has a great deal to do with the
exchange of water and oxygen concentration” in the disc.
The pumping action maintains the nutrition and biomechanical function of the
intervertebral disc.. Thus, “research substantiates the view that unchanging posture,
as a result of constant pressure such as standing, sitting or lying, leads to an
interruption of pressure-dependent transfer of liquid. Actually the human
intervertebral disc lives because of movement.”
“The fluid content of the disc can be changed by mechanical activity, and the fluid content is largely bound to the proteoglycans, especially of the nucleus.”
“In summary, what is the answer to the question of where is the pain coming from in the chronic low-back pain patient? I believe its source, ultimately, is in the disc. Basic studies and clinical experience suggest that mechanical therapy is the most
rational approach to relief of this painful condition.”
“Prolonged rest and passive physical therapy modalities no longer have a place in
the treatment of the chronic problem.”
This model presented by Dr. Mooney in this paper goes on to discuss:
The intervertebral disc as the primary source of both back pain and referred leg pain. The disc apparently becomes painful because of altered biochemistry, which sensitizes the pain afferents that innervate it.
Disc biochemistry is altered because of mechanical problems, especially mechanical problems that reduce disc movement.
Therefore, the most rational approach to the treatment of chronic low back pain is mechanical therapy that restores the motion to the joints of the spine, especially to the disc.
Prolonged Rest is Inappropriate Management
Additional support for the disc being the primary source of back pain was presented by Dr. Stephen Kuslich in the prestigious journal Orthopedic Clinics of North America in April 1991 (7). The title of his article is:
The Tissue Origin of Low Back Pain and Sciatica:
A Report of Pain Response to Tissue Stimulation
During Operations on the Lumbar Spine Using Local Anesthesia
These authors performed 700 lumbar spine opera€ions using only local anesthesia to determine the tissue origin of low back and leg pain, and they present the results on 193 consecutive patients studied prospectively. Several of their critically important findings for you include:
“Back pain can! be produced by several lumbar tissues, but by far, the most common tissue or
origin was the outer layer of the annulus fibrosis.”
The lumbar fascia could be “touched or even cut without anesthesia.”
Any pain derived from muscle pressure was “derived from local vessels and nerves, rather than
the muscle bundles themselves.”
“The normal, uncompressed, or unstretched nerve root was completely insensitive to pain.”
“In spite of all that has been written about muscles, fascia, and bone as a source of pain, these
tissues are really quite insensitive.”
In summary, these authors found that..
The Outer Annulus Is “THE SITE” Of
A Patient’s Back Pain.
Past studies that suggest the disc is not an important source of low back pain because nerve endings “are not present” are clearly and overwhelmingly erroneous when you carefully analyzed the most modern literature.
Documented research at no time has demonstrated irritation of a normal or inflamed nerve root to produce low back pain. Back muscles themselves are proven not to be a source of back pain; in fact, the muscles, fascia, and bone are really quite insensitive for pain. The inflamed, stretched, or compressed nerve root is in fact the cause of buttock, leg pain and sciatica, but not back pain.
Very recently hi 2006, physician researchers from Japan
The Japanese researchers note:
“Many investigators have reported the existence of sensory nerve fibers in the intervertebral discs of animals and humans, suggesting that the intervertebral disc can be a source of low back pain.”
Do You Ever Wish You Could Get More Sleep?
More Shocking News On The Effectiveness Of Popular Sleep Medications…
It’s a very common complaint. Just ask someone how they are doing… many will say, “Tired.”
The ones who say “fine” or “good” are probably tired too. They’re just being positive.
It’s hard to find anyone that doesn’t admit to wanting more sleep. At least an extra hour or two.
Maybe you feel the same way. After all, wouldn’t it be nice to stay under the warm covers longer tomorrow morning?
But, that’s not the only problem. Countless people have serious trouble falling asleep. And when they do, they wake up frequently during the night. Have you ever looked at your clock and said to yourself, “If I fall asleep right now, I can still get 5 hours of sleep!” All this spells one thing for the following day…
Misery!!!
Lying wide-awake in bed can be extremely frustrating. And it can even lower your immune system and is linked to several health problems.
For example: A new study suggests that lack of sleep elevates activity in the emotional centers of the brain most closely associated with psychiatric disorders such as depression.
Though the thinking has been that psychiatric disorders cause poor sleep, Matthew Walker (Assistant Professor of Psychology at Berkeley and a former Harvard sleep researcher) says now he's not so sure because those he studied didn't have psychiatric conditions, yet they exhibited emotional brain reactions similar to psychiatric conditions.
Mary Carskadon, a Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University who has studied adolescents and sleep deprivation, says the new study is compatible with her findings. She is particularly concerned about what it means for adolescents who are often sleep-deprived and who are being diagnosed with depression in increasing numbers.
What we don't know is whether early sleep deprivation then projects out to things like major depressive disorder or bipolar illness and whether we're really setting up our kids for these major problems as they grow up," she says.
It’s no wonder people suffering with sleep problems are willing to try almost anything, which makes them a prime target for slick television commercials.
Your Dreams Miss You
That’s the line used in a television commercial for the sleeping pill, Rozerem. In this “Dream” Abraham Lincoln, a beaver and a deep-sea diver all sit around a table. Supposedly they’re the dreams you are missing.
This may be an unusual pitch… but… the message is clear: If you want to sleep better… Rozerem is the way.
Well, according to an October 23, 2007 article in the New York Times, this is not the case.
Speaking of Rozerem, “it costs about $3.50 a pill; gets you to sleep 7 to 16 minutes faster than a placebo, or fake pill; and increases total sleep time 11 to 19 minutes, according to an analysis last year.”
Wow! Only gets you to sleep 7-16 minutes faster and only increases total sleep time by 11-19 minutes.
Are you wondering if Honest Abe should really be part of that commercial?
But if you are thinking – that’s just Rozerem – and you can just try other sleeping pills, here’s the shocking truth according to the New York Times Article: Sleeping pills in general do not greatly improve sleep for the average person.
“American consumers spend $4.5 billion a year for sleep medications. Their popularity may lie in a mystery that confounds researchers. Many people who take them think they work far better than laboratory measurements show they do.
An analysis of sleeping pill studies found that when people were monitored in the lab, newer drugs like Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata worked better than fake pills. But the results were not overwhelming, said the analysis, which was published this year and financed by the National Institutes of Health.
The analysis said that viewed as a group, the pills reduced the average time to go to sleep 12.8 minutes compared with fake pills, and increased total sleep time 11.4 minutes. The drug makers point to individual studies with better results.
Subjects who took older drugs like Halcion and Restoril fell asleep 10 minutes faster and slept 32 minutes longer than the placebo group. Paradoxically, when subjects were asked how well they slept, they reported better results, 52 extra minutes of sleep with the older drugs and 32 minutes with the newer drugs.”
So the big question is: If sleeping pills do not change actual sleeping time much – why do some report success when taking them?
Dr. Wallace B. Mendelson, the former director of a sleep disorders unit at the University of Chicago had this to say about that question: “A bigger aspect of this is that they change a person’s perception of their state of consciousness.”
Here’s one theory about how sleeping pills made people feel better: Most sleeping pills work on the same brain receptors as drugs to treat anxiety. By reducing anxiety, the pills may make people worry less about not going to sleep.
Another theory about the discrepancy between measured sleep and perceived sleep involves a condition called anterograde amnesia. While under the influence of most sleep medications, people have trouble forming memories. When they wake up, they may simply forget they had trouble sleeping.
Here’s a case in point: There have been many cases of people sleep walking and doing strange things (like eating garbage) while taking the popular sleep drug Ambien. Many of the people, however, believe they were sleeping well and had no idea what was going on.
According to the New York Times Article: Rosemary Eckley, a graphic artist in New London, Wis., said she thought she was sleeping well on Ambien but woke to find her wrist broken, apparently in a fall while sleepwalking.
Sleep-eating and sleep driving while on Ambien are similar to what happened to people while taking Halcion 20 years ago.
Halcion was popular to take as a sleeping aid while flying. Travelers would land and get lost… or… not be able to remember their destination. This was called “traveler’s amnesia” and Halcion was pulled from the market.
And here’s something else to consider…
It is conventional wisdom that as we age, we have more sleep problems. Older people sleep less and “toss and turn” during the night more.
That’s just the way it is. Well, maybe not…
According to another New York Times Article: To researchers’ great surprise, it turns out that sleep does not change much from age 60 on. And poor sleep, it turns out, is not because of aging itself, but mostly because of illnesses or the medications used to treat them.
“The more disorders older adults have, the worse they sleep,” said Sonia Ancoli-Israel, a Professor of Psychiatry and a sleep researcher at the University of California, San Diego. “If you look at older adults who are very healthy, they rarely have sleep problems.”
Clearly, lack of sleep can cause health problems. But the jury is still out on many of these “sleep aids.” Finding natural ways to relieve stress and get to sleep are always preferred to risky chemicals.
And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your, questions. We’re here to help, and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in your life long good health.
Bad Product Awards !!!
Have you ever bought something… spent your hard earned money… had great expectations… and then it turned out to be JUNK?
Sure you have. Everyone has. Well, here is how some are getting a little revenge…
Global consumer group, Consumers International has recently announced its bad product awards for 2007.
The top prize went to the
The company ran a television advertisement in the
Yes, this is the same sleeping pill discussed in our lead story that used Abraham Lincoln, a beaver and a scuba diver and the slogan, “Your Dreams Miss You” to market to adults.
The "back-to-school" advertisements, which complied with
"This case demonstrates the lengths to which some drug companies will go to increase sales of their products, how direct to consumer advertising can promote irrational drug use, and how weak regulations can foster irresponsible corporate behaviour," the group said.
Another award went to drinks giant Coca-Cola for pushing marketing "into the realms of the ridiculous" in the
Kellogg's, best known for its cereals, was given a bad food award for the worldwide use of cartoon characters and marketing aimed at children despite the high levels of salt and sugar in some foods.
"Kellogg's is one of a number of international food companies that make money by selling products high in fat, sugar and/or salt," Consumers International said.
"Threatened with litigation in the
Toymaker Mattel was also named over the global recall of more than 19 million products made in
Last month, the
"This is a classic case of avoiding accountability and shifting responsibility on a global scale," Consumers International said.
"Wherever the fault lies, the safety of consumers was compromised and this should be the full focus of Mattel's attention, not finger pointing and not blame dodging."
Consumers International, a global federation of consumer advocate organizations, said the awards aimed to highlight the abuse of consumer trust.
"These multi-billion dollar companies are global brands with a responsibility to be honest, accountable and responsible," the group's director general, Richard Lloyd said.
"In highlighting their shortcomings, Consumers International and its 220 member organizations are holding corporations accountable and demanding businesses take social responsibility seriously."
The awards, which were announced at Consumers International's World Congress in
Criteria for final selection included the size of the company, the scale of sales and marketing, the impact on consumers, and the potential for change by the corporation.
Inspirational Story Of The Month
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
“Ways Some People Get Rich”
Here’s something very interesting…
Most people when asked, “Which would you rather have, the love of your life… or… be rich?”… chose to be rich. Sad but true. And “to be rich” won by a pretty large margin. Not sure how “scientific” this is. But… it raises a very important point…
Many, Many, MANY People Are
Concerned About MONEY!
Chances are you may be one of them. How do I know? Check out the headline to this story that you chose to read. J
Bottom line is: It’s nice to say, “money doesn’t buy happiness.” And yes – if you lose your health – nothing else will matter. But… and this is a very big but… if you are constantly worried about the basic necessities of life, it is difficult to really enjoy life.
Who knows the exact stats – but we all know and have been told that a large percentage of arguments in marriages are about money. And while we are on the subject of surveys – check out what this survey discovered about getting rich…
When surveyors asked people what they thought their best chance of getting rich was, here’s the top three responses…
1. Inherit it.
2. Hit the Lottery.
3. Win it in a lawsuit.
Being rich beats out finding the love of your life… and… hard work (or working for it at all) has nothing to do with most people,s belief on how to get rich. Who else is shocked here?
Well, here’s an interesting story…In October of this year, Jeff Bidelman was asked by some friends to do them a favor. They owned an old house that a family member had lived in… but passed away over 20 years ago. No one had been living in the house ever since.
They wanted Bidelman to go through the house and see if there was anything valuable.
"I was upstairs digging around," Bidelman said. "I found a whole pile of coins." Scooping them into a plastic bag, he started to drag the heavy load and as he made it downstairs, he noticed a hole in the wall. "You don't just have a hole in the wall," he said. Jeff asked the late owners' daughter to explain the hole, and she recalled the family rumors from her youth.
Bidelman quickly found the first-floor wall below the hole and began tapping near the floor. It sounded solid.
“When I got to about face level, I heard, ‘chink, chink,’” he said. Bidelman opened the wall and the coins rushed out, “ballooning” under pressure.
Coins that have been sorted so far date from 1826 through 1964 and include Large Cents and Seated Liberty dimes. The coins have been removed from the old house and placed in secure locations.
So far, Bidelman has sorted and cataloged coins with a face value of about $8,500. Value to collectors will be much more, Bidelman said, adding he is already putting some items on the popular Internet auction site eBay.
Experts are estimating the total value is going to be around $200,000.
There were several "Large Cent" coins, which were minted from 1793 to 1857.
The face value is one cent, but Bidelman expects to get at least $20 each.
The family asked Bidelman not to identify them or the location of the home, especially after reading recent news reports of a woman who allegedly tried to burglarize a local home while the family was attending a funeral.
Undoubtedly the people who tried to rob the house during the funeral weren’t part of the survey mentioned above. If they were… there would have been a fourth way to get rich…Steal it.
Sigh…
November Quiz Question
Q: Can hair loss be caused by stress?
If there is some "shock to the system", as many as 70% of the scalp hairs are then shed in large numbers about 2 months after the "shock". This sudden increase in hair loss, usually described as the hair coming out in handfuls, is acute telogen effluvium. This is a different problem than gradual genetic hair thinning. Stress as a result of illness can be attributed to hair loss however, this could be a cause and effect issue. Hair loss as a result of illness is common and definitely during times ofillness your body is undergoing a lot of stress.Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening”. - Oliver Wendell Holmes
What If You Could Stop Sleeping And Never Feel Tired Again?
Austin – Let me ask you a question: When’s the last time you went to bed… slept all night… and woke up in the morning completely and totally refreshed?
Not just feeling ‘okay’. But, you actually had to jump out of bed immediately because you were so full of energy you just had to go do something…
Better yet…
Has That Ever Happened To You?
if it has… it probably hasn’t been in a long, long, long time. Right?
Chances are every single morning is a struggle. The sound of your alarm is nearly earth shattering, followed by several rounds of the snooze button, then a half gallon of coffee... and even after that… you’re still tired!
If fact, chances are, if you are like most people, you’re tired right now.
That’s a safe bet because, according to the National Sleep Foundation, over 70% of Americans get less than the recommended eight hours of sleep per night.
But did you really need that statistic when all you had to do was look at the massive lines at Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts!
Clearly, society has been self-medicating with caffeine for sleep deprivation for a long time.
And the reason why is clear…
There Is Simply Not Enough Time
To Get Enough Sleep!
Really. Who can work 40 hours a week (or more), take care of their house, raise their kids and do all the others things of everyday life… and still have 8 hours left over to snooze?
And even on the rare occasion that you have the time, the stresses and strain of your life keeps you wide awake, staring at the ceiling for half the night!
But what if there was a way to not sleep and… somehow… feel as if you did?
Just imagine how much better you would feel, not to mention how much more you could get done.
Well, that’s exactly what researchers are working on.
Scientists May Have Found A Drug That Eliminates Sleepiness
Here’s what’s going on: A nasal spray containing a naturally occurring brain hormone called Orexin A reversed the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys, allowing them to perform like well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests.
The discovery's first application will probably be in treatment of the severe sleep disorder narcolepsy.
The treatment is "a totally new route for increasing arousal, and the new study shows it to be relatively benign," said Jerome Siegel, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA and a co-author of the paper. "It Reduces Sleepiness Without Causing Edginess."
Orexin A is a promising candidate to become a "sleep replacement" drug. For decades, stimulants have been used to combat sleepiness, but they can be addictive and often have side effects, including raising blood pressure or causing mood swings.
The military, for example, administers amphetamines to pilots flying long distances, and has funded research into new drugs like the stimulant Modafinil and Orexin A in an effort to help troops stay awake with the fewest side effects.
The monkeys were deprived of sleep for 30 to 36 hours and then given either Orexin A or a saline placebo before taking standard cognitive tests. The monkeys given Orexin A in a nasal spray scored about the same as alert monkeys, while the saline-control group was severely impaired.
The study, published in the Dec. 26 edition of The Journal of Neuroscience, found Orexin A not only restored monkeys' cognitive abilities, but made their brains look "awake" in PET scans.
Siegel said that Orexin A is unique in that it only had an impact on sleepy monkeys, not alert ones, and that it is "specific in reversing the effects of sleepiness" without other impacts on the brain.
Dr. Michael Twery, Director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, said that while research into drugs for sleepiness is "very interesting," he cautioned that the long-term consequences of not sleeping are not well-known.
Both Twery and Siegel noted that it is unclear whether or not treating the brain chemistry behind sleepiness would alleviate the other problems associated with sleep deprivation.
"New research indicates that not getting enough sleep is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders," said Twery.
Still, Siegel said that Americans already recognize that sleepiness is a problem and have long treated it with a variety of stimulants.
"We have to realize that we are already living in a society where we are already self-medicating with caffeine," he said.
He also said that Modafinil, which is marketed as Provigil by Cephalon and Alertec in
"We have these other precedents, and it's not clear that you can't use Orexin A temporarily to reduce sleep," said Siegel. "On the other hand, you'd have to be a fool to advocate taking this and reducing sleep as much as possible."
Sleep advocates probably won't have to worry about Orexin A reaching drugstore shelves for many years. Any commercial treatment using the substance would need approval from the Food and Drug Administration, which can take more than a decade.
Which is a good thing, as Dr. Michael Twery mentioned: The long-term consequences of not sleeping are not well-known.
Maybe… but… they can’t be good. Research is showing all kinds of health problems caused by lack of sleep. So the question is…
Will this drug safely replace sleep… or… will it end up causing a devastating crash in the end?
Who knows? Only research will tell for sure.(We hope!) But I recommend the natural alternative; proper diet, exercise, chiropractic care, and yes…SLEEP!
Death By Cell Phone?
According to The Associated Press, on November 30, 2007, a 33-year-old Korean man was found dead on November 28, apparently killed by a cell phone battery explosion.
That was the initial declaration made by Professor Kim Hoon at
The man, identified only by his family name, Sur, was found dead by his co-workers at a quarry in
According to the co-worker who found him, "He had a mobile phone with a melted battery in his left shirt pocket. His shirt had soot on it in the shape of the phone."
“He was injured in the left side of his chest. His ribs and spine were broken. The explosion punctured his heart and lungs, leading to his death," Kim said.
But two days later, South Korean police stated a co-worker had come forward and confessed to fabricating the story after accidentally striking Sur with a drilling vehicle. The preliminary autopsy results had also suggested damage to Sur’s internal organs that was too great to have been caused by a cell phone explosion.
And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help, and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in your life long good health.
Tip Of The Month…
Four Weight Loss Tips That Work…If You Are Serious About Shedding The Pounds This Year!
A
re you serious about losing weight… and keeping it off this year? Really serious? ‘Cause if you’re not, you should stop reading this right now.
Allow me to explain…
Weight loss is simple. Don’t think so? Well, here’s what it all boils down to:
Watch what you eat and expend more energy than you consume!
That’s the 100% truth, no matter what “secret” you read about on the internet, some magazine or late night infomercial.
Fact of the matter is: You gotta burn more than you eat. Plain and simple. Not very romantic… just reality.
So Tip #1 is: Dietary Control And Exercise
Onward…
Forget about “dieting.” Diet is the worst word in the English language – and here’s why:
Diets don’t work!
I’m sure you already know this to be true… simply because…. I’m sure you’ve already been on several and had them fail.
That’s why you should NEVER “diet” again. EVER.
In fact – you should erase that word from your memory IMMEDIATELY.
Here’s what you need to understand instead: A Diet is something you do for a certain amount of time – and then stop. That’s why you lose weight… and then… put it all back on with a vengeance.
A lifestyle change is much different. A lifestyle change is… by definition… something you do for the rest of your life.
And if you want to take the weight off, and keep it off, you need to make a decision to exhibit dietary control and exercise FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
Quick story: A dentist teaches one of his new patients the proper way of flossing his teeth. Patient asks the dentist which of his teeth he should floss? Dentist replies: Only the ones you want to keep!
So… how long should you exhibit dietary control and exercise? For as long as you want to keep off the weight you have lost.
Which brings us to Tip #2:
Change Your Lifestyle!
What’s the best way to stick to your new lifestyle changes? Get help!
And one of the best ways to get help is to join a group of like-minded people who are trying to achieve the same or very similar goals.
This will put you in contact with people who understand what you are going through and will be willing to help and support you. That help and support… in many cases… is the difference between success and failure.
The internet has thousands of weight loss communities for you to choose from. Look into them and see which one is a good fit for you.
And when you join one – PARTICIPATE! Ask questions. Share stories. You will be helping others as much as yourself.
So Tip #3 is: Join A Support Group
Know this: You are not in this alone. Statistics show that the vast majority of Americans are overweight and want to make a change. Most never lose the weight. And the ones that do – most gain it back.
That should tell you something extremely important. Which is…
Most people are dead wrong when it comes to weight loss. What they are doing did not work for them… so it won’t work for you either. You need to take a different approach, a contrarian approach that leads you to success.
This does not mean joining a support group is counterproductive. A support group can be used for moral support – not technical advice. Big difference. So…
Tip #4: Don’t Be Afraid To Take A Different Approach From The Crowd
The crowd usually takes the easy way out. Be different and you’ll lose the weight and keep it off.
Remember, we’re always here, using the miracle of Chiropractic to help your body heal and maintain the health you deserve. Inspirational Story Of The Month
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
“How This Amazing Man Lost 400 Pounds With Diet, Exercise, And This ‘Secret’ Ingredient!”
Don’t call anyone a liar. I know this month’s “Tip Of The Month” says the keys to losing weight and keeping it off are: (1) Dietary control and exercise. (2) Change your lifestyle. Join a support group… and… (3) Don’t be afraid to take a different approach from the crowd. It also said that there were no secrets. And now… all of a sudden… there IS a “secret” ingredient to weight loss? Well, there is. And you’re about to discover the proof in this wonderful story…
At 630 pounds, David Smith was a mountain of a man. He lived with his parents and spent most of his time inside… eating junk food and drinking soda. He’s even been quoted in the newspaper that he “felt like the elephant man.”
During that time, David lived a life of shame, embarrassment and social anxiety that made it almost impossible for him to leave his house. "It got so bad to a point that I didn't leave the house and I didn't even feel comfortable in my own backyard until it was dark out," Smith said. Ashamed of his looks, Smith hid inside to avoid public mockery.
An Astonishing Change…
That was four and a half years ago. Today David Smith is 400 pounds trimmer… enjoys his life… and.. is a complete inspiration to countless others. But his almost unbelievable transformation didn’t happen overnight. It took over two years of dedicated hard work. And he had a “secret” ingredient…In June 2003, he finally had enough.
Smith sent an e-mail to Chris Powell, fitness correspondent for Good Morning Arizona, a local news broadcast on KTVK, in
Despite their initial awkward meeting, they made a deal. Smith committed to losing the pounds and Powell agreed to stick with him as long as Smith didn't give up. The first stop was a truck scale so they could get Smith's weight. After that, Powell created a food plan for Smith: six smaller meals to replace Smith's end-of-the-day megameal. The meals were carbo-balanced to increase his metabolism, with cheat days thrown in. In the first month, Smith dropped 40 pounds; then, after just four months of doing simple exercises in the gym, Smith lost 100 pounds. Powell was pleased. But Smith wasn't too impressed with what he had accomplished. "He kept telling me, ‘When I look in the mirror, I still feel like the same person. In fact, I still see 630 pounds,’" Powell said.
The Secret That Set Him Free
Then one day after a session, Smith handed Powell a letter he'd written.
As Powell read, it began with a revelation that Smith had never shared with anyone else. He had been sexually abused by the first friend he had ever made. "It made me shy away from people, not trust people at all. And, of course I turned to food because it made me happy.
It didn't hurt me," Smith said. Gaining more weight all the time, and lacking social skills, Smith found school to be a nightmare. "I've had like sticks and stones and dog feces and, you know, thrown at me and spit on. I've had a broken arm and black, black eyes," recalled Smith.
The emotional and physical abuse took a toll; he had dropped out of high school at 17 and headed for his parents’ house.
Over the next decade, he would rarely emerge. Trapped in a joyless, friendless existence, Smith felt he had no choice but to plan his suicide in a horrific manner.
"I felt like I deserved as much pain as possible if I was to kill myself, to burn myself literally in the desert. I just decided maybe dousing myself with gasoline and, you know, maybe people could hear my screams and hear all the despair that consumed me for all these years," Smith said.
Powell was moved when he learned what Smith had been through.
"He'd never had a chance in life. And I realized how valuable I was to him not just as a trainer, but as the first person in his life who actually believed in him."
As the exercises got more strenuous and the pounds kept coming off, Powell began to unlock Smith's personality. Powell decided to reintroduce Smith to the social world that had treated Smith so cruelly.
He made preparations at a nearby bar, and when they arrived, Smith was treated like a rock star. "When we got in the car and I'm driving him home he goes, ‘That was the best night of my life,’" Powell said.
As the pounds continued to fall away, Powell knew Smith needed him now more than ever. All his loose skin gave him the appearance of a deflated balloon. So he embarked on a series of surgeries to eliminate the excess skin, leaving him with 18 feet of scars. Powell was there for all the surgeries
.
After 26 months, Smith had locked in on his target weight of 229 pounds, making his total weight loss a whopping 401 pounds.
He also enhanced his appearance with Lasik surgery on his eyes and some dental work to fix his teeth, destroyed by too much soda.
All of the cosmetic work was donated by
Powell never charged Smith a dime for his services or his emotional support. What he got in exchange, Powell said, was far more important.
"I was with him through his transformation, but he's been with me through my own journey over the last couple of years, and that's the real reason why we're so close. He's hands down the most genuine person that you'll ever meet. He's got a heart of gold," Powell said of his newfound best friend.
Just in case you haven’t guessed it already – friendship was the “secret” ingredient that sprung David Smith from his prison. Thank goodness for wonderful people like Chris Powell. The impact they make is immeasurable… and… they make the world a better place for us all.
STRESS:
Knowing what causes stress for you can help you cope with it better and provide mental and emotional relief. Common causes of stress include: work, family, health concerns, unrealistic expectations, cynical and negative attitudes, sudden traumatic events.
Vitamins and minerals are required to ensure healthy brain and neurological functionality. The Vitamin B Group is particularly relevant to the brain, depression and stress susceptibility. Vitamin C is essential to protect against stress too.
Toxins such as alcohol, tobacco smoke, excessive salt, steroids, and other pollutants work against the balance between minerals, vitamins mind and body. Excessive toxins from these sources will increase stress susceptibility and stress itself.
Physical exercise is one of the most effective strategies for getting rid of stress. Exercise releases helpful chemicals in our brain and body that are good for us. Exercise distracts us from the causes of stress. Exercise warms and relaxes cold, tight muscles and tissues that contribute to stress feelings. Exercise develops and maintains a healthy body, which directly reduces stress susceptibility.
You may be experiencing stress because your life has become out of balance. You may be spending too much time and energy on work or on caring for others at the expense of your own health and well-being. Delegate or share your responsibilities at work and at home. Avoid difficult colleagues, family members, and acquaintances.
It may be necessary to reorganize your schedule in order to maintain a more balanced life. Think ahead about how you’re going to spend your time. Make a "to-do" list. Figure out what’s most important to do. Prioritize tasks and then work on the most important ones. Delegate less important tasks. Schedule extra time for tasks, in case of interruptions.
It’s important to care for yourself. No matter how busy you are, set aside at least 15 minutes each day in your schedule to do something for yourself, like going for a walk or calling a friend.
The benefits of the Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic:
1. Improves your spinal disc and joint cartilage health, by increasing nutrition flow to these tissues
2. Relaxes tight muscles
3. Improves nerve receptor stimulation in the joint for better balance and coordination
Chiropractic: Beginning as fast as 4 hours the effects of not moving properly begin to set in. Adverse effects of improper motion do not always show up as pain symptoms. Effects on the muscle include: Weakness, loss of coordination, decreased flexibility, decreased oxygen flow to muscles and decreased muscle mass. Chiropractic can helps reverse all of these processes. Craig Liebenson, DC
Chiropractic: It has been shown that fibrin deposits (also known as adhesions or scar tissue) can form around the joints of your spine and surrounding soft tissue resulting in chronic inflammatory conditions. These tissues form with lack of mobility and lack of proper motion. Chiropractic helps diminish the formation of these fibrin deposits by increasing your mobility.
Spine, 1987
Chiropractic: A chiropractic adjustments can directly effect blood pressure. Blood pressure was shown to drop: 14.7 mmHg for systolic pressure and 13.0 mmHg for diastolic pressure, just 5 minutes after an adjustment. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 1988
“Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation, for 'tis better to be alone than in bad company - George Washington
The answers to these questions… and more… revealed in this month’s newsletter…
How To Boost Memory
In Just 6 Minutes?
Does Lack Of Sleep Cause Diabetes?
And Does The Earth Really Revolve Around The Sun? This Answer May Shock You…
Questions... Questions... And, more questions. We’ve all got them. But, who’s got the answers?
Obviously, no one has ALL the answers. But in this newsletter, we will shed some light on a few things that are of major importance to you and your health.
For example, in just a moment, we will tell you all about a possible “six minute memory boost” that you are going to love – for several reasons.
But first, we have to talk about this…
Type 2 diabetes is rampant in the
An absolute ton of research has been done on Diabetes, and the most common cause has been attributed to lifestyle factors such as:
· Too much food
· The wrong kinds of food(s)
· Lack of exercise
Many cases of Type 2 diabetes have been either controlled… or… completely reversed… through strict diet and exercise programs.
But now there is something else that can change a diabetic’s life… literally… OVERNIGHT!
Actually, much less than overnight. Here is why: According to a study published in the December issue of the journal SLEEP, subjects who reported sleeping 5 or fewer hours each night were significantly more likely to have diabetes over the follow-up period compared to subjects who reported sleeping 7 hours.
These findings held true even after the researchers adjusted for variables such as physical activity, depression, alcohol consumption, ethnicity, education, marital status, age, obesity and history of hypertension.
7-8 Is The Magic Number
“They” always say you need 8 hours of sleep to stay healthy and perform your best. Well, in this case, it looks like “they” might be correct!
According to sleep experts, most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night to feel alert and well-rested.
Adolescents and teenagers need about 9 hours each night, younger kids require 10-11 hours a night, and children in pre-school, 11-13 hours.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine offers the following tips on how to get a good night’s sleep:
1. Follow a consistent bedtime routine.
2. Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.
3. Get a full night’s sleep every night.
4. Avoid foods or drinks that contain caffeine, as well as any medicine that has a stimulant, prior to bedtime.
5. Do not go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal before bedtime either.
6. Avoid any rigorous exercise within six hours of your bedtime.
7. Make your bedroom quiet, dark and a little bit cool.
8. Get up at the same time every morning.
That’s all great information… but not that exciting...right? Well, now it’s time for…
The 6-Minute Memory Boost!
Here’s what it’s all about: German scientists say they have found a “relaxing” way that improves performance on memory tests.
What is it? A 6-MINUTE NAP!
That’s right. Just 6 minutes of "shut-eye" for volunteers was followed by significantly better recall of words, New Scientist magazine reports.
"Ultra-short" sleep could launch memory processing in the brain, they suggested.
One
Dozens of studies have probed the relationship between sleep and memory, with clear evidence the body's natural sleep-wake cycle plays an important role.
The team from the
They used a group of students who were asked to remember a set of words, then given an hour's break before testing.
During that hour, some of the students were only `allowed to sleep for approximately 6 minutes, while the rest were kept asleep.
Remarkably, on waking, the
napping students performed better in the memory test.
Some theories suggest the processing of memories takes place in deep sleep, a phase which does not normally start until at least 20 minutes after falling asleep.
However, the team, led by Dr. Olaf Lahl, said it was possible that the moment of falling asleep triggered a process in the brain that continued regardless of how long the person actually stayed awake.
"To our knowledge, this demonstrates for the first time that an ultra-brief sleep episode provides an effective memory enhancement," he wrote.
Professor Jim Horne, from the
Hmmm. It would be nice to only need a 6 minute nap to boost memory. But… most of us are hoping it takes a little longer. ‘Cause, there is nothing like a good hour nap… you know what I mean J
Now for something completely different but even more entertaining…
Here’s a little quiz: Does the Earth revolve around the Sun… or… does the Sun revolve around the Earth?
Tick… tick… tick… come on… you’ve got a 50-50 chance!
The answer: The Earth revolves around the Sun. Sadly, according to the National Science Foundation, 1 in 5 Americans think the Sun revolves around the Earth.
And, not only that -- Reading has declined not only among the poorly educated, according to a report last year by the National Endowment for the Arts.
In 1982, 82 percent of college graduates read novels or poems for pleasure; two decades later, only 67 percent did. And more than 40 percent of Americans under 44 did not read a single book -- fiction or nonfiction -- over the course of a year. The proportion of 17-year-olds who read nothing (unless required to do so for school) more than doubled between 1984 and 2004. This time period, of course, encompasses the rise of personal computers, Web surfing and video games.
And here’s something shocking about video watching and children: Despite an aggressive marketing campaign aimed at encouraging babies as young as 6 months to watch videos, there is no evidence that focusing on a screen is anything but bad for infants and toddlers. In a study released last August, University of Washington researchers found that babies between 8 and 16 months recognized an average of 6 to 8 fewer words for every hour spent watching videos.
This has led many to believe older methods of teaching and spending one-on-one time with children to be far superior to “video baby sitters.” Something to think about…
Tip Of The Month…
9 Habits To De-Cluttering Your Mind And Living A More Peaceful, Productive Life
1. Control Your Mind. This may sound difficult, but it’s easier than you think. No pun intended! One of the pioneers of the self-help revolution, Napoleon Hill, said in his best selling book, Think and Grow Rich, thoughts are things and we become our dominant thought. Nothing could be more true. Problem is, most people concentrate on the negative all of the time... So that’s what becomes their reality. Before you go to bed each night, take a few minutes to write down what you are going to (not want to) accomplish the next day. And then take a moment to actually feel what it will be like once you have accomplished those things. Soak in that feeling.
2. Practice THIS: Once a day find a quiet spot where you can relax for a few minutes. Then try to NOT THINK. Now this is HARDER than it sounds. Our minds are constantly buzzing. The key here is this: You will have one thought followed by the next thought and so on. Try to extend the time in between thoughts. In other words, try to enter into that “gap” in between your thoughts and make that “gap” last as long as you can. Some call this meditation. Others call it calming your mind. Whatever you call it – it takes practice and can have positive effects on your life.
3. Identify what’s important. Things either lead towards your goals or away from them. Most of us spend most of our time doing things that don’t lead us to our goals. Make a list of the things that are really important to you and then make a conscious effort to ONLY DO THOSE THINGS. Stop wasting your time on the things that lead you away from where you want to go.
4. Eliminate. What things in your life are not truly necessary or important to you? What are you thinking about right now that’s not on your short list? By eliminating as many of these things as possible, you can get a bunch of junk off your mind.
5. Evaluate how much sleep you are getting. Once again, most of us do not get enough sleep and when we do sleep, the patterns are all messed up. For example, do you sleep later on weekends than the rest of the work week? Make getting the proper amount and quality of sleep a HUGE priority in your life.
6. Take a walk. Getting outside and doing some kind of physical activity is a great way to get stuff off your mind. Spending some physical energy clears the mind.
7. Cut back on TV. Some call the television the “idiot box.” It’s probably true. People are watching it more and more instead of reading or doing other activities. Television can “stir up” your brain. Cut down on the hours you watch and you will probably have a calming effect on your mind.
8. Just forget it! We all hold grudges and stew over things we can’t change or control. The key is practicing the ability to simply let go and instantly forget the things we can’t do anything about. Once again, it’s not easy, but it may add years to your life through stress reduction.
9. Clean up your surroundings. Clean and organize you home, car and work area. The subconscious mind picks up on everything. If a cluttered mess surrounds you… your thoughts will become a cluttered mess too. Remember, thoughts become things.
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
“Even The Best Need A Really
Good Reason To Be The Best”
His father worked in the local steel mill and even though he lived across town, he was pretty much absent in his life. Despite his absence, his father passed along a set of genes that included a huge frame – and his most frustrating trait – a bad stutter.
As a frustrated youngster, it was not uncommon for him to hand out brutal beatings to fellow classmates who picked on him for his speech problem. He even clubbed one of his cousins – a female cousin – with a baseball bat.
In his own words, he was “the John Gotti of [his] neighborhood.”
His mother, a housekeeper at the local Ramada Inn, tried everything she knew to tame her angry son, even whipping him with switches and extension cords.
Nothing worked.
Then one day, he and his friends threw rocks at a local farmer’s pigs, killing several with his incredibly accurate and powerful arm. It wasn’t the first time this happened… and the farmer had set a trap. He paid the local barber to be on the lookout – and they caught the boy red-handed.
His mother told the man who caught him that she was ready to send her son to reform school. And, when the barber asked the teenage bad-boy for the names of his friends who were throwing rocks with him… something happened. He suddenly saw where his life was headed, and he spilled his guts. That was when – the best athlete of his day – and possibly ANY day – Bo Jackson – completely turned his life around and took off like a shooting star.
Bo worked the entire summer (mowing lawns) to pay back the farmer… and then, instead of beating people up and causing trouble … he started playing organized sports. He started playing
baseball, track and wrestling. His wrestling coach described him as “slippery as a wet catfish.”
But, his mom wouldn’t let him play football. Bo joined the team anyway. When she found out he disobeyed her – she locked him out of the house and Bo spent the night in a car.
Bo’s high school baseball coach said, while at a party he hosted for the team one afternoon, Bo was in the water up to his waist and all of a sudden, he jumped up and did a back flip – easily landing on his feet. His coach turned to his girlfriend and asked her if she saw it too because he didn’t think it could be real. That’s when Bo started becoming a legend. He ran over opposing teammates like they were little children. He hit towering home runs one after the next, after the next.
People (including his teammates) told him he was crazy when he said he was going to play two professional sports. He proved them wrong by leading off the 1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game with a home run, and then making the Pro Bowl after the 1990 NFL season.
Then It All Suddenly Ended
On January 13, 1991, Bo was tackled in a Football game and his hip was violently yanked out of its socket. Even after surgery, the circulation to Bo’s hip joint could not be repaired. Bo had to get a hip replacement… and his career was suddenly over. To this day, everyone who was privileged enough to see him play, has one big question…
WHAT IF?
What if he had not had that one freak injury… what would he have become? What miracles would he have produced both on the football field and baseball diamond? Everyone asks those questions… except for Bo.
Bo says he never thought about going to the Hall of Fame. Instead, he focused on being a businessman, a husband and a father. He says those days opened up opportunities for him that most other people never get. While most athletes squander them – Bo took full advantage. He is a sharp businessman, gives back to the community, and has a wonderful family. He lives quietly in the suburbs of
We all need a good reason for what we do. Without it, it is easy to lose passion and not accomplish anything
We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don't be a stranger. Call us, and we will assist you in putting together a customized maintenance plan. It's not a luxury anymore! With our low monthly payment plan, it's less expensive to maintain your good health! You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don't wait until you can no longer move!
March Quiz Question
Q: What is the best way to burn fat?
A: There IS no “best way”. But the question gets attention so I thought I’d use it. See, if you don’t enjoy what you are doing, chances are you won’t stick with it. Therefore find out what you like and do it. I could be a brisk walk, cycling, tennis, weight training, hiking…the key is to stay active and eat right. By not consuming more calories each day than you need, you won’t get fat in the first place. But for most people, a combination of diet and exercise is best. You can exercise all day long but if you aren’t eating right, you won’t get the results you are looking for. So don’t fool yourself by walking or working out 30-60 minutes a day and think you’re covered…if you’re not eating right or eating too much, you’ll still gain weight…and fat!
Did You Know?…
Exercise may be the best wonder drug of them all - maintaining not just your body, but your mind as well.
- Scientists are finding exercise may actually help prevent mental decline as we age. Regular exercise may enhance memory, planning and organization skills, as well as the ability to juggle mental tasks.
- Researchers believe regular exercise - for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week - can help keep your brain sharp. Exercise improves how well the body can pump blood to the brain, helping it perform better. Scientists speculate that activity stimulates the growth of nerve cells in the hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in memory.
- Another positive effect deals with lowering blood pressure. This is important to most adults, particularly as they age. In fact, most elderly people have high blood pressure. Those with uncontrolled high blood pressure are more likely to have trouble thinking, remembering and learning.
- Activity can also help with depression, a common problem among the elderly. Depression can affect memory and concentration. Exercise helps relieve feelings of depression by increasing blood flow and improving how the brain handles the chemicals that are responsible for mood.
- You can't beat exercise. Not only can it help your brain, it can also keep your muscles and joints strong - all important for helping prevent falls, dealing with arthritis, strengthening your heart, improving your energy levels, and warding off health problems such as diabetes and certain cancers. Even if you have lived a sedentary life up until now, you can still limber up to help keep your brain - and your body - in shape.
- The benefits of the Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic: The following is a survey study on the reasons people take medication as related to their musculoskeletal problems.
40% took medication for Back pain
40% took medication for Arthritis and joint pain
38% took medication for Muscular aches
36% took medication for Headaches and Migraines
29% took medication for Morning stiffness
20% took medication for Sports and exercise pain
Bone & Joint Oct 2003
Chiropractic can be an excellent alternative to medication for these problems!
Chiropractic: Lack of motion in the body results in degenerative changes of the spine and the formation of soft tissue adhesions around the joints of the spine, restricting proper motion, potentially leading to pain & discomfort. A Chiropractic adjustment opens the joints of the spine and breaks up the unwanted adhesions and helps re-establishes proper joint motion.
The benefits of breaking up the adhesions with a chiropractic adjustment include:
1. Improves your spinal disc and joint cartilage health, by increasing nutrition flow to these tissues
2. Assists in relaxing tight muscles, thus decreasing pain
3. Improves nerve receptor response in the joint leading to better balance and coordination
Chiropractic: Headaches. Cervical spine adjustments are associated with significant improvement in patients with headaches. Duke Evidence Report, 2001
Chiropractic: Elderly chiropractic patients were less likely to be hospitalized, placed in a nursing home and to use prescription drugs. They were more likely to report better health & to exercise vigorously. Topics in Clinical Chiropractic, 1996
“Whenever it is in any way possible, every boy and girl should choose as his life work some occupation which he should like to do anyhow, even if he did not need the money.” - William Lyon Phelps
The answers to these questions… and more… revealed in this month’s newsletter…
“Do These New Products Eliminate Bad Breath?
Plus: Five Interesting Things Humans
Still Have But Do Not Need!
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– Imagine this scene: You’re at a social gathering. A good friend introduces you to someone new. You shake hands and this new person steps into your personal space and then, they lean toward you even more… They’re a “close talker.”
And when they open their mouth – you don’t hear a single word they say.
Why?
Because Their Breath Almost
Burns Off Your Eyebrows!!!
Come on now… you’ve been there. We all have. And, even though we chuckle now – bad breath is far from funny.
In fact, bad breath is a challenge. There are multiple causes — from medical problems (like diabetes and sinus conditions) to dry mouth to stinky food to rare cases of tonsillolith, little reeking balls of hardened plaque that form on the tonsils.
One common cause is from gaseous byproducts of bacteria that flourish in plaque.
And here’s the funny thing: After centuries and centuries of bad breath, there is no way to measure it.
Sure, there have been rating techniques and machines to measure mouth gases, but according to the American Dental Association (ADA), the “primary reference standard” remains the human nose.
"You know it when you smell it," says Clifford Whall, Director of the
It is estimated that almost all adults have at least “morning breath,” with up to half having a severe, chronic problem.
The money trail seems to agree with these estimates. According to market research firm, Euro Monitor International, Americans spent $6.7 billion on mouth-freshening products in 2007.
But, the big problem is…
That Does Not Mean These Products Work
There is a big difference between a product that may freshen breath for a few minutes and one that takes care of halitosis all day.
Brand-name “germ-killing” mouthwashes like Listerine and Scope do kill germs… but… that does not mean they do anything for your breath.
The primary ingredient in the newer class of mouthwashes with clinical-sounding names such as TheraBreath, Oxyfresh, CloSYS and ProFresh is sodium chlorite, also known as stabilized chlorine dioxide. Sodium chlorite is sometimes used as a water purifier. These rinses claim to freshen breath for up to six hours. But one independent study of several brands found they only worked for anywhere from 4 to 42 minutes.
“These products change the chemical composition of odiferous gases so they no longer smell, but underlying bacteria remain potent and continue producing odors,” says Dr. Marvin Cohen, DDS – the developer of SmartMouth.
SmartMouth uses sodium chlorite but, in a new twist, it must be mixed with zinc chloride just before use.
Bacteria in your mouth produce rancid ‘bad breath’ gases as a by-product of consuming amino acids. According to Cohen, the zinc ions block the amino-acid receptor sites so the bacteria cannot produce gas. After the bacteria die in around 12 hours, new bacteria replaces them. Again, it's time to rinse.
The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus recently announced a review of dental literature substantiated SmartMouth's claim that it prevents bad breath 12 times longer than any other mouthwash.
Another brand, Biotene, takes a different approach. Its new PBF, or plaque-biofilm dissolving mouthwash, contains two enzymes that break down the plaque-biofilm, restoring a more healthy bacteria balance to your mouth, says Michael Pellico, a Biotene chemist.
There's also promising research on yet another liquid — a combination of zinc and chlorhexidine.
Is This Proof?
Even with all the above info, experts say there is a lack of solid evidence as to whether these products work or not. And even with the most effective products, some people practice such poor oral hygiene that nothing will help.
And when you practice poor oral hygiene – we all know what happens…
Your Teeth Fall out!
Which is ironic. Why you ask? Because, while you need your teeth, there are 5 interesting things humans have that they no longer need… that don’t “fall out.”
These things are called “Vestigial organs” and they are parts of the body once had a function but are now pretty much useless.
Here is a list of these 5:
Vomeronasal Organ - Rodents and other mammals secrete chemical signals called pheromones that carry information about their gender or reproductive state, and influence the behavior of others. Pheromones are detected by a specialized sensory system, the vomeronasal organ (VNO), which consists of a pair of structures nestle in the nasal lining or the roof of the mouth. Although most adult humans have something resembling a VNO in their nose, there’s no evidence it is functional.
Goose Bumps - Though goose bumps are a reflex rather than a permanent anatomical structure, they are widely considered to be vestigial in humans. The pilomotor reflex, one of their technical names, occurs when the tiny muscle at the base of a hair follicle contracts, pulling the hair upright. In birds or mammals with feathers, fur or spines, this creates a layer of insulating warm air in a cold snap, or a reason for a predator to think twice before attacking. But human hair is so puny that it is incapable of either of these functions.
Tail Bone - A structure that is the object of reduced evolutionary pressure can, within limits, take on different forms. As a result, one of the telltale signs of a vestige is variability. A good example is the human coccyx, a vestige of the mammalian tail, which has taken on a modified function, notably as an anchor point for the muscles that hold the anus in place. What's more, there are more than 100 medical reports of babies born with tails. This atavism arises if the signal that normally stops the process of vertebrate elongation during embryonic development fails to activate on time.
Wisdom Teeth - Most primates have wisdom teeth (the third molars) but a few species, including marmosets and tamarins, have none. "These are probably evolutionary dwarfs," says anthropologist Peter Lucas of
Tip Of The Month…
Chase Away The Blues
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very now and then, we all get a little down. It’s simply part of life. But, before you reach for a heavy-duty anti-depressant – you may want to try one of these simple tricks to improve your mood. Who knows, you may start feeling better… just about instantly!!!
1. Put on a blue shirt - Blue is generally relaxing, while orange is the biggest irritant.
2. Pause your mental TiVo - Stop what you’re doing, close your eyes, and quickly count to 10 while strongly pressing your right thumb and forefinger together. Now do the same with your left hand. Repeat this 5 times. This will clear your mind.
3. Recruit an anger buddy - Find a thick-skinned friend who’ll let you verbally assault him when the situation warrants. Make sure you’re willing to return the favor. Make sure the tirade is brief, private, and somewhat controlled.
4. Fabricate a smile - Grin. According to experts, people who are manipulated into smiling report feeling better instantly -- going through the motions can trigger the emotions.
5. Clean your room - Most people don’t realize how much clutter causes stress. Pick clothes up off the floor, remove dirty glasses from the coffee table, and make your bed.
6. Climb the stairway to heaven - Music has been shown to reduce stress and have a positive effect on health.
7. Order Chinese - According to recent research, ginger and broccoli may temporarily help relieve depression.
8. Dot your eyes - Draw two dots an inch or so apart on a piece of white paper. Stare at the space between them with an out-of-focus gaze until they merge. Release and repeat three times.
9. Sniff a lemon - Nice smells such as fresh fruit, a looming thunderstorm, or just-mowed grass can turn your mood around.
10. Chop till you drop - Cook something from scratch. You are now in touch with your primal self; destroying and creating at the same time is the ultimate mood lifter. I
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
Girl Scout Sets Record And Teaches Valuable Life Lesson In The Process
Ever wonder why some people are successful and others struggle?
Are the successful born with something the rest simply didn’t get in the womb… or… is it a skill we can all learn and develop?
That is a question that has been hotly debated for quite a long time. This very interesting and inspirational story may help answer that age-old question once and for all.
Here’s the story: Girl Scouts are just little girls that meet once a week and go on an occasional camping trip… right?
Don’t tell that to Jennifer Sharpe. Why? Because Jennifer knows a little something about selling Girl Scout cookies. In fact, it seems as though she has it down to a science.
At only 15 years old, the
How many?
17,323 Boxes!!!
Jennifer was recently honored for her record breaking event and had this to say…
"Make a goal, and don't give up on it. Keep working for it, and one of these days, you'll hit it," she advised aspiring sellers.
"When I was in third grade, the top seller was 10,176 ... I turned to my mother and said, ‘That's going to be me one day,’ and it took me seven years," she said.
Jennifer, a fan of the Thin Mints, used a retail-inspired strategy. She set up shop in the parking lot of Cherry Hill Presbyterian Church in
"When I was young, I knocked on doors," said Jennifer, in her 10th year of scouting. "Now that I'm older, I get too many rejections face-to-face. People don't want to buy from a 15-year-old. They want to buy from a cute little Brownie."
Also playing in Jennifer's favor was the extra week the local council added to the selling season. Area troop members hawked their tasty wares from December until March 16, instead of March 9. The extra time was added because the council hadn't met its sales goal, according to Girl Scouts of Metro Detroit's Director of Product Sales, Clare Coughlin.
For 50 Cents More, You Can Get Three Boxes!
"I know how to get people to buy more," said Jennifer, a sophomore at
The money Jennifer and her friends from Troop 813 raised will go toward a trip to
But some say the aspiring marketing executive's victory is far from sweet. Some have accused her of cheating because her mother, Pam, sold cookies when Jennifer was at school. But Coughlin said there are no rules against that.
"Jennifer was the one behind this. She's the one who set the goal," Coughlin said. "Parents take order cards to work. To us, it's the same thing. It's a different variant of the same thing -- adults helping a girl meet her goal. We expect a girl to be involved in every way, pulling the order, sharing what they're going to do with the proceeds."
Wow! It’s amazing what you can learn from 15 years old when you really pay attention – isn’t it?
Too often we think success is something we are born or not born with. Jennifer, at only 15, knows differently.
And she proved it with her wonderful words: "Make a goal, and don't give up on it. Keep working for it, and one of these days, you'll hit it."
Clearly, anyone can make a goal and never give up on it. And clearly, if you simply do not give up – you WILL hit it someday. Too often, we think things SHOULD be easier than they are, so we roll over and give up. Too often we are inches or seconds away from the success we seek.
Nothing is worse than walking away so close to achieving your dreams and desires and never knowing what might have been.
Jennifer will never know that feeling.
We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don't be a stranger. Call us, and we will assist you in putting together a customized maintenance plan. It's not a luxury anymore! With our low monthly payment plan, it's less expensive to maintain your good health! You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don't wait until you can no longer move!
June Quiz question:
Q: What is the “Raw Food” diet?
A: According to Wikipedia.org’s definition, Raw foodism (or 'rawism') is a lifestyle promoting the consumption of uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet. Depending on the type of lifestyle and results desired, raw food diets may include a selectýon of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds (including sprouted whole grains), eggs, fish, meat, and unpasteurized dairy products (such as raw milk, cheese and yogurt). A raw foodist (or 'rawist') is a person who consumes primarily raw food, or all raw food, depending on how strict the diet is. Raw foodists typically believe that the greater the percentage of raw food in the diet, the greater the health benefits. (Before going on any diet of any kind, do your own research or see your doctor; especially if you are sick or on medication.)
(Our monthly feature of tidbits of news and info
to make your life easier and more fun, so you’re healthy all the time!)
If we could shrink the Earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following. There would be: 57 Asians; 21 Europeans; 14 from the Western Hemisphere; 8 Africans; 52 would be female; 48 would be male; 70 would be non-white; 30 would be white; 70 would be non-Christian; 30 would be Christian; 6 would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the USA; 80 would live in substandard housing; 70 would be unable to read; 50 would suffer from malnutrition; 1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth; 1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education; and only 1 would own a computer.
The following is also something to ponder...If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy. If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare, even in the
Someone once said: What goes around comes around. Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
The benefits of Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic: Myth Busters Once you begin Chiropractic care, do you have to keep going forever? Yes, but only if you want to continue to receive the benefits of Chiropractic care. Analogies: exercise, diet, dental care, etc. These all need to be done consistently to get the benefits. Chiropractic isn’t just about eliminating symptoms; it’s about maintaining your health.
Chiropractic: Adjustments decrease blood pressure!
Mechanical low force applied to T11-T12 decreases blood pressure and heart rate. JMPT, 1984.
Chiropractic: Acute Low-Back: “For acute low-back symptoms without radiculopathy, (neurological symptoms going down one or both of your legs), scientific evidence suggests that spinal manipulation is effective in reducing pain and speeds recovery within the first few month of symptoms.”
Clinical Practice Guidelines AHCPR, 1994
Chiropractic: “This study showed spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches. Four weeks after treatment, the patients experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in all major outcomes in contrast to the patients that received drug therapy, who reverted to baseline values.”
Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics, 1995
“Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you is determinism; the way you play it is free will.” - Jawaharlal Nehru
The answers to these questions… and more… revealed in this month’s newsletter…
Shocking “Pain Medication” Makes 85% Of Subjects Feel Less Pain In New Study…
And…What If Happiness Was Predetermined?
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– What if you could take a “pain medication” that made 85% of subjects in a recent study feel less pain?
And, what if this “pain medication” was 100% natural and had no side effects whatsoever?
But that’s not all… What if this “pain medication” was absolutely 100% FREE! That’s right – there is an unlimited supply and you can take as much as you want … whenever you want.
Would You Want To Give This
“Pain Medication” A Try?
I bet you would. Who in their right mind wouldn’t? And in just a minute, you are going to find out all the details. But first, let’s talk about...
Happiness…
There are books, CDs, DVDs, live seminars and more that claim to teach people how to be “happier.”
Many spend their entire life pursuing this elusive… and very subjective… goal.
A growing body of evidence is beginning to suggest that much of our “happiness” may be out of our control.
In one recent study, researchers at the
sociable, active, stable, hardworking and conscientious." Interestingly, these happiness traits generally come as a package, so that if you have one you're likely to have them all.
After reviewing survey date from 973 pairs of adult twins, Bates and his
When asked how happy they were, identical twins’ answers were more alike than non-identical twins, suggesting that both happiness and personality have a strong genetic component. The study, published in Psychological Science, went one step further: it suggests that personality and happiness do not merely coexist, but that, in fact, innate personality traits cause happiness.
Why You Don’t Want To Be 44
Another larger study, released in January ahead of its publication in Social Science & Medicine in March, shows that whatever people's individual happiness levels are, everyone seems to fall into a pattern of happiness governed by their age. According to survey data representing 2 million people in more than 70 countries, happiness typically follows a U-shaped curve: among people in their mid-40s and younger, happiness trends downward with age, then climbs back up among older people. (That shift doesn't necessarily hold for the very old with severe health problems.) Throughout the world – people tend to be less happy in their 40s than when they are younger or older; 44 seems to be the “black hole” of unhappiness. But, at least things don’t just continue getting worse.J
Here’s an interesting item: neither very good events, nor very bad events seem to change people's happiness much in the long term. Most people, it seems, revert back to some kind of baseline happiness level within a couple years of even the most devastating events, like the death of a spouse or loss of limbs.
Optimism Is A Good Thing
The research also found most people consider themselves happy most of the time and consider themselves happier than most other people. Optimism is definitely a good thing!
Ok… want to hear about that pain medication now? Here it goes…
In a study published March 5th in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers discovered people given identical pills got greater pain relief from the pills they were told cost $2.50 than from pills supposedly costing 10 cents.
So what? Well it just so happens that in this study, which was funded by MIT, 82 volunteers were asked to rate the intensity of electric shocks administered to their wrists before and after they received a dummy pain pill.
Test subjects did not know they received a placebo. Rather, they were told the pill was a new opioid pain killer similar to codeine but faster-acting. Each participant received a colorful brochure touting the drug as "an exciting new medication" that could provide "up to 8 hours" of pain relief.
In the past, placebos have been shown to alleviate mild to modest pain. Scientists believe the anticipation of pain relief triggers the release of endorphins -- opiate-like substances produced by the body.
The researchers, in the MIT funded study, wanted to see if price -- a signal of quality -- could amplify or reduce the placebo effect.
Half of the study participants were told the drug had a regular price of $2.50 a pill. The remaining subjects were told that the new medication had been discounted to 10 cents a pill. No explanation was given for the price cut.
In the findings, 85% of subjects who received regular-priced pills reported feeling less pain after taking the dummy medication, compared with 61% of those who received the supposedly discounted pills, researchers said.
Are you getting this? 85% of people who received and perceived expensive “dummy medication” experienced relief. And 61% got relief from the cheap “dummy medication.” No matter how you look at it – 85% and 61% of people felt less pain simply because they believed they were going to get relief.
The perception of the pain medication being expensive makes it more believable – and, therefore, more effective.
And let’s be clear on this: BOTH GROUPS RECEIVED “DUMMY MEDICATIONS.” No one actually received pain medication!
For example: Previous studies have shown that price has a powerful impact on the psychology of consumers.
Researchers at CalTech reported in January that expensive wine was experienced as being more pleasant-tasting than identical wine that supposedly cost less.
In another experiment, researchers found that people given inexpensive energy drinks felt more tired and worked out less than those who received identical energy drinks that cost more.
It seems to be clear that the mind plays a HUGE factor in controlling pain and in many other health issues, as well.
The only question left is: How do you control your mind to relieve pain and possibly cure disease?
And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help, and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in your lifelong good health.
Tip Of The Month…
16 Interesting, Amusing And
Even A Little Scary Health Facts
Interesting facts are fun. After all – by definition – they are interesting! Well, here’s a great list that are not only interesting, some are amusing and others are downright scary. Number 5 makes you think twice about drinking coffee… or talking on the cell phone while driving… doesn’t it?
1) Motorists who talk on cell phones are more impaired than drunk drivers with blood-alcohol levels exceeding .08!
2) Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.
3) Some parts of the world protect their babies from disease by bathing them in beer.
4) The word “gymnasium” comes from the Greek word gymnazein, which means “to exercise naked.”
5) There are more than 1,000 chemicals in a cup of coffee. Of these, only 26 have been tested, and half caused cancer in rats.
6) The average American eats at McDonalds more than 1,800 times in their life.
7) A hard working adult sweats up to 4 gallons per day.
8) There is more bacteria in your mouth than there are people in the world.
9) According to U.S. FDA standards, 1 cup of orange juice is allowed to contain 10 fruit fly eggs, but only 2 maggots.
10) Apples are more efficient than caffeine in keeping people awake in the morning.
11) Strawberries have more Vitamin C than oranges.
12) You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.
13) It is possible to go blind from smoking too heavily.
14) Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do.
15) You are about 1 centimeter taller in the morning than in the evening!
16) During your lifetime, you’ll eat about 60,000 pounds of food, that’s the weight of about 6 elephants.
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
“Next Time You’re Waiting In Line At Starbucks, You May Be Standing Next To A Hero…”
Sylvester Stallone.
When you hear these names… a word pops into most people’s minds. For most, that image is “hero.” Not that these men have (or have not) been actual heroes in their real lives, but they have all played heroes… over and over… on the silver screen.
As a quick, interesting aside: John Wayne’s real name was Marion Morrison – son of an
Young Marion had a dog named “Duke” (the source of his own nickname) and went to USC on a football scholarship from 1925 – 1927. He got his summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. On the set, he became close friends with John Ford, who started him in his movie career. And as some would say – the rest is history. John Wayne appeared in nearly 250 movies – some of the biggest of his time. He holds the record for the actor with the most leading parts: 142.
And here’s a great story taken from The Internet Movie Database:
“The evening before a shoot, he was trying to get some sleep in a
The noise kept
A Sinatra bodyguard of
Anyway…
Too often we think of heroes only in dramatic terms, like the movie roles played by actors and actresses… In reality, REAL heroes walk amongst us every day. And sometimes stand next to us in Starbucks.
For example, Roger Kruetz seemed like an average guy. He often worked early and late hours, but usually took the time to exercise in the afternoon with his younger brother, Chris.
Roger would pick up drinks at Starbucks for both of them before their daily workout. One day in March of this year, Chris’ brother waited for Roger, who didn’t show up.
Instead of hearing from Roger, Chris heard from the hospital. The caller told Chris that Roger was in a coma.
Earlier in the day, Roger did go to Starbucks as planned. As he waited in line, a young woman paid for a coffee and left the store. The young man she was standing in line with suddenly grabbed the tip jar from the counter and ran out the door. Without hesitation, Roger chased after him into the parking lot. Police say the two suspects, with the young man behind the wheel of a 1990 white Ford Taurus, ran Roger over in the parking lot.
Roger Kreutz died in the hospital two days after his brother received that horrific call. He was only 54 years old.
The Tip Jar’s Contents Were Worth About $5
Kreutz’s family members weren’t surprised Roger acted the way he did. "He was just caring, loving, witty and extremely loyal," said his youngest brother, Chris Kreutz, 42. "That's how my brother is. I would have done the same thing."
A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the conviction of the suspects. Starbucks Corp. contributed $10,000, which an anonymous donor matched.
At the time of this writing, a single rose with a note offering prayers stands in a vase on the coffee shop counter.
It seems a little unjust that
So, next time you are standing in line at Starbucks… or… the supermarket… or anywhere… think about Roger Kreutz. Think about who you are standing next to and think about if YOU would have the courage to be like Roger.
We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don't be a stranger. Call us, and we will assist you in putting together a customized maintenance plan. It's not a luxury anymore! With our low monthly payment plan, it's less expensive to maintain your good health! You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don't wait until you can no longer move!
April Quiz Question:
Q: What is a “meniscus”?
A: The word "meniscus" comes from the Greek and refers to a crescent-shaped structure. Today a meniscus is something that is shaped like a crescent moon or a croissant pastry. The meniscus acts as a smooth surface for the joint to move on. Either of two crescent-shaped lamellae of fibrocartilage that border and partly cover the articulating surfaces of the tibia and femur at the knee.
(Our monthly feature of tidbits of news and info
to make your life easier and more fun, so you’re healthy all the time!)
Learn some very interesting facts pertaining to the human body:
- Human beings lose 40 to 100 strands of hair on average per day.
- When you cough, you exhale air at a rate as high as 60mph.
- A sneeze can exceed the a speed of 100mph.
- An average human consumes about 16,000 gallons of water in their lifetime.
- A fingernail and toenail takes roughly 6 months to grow from its base to its tip.
- The average head of hair has 100,000 strands of hair.
- While it takes 43 muscles to frown, it only takes 17 to smile. : )
- Babies have 300 bones in their body at birth. By adulthood we only have 206.
- By age 60, most people will have lost their taste buds.
- Humans shed their skin everyday. It turns out to be about 1.5 pounds of skin per year.
- The human brain stops growing at the age of 18.
- Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.
- The total amount of skin covering an adult human weighs 6 lbs.
- Approximately 1 out of 25 people suffers from asthma.
- The human brain uses 20% of the body’s energy but is only 2% of the body’s weight.
The benefits of Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic: After 2 weeks chiropractic adjustments proved to be more effective than a placebo in decreasing pain. Additionally the adjustment was more effective than muscle relaxants and placebo in decreasing Global Impression of Severity scores.
JMPT Jul/Aug 2004
Chiropractic: Get Adjusted! With-in 4 hours of your spine not moving properly joints begin to: lose calcium, form joint adhesions and compress and if not addressed the changes can be irreversible after 8 weeks.
Craig Liebenson, DC
Chiropractic: The Chiropractic Experience
There are many benefits of chiropractic care:
Improves immune system function, overall body function & overall health. Corrects the cause, doesn’t just treat symptoms.
Compiled by Marcus Strutz, DC
Chiropractic: Myth Busters Myth: I can crack my own spine so I don’t need to see a chiropractor? Reality: When you self adjust you are likely adjusting bones that are hypermobile, (easy to move and moving too much). It feels good for a moment (due to an endorphin release and temporary relaxation of your muscles) but you will probably have to repeat the process multiple times in a day. Typically you aren’t adjusting the correct bone and that’s what chiropractors do is adjust the correct vertebra.
Marcus Strutz DC
The answers to thBe civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.ese questions… and more… revealed in this month’s newsletter…
“What If Deciding The Sex Of Your Next Child Was As Simple As Changing The Foods You Ate?”
Plus: Popular Energy Drinks Up To 10 Times Worse For Your Teeth Than Soda!!!
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– Can it be? Is it possible to decide whether you are going to have a boy or a girl simply based on the food you eat?
The answer may surprise you…
Science has known for a long, long, long time that male sperm determines a baby’s gender. Here’s how it works:
Chromosomes are long, stringy aggregates of genes that carry hereditary information. They are composed of DNA and proteins and are located within the nucleus of our cells. Chromosomes determine everything from hair color and eye color to gender. Whether you are a male or female depends on the presence or absence of certain chromosomes.
Human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes for a total of 46, two of which are sex chromosomes. The sex chromosomes are the X chromosome and the Y chromosome. The combination of these chromosomes determines whether you are male or female.
Here’s how: The female egg only has one kind of sex chromosome, the “X”… The male sperm carries either the “X” or the “Y” chromosome.
If the male’s “X” pairs with the female’s “X” – a female is produced. If the males “Y” pairs with the females “X” – a male is produced. In other words…“XX” is a female and “XY” is a male.
So what does all this have to do with the food you eat determining the gender of your baby?
Here’s what: A new study has shown that having a hearty appetite, eating potassium-rich foods including bananas, and not skipping breakfast all seem to raise the odds of having a boy!
This British study is the first to show a link (in humans) between a woman’s diet and whether she has a male or female child.
Dr. Tarun Jain, fertility specialist at The University of Illinois at
It's not necessarily as far-fetched as it sounds. While men's sperm determines a baby's gender, it could be that certain nutrients or eating patterns make women's bodies more hospitable to sperm carrying the Y chromosome, Jain said.
"It's an interesting question. I'm not aware of anyone else looking at it in this manner," he said.
The Facts…
The study was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a British medical journal.
The research involved about 700 first-time pregnant women in the
Among women with the highest calorie intake before pregnancy (but still within a normal, healthy range), 56 percent had boys, versus 45 percent of the women with the lowest calorie intake.
Women who ate at least one bowl of breakfast cereal daily were 87 percent more likely to have boys than those who ate no more than one bowlful per week. Cereal is a typical breakfast in
Compared with the women who had girls, those who had boys ate an additional 300 milligrams of potassium daily on average, "which links quite nicely with the old wives' tale that if you eat bananas you'll have a boy," Mathews said.
She added, women who had boys also ate about 400 calories more daily than those who had girls, on average.
Don’t Overeat Or Starve Yourself!!!
But be careful. This is NOT advice to over eat or starve your self to try to have either a boy or girl.
Both are not healthy and can be harmful to both you and your baby.
In fact, the study results reflect women at opposite ends of a normal eating pattern, not those with extreme habits, Mathews said.
Professor Stuart West of the
Since Boys Are Bigger…
And Dr. Michael Lu, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and public health at the
In The End…We Still Don’t Know!
Still, Lu said a woman's diet before pregnancy may be a marker for other factors in their lives that could influence their baby's gender, including timing of intercourse.
"The bottom line is, we still don't know how to advise patients in how to make boys," he said. Now for something completely different but very important…
How Energy Drinks Destroy Your Teeth!
According to the April 21, 2008 Birmingham News, a new study just published in Dental journals reveals that the high-caffeine, high-sugar beverages that are very popular amongst teens are 3 to 10 times worse for your teeth than colas.
A professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore Dental School soaked teeth in energy drinks, fitness water, sports drinks and other beverages for 14 days, measuring decay. According to reports in General Dentistry and other trade publications, lemonade and energy drinks did the most damage.
The professor, Dr. Anthony von Fraunhofer, found lemonade and energy drinks contain high levels of acids that can destroy enamel.
Dr. John Ruby, a professor in the dental school at the
Ruby measured the pH levels, or acidity, of dozens of beverages. Energy drinks have such high levels of acid that he recommends consumers not even allow them to touch their teeth. If you must drink them, he said, use a straw.
"Sip those all day, and you're not going to have any teeth left," he said.
Drink manufacturers put acid into beverages to balance the sweetness of the sugar. A can of Coke includes 10 teaspoons of sugar, for example, Ruby said. Put that much sugar in a cup of coffee, and "you'd be gagging," it would be so sweet, he said. The acid makes it palatable.
Maybe drinking plain old water isn’t so bad after all…
And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help, and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in your lifelong good health.
Tip Of The Month…
Principles Of Green Living That
Helps The Planet And YOU!
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he debate rages on. Some say we (human-kind) are responsible for global warming and the eventual and inevitable destruction of our planet. Others say this is pure hogwash. No matter where the real truth lies… living a “Green” life has its benefits. One is PRODUCTIVITY. So, whether you want to lend a helping hand to the planet, or just live a simpler, more productive life, these 6 Principles of Green Living are for YOU:
1. Simplicity -- More stuff means more complexity; more upkeep, more keeping track, more things to do. In global terms, it means more wasted resources. Some people try to atone for buying more stuff by buying "Green" stuff — bamboo potholders, handmade mail sorters, recycled project folders. Is it really “Green”?… to get that hand-woven hemp grocery bag from Bolivia to Wichita takes oil, to run the lights in the store takes oil, to feed the Bolivian who wove it takes oil, to grow the hemp takes oil, and so on. You’re putting a few cents into the Bolivian’s pockets, and that’s honorable, but it’s not saving the Earth.
2. Fairness -- Much of our consumption-driven market is based on unfairness. If everyone along the chain, from that Bolivian to the Wal-Mart worker, actually were paid what you’d expect, that hand-woven grocery bag would be out of most people’s price range.
3. Community -- If you’ve ever had the pleasure of attending a local farmer’s market, you’ve experienced something few of us do these days: an encounter with a part of your community, an actual living and breathing person, who made what you’re about to buy. There were some global resources used (even organic farmers use tractors, and they needed a truck to bring their stuff to market), but most of the labor and material involved came out of your local area. You have a relationship with this person, and with their land. Your land.
4. Sustainability -- A system is sustainable when the negative outputs of that system are accommodated and turned into positive outputs. Think about your working life — if you weren’t getting paid, would you work so hard? Your hard work — a negative thing — is converted into something positive — a paycheck. However, most of our global production is not sustainable. Waste products are dumped wherever space can be found, without regard to the consequences on local resources or populations. Workers are treated unfairly: they are exposed to noxious substances and dangerous working conditions, and they are not compensated enough to feed themselves, let alone build a thriving economy (some aren’t paid at all: there are some 30 million enslaved workers in the world today, more than at any time in human history).
5. Planning -- Planning means looking ahead towards a desired outcome; it also means thinking a little bit about the community that isn’t here yet and dealing fairly with them. The last century ran its course largely unplanned — something that today’s young adults are being forced to come to grips with. The decisions we make now will create the conditions our grandchildren and their grandchildren will have to deal with.
6. Transparency -- Planning, community, fairness, and ultimately sustainability require transparency. Most decisions these days are made behind closed doors. A Green society requires the active involvement of all its participants, and we can’t be actively involved if we don’t have access to all the information in play. What’s more, given the global magnitude of the world economy, we can’t ever be fully informed — which is why simplicity and community are so important. You can know quite a bit about the farmer at the farmer’s market who raised the chicken you’re about to eat.
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
“How A College Dorm Room, A Computer, And A Stubborn Dream Created The Nation’s Richest Man Under The Age Of 25…”
The Time: Sometime in 2004.
The Place: A
The Goal: To create a better way for students to communicate and get to know each other.
At least that’s what conventional wisdom says Mark Zuckerberg set out to do. But it seems like this “goal” and Mark’s “dream” were VASTLY different…
Here’s why: It didn’t take Mark Zuckerberg long to attain the “goal” of having a way for his schoolmates to better connect with each other. In fact, in just two short years, the social networking website he created had gone WAY beyond the confines of his Harvard dorm room… not to mention the entire Harvard campus. Zuckerberg’s idea caught wild-fire and suddenly EVERY college student across the country wanted to be a part of the phenomenon.
Zuckerberg Became The Gatekeeper – Allowing Colleges
Across The Country Access To His Site – One By One
By mid-2006, Zuckerberg’s social networking site, Facebook.com, had 7 million members and he had raised a whopping $37.7 million from venture capitalists.
Whether you know anything about Facebook or not – you probably don’t know this…Zuckerberg has much bigger plans for Facebook than for it to just be a college socializing website. He has a dream for it to supplant and surpass the giant Myspace and make Facebook the largest social network on the planet. He wants to become the next Google, a site that people of all ages would find useful in their daily lives.
But in 2006, it wasn’t happening. He had quickly cornered the college market... then things stalled. He went from zero to 7 million members in the blink of an eye – but – reaching 8 million was a slow and painful climb.
Considering Myspace had 100 million members, Facebook had a ways to go. And the worst part was: It looked like they had peaked.
That’s when Yahoo came knocking. At that point in 2006, they offered Zuckerberg $1 billion in cash. Feeling the frustration… and pressure… he reluctantly verbally accepted the deal to sell Facebook to Yahoo.
Then tragedy struck, at least for Yahoo. It announced it was projecting slower sales and earning growth and that its new advertising platform would be delayed. Its stock plummeted 22% overnight. Terry Semel, Yahoo’s CEO at the time, reacted by cutting his deal from $1 billion to $800 million. Zuckerberg walked away.
Two months later, Semel reissued the original $1 billion offer. Zuckerberg still said no.
A 22-Year-Old Turned Down $1 Billion!!!!!
Can you imagine that? Geez!
Anyway, it turns out Zuckerberg wasn’t such a fool after all.
Today, he is 23 and analysts think he could be the richest man under the age of 25, with a net worth of $1.5 billion. But more importantly is his DREAM. He has transformed his company from a second-tier social network to a full-fledged platform that organizes the entire Internet.
As a result, Facebook is now the most buzzed-about company in
How is Facebook’s membership going? Well, now it's signing up nearly 1 million new users a week. By the end of last August, there were 36 million of them. And these aren't just the tweens or college kids you might suspect; the fastest-growing segment of Facebook users is over 35, a group that represents 11 percent of all site users. Total registrations have more than quadrupled over the previous year.
The number of employees has tripled, as has revenue. And venture capitalists say that if Facebook were to go public today, investors would value it at more than $5 billion — five times what Yahoo had been prepared to pay.
Seems like Mark Zuckerberg’s goals and dreams were a little different… don’t you think?
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Q: Why are Chiropractors so friendly?
A: We get this question all the time…and of course it doesn’t apply to every Chiropractor and it’s different with everyone but in general, Chiropractors are a kind bunch. If you were to ask every Chiropractor this question, one of the most common answers would be something like, “Because it’s nearly impossible to be successful without being this way. We care for people not conditions”.
Did You Know?…
(Our monthly feature of tidbits of news and info
to make your life easier and more fun, so you’re healthy all the time!)
Did you know that your brain has around 100 billion nerve cells?
It also has 1,000 billion other cells, which cover the nerve cells and the parts of the nerve cells, which form the links between one cell and another, feed them and keep them healthy.
Your brain keeps on growing until you are about 20 years old. By then, the brain has made lots of links it no longer needs so it is able to shed many unwanted connections and still have billions of brain cells left to cope with whatever you may want to do.
You can still make new connections even when you are 100 years old, so get Grandma going on the computer - she may not learn as fast as you but she can do it!
The front of the human brain is larger than any other animal's, even the dinosaurs!
The left side of your brain is usually better at problem solving, math and writing.
The right side of the brain is creative and helps you to be good at art or music.
The brain stores all sorts of things in memory, including facts and figures and all the smells, tastes and things you have seen, heard or touched.
Your brain can also find things that you have remembered---like how to spell.
Apart from making sure that you don’t injure your brain, you can also make sure that you help your brain by:
ŸEating healthy food like fish and fresh vegetables.
ŸExercising your brain by learning new things and trying to remember them.
ŸGetting plenty of sleep.
The benefits of Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic: Health benefits of a chiropractic adjustment other than pain relief.
Studies reported improvements in neurocognitive function, visual field blind spot analysis, overall dance performance, visual acuity, salivary cortisol levels, muscle strength, health-related behaviors and savings in health care costs. Dr. Sean M. Hannon. JVSR, April 2004
Chiropractic: Hypomobility (decreased motion) results in degenerative changes and soft tissue adhesions around the joints of your spine. Adjusting breaks up these adhesions, re-establishing joint motion. JMPT, 2004
Chiropractic: The Response To A Chiropractic Adjustment
1. the adjustment overcomes resistances and restrictions of your spine
2. stimulates nerve receptors in and around the joints of your spine for proper motion.
Malik Slosberg DC
Chiropractic: Myth Buster… “I don’t need a Chiropractor because my pain is gone.” Pain is usually the first thing to go in the healing process; think about a broken arm, once it is in a cast it doesn’t hurt but it certainly is not healed. Cancer can develop in your body for years before you’re aware of symptoms. If you’re feeling good couldn’t you feel even better? Think about most dental care and changing your oil in your car… these are done for prevention purposes.
There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.”- Christopher Morley
FDA Officials Finally Break Their Silence:
These Commonly Used Over-The-Counter Cold Medicines
ARE NOT FOR KIDS
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ustin – First do no harm. That’s one of the most basic… and important… concepts in the practice of medicine. But in this day and age, profit seems to have taken that age-old motto’s place… Even when it comes to our children.
On October 1st, the Associated Press reported that “Very young children simply should not take some commonly used cold and cough medicine federal health officials say in recommending that the "consult your physician" advice to parents on the labels be dropped.
The preliminary recommendation, from Food and Drug Administration safety officials, would apply to decongestant use in children under 2, and antihistamines in those younger than 6, according to agency documents released Friday.
The more than 350 pages of documents are part of a broad and ongoing FDA examination of whether the roughly 800 medicines, many popular and widely used, are safe and effective in treating children's colds and coughs.”
And that’s just the beginning…
The FDA review came in response to a petition filed by
“The basic question is, why should a pro 
duct be so relentlessly marketed when it's not safe or effective?" said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein,
Here’s something interesting: The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (which represents the makers of over-the-counter medicines) supports not using these cold and cough medicines in children under the age of two.
“Sedate” Young Children?
The association’s president, Linda Suydam, said they recommend adding a warning that the drugs not be used to sedate young children.
Wow. It’s a sad state when labels stating THAT has to be added… and… is not common sense to most parents. But in many parents’ defense -- society has been BOMBARDED with brilliant marketing campaigns that make these drugs sound safe and effective. And even beyond that – flat out miracles.
That being said… check out what Dr. William Campbell Douglass II, M.D. has to say about the issue:
“I grumble about the incompetence of today's parents a lot. It's no secret that I think new-fangled ‘diseases’ such as ADD and ADHD are nothing more than kids being kids — and parents NOT being parents. I shudder to think that the future of this great nation is going to be largely in the hands of children who were diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and have been dependent on drugs nearly from infancy.
“Something I haven't spilled much ink over — but that is equally deserving of ridicule, in my eyes — is the absurd action of sedating children with OTC cold and allergy drugs. It's a whole new level of irresponsibility and selfishness on the part of parents, caregivers, and anyone else who thinks children should come with an on/off switch. Newsflash: It doesn't work that way.
“Still, that hasn't stopped a portion of the population from drugging (yes, drugging — let's call a spade a spade) children with allergy or cold medicines whenever it was convenient. But if the ethical concerns weren't strong enough to make these people think twice, maybe the safety concerns will.
“The sedation issue has brought about the long overdue examination of certain cough and cold medicines for children THAT WERE NEVER ADEQUATELY TESTED in children. It's a dirty little secret, but now pediatricians and health officials are finally bringing it to light.
“Brand names that have become the standard treatment for children — drugs such as Toddler's Dimetapp, Triaminic Infant, and Little Colds — were placed on the market before the FDA tightened its pre-market testing standards. The main compound in Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is under inspection for the same reasons.
“This will likely come as a shock to most parents. After all, the drug companies are allowed to market the cough medicines for children — even though no studies have been done showing that they're safe OR effective!”
This newsletter is not endorsing or condemning the statement made by Dr. Douglass. What it does endorse is open discussion on the subject, and Dr. Douglass’ right to his opinion.
You must admit – it is something to think about. Especially when you take these facts into account:
An FDA review of side-effect records filed with the agency between 1969 and September 2006 found 54 reports of deaths in children associated with decongestant medicines made with pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine or ephedrine. It also found 69 reports of deaths associated with antihistamine medicines containing diphenhydramine, brompheniramine or chlorpheniramine.
Most of the deaths were children younger than 2.
The CDC found that in 2004 and 2005, over 1,500 children under 2 years old had to be taken to the hospital after taking a common cough and cold medicine. Three of them died.
And in Maryland alone (where the petition to review the safety and efficacy of cough and cold medicines originated), 900 children under 4 years old overdosed on these medications in 2004, and in the last 5 years such drugs have been linked to 4 deaths.
Also on September 28th, the FDA gave drug companies until Oct. 31 to stop making and selling any unapproved prescription medicines labeled for use by children younger than 6 that contain the painkiller and cough suppressant hydrocodone.
The move is part of a broader effort to remove from sale an estimated 200 unapproved prescription cough medicines made with the narcotic.
Manufacturers of any other unapproved hydrocodone medicines, beyond those intended for young children, must stop making them by Dec. 31 and cease shipping them by March 31, 2008, the FDA said. It said the order applies to most of the hydrocodone formulations sold as cough medicines.
And according to Dr. Douglass, “Manufacturers claim that the drugs are safe when they're used on the proper age group (6 years old and up) and with the proper dosage.” But do they even know what constitutes proper dosage? According to Dr. Charles Gangley, the Director of the FDA's Office of Nonprescription Drug Products, most dosages listed on these labels are no more than EDUCATED GUESSES. He said, "We have no data on these agents of what's a safe and effective dose in children."
My advice: We're talking about children here, infants and toddlers. So first things first: Let's worry about SAFETY first and get to effective from there.”
Sounds like “first do no harm” doesn’t it?
Tip Of The Month…
3 Quick And Easy Recipes To Try This Week!
Let’s face it: Cooking can be a real drag! But we all have to eat. And we all want it to taste good. So, here are three recipes that take 30 minutes or less… and… don’t come up short in the taste department!
Bruschetta Chicken Bake
Ingredients:
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 ounce) package STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for
Chicken
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut
into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim
Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
F. Place tomatoes in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix, water and garlic; stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside. - Place chicken in 13x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with the basil and cheese. Top with stuffing mixture.
- Bake 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.
Yield: 6 servings
Quick Thai Chicken and Vegetable Curry
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1- to 2-inch long
julienne strips
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste, or to taste
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into
1-inch cubes
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup "lite" coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce or reduced-sodium soy
sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon lime juice
Lime wedges
Instructions:
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion; cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and curry paste; stir to mix. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, coconut milk, fish sauce (or soy sauce) and brown sugar; bring to a simmer. Add cauliflower, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach and lime juice; cook just until spinach has wilted. Serve immediately, with lime wedges.
Yield: 4 servings
Speedy Layered Chicken Enchilada Pie
Ingredients:
1 (11.5 ounce) package Old El Paso(R) Flour
Tortillas for Burritos
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/2 cup uncooked instant white rice
8 ounces shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack
cheese
1 (15 ounce) can Progresso(R) Black Beans,
drained, rinsed
1 (19 ounce) can Old El Paso(R) Red Enchilada
Sauce
1 cup Green Giant(R) Frozen Shoepeg White Corn,
thawed
1 cup Old
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
Reduced fat sour cream (optional)
Chopped green onions (optional)
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9-inch round (2-quart) glass baking dish or casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Cut 5 of the tortillas in half. Cut remaining tortillas into 2 1/2-inch-wide strips. In large bowl, combine chicken, rice, 1 cup of the cheese, beans and 1 cup of the enchilada sauce; mix well.
- Layer 4 tortilla halves in bottom of sprayed baking dish. Top with 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and half of the chicken mixture. Top with 2 tortilla halves; fill in empty spaces with 3 tortilla strips. Spoon corn over tortillas. Spread salsa over corn. Layer with 2 tortilla halves and 3 strips. Top with remaining half of chicken mixture. Continue layering with remaining 2 tortilla halves and strips, enchilada sauce, cheese and 2 tablespoons green onions.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes. Top with sour cream and green onions. Yield: 6 servings
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
"A Diamond Is A
Congealed Drop Of Sunlight"
The story you are about to read holds one of the most important keys to health, relationships… and… success of any kind. It comes from a lecture delivered by Russell H. Conwell many moons ago. It is even more powerful today.
And the really unusual thing is: the more times you read this story – the more value it will have. So, if you’ve read it before – be sure to read it again right now…
In 1870, we went down the
I remember that toward evening he took his Turkish cap off his head and swung it around in the air. The gesture I did not understand and I did not dare look at him for fear I should become the victim of another story. But, although I am not a woman, I did look, and the instant I turned my eyes upon that worthy guide he was off again. Said he, "I will tell you a story now which I reserve for my particular friends!" So then, counting myself a particular friend, I listened, and I have always been glad I did.
He said there once lived not far from the River Indus an ancient Persian by the name of Al Hafed. He said that Al Hafed owned a very large farm with orchards, grain fields and gardens. He was a contented and wealthy man - contented because he was wealthy, and wealthy because he was contented. One day there visited this old farmer one of those ancient Buddhist priests, and he sat down by Al Hafed's fire and told that old farmer how this world of ours was made.
He said that this world was once a mere bank of fog, which is scientifically possible, and he said that the Almighty thrust his finger into the bank of fog and then began slowly to move his finger around and gradually to increase the speed of his finger until at last he whirled that bank of fog into a solid ball of fire, and it went rolling through the universe, burning its way through other cosmic banks of fog, until it condensed the moisture without, and fell in floods of rain upon the heated surface and cooled the outward crust. Then the internal flames burst through the cooling crust and threw up the mountains and made the hills and the valleys of this wonderful world of ours.
If this internal melted mass burst out and cooled very quickly, it became granite; that which cooled less quickly became silver; and less quickly, gold; and after gold, diamonds were made. Said the old priest, "A diamond is a congealed drop of sunlight."
This is a scientific truth. You all know that a diamond is pure carbon, actually deposited sunlight - and he said another thing I would not forget: he declared that a diamond is the last and highest of God's mineral creations, as a woman is the last and highest of God's animal creations. I suppose that is the reason why the two have such a liking for each other. And the old priest told Al Hafed that if he had a handful of diamonds he could purchase a whole country, and with a mine of diamonds he could place his children upon thrones through the influence of their great wealth.
Al Hafed heard all about diamonds and how much they were worth, and went to his bed that night a poor man - not that he had lost anything, but poor because he was discontented and discontented because he thought he was poor. He said, "I want a mine of diamonds!" So he lay awake all night, and early in the morning sought out the priest.
Now I know from experience that a priest when awakened early in the morning is cross. He awoke that priest out of his dreams and said to him, "Will you tell me where I can find diamonds?" The priest said, "Diamonds? What do you want with diamonds?" "I want to be immensely rich," said Al Hafed, "But I don't know where to go." "Well," said the priest, "if you will find a river that runs over white sand between high mountains, in those sands you will always see diamonds." "Do you really believe that there is such a river?" "Plenty of them, plenty of them; all you have to do is just go and find them, then you have them." Al Hafed said, "I will go." So he sold his farm, collected his money at interest, left his family in charge of a neighbor, and away he went in search of diamonds.
He began very properly, to my mind, at the Mountains of the Moon. Afterwards he went around into Palestine, then wandered on into Europe, and at last, when his money was all spent, and he was in rags, wretchedness and poverty, he stood on the shore of that bay in Barcelona, Spain, when a tidal wave came rolling in through the Pillars of Hercules and the poor, afflicted, suffering man could not resist the awful temptation to cast himself into that incoming tide, and he sank beneath its foaming crest, never to rise in this life again.
When that old guide had told me that very sad story, he stopped the camel I was riding and went back to fix the baggage on one of the other camels, and I remember thinking to myself, "Why did he reserve that for his particular friends?" There seemed to be no beginning, middle, or end - nothing to it. That was the first story I ever heard told or read in which the hero was killed in the first chapter. I had but one chapter of that story and the hero was dead.
When the guide came back and took up the halter of my camel again, he went right on with the same story. He said that Al Hafed's successor led his camel out into the garden to drink, and as that camel put its nose down into the clear water of the garden brook, Al Hafed's successor noticed a curious flash of light from the sands of the shallow stream, and reaching in he pulled out a black stone having an eye of light that reflected all the colors of the rainbow, and he took that curious pebble into the house and left it on the mantel, then went on his way and forgot all about it.
A few days after that, this same old priest who told Al Hafed how diamonds were made, came in to visit his successor. When he saw that flash of light from the mantel, he rushed up and said, "Here is a diamond - here is a diamond! Has Al Hafed returned?" "No, no. Al Hafed has not returned and that is not a diamond; that is nothing but a stone; we found it right out here in our garden." "But I know a diamond when I see it," said he, "that is a diamond!"
Then together they rushed to the garden and stirred up the white sands with their fingers and found others more beautiful, more valuable diamonds than the first, and thus, said the guide to me, were discovered the diamond mines of
But I think you already know the moral…
We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don't be a stranger. Call us, and we will assist you in putting together a customized maintenance plan. It's not a luxury anymore! With our low monthly payment plan, it's less expensive to maintain your good health! You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don't wait until you can no longer move!
October Quiz Question
Q: Why happens to our bodies during sleep?
A: According to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, During sleep, we usually pass through five phases of sleep: stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. These stages progress in a cycle from stage 1 to REM sleep, then the cycle starts over again with stage 1. We spend almost 50 percent of our total sleep time in stage 2 sleep, about 20 percent in REM sleep, and the remaining 30 percent in the other stages. Infants, by contrast, spend about half of their sleep time in REM sleep.
Stage 1- During stage 1, which is light sleep, we drift in and out of sleep and can be awakened easily. Our eyes move very slowly and muscle activity slows. People awakened from stage 1 sleep often remember fragmented visual images. Many also experience sudden muscle contractions called hypnic myoclonia, often preceded by a sensation of starting to fall. These sudden movements are similar to the "jump" we make when startled.
Stage 2 - When we enter stage 2 sleep, our eye movements stop and our brain waves (fluctuations of electrical activity that can be measured by electrodes) become slower, with occasional bursts of rapid waves called sleep spindles.
Stage 3 - In stage 3, extremely slow brain waves called delta waves begin to appear, interspersed with smaller, faster waves.
Stage 4 - By stage 4, the brain produces delta waves almost exclusively. It is very difficult to wake someone during stages 3 and 4, which together are called deep sleep . There is no eye movement or muscle activity. People awakened during deep sleep do not adjust immediately and often feel groggy and disoriented for several minutes after they wake up. Some children experience bedwetting, night terrors, or sleepwalking during deep sleep.
REM sleep- When we switch into REM sleep, our breathing becomes more rapid, irregular, and shallow, our eyes jerk rapidly in various directions, and our limb muscles become temporarily paralyzed. Our heart rate increases, our blood pressure rises, and males develop penile erections. When people awaken during REM sleep, they often describe bizarre and illogical tales - dreams.
The first REM sleep period usually occurs about 70 to 90 minutes after we fall asleep. A complete sleep cycle takes 90 to 110 minutes on average. The first sleep cycles each night contain relatively short REM periods and long periods of deep sleep. As the night progresses, REM sleep periods increase in length while deep sleep decreases. By morning, people spend nearly all their sleep time in stages 1, 2, and REM.
(Our monthly feature of tidbits of news and info
to make your life easier and more fun, so you’re healthy all the time!)
The consequences of poor sleep include less energy for physical activity and dealing with stress, difficulty concentrating, increased mistakes, more prone to accidents, and an immune system that is not at its best to fight illness.
Ÿ Start your day off right with a good night’s sleep. Below are tips for better sleep:
Ÿ Give yourself “permission” to go to bed. Put your “to do” list away and make sleep a
priority.
Ÿ Unwind early in the evening.
Ÿ Develop a sleep ritual. Do the same things each night before you go to bed to signal to
your body that it is time for sleep.
Ÿ Keep regular bedtime and waking hours.
Ÿ Create a restful place to sleep.
Ÿ Sleep on a comfortable bed.
Ÿ Exercise regularly, but avoid exercising late in the day.
Ÿ Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages in the evening.
Ÿ Don’t smoke.
Ÿ Reduce alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol shortly before bedtime interrupts and
fragments sleep.
Orthopaedically correct sleep is when you sleep in a position that does not cause stress to the spine, the muscular system, or nerves. The position that works well for most healthy people is the fetal position. A person lies on either side, with the legs flexed toward the abdomen and the back is also slightly flexed. This takes stress off the spine and allows the organs to spread themselves out, so there is less intra-abdominal pressure against the diaphragm. A pillow under the head or neck will deflect a lot of weight from the shoulder you are lying on.
The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.” - William James
Do Sunscreens Really Work Or Are They HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH?
New Study Reveals 84% Of Products Tested Either Provided Inadequate Protection From The Sun’s Harmful Rays Or Contain Ingredients With Safety Concerns…
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ustin – If you use sunscreen, you are probably going to want to read this newsletter very carefully. But I have to warn you -- this is hard to believe.
Why? For starters… for years and years you’ve been told the sun’s deadly rays cause all kinds of problems including early aging of your skin and skin cancer.
With the deterioration of the ozone layer, the sun basically became public enemy number one. But, there was an answer…
Sunscreen!
Sunscreen made it possible to go to the beach… or… enjoy a day on the boat without getting the dreaded sunburn. Not only did sunscreen prevent sunburns, it reduced your risk of skin cancer that was caused by over exposure to the sun.
At least, that’s what sunscreen manufacturers claimed. And over the years, sunscreen’s become BIG business. Marketed heavily with claims such as: “all day protection”, “waterproof” and “skin cancer prevention”, sunscreen sold like hot cakes.
Dermatologists recommended liberal use… and… most people felt safe in the sun as long as they lathered up with a high SPF (“sun protection factor”) product.
Controversy
Well, now there’s controversy. According to cosmeticsdatabase.com: “In a new investigation of 783 name-brand sunscreens, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found widespread evidence that many products on the market are not safe and effective, including one of every eight high-SPF sunscreens that does not protect from UVA radiation.”
What’s more, their scientific review indicated “84% of 783 sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun, or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns. Only 16% of the products on the market are both safe and effective, blocking both UVA and UVB radiation, remaining stable in sunlight, and containing few if any ingredients with significant known or suspected health hazards. Our assessment is based on a review of nearly 400 scientific studies, industry models of sunscreen efficacy, and toxicity and regulatory information housed in nearly 60 government, academic, and industry databases.”
The data reveal:
· Many products lack UVA protection. 13% of high SPF sunscreens (SPF of at least 30) protect only from sunburn (UVB radiation), and do not contain ingredients known to protect from UVA radiation, the sun rays linked to skin damage and aging, immune system problems, and potentially skin cancer. The FDA does not require that sunscreens guard against UVA radiation.
· Sunscreens break down in the sun. Paradoxically, many sunscreen ingredients break down in the sun, in a matter of minutes or hours, and then let UV radiation through to the skin. Analyses showed that 54% of products on the market contain ingredients that may be unstable alone or in combination, raising questions about whether these products last as long as the label reads. The FDA has not proposed requirements for sunscreen stability.
The EWG also concluded “questionable product claims are widespread.” 48% of products on the market make claims that are considered “unacceptable” or misleading under FDA draft sunscreen safety standards.
According to the EWG report, claims like “all day protection”, “mild as water”, and “blocks all harmful rays” are not true, yet found on bottles.
And until the FDA finalizes sunscreen standards, the manufacturers are free to make hyped claims.
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/faq.php - 30 Many sunscreens contain nano-scale ingredients that raise potential concerns. Micronized and nano-scale zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in sunscreen provide strong UVA protection, and are contained in many of our top-rated products. Repeated studies have found that these ingredients do not penetrate healthy skin, indicating that consumer exposures would be minimal. Studies on other nano-scale materials have raised concerns about their unique, toxic properties. The FDA has failed to approve effective UVA filters available in
The
The
Absorbed Into The Blood
Some sunscreens absorb into the blood and raise safety concerns. According to the review of literature, the sunscreen ingredients absorb into the blood, and some are linked to toxic effects. Some release skin-damaging free radicals in sunlight, some act like estrogen and could disrupt hormone systems, several are strongly linked to allergic reactions, and still others may build up in the body or the environment. The FDA has not established rigorous safety standards for sunscreen ingredients.
What Are Your Choices?
In lieu of this information, what are your choices? Good question. The FDA advises people to stay out of the sun from 10 am to 4 pm.
That’s probably not the answer you were looking for. And you must also realize that the sun is not your enemy. Over exposure is. Natural sunlight is very important for vitamin D synthesis and other aspects of health. If you avoid the sun altogether you will most likely be harming your health.
In the EWG study, they have a complete listing rating the783 products in their study.
· 128 products were recommended as safe and effective.
· 618 were listed as “caution.”
· 37 products were listed as “avoid.”
The study also advised:
The FDA must set mandatory sunscreen safety standards. As mandated by Congress, the FDA must complete their safety standards (the "sunscreen monograph"), and establish a date these standards will become mandatory. This study confirms the need for mandatory standards — the voluntary system currently in place leaves the public with many sunscreen products that are not as safe and effective as the public needs and expects.
The FDA must develop UVA standards for sunscreen. While the FDA has set guidelines for sunburn (UVB) protection, the agency has not established protocols and requirements for UVA protection. This is a critical gap in public health protection. UVA radiation is deeply penetrating and is linked to skin damage, including premature skin aging, wrinkling, and possibly cancer. The FDA is charged with regulating sunscreen and protecting public health, and both of those charges demand that the agency set standards for UVA protection.
FDA must approve new, effective and safe sunscreens for use in the U.S. Some sunscreen chemicals have been under review at the Agency for over a decade. Effective sunscreens not approved in this country are in widespread use elsewhere in the world. The FDA sorely needs to streamline and modernize its sunscreen review process to give consumers access to the best products possible.
For the full study and a listing of the products tested with recommendations go to http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens/summary.php
And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your, questions. We’re here to help, and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in your lifelong good health.
How Children Can Go Back
To School Without Bullying
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ullying has become a big topic recently. Surely children have always picked on each other… but… it seems as though things have gotten a lot worse over the last few years.
Why? No one can say for sure, but it looks like one factor is a new way children can do their bullying. Primarily: the internet.
Sites like myspace and youtube are extremely popular. Myspace is a site where anyone can set up their own web page and be connected with their “friends.” Pictures, videos, music and messages can be posted. Videos are posted on youtube for the world to see.
Both sites (and others like them) are great in many ways. However, as the saying goes, there is always…
One Bad Apple In The Bunch…
Bullies have popped up on both sites and use the internet media to publicly embarrass and ridicule their classmates. There have been cases covered in the news where bullying on the internet became so extreme some children have been forced to change schools. Others have even committed suicide.
According to the
“Bullying is when one child picks on another child repeatedly. Usually children being bullied are weaker or smaller, shy, and generally feel helpless. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or social. It can happen at school, on the playground, on the school bus, in the neighborhood, or over the Internet.”
Here is some advice from the
When Your Child Is Bullied
Help your child learn how to respond by teaching your child how to:
1. Look the bully in the eye.
2. Stand tall and stay calm in a difficult situation.
3. Walk away.
Teach your child how to say in a firm voice.
- "I don't like what you are doing."
- "Please do NOT talk to me like that."
- "Why would you say that?"
Teach your child when and how to ask for help.
Encourage your child to make friends with other children.
Support activities that interest your child.
Alert school officials to the problems and work with them on solutions.
Make sure an adult who knows about the bullying can watch out for your child's safety and well-being when you cannot be there.
When Your Child Is the Bully
Be sure your child knows that bullying is never OK.
Set firm and consistent limits on your child's aggressive behavior.
Be a positive role mode. Show children they can get what they want without teasing, threatening or hurting someone.
Use effective, non-physical discipline, such as loss of privileges.
Develop practical solutions with the school principal, teachers, counselors, and parents of the children your child has bullied.
When Your Child Is a Bystander
Tell your child not to cheer on or even quietly watch bullying.
Encourage your child to tell a trusted adult about the bullying.
Help your child support other children who may be bullied. Encourage your child to include these children in activities.
Encourage your child to join with others in telling bullies to stop
Inspirational Story Of The Month
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
What Happens When You Multiply One Small Act Of Kindness By Twenty-Five Years?
Life can be difficult.
Waking up every day to the miserable sound of your alarm clock. Hitting… or more like POUNDING… the snooze button two, three, four or more times. Tired, you drag yourself out of bed, shower, get dressed, eat… and… begrudgingly limp off to another day’s work that you don’t want to do.
After all, there are a ton of things you’d rather be doing than going to work, right?
That’s why it may be difficult to smile. Or be nice to everyone you come in contact with during the day. Heck, how many times has someone cut you off on the way to work and it made you so aggravated you wanted to scream?
Maybe you did. Or, maybe you bottled it all up inside and had a miserable day. ANOTHER miserable day.
Well, you are not alone.
Everyone feels that way from time to time, some more so than others. Many people just don’t seem to be nice to each other in the streets anymore. It’s evident from all the road rage incidents reported on the news.
But there is a way to live a happier and healthier life. And it’s not that difficult. In fact, it’s simple. As you will discover in this quick, true story…
Here’s the story: There is a very unique man by the name of Shaw Grigsby. You will know in just a minute why he is so unique, but first here’s a little background…
Shaw is a professional bass fisherman and host of the show, “One More Cast With Shaw Grigsby.” He is one of only four anglers to have won over $1,000,000 in B.A.S.S. (B.A.S.S. is a professional bass fishing organization) career earnings and ranks 4th on B.A.S.S. all time money list.
So, who cares about this fisherman, his show and how much money he has made? Good question. There is a very good answer…
Not too long ago, Shaw’s television show had an episode with a special guest. That guest was interviewed and said he was at church one day in
When Shaw spoke, the first thing he did was ask if Doug Owden was in the crowd. Doug froze at first and didn’t say a word. Then Shaw asked if Doug Owden was in the crowd again. This time Doug raised his hand and said he was.
Shaw asked if he was the Doug Owden from
Doug thought back… and once again said, “Yes sir.”
Well, one of those kids was Shaw.
Shaw went on to thank him and explain how that act of kindness was one of the catalysts to him becoming the success he is today. Shaw and Doug have been friends ever since… and… Doug was the special guest on Shaw’s fishing show that day.
You know, many people don’t believe in karma; that what comes around goes around. They cite examples of good things happening to bad people… and bad things happening to good people as proof. And they may be right. Who knows?
But here’s one thing that is certain: It is important to live your life on the premise that everything that goes around does, indeed, comes around with the understanding that, no matter how “good” you are, you still may step out of your house and get hit by a car or lightening some day.
Really, what do you have to lose by striving to be kind, compassionate, honest, and civil?
And no matter how much time and effort you put into being “good”, you will inevitably fall short of moral perfection. So why even try? Simply, the act of trying is, all by itself, a great reward.
Doug Owden did not take time out of his day and help those two little kids to be rewarded 25 years later with a great friendship and an appearance on a nationally televised fishing show. He simply did it because it was the right thing to do.
And that’s something we should all think about tomorrow morning when we reach for the snooze alarm.
July Quiz Question
Q: What is a “ligament”?
A: A ligament is a band of fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone, supporting or strengthening a joint, or preventing it from moving in the wrong direction. They are a vital part of the structure of our entire skeleton, and are present in every joint.
Interesting Water Facts
· 75% of Americans, and most of the world population, are chronically dehydrated.
· In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
· Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
· One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters
· Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue.
· Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
· A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
· Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
· The human body can easily dehydrate itself, particularly on hot days, so you should not use thirst as an indicator of when you need to replenish your fluids. Keep a glass of water nearby throughout the day and refill it often.
· Some people are afraid of drinking too much water but this only happens in very rare cases. Don’t underestimate the importance of drinking water—your body is depending on it daily.
If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all.”- Anna Quindlen
Antioxidants…TOO Much of A Good Thing May NOT Be A Good Thing.
Popular Belief Is That Antioxidants Prevent Heart, Parkinson’s And Alzheimer’s Disease – New Research Shows That Too Much May CAUSE One Of These Dreaded Diseases…
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ustin – It’s a very popular and believable theory, mainly because it makes sense. It has also given hope to many people in search of ways to enhance and extend their lives… naturally. And let’s not forget – it’s profitable.
What we are referring to… of course… is the belief that taking antioxidants is good for you. Many believe they can prevent such diseases as heart, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Now a new study (published in the August 10th issue of Cell) sheds new light on this claim… and says that too much of a certain antioxidant may even cause heart disease.
To make sense of all this, let’s talk about…
How Antioxidants Are
Thought To Work…
Heart, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other deadly diseases are associated with oxidative stress, in which “free radical” molecules are produced in reaction to oxygen intake.
Free radicals travel the body, triggering chemical reactions that damage proteins causing them to form aggregates.
It is believed that antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E (and many others), offer health-promoting benefits by protecting against damaging free radicals.
That’s why many people take antioxidants to prevent heart and other protein-aggregate diseases.
In a study on laboratory mice,
Powerful Antioxidant
Reductive stress is a condition caused by excessive levels of reduced glutathione, which is one of your body’s most powerful antioxidants.
When your cells work properly, they produce just the right amount of reduced glutathione, which is healthy for your body. However, in some people, a mutated gene can disrupt the fine balance, causing the cells to produce too much.
In the study of laboratory mice with failing hearts caused by mutant alpha B-Crystallin, researchers found increased activity of the biochemical pathway leading to high levels of reduced glutathione in the animals.
Glutathione is regulated at multiple steps principally by the G6PD enzyme. To establish the connection between reduced glutathione and heart failure, Benjamin mated mutant alpha B-Crystallin mice that carried too much G6PD with mice that had far lower levels.
Reduced Heart Failure
The resulting offspring had normal levels of reduced glutathione and did not develop heart failure.
The researchers found that by lowering the level of reduced glutathione in mice with failing hearts, they were able to increase their rate of survival dramatically.
“Lowering the level of reduced glutathione dramatically changed the survival of these mice,” Benjamin said. “Basically, we prevented them from getting heart failure.”
Benjamin also added that although many people take antioxidants to prevent heart and other protein-aggregate diseases, there actually is scant evidence to prove they work. And that, “This is a case of too much of a good thing.”
“This field of medicine has not appreciated reductive stress and its influence on disease,” he said. “This is about balance needed in the environment of our cells, and it can have profound consequences on the treatments of heart disease and other serious disorders.”
“Too Much Of A Good Thing?”
This is a concept that is misunderstood by most of the population... and probably leads to many health problems.
What concept?
Most have a skewed concept of how the body functions and what… exactly… optimal performance… or… optimal health is.
“Optimal” Performance
For example, let’s take performance. Many athletes are constantly trying to boost performance with supplementation. Some natural (and legal) other synthetic and usually illegal.
Some athletes take anabolic steroids to boost performance. Steroids such as testosterone – help build muscle, strength and reduce recovery time. And they naturally occur in your body for these and many other purposes.
And naturally occurring steroids are good for you. So… if naturally occurring steroids do these good things for you – increasing their levels will do more good things for you.
And it is true – athletes that take the right steroids, increase their athletic performance. And increase it a great deal.
“Pathological” Performance
However, this is not OPTIMAL performance. This is PATHOLOGICAL performance.
Here’s why: Optimal performance is when your body is functioning at the highest level for your given genetic potential. Anything beyond that is ABNORMAL. Therefore PATHOLOGICAL.
It’s the same “too much of a good thing” Dr. Benjamin is referring to above.
And, it’s the same as far as antioxidants are concerned.
It makes complete sense that the proper level of antioxidants are good for you. And they probably help fight disease such as heart, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
AT THE PROPER LEVELS!!!!
Too many approach the use of natural supplements like the athlete approaches the use of steroids.
If a little is good – a lot is better.
Know this: There is a perfect balance in your body where everything functions at 100% of your genetic potential. More is not better – it is worse.
And as the study mentioned in this article demonstrated, too much of a good thing can be…
Poison!
This is why choosing and taking supplements (of any kind) is much more involved than going into GNC and aimlessly picking a bunch that are popular… or… sound good.
The old (and uneducated) belief that supplements can’t hurt you because they are natural is bologna.
Snake venom is natural. So is mercury. Some of the most dangerous substances in the world are natural.
The supplements you take should depend on your diet and particular needs.
Clearly, it’s all about finding YOUR perfect balance. And if you have any questions, please feel free to ask during your next visit.
And always remember:
Too Much Of A Good Thing
May NOT Be A Good Thing!
Can Sunshine Prevent 600,000 Cases Of Breast And
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f you are like most people, you probably think the sun causes cancer. And why shouldn’t you? Recent news coverage has demonized the sun… sending many running from it like Vampires at dawn.
The truth is: overexposure to the sun can cause problems. But here’s what you probably don’t know – underexposure can be dangerous to your health.
Here’s why:
A new study looking at the relationship between vitamin D serum levels and the risk of colon and breast cancer across the globe has estimated the number of cases of cancer that could be prevented each year if vitamin D3 levels met the target proposed by researchers.
Cedric F. Garland, Dr.P.H., cancer prevention specialist at the
“For the first time, we are saying that 600,000 cases of breast and colorectal cancer could be prevented each year worldwide, including nearly 150,000 in the
The study combined data from surveys of serum vitamin D levels during winter from 15 countries. It is the first such study to look at satellite measurements of sunshine and cloud cover in countries where actual blood serum levels of vitamin D3 had also been determined. The data was then applied to 177 countries to estimate the average serum level of a vitamin D metabolite of people living there.
The data revealed an inverse association of serum vitamin D with risk of colorectal and breast cancer. The protective effect began at levels ranging from 24 to 32 nanograms per milliliter of 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration in the serum. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D level is the main indicator of vitamin D status. The late winter average 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the
“This could be best achieved with a combination of diet, supplements and short intervals – 10 or 15 minutes a day – in the sun,” said
The serum level recommended by the study would correspond to intake of 2000 International Units per day of vitamin D3 for a meaningful reduction in colorectal cancer. The researchers recommend 2000 IU/day, plus, when weather allows, a few minutes in the sun with at least 40% of the skin exposed, for a meaningful reduction in breast cancer incidence, unless the individual has a history of skin cancer or a photosensitivity disease.
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
Is Success Really A “Mystery”?
If you like reality shows and a good “mystery” story… you are in for a treat.
Let’s see if I’m right…
The story you are about to read may seem very strange. But it is 100% true… and not only that… it holds one of the biggest keys to YOU living a happy and successful life…
The Mystery Method
Here’s the story: At the time of writing this newsletter, there is a brand new show on cable television called “The Pick-Up Artist.” The star of the show is a very interesting guy by the name of Erik von Markovik. He goes by the nickname:
“Mystery”
Why is this guy so interesting?
Because he is hailed on the show as the world’s greatest pick-up artist. Which means… he is the best in the world at going into any social setting… meeting women… and getting them to fall for him.
I know what you’re thinking. This can’t have anything to do with you and your life. I assure you it does. Quite a bit. So just stick with me just a little more…
Anyway, this “Mystery” guy has come up with a step-by-step system to teach lonely, shy guys how to meet women. And on this show, he teaches a bunch of them his system.
And get this: they actually have several night clubs and coffee shops completely wired with surveillance cameras… so… after each lesson… Mystery can watch his students go into the social setting and attempt to meet women.
Now here’s the important part for you…
There is a 27 year-old guy on the show that goes by the nickname: Spoon.
And Spoon is just a complete wreck around women. He’s even petrified just to walk into a social setting. But he does…
But then he just walks around. Nervous. Not talking to anyone. Obviously horrified. At one point he leaves the club and bursts into tears.
After that night he decided to quit the show.
Anyone watching the show would have to be disappointed. If you had half a heart, you would have felt for him and been rooting for him to succeed.
When he said he wanted to quit, Mystery and his staff told him that this was a very important choice that went way beyond just meeting women. It was a decision that was going to affect the rest of his life.
And they were 100% correct.
Listen. Just about every single person in the world that is struggling has at least a little Spoon in them.
How?
Most are so used to struggling, frustration and failure – they feel uncomfortable doing anything else. Doing something new. So they don’t even try.
Spoon finally had all the right tools to achieve the goals he wanted – he just couldn’t get out of his comfort zone (and his own way) and use them.
One Of The Biggest Secrets To Success
Know this: One of the biggest secrets to success is having the ability to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. The comfortable path is NEVER the one that leads you to success. But the good news is… once you have the guts to step up and try something new… once you have a little success… that uncomfortable feeling is quickly replaced.
Whatever you want to do or achieve in life always starts with being uncomfortable… at least a little. Sure, others may look like they are cool, calm and collected… but… they are not.
And this includes your health.
If you have been a reader of this newsletter for any length of time – you know many things you can do to improve your health. Namely: Eating properly, reduce stress, exercise and regular Chiropractic check-ups.
Some of these things may be different for you. You may have to make a change. You may have to be uncomfortable for a little while. But that feeling won’t last – and – the new life and health you gain will.
September Quiz Question
Q: What is the function of the “Spine”?
A: The spine is the core of your skeletal system. It supports your body and protects your spinal cord which is the major nerve pathway in your body. The spine is made up of vertebrae; 7 in the neck, 12 in the mid back (Thoracic spine), and 5 in the lower back or “lumbar” area. The curves of the spine along with the discs between the vertebrae helps provide strength, stability, and flexibility.
Life Expectancy Continues to Grow
Life expectancy in the
- Life expectancy at birth increased for both men (to 75.2 from 74.8) and women (to 80.4 from 80.1). Similarly, it increased for African American men (to 69.5 from 69.0) and for African American women (to 76.3 from 76.1).
- Life expectancy at age 65 increased for men to 17.1 additional years (total of 82.1 years) from 16.8 (81.3 years) and for women to 20.0 (85.0 years) from 19.8 (84.8 years). Life expectancy at age 65 also increased for Black men to 15.2 (total of 80.1 years) from 14.9 (79.9) and for Black women to 18.6 (83.6 years) from 18.5 (83.5 years).
- Overall, death rates for the total
U.S. - The nation’s leading causes of death for persons 65 and over were: heart disease (31.2 of all deaths of persons 65+ in 2003), cancer (21.6%), stroke (7.7%), chronic lower respiratory disease (6.0%), Alzheimer's Disease (3.5%), Influenza and Pneumonia (3.2%), and Diabetes (3.0%).
On the not-so-good side:
- Analyses of recent mortality rates suggest that while mortality for most of the leading causes of death among older persons is declining, there are several areas where it may be increasing. Recent years have seen increased mortality from essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease as well as unintentional falls.
There are two main strategies we can adopt to improve the quality of life. The first is to try taking external conditions match our goals. The second is to change how we experience external conditions to make them fit our goals better. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,
Can Having Obese Friends Make You Fat, Too?
New research suggests obesity may spread through social networks like a virus… and your friends can even live hundreds of miles away!!!
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ustin – I can’t help it – it’s in my genes. That’s been the surrender slogan for many overweight and obese individuals for years.
And who could blame them? Even many doctors and researchers believed your ability to lose weight – or pack on pounds – was a function of your genetic make-up.
If you were dealt a bad genetic hand, your fate was to be fat. Well, new information shows that might not be the case.
Be Very Careful Who You “Befriend”
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The first is a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which found that the obesity epidemic can spread like a virus through social networks. When a person becomes obese, his friends and siblings are likely to gain weight as well. Quite a bit of weight.
The researchers evaluated a network of 12,067 people who underwent repeated measurements over a period of 32 years.
They found that when a person becomes obese, the chances that a friend will become obese increases by 57 percent. Siblings of obese people have a 40 percent increased risk of obesity, and their spouse's risk increased by 37 percent.
On average, having an obese friend made a person gain 17 pounds, which put many people over the body mass index (BMI) measure for obesity.
Female friendships did not seem to be impacted by obesity. But the chances that a man might gain weight from having a fat pal doubled for so-called mutual friends -- friends who both listed each other as buddies.
"There is an important implication here for a broadening perspective on treatment for obesity," said Dr. Nicholas Christakis, the study's lead author. "Attitudes are changing about what constitutes an acceptable body size, more so than a sharing of behaviors.
"We don't think that this is the only cause of obesity. This is adding one additional factor or explanation."
Men Only?
One big question raised by the study was, “why didn’t having obese friends affect the women’s weight?”
"There is a strong social bias for women towards thinness," said Dr. Robert Kushner, President of the American Board of Nutrition Physician Specialists.
"Social norms may trump social networks here. Guys don't have the same social pressure. Men may be more influenced by their friends."
Other diet experts agree that the inner workings of male friendships may have a lot to do with weight gain.
"Current social stigma against obesity is greater among women, and women jointly discuss weight and support each other in dieting and exercising," said Jeffery Sobal, a Professor of Nutritional Science at
Cornell University And here’s something interesting reported by researcher James Fowler of
Harvard University and Nicholas Christakis of theUniversity ofCalifornia inSan Diego Obesity, they say, is "socially contagious" and, remarkably, the researchers found that to be true even if your loved ones live far away. Social ties seem to play a surprisingly strong role, even more than genes are known to do.
"We were stunned to find that friends who are hundreds of miles away have just as much impact on a person’s weight status as friends who are right next door," said Dr Fowler.
Should You Ditch Overweight Friends?
Despite their findings, the researchers said people should not sever their relationships. "There is a ton of research that suggests that having more friends makes you healthier," Fowler said. "So the last thing that you want to do is get rid of any of your friends."
Clearly, this study shows the importance of behavior in weight gain overshadowing genetic make-up. And here are the results of another study that is helping to…
Debunk The Legendary “Fat Gene”
A team of British scientists examined 300 people who became severely obese at a young age, to determine whether a faulty gene was involved. Researchers were looking specifically at the gene in charge of the leptin receptor.
Leptin is a hormone that controls appetite and can influence how much we feel like eating. It has been previously implicated in animal obesity studies.
Scientists examined the obese study participants to see whether this so-called obesity gene was disturbed in any way. They found that only 3 percent of people had an abnormal leptin gene -- indicating that leptin is probably not a factor for most obese people.
And scientists in
New Zealand In what is referred to as a breakthrough discovery, scientists from
Auckland University Their research shows that when a mother is undernourished, her child’s body is pre-set to cope with a life of scarcity—the energy-dense fast food diet of the Western world results in children who are likely to become fat.
In laboratory tests, newborn offspring from both well-fed and undernourished rats were given leptin, a hormone that signals to the body when it has eaten enough. When they became adults, the long-term effects were measured by looking at genes that regulate metabolism in the liver. Rats from well-fed mothers reacted to leptin in the opposite way to those from undernourished mothers.
The researchers urge mothers to eat a more balanced diet (with the right amounts of protein and vitamins) during pregnancy. However, if the fetus is undernourished in the womb, the long-term effects can still be corrected through good nutrition.
Nature or Nurture? The FINAL Word
So what’s the final word on all this? Is it our genes that make us easily gain weight which leads to becoming overweight or even obese… or… is it our behavior that shapes (and sculpts) our bodies?
The most likely correct answer is: BOTH.
You are born with a set of genes you cannot change. Some people can eat and eat and never gain a pound. Others can’t. But as the recent research is showing – you have much more control over the final outcome than most people are willing to take credit for.
No matter your genetic make-up, you can choose to eat properly and exercise. Thus shaping your body… and… destiny.
Tip Of The Month…
Bottled Water Hoax?
Is that bottled water you’re drinking from a mountain spring or just glorified tap water? The answer may surprise you!
Y
ou may or may not remember this. Several months ago there was a study released that brought to light a potential concern with bottled water.
Researchers at the University of Heidelberg Institute of Environmental Geochemistry (
Germany After letting the same bottles sit at room temperature for 6 months, the researchers found that average antimony concentrations in the Canadian bottled waters increased by 19%, and by 90% in the European brands.
Most of the waters tested were packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers. Researchers did not know why, but it was clear that water bottled in PET contains much more antimony than regular tap water. They also don’t know the impact this could have on your health. Researchers said it’s something that should be looked into further. Although antimony is a suspected carcinogen, there is no proof.
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No Proof.
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“Proof” or no proof… this is definitely something that raises concern.
Especially since according to statistics provided by the Beverage Marketing Corporation state: “Bottled water emerged as the second largest commercial beverage category by volume in the
United States U.S. In 2005, total
U.S. U.S. More Bad News
But now there’s more bad news for the bottled water industry. According to the Associated Press July 28, 2007, PepsiCo Inc., is offering some clarity about the source of its top selling bottled water – Aquafina.
It recently announced it would change the label on Aquafina water bottles to spell out that the drink comes from the same source as tap water.
According to the AP article: “A group called Corporate Accountability International has been pressuring bottled water sellers to curb what it calls misleading marketing practices. The group has criticized PepsiCo over its blue Aquafina label with a mountain logo as perpetuating the misconception that the water comes from spring sources.
Aquafina is the single biggest bottled water brand, and its bottles are now labeled "P.W.S." The new labels will spell out "public water source."
The corporate accountability group is also pressing for similar concessions from The Coca-Cola
Co. , which owns the Dasani water brand, and Nestle Waters North America, seller of Nestle Pure Life purified drinking water, which gets some of its water from municipal sources.Dasani's Web site says that Dasani comes from local water supplies, is filtered using a process called reverse osmosis and enhanced with minerals.
The best bet may be purchasing your own water filtration system. At least that way you know for sure what you are getting.
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Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
The True Story About The
2nd Richest Man On The Planet
Genius.
It’s something we would all like to be. Or, at least be called from time to time.
It’s also a term we use to describe the very successful and very rich. Ok, fine. Maybe Paris Hilton doesn’t fall into this “Genius” category. I’ll agree with you there. But somewhere back in the Hilton gene pool you can arguable say there was a genius that started the Hilton chain of hotels.
Right?
Let’s take another example…
We all know who the 2nd richest man on the planet is. Bill Gates. But, very few know HOW he got to be so rich.
Most people seem to think Gates is a computer geek (and genius) who wrote the breakthrough computer software… DOS. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Truth is, Gates did not write… or invent… ANYTHING. But here’s what he DID do: Bill Gates negotiated the deal to purchase DOS for only $50,000!
It’s true. And for only $50K, Gates took credit for the software…
That Launched Microsoft
Into The Stratosphere!!!
Yes, there were other things involved in building the Microsoft empire. But, that was the first HUGE step.
Pretty slick for a 19-year-old Harvard drop-out “nerd.”
As a quick aside: Have you seen Bill Gate’s mug shot when he was arrested on a traffic violation way back when? If you haven’t, it’s on www.thesmokinggun.com.
Anyway, here’s the really ironic yet important part: Gates got rich. Gates got famous. But do you know the name of the guy who actually wrote the DOS program?
Bet you don’t. ‘Cause just about no one does. Well, his name is Tim Paterson. At that time, he was 21 years old and wrote the entire program in… imagine this…
only four months!
What’s that you’re thinking?
Paterson Maybe he is. At writing computer software. But not at building a big, world-altering company. Not at making money and becoming rich and successful.
For his “genius” efforts, Mr. Paterson got a paltry $50,000. With no work at all, Mr. Gates parlayed his $50,000 into becoming the richest man on the planet.
Who’s the REAL genius? Both are. Just different kinds.
That’s the funny thing about how all this works… no one pays big money to or remembers the worker. Those prizes only go to the one who was smart enough to take credit for it all.
You may be thinking this is not fair.
If you are, you would be correct. It’s not. Maybe Bill Gate’s “Fair” class was coming his next year in college. The year after he dropped out.
And you have to admit, there have been many situations in your life where you have been Tim Paterson for someone. You did all the work while they took the credit. If it’s at work, they probably got paid more than you for all you did, too.
Nothing can be more frustrating.
But being frustrated is not the answer. If you really think about what Bill Gates did… it’s not out of the realm of expectations for most people. Including you.
Sure… maybe not on the scale that Gates succeeded on. That is an extreme example. But, you can have little Gates’ successes on a much smaller scale. After all, you don’t have to be the richest person on the planet to be happy… do you?
Instead of being paralyzed by the way things actually work in the real world, accept it and start using it to your advantage. Stop thinking like Tim Paterson and start thinking like Bill Gates.
After all, who would you rather be: the one trying to write DOS or the one brokering the deal, taking the credit…and… making the money?
Clearly, the fact it does not take “genius” intelligence to be super successful is inspiration to all.
August Quiz question
Q: Is Chiropractic an Art or a Science?
A: Both! But before anyone can legally perform the Chiropractic Adjustment, he or she must graduate from an accredited
Chiropractic College -
Protect Your Heart By Lowering Cholesterol
Cholesterol levels are checked by a blood test and a cholesterol level should be a routine test during your annual check-up. If you have high cholesterol, your doctor may decide to check it more often. Your cholesterol level should be in the range of 140 to 200 milligrams of cholesterol, per deciliter of blood. People who have high cholesterol are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Cholesterol levels that are too low can be an indication of health problems such as liver cancer. The type of cholesterol that is found can also make a difference to your health risk. LDL or low density lipoproteins are considered "bad" cholesterol while HDL or high density lipoproteins are considered good cholesterol. Your risk of heart disease will be lower if your HDL accounts for more than 25% of your total cholesterol.
Causes of High Cholesterol
Ÿ Cholesterol naturally increases with age.
Ÿ It is higher in men and post menopausal women
Ÿ Family history
Ÿ High fat diet
Ÿ Sedentary lifestyle (little or no exercise)
Ÿ High alcohol intake
Ÿ Cigarette Smoking
Ÿ Diabetes
Ÿ Under active thyroid gland (hypothyroidism)
High Cholesterol Can Often Be Treated By:
Ÿ Following a low fat, high fiber diet
Ÿ Increase exercise
Ÿ Control blond sugar levels if diabetic
Ÿ Taking medications as ordered to control low thyroid levels
Ÿ Quit Smoking
Ÿ Limit alcohol intake
If cholesterol level is extremely high your doctor may order a medication to help lower it. Lipitor and Mevacor are two common medications prescribed to help lower cholesterol. These should only be used as prescribed and a low fat diet and exercise should also be initiated.
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We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. Sir Winston Churchill
Heart Surgeons Get Wake-Up Call On Common
Procedure ,United States A
ustin – This issue is jam packed with interesting, informative… and… helpful information. So, let’s skip the introduction and jump right into the good stuff…
Here’s the first very interesting fact for this month: On May 15th, 2007, the Commonwealth Fund issued a report entitled, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: An International Update on the Comparative Performance of American Health Care.”
The Results Were Not Good…
In fact, here’s what the first sentence of the report had to say: “Despite having the most costly health system in the world, the
United States Shocked? You shouldn’t be. Why? Because this is nothing new…
According to the report: “Among the six nations studied—Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States—the U.S. ranks last, as it did in the 2006 and 2004 editions of Mirror, Mirror. Most troubling, the
U.S. fails to achieve better health outcomes than the other countries, and as shown in the earlier editions, theU.S. Overall,
Germany and theUK topped the list, withCanada and theUnited States Even worse, American doctors are the slowest to change when it comes to technology, again, with the lowest numbers in relation to using electronic medical records or keeping up with the latest treatments via the Internet.
Now here is something that you will probably find interesting…. even puzzling... According to the report, “the area where the
U.S. It’s always been abundantly clear that…
An Ounce Of Prevention Is
Worth A Pound Of Cure
For example, the May 9th edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) had an article entitled: “Cardiologists Get Wake-up Call on Stents.”
According to the article, “Patients with stable coronary artery disease treated with stents and optimal medical therapy fare no better than those who receive optimal medical therapy alone, according to new findings from a large clinical trial.”
For many cardiologists, the results serve as a wake-up call that they need to reevaluate how frequently they offer stenting (which has slight risks associated with the intervention itself, as well as stent-associated thrombotic events) as a first option for relief of stable angina. The data comes from the Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation (COURAGE) Trial, reported here in March at the annual conference of the
American College What So Many Knew All Along…
It seems like research is simply confirming what many thought to be true all along. Prevention is far superior to invasive “crisis” procedures after years and years of neglect.
It is abundantly clear you cannot abuse or neglect your body and health and have the wonders of modern medicine save you.
Now for something different… but… related…
First, let’s be clear about this: This newsletter does NOT endorse ANY politicians. It simply exposes our valuable readers to important healthcare issues that exist. That being said… you should know about this…
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) has introduced a bill that would curb restrictions imposed by the FDA and FTC regarding health claims for dietary supplements.
Why would he do that? Aren’t these restrictions good for the consumer to make sure they don’t get “duped” by snake oil salesmen making false claims?
Maybe. But, maybe not. Check this out and decide for yourself:
The Cherry Grower’s Story…
Back in 1999 a peer-reviewed report came out in the Journal of Natural Products, published by the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.
According to LewRockwell.com, the study concluded that “tart cherries may relieve pain better than aspirin and many other anti-inflammatory drugs.” It turns out that consumption of about 20 cherries reduces inflammation in a similar manner as aspirin or Cox-2 inhibiting drugs without the lethal side effects of gastric bleeding or vitamin depletion associated with these drugs. The molecules in cherries, called anthocyanins, work to reduce inflammation at ten times less dosage than aspirin. [Journal Natural Products 1999 Feb; 62(2): 294–6] Pills that provide concentrated anthocyanins would make it even easier to consumers to achieve these health benefits.
When cherry growers began to cite this scientific study, the FDA followed by sending a warning letter to 29 companies that market cherries threatening regulatory action if they did not remove the scientific information regarding the anti-inflammatory properties of cherries from their websites. The FDA declared cherries to be "drugs" once health claims for a disease were associated with the product.
Bob Underwood, who sells capsules containing concentrated cherry paste, was quoted in an Associated Press story in 2006 as saying: "We have the government telling people to eat more fruits and vegetables, and we have the U.S. Department of Agriculture funding some of these fruit studies, and now we have another arm of the federal government that says you can't use the research."
According to LewRockwell.com, “The Health Freedom Protection Act would stop the FDA from censoring truthful claims about the curative, mitigative, or preventative effects of dietary supplements,” says Scott Tips of the National Health Federation, a Monrovia, California-based organization that is leading the charge behind this legislation.”
Sad to see that legislation is needed to stop the censorship of truthful claims… isn’t it?
Tip Of The Month…
Summer Heat Can Be Deadly
Warning Signs And How To Stay Safe
H
ere’s a scary fact: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – NOAA – says more Americans die from extreme heat than from hurricanes, lightning, tornados, floods and earthquakes.
And that’s just counting the direct causalities. We have no way of knowing how many have died of other causes that would not have been fatal under other conditions.
The
National Center for Environmental Health puts theU.S. According to climatologist, Mary Knapp, based at
Kansas State University And it’s not just the temperature or humidity that puts you in danger. Knapp states, "Even when the humidity is low, temperatures in the high 90s [F] can be life-threatening in a fan-cooled home. When the humidity is high, temperatures in the high 80s can be dangerous," Knapp said. "Air movement may make you feel more comfortable then, but it may not keep you cool enough to be safe."
If temperatures are 80 or higher – the risk increases dramatically, especially for the elder, very young, those who are ill, and if you are involved in physical activity.
Here are some early warning signs of heat-related risks:
· Dizziness, feeling faint.
· Going to the bathroom less than usual.
· Darker and/or more yellow urine.
· Labored breathing, sometimes accompanied by a pounding heartbeat.
· Headache and/or painful muscle spasms.
· Nausea and/or excessive sweating.
A pounding heart and gasping for breath may seem easy for some to recognize, but for many, it is not.
Athletes And Heat Stroke
For example, athletes notoriously ignore them. Why? Because many athletes train and push themselves year round. They have trained in the hot weather before.
Part of their training is a pounding heart and heavy breathing. They’ve “been there, done that” and survived. Right?
That’s exactly what put them at the most risk. We have all heard about football players dying during summer camp workouts. There is a difference between a “pounding heart” and a safe aerobic heart rate. There is also a difference between breathing hard and gasping.
Experts warn: In extreme conditions, progressing into heat stroke can be a matter of minutes. The quickly developing symptoms can include: dry skin, high body temperature (above 105), rapid pulse, lethargy, disorientation, delirium, and coma. That’s why heat stroke is often fatal – even with rapid first aid or medical care to reduce the body’s burning, fever-like temperature as quickly as possible.
Once Again… WATER!
Besides knowing your risk factors, limiting strenuous activity and spending time in air conditioned rooms, drinking enough water is extremely valuable. As the temperature rises, so should the amount you drink. But do not rely on thirst. Experts warn thirst is not a good indicator of the amount of water you need. When sweating heavily, healthy adults need to drink 16 to 32 ounces of cool (not cold) fluids each hour.
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
Be Careful What You Want And
Who You Want To Be Like -
An “Anti-Success Story”
We’ve all heard it a thousand times.
Be careful what you wish for – because it just might come true. And as you will soon see in a couple of examples in just a moment., it’s true. But, just as important, is to be careful WHO you want to be like.
In other words… who you look up to and emulate to “success.” And even more important – who your children attempt to imitate to improve their lives.
For example, on May 25th 2007, Yahoo News printed a story that was entitled, “Ryan O’Neal Won’t Face Criminal Charges.”
As the story goes… prosecutors declined to charge Ryan O’Neal with assault with a deadly weapon for firing a gun during a brawl with his older son earlier this year. There was insufficient evidence and witnesses gave conflicting accounts of the event. O’Neal’s attorney, Mark Werksman, claimed the elder O’Neal acted in self-defense and was quoted in the article, “It's a tremendous relief for Mr. O'Neal to have this resolved favorably in this manner.”
According to the same Yahoo News article, O’Neal said he fired a warning shot to scare his 42-year-old son, Griffin O’Neal, who had attacked him with a fireplace poker.
But it gets worse…
“He said his son lashed out at him during a fight, but he ducked and the poker struck Griffin O'Neal's girlfriend, Joanna Berry, who was eight months' pregnant.” “She received a serious eye injury and needed stitches for a facial cut,” said Gloria Allred, an attorney who represented both
Berry But that’s not all – “In 1983, police were called to their home after a fight in which Ryan O'Neal knocked out two of Griffin O'Neal's teeth,” the Los Angeles Times reported. No charges were filed. Griffin O'Neal also has had several run-ins with the law. He was found guilty of reckless boating in a 1986 accident that killed the son of film director, Francis Ford Coppola, and later was given an 18-day jail sentence for failing to perform community service ordered in that case. He also has pleaded no contest in two unrelated cases to drunken driving and shooting at the unoccupied car of an estranged girlfriend.”
WOW!!!
No comment or judgment. Just… WOW!
On the same day, Yahoo News also covered the story of Bjarne Riis.
Who’s that?
He won the Tour De France in 1996. And he has now come out and admitted to doping. According to the story, he took several performance enhancing drugs.
Several Ex-Tour De France winners have either been busted or have “come clean” recently about taking banned drugs. And does anyone have to mention steroids in baseball?
One can only speculate how bad the problem is in ALL sports.
Sadly, celebrities and athletes are what many in society choose to emulate, especially kids. After all, what 12-year-old doesn’t dream about being a big star, winning the Super Bowl, etc.
This is not a condemnation of ALL actors, actresses or athletes. Not in the least.
The news reports the sensational. But what “successful” people appear to be and who they really are can be very, very different. Sometimes the very drive necessary to achieve superhuman success leads to an unbalanced and unhealthy life. The business person who sacrifices family and health to reach the pinnacle of his or her profession will have nothing when it is reached.
There are countless examples of unhappy multi-millionaires, whether they are celebrities, athletes… or… simple workaholics.
Do you think Brittney Spears would trade all her millions for a moment of sanity, clarity and happiness? Don’t know. But she just might. All the little girls who what to “be like Brittney” should realize that too. And maybe your kids should want to be a lot more like YOU.
This month’s “success story” was more like an “anti-success story.” But, sometimes you have to realize that you are successful already. Just take the time to enjoy what you have. It’s a lot better than you may think. If you have doubts think about this: Ryan O’Neal was relieved he’s not going to jail for firing a warning shot at his son who was attacking him with a fireplace poker.
That relieves him. Think about it…
Q: What is a “Double Blinded Study”?
A: A “Double Blinded Study” is study in which at least two separate groups receive the experimental medication or procedure at different times, with neither group being made aware of when the experimental treatment or procedure has been given. Double-blinded studies are often chosen when a treatment shows particular promise and the illness involved is serious. It can be hard to recruit human subjects for a blinded study of a promising treatment when one group will receive only a placebo or an existing medicine.
Did You Know?…
(Our monthly feature of tidbits of news and info
to make your life easier and more fun, so you’re healthy all the time!)
According to an updated scientific statement released by the American Heart Association, 12-step screening process may help reduce sudden cardiac deaths in young athletes.
The rate of sudden cardiac death in American high school-age athletes is still rare - about one in 200,000, according to one 12-year
Minnesota The recommended screening process includes 12 questions about personal and family medical history and a physical examination. Doctors should ask questions about:
Ÿ chest pain/discomfort upon exertion;
Ÿ unexplained fainting or near-fainting;
Ÿ excessive and unexplained fatigue associated with exercise;
Ÿ heart murmur;
Ÿ high blood pressure;
Ÿ one or more relatives who died of heart disease (sudden/unexpected or otherwise) before age 50;
Ÿ close relative under age 50 with disability from heart disease;
Ÿ specific knowledge of certain cardiac conditions in family members: hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy in which the heart cavity or wall becomes enlarged; "long QT syndrome" which affects the heart's electrical rhythm; Marfan syndrome, in which the walls of the heart's major arteries are weakened; or clinically important arrhythmias or heart rhythms. The physical examination should note:
Ÿ heart murmur;
Ÿ femoral pulses to exclude narrowing of the aorta;
Ÿ physical appearance of Marfan syndrome;
Ÿ brachial artery blood pressure (taken in a sitting position).
If any of the 12 screening elements yields a "yes" answer, the patient should be referred for further cardiovascular examination, the scientific statements said.
Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value. - Albert Einstein
If Children’s Television Was Linked To Obesity, Diabetes, Cancer, Autism And Dementia…Would You Let Them Watch?
A
ustin – Oh boy. This is shocking. Not surprising. Shocking. And if you have children… you are going to want to drop everything you are doing… and… read this right now.
Here’s what this is all about: Back on February 19th of this year, both Physorg.com and The Scotsman reported on research that shows Children watching television may be linked to several serious health problems. And spending time in front of the computer screen can also be detrimental.
And here’s something very interesting: If you think your kids are immune because you monitor what they watch and they only watch “educational” television… you might want to read this quote from Dr. Aric Sigman, “It is the number of hours and the age which they start which produces the biological effects. It is because of the medium, not the message, that these effects are occurring,”
In other words…
It’s NOT What Kids Are Watching On Television… It’s The Television Itself That Is The Problem!
Who is Dr. Aric Sigman? Dr Sigman is an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and author of Remotely Controlled: How Television Is Damaging Our Lives. In his report, he analyzed 35 different scientific studies carried out into television and its effect on the viewer. He has identified 15 negative effects he claims can be blamed on watching television.
Some of the most alarming discoveries are the links he claims to have found between long hours of television viewing and cancer, autism and Alzheimer's.
According to the February 19th 2007 edition of The Scotsman, “The effects on children watching TV have been well publicised in
Britain However, today's report suggests the consequences of television are far more serious. They range from myopia and attention deficit disorder to diabetes, autism, Alzheimer's and a generation whose brains are being numbed by on-screen imagery.”
Hours Add Up
In Dr. Sigman’s report, published in Biologist magazine, he claims the biggest problem with television is how much time is spent in front of it.
For a large percentage of the population, watching television is the third leading way they spend their time. According to Dr. Sigman in the February 19th The Scotsman article, “by the age of six, a child will already have spent one year in front of the television. When time in front of a computer is added, the psychologist claims watching a screen of some kind is the dominant activity for older children - those aged 11 to 15 now spend 55 percent of their waking lives, or 7-1/2 hours a day, watching television and computers. According to today's report, that represents a 40 percent rise in a decade.
Dr Sigman claims the battery of ill effects takes its toll on both body and mind. He claims the effect on the brain is not stimulating, but almost narcotic, numbing the areas of the brain stimulated by, for example, reading.
The influence of modern editing techniques - for example the rapid "jump cuts" - also plays its part. Attention spans fracture while at the same time, according to Dr. Sigman, the brain is programmed to reward itself with the neurotransmitter dopamine for being able to cope with an onslaught of novelty on screen.
Early Puberty?
Dr. Sigman’s work not only associates television watching with obesity, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, attention span and the body cells’ ability to heal wounds… it claims a significant body of research now leads him to believe it is a major factor in reducing levels of the hormone – melatonin.
Why is this important?
This is important because melatonin is the hormone that regulates the body’s internal clock and also helps determine the onset and progression of puberty.
Since melatonin is produced at night and makes you feel “sleepy,” it is believed the bright screen may decrease production. This may lead to disturbances in sleep… which can be linked to many health problems.
And according to Dr. Sigman, suppressing melatonin levels in this fashion may lead to children starting puberty much earlier than nature intended.
What’s more, the study found that children's resting metabolic rate decreased as the amount of TV they watched soared - meaning that physiological changes compounded the fact that they were not exercising.
No TV Under 3
And according to the April 24th issue of The Guardian, "Between the ages of naught and 3, particularly when children are acquiring language, their brains are going through rapid development and are being physically shaped, like a piece of clay, in response to what they are exposed to. It's called structural neuroplasticity.
"Key stages of development are language acquisition and social skills, and if they're displaced at this stage, they may be irreplaceable." Dr Sigman, an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and member of the Institute of Biology, said exposing children to fast-moving images at a very young age for a sustained time may inhibit their ability to sustain attention.
And children who were left for long periods with only a screen to interact with, not only had less time to speak to adults, but also failed to develop social skills.”
Dr Sigman believes children under three should not watch TV, and those between 3 and 7 should watch 30 minutes to an hour a day.
And this includes so-called “educational” programming…
"I was told by the head of BBC children's TV [Richard Deverell] that TV 'helps children get interested in the outside world'. The world around them gets them interested in the outside world.
"We are told children need electronic entertainment or they get bored. It is not true. Children have an infinite ability to entertain themselves which television seems to erode. What children are exposed to under the age of 7, and particularly under the age of 3, is of paramount importance. It's really the under 3’s we're most concerned about and dramatically limiting the amount watched between three and seven."
Here Are Dr. Sigman’s Recommendations For
Television Watching:
· Children under 3: no screen exposure
· Ages 3 to 7: 30 minutes to an hour a day
· 7 to 12: One hour a day
· 12 to 15: one and-a-half hours a day
· 16 and over: 2 hours
According to The Guardian article, a Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesman said the government had no plans to introduce a recommended "daily allowance" rationing the amount of TV children watch.
Don’t Want To Plop Your Kids In Front Of The TV?
Here’s 12 Ways To Keep Them Busy Without The Boob-Tube!
I
f you read the lead article this month, you now know how important it is to limit the amount of television your young children watch.
But the question is… what do you do to occupy their time?
We began to search the internet for ways, and soon discovered one common theme. What was it?
Many recommended television! Sure, they recommended educational programming and DVDs. But, according to the research presented by Dr. Aric Sigman, even these programs can be bad for very young children. Why? Because of the effect of the television itself… and not JUST the program.
So What’s A Parent To Do?
Here’s a list of 17 activities we feel will help you keep your child occupied without sitting them in front of a television set. Use what you like... because… every bit helps when the little ones are all charged up and ready to go!!!
Homemade Musical Instruments: Making a musical instrument can be entertaining and fun. That is… as long as you can stand the noise your child will make once it is completed! If your child is old enough, an instrument can be made by simply putting dried beans on a paper plate and then gluing another plate on top. Or filling a Tupperware container with the beans. This may be better to avoid a possible mess. You may not want younger children to play with dried beans due to the choking hazard. Therefore, simply turning plastic containers over can make a great set of drums. And, of course, wooden spoons serve as perfect (and loud!) drumsticks! Have your children try to play along with some of their favorite music. And lastly… you may want to invest in a good set of ear plugs!!!
Quick And Easy Treasure Hunts: Make a list of 10 “treasures” children might find outside, such as sticks in the shape of a letter, giant leaves, yellow (or any color) flower, (make sure they understand not to pick flowers from someone’s garden), and whatever else you might think of. You might even want to take a walk around the area your children are allowed to be in and make a list based on what you see. Don’t make the list too easy or they will be done in a minute and don’t make it so hard they lose interest. It may help to have your other children (if you have them) hide things for their sibling to find. This encourages teamwork and they will learn to enjoy doing something that makes others feel good.
Make A Scrapbook: At the beginning of the summer, buy each child a blank notebook, some pens/pencils/crayons, glue, and construction paper. Have them write stories of what they did, draw pictures of their favorite activities, and keep track of their summer.
Make A Necklace: Empty thread spools that are painted different colors for younger children. Take the spools and string them together with a strong piece of lace.
Make A Bird Feeder: Use a two liter plastic soda bottle. Cut a large hole in the center of the bottle, so that there is a large opening that the birds can use to enter the bottle. Attach a string around the neck of it. Make two small holes below the opening and push a branch through the holes for the birds to perch on. Place bird seed on the floor of the bottle and hang from a tree branch.
Make Stick Puppets: Cut out either pictures of animals or people from magazines. Glue the pictures onto cardboard and then popsicle sticks. Then children can act out little plays and even important scenes from history.
Colored Walks: Give each child a color, a piece of paper and a pencil and have them take a walk. Have them write down as many things as they see that are the color they were given.
Counting The Kitchen: Have the children count common things in your kitchen such as dishes and silverware. You can even have them help set the table as they count – killing two birds with one stone.
Bird Watching: Buy a book on birds and use a blank notebook to keep track of how many different birds you see during the summer. You can even make a bird feeder to attract the birds.
Art With Bubbles: Add a few drops of tempera paint to a container of bubbles. Use several different containers and make them each a different color. Place white paper on the ground and blow the bubbles so they pop on the paper. Let them dry and see the unique artwork.
Make A Nature
Mobile Building With Boxes: Save several boxes of different sizes and shapes. Children can build playhouses or anything they can imagine.
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
Man Becomes Millionaire Showing People How To Get The Best HDTV For Only $50!
If you would like to know how someone brought in $1.2 million last year… and is expected to bring in DOUBLE that this year… selling 80 year old technology that gets the best FREE HDTV picture… then you are going love this story.
Here’s the story…High definition television (HDTV) is the rage. This past holiday season, HDTV sales were sky high. Consumers are spending THOUSANDS of dollars to get the best sets that have the capability to get truly amazing pictures. But, many people have found out that the super advanced (and priced) sets they bought may not have the same picture in their house… as it did in the store.
Why is this?
It’s because the television set they bought is only as good as the signal that is being transmitted to it.
In other words, you can have the best flat screen television set on the planet… and if… the signal you are getting from your cable company or satellite network is not up to par…
Your Picture Will Be Weak!
Many times stores will have you watch a television set that is hooked up to a special (and expensive) DVD player that gets a picture you are not going to get from your cable or satellite signal.
You may know that already. But here’s something I bet you don’t know…
Did you know, local TV channels broadcast in HD over-the-air and offer superior picture quality over the often compressed signals sent by cable and satellite TV companies? It’s true.
And here’s what’s also true: OVER-THE-AIR HD IS FREE!!! That’s right. But there is a problem. What’s the problem? The problem is: How do you get the free over-the-air HD signal to your television? A very innovative (and now rich) man has the answer.
His name is Richard Schneider and here’s what he has done: In the old days, television was broadcast from towers and people picked up the signal in their house with an antenna. If you are old enough (like me!) you remember fooling around with those “rabbit ear” antennas and even squeezing on ridiculous looking aluminum foil to the antenna in an attempt to get a decent picture.
As a quick aside – I also remember having to get up off the couch to change the channel. Speaking of channels… there were only seven! Who else is willing to admit they watched the same channel all night because they didn’t want to get up and change it? J
Anyway, in those old days, television signals were broadcast in analog. Nowadays, most local signals are broadcast in HD. And, Congress has ruled that ALL television signals must be broadcast in HD by February 19th, 2009. Schneider figured out a simple way to capture this FREE signal.
"Eighty-year-old technology is being re-designed and re-jiggered to deliver the best picture quality," said Richard Schneider, President of Antennas Direct. "It's an interesting irony." Irony indeed.
Is He Crazy?
According to the associated Press, “A few years ago, Schneider started an assembly line in his garage and sold antennas out of the trunk of his car. Now his
Eureka Is there a downside? The first is not all local areas are broadcast in HD.. yet. You are either in an area that does or you are not. And the second is it is only local stations.
If you are interested, more information can be found at The Consumer Electronics Association Website http://www.antennaweb.org/. This site reveals how far an address is from towers and recommends what type of antenna to use.
Schneider used cheap 80-year-old technology to create a multi-million dollar company. Everyone said he was nuts. Makes you wonder about your dreams... and how much the opinion of “everyone else” really means.
Doesn’t it?
One last note: this story was not to promote excessive television watching. It’s about the success story!!!
Q: Are teeth whiteners safe?
A: According to the Mayo Clinic website, “When used as directed on healthy teeth, over-the-counter (OTC) teeth whitening products are generally safe and effective. Side effects are few — and usually temporary — but may include:
üSensitive teeth
üGum irritation
üSensitive teeth
üGum irritation
Teeth whitening products are not recommended for:
üPregnant women or women who are breast-feeding
üChildren younger than age 16
üPeople with sensitive teeth or peroxide allergy
üPeople with gum disease or worn tooth enamel
When choosing an over-the-counter whitener, look for products with the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance. These products meet the
ADA ADA Did You Know?…
(Our monthly feature of tidbits of news and info
to make your life easier and more fun, so you’re healthy all the time!)
Countries that start battling global warming now won't have to wait generations to see the rewards: World health experts say burning cleaner fuels can yield immediate health benefits that save lives and money.
A climate change conference in
Bangkok Big developing countries like
China andIndia More than half of those deaths occur in
China , the world's second-largest greenhouse gas emitter after theUnited States The problems are not decades away - they're already here. It is conservatively estimated that 150,000 people died worldwide in 2000 from health issues related to climate change, with nearly 90 percent of those fatalities in Asia and
Africa .The figures do not include deaths linked to air pollution.
Active Release
Dr. Atencio is Certified Full Body in addition to Long Tract Nerve Entrapment. He has 12 years experience with Active Release Technique
Pain Control
Spinal Decompression
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