Find Your Fountain of Youth

History shows us that people will go to great lengths to search for ways to remain young. The literal and figurative quest for the elusive “Fountain of Youth” is alive and well to this day. While there is no way (at least yet) to “live forever,”  the process of searching has helped us to learn more about the multitude of factors that seem to allow for longevity and lifelong health. Here are some easy ways to find your own Fountain of Youth and live a healthier, happier life.

• Hydration is important for cellular functioning, so make sure you drink liquids regularly throughout the day.
• The phytonutrients in plant-based foods are essential for health and wellness. Eat plenty of vegetables and low-sugar fruits every day.
• Rest is necessary for your body to run optimally. The way to figure out how much sleep you need is to think about how much you sleep on a relaxing vacation, when you fall asleep naturally and wake up without an alarm. The number of hours you get on a relaxing vacation per day is generally how much time your body is craving for sleep.
• Take time to have fun with your loved ones. Social support and positive experiences have been seen in studies to be beneficial to health.
• Make sure to keep your body moving every day, even if it’s just walking up and down stairs at work or taking a noon-time stroll around the block. Exercise is key to living a long and healthy life!

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Jump-Start Your Next Workout

Has your workout program been in a downward spiral lately? Have you been doing less and less physical activity? Are the once pain-free activities now causing increased pain? If so, you might want to resume your workouts with isometric exercise. Find out more about isometric exercises and try these beginner exercises to get you started.

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Too Much Salt in Your Diet?

The fast- and processed-food industries offer a staggering variety of sodium-laden foods, many of which make a huge dent in your recommended daily allowance for sodium in a single serving. These days, a major culprit when it comes to sodium intake isn’t what we sprinkle on our foods – it’s the food itself. Here’s why sodium can be dangerous in excessive amounts and what you can do to help keep it in check.

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The spine is made up of 29 vertebrae that are divided up by specific regions of the body: cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacrum. Think of the spine as a protective housing for your spinal cord that lives in the center of the vertebrae. At every level of the spine, nerves branch off of the spinal cord, move past the vertebrae and outward to supply the different parts of the body.

Furthermore, as the nerves branch off from the spine, certain ones move out farther and farther, going all the way to the hands and feet. While a nerve is traveling, it must repeatedly pass by or around different bones. It stands to reason that the position of the bones is important. If the bones are not in correct position, or “out of alignment,” the nerves will be compromised.

An easy way to remember how the body works is that the vertebrae, spinal cord and nerves affect everything from your toes all the way up to your nose. As an example, migraines and other headaches can be caused when the spinal vertebrae in the neck region are misaligned. This causes pressure on the nerves as they branch off of the spinal cord and move through the vertebrae out to the muscles of the neck and head. This compromised nerve flow also affects the circulation of blood to and from the area. All of these factors play an important role in headaches.

If our vertebrae are in good, proper alignment over time, then the spinal cord and nerves function without any interference. The simple idea of keeping the spine lined up as much as possible will keep our body healthy.

Regular chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture, exercise and a nutritious diet are all important facets of good spinal health. The key here is to realize that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Regular practices of spinal health will not only keep you feeling great, but also will help protect you in the future from many problems that could arise, including neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, tennis / golfer’s elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, hip pain, sciatica, knee pain, and ankle and foot pain. Your chiropractor can tell you more about the importance of the spine and its connection to whole-body health.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

 What will you do this year to turn your ‘wishes’ into a plan, with a clear focus, deadlines and actually make things happen?

 It’s really easy to fall back into your past habits and get the same results.  If you haven’t already done so, you need to plan right now and seriously knuckle down and take consistent action.

To get you going follow these 10 top tips:
 
1.   Clear out the clutter.  Remove the stuff  you don’t need or seldom use…do this in your office and your home.
 
2.    Do what you do best and delegate the rest.  Figure out what your strengths are and focus on improving those. Delegate your weaknesses. You have more important things to do than waste your time and energy on the small stuff. 
 
3.   Get Yourself Fit and Healthy
     Work out what you need to do to get into shape and operate at peak   performance and get moving.  Get the help you  need so you are
     functioning on 8 cylinders.
 
4.  Talk with Your Team
     If you have staff, speak with them.  Get their input on how your business could improve and how you can help each other.  Find out what you can do to improve too. 

5. Your Clients…Look After Them
    Without them you don’t have a business.  Ask them for feedback on your  products and services.  Also look after them…a thank-you card, phone call or gift occassionally can easily boost your profits if you make the effort.
 
6.  Take Control of Your Time
     Set a work schedule for yourself and plan each day.  Say ‘no’ regularly so you can focus on your goals.
 
7.  Avoid Negative People
    Misery loves company. They’ll wear you down and weaken your motivation. Find people who are uplifting and you enjoy being around.  You’ll become like the people you associate with.

  8.   Don’t Expect Everyone Else to Change
     To achieve what you want, you are the one who has to change.  Your actions speak louder than your words.
 
9.  Invest in Yourself
     Remove these words from your vocabulary: “I can’t afford it”.  Instead ask yourself “How can I afford it?”.  To take your business and your life to a higher level you will have to invest time, energy and money…that’s if you want results quickly!
 
10. Be Very Careful Who You Listen To
     When you know what you want to achieve in 2011, it will be much easier to find the course, products and services that are right for you.  There’s many people who are ready, willing and able to relieve you of your money…just make sure they can deliver on their promises! 
 
What to do next?  Set time aside this week to write out what you want and get your plan organised.

Harvard scientists have observed that the shortest-living Americans are Native American populations in South Dakota, living an average lifespan of 66.5 years, whereas the longest-living Americans are Asian-American women residing in Bergen County, N.J., who live to an average lifespan of 91.1 years. That’s a nearly 25-year difference! Just think about what you could do with 25 “extra” years, particularly if you could enjoy them with sound body and mind. Here’s what science says about the best ways to stay healthy, active and vital into your older years.

As you can see, staying as healthy as possible for as long as possible and enjoying your golden years, rather than being weighed down by illness and disease, is in large part up to you and the choices you make now, regardless of age. The practical choices we make on an everyday basis are what help us achieve living an extended healthy lifespan. Take a little time and evaluate your current health in conjunction with your health care provider. Small, progressive changes can make a big difference in how long you live and the quality of life you enjoy.

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Understand Your Fibre Facts

Dietary fibre, often referred to as “roughage,” is the edible portion of plant cell walls that is resistant to digestion, but is an extremely beneficial component of our diets. Fibres such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains also have high amounts of vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy body function. And of course, a huge side benefit of eating foods rich in fibre is that they taste good!

Not only does fibre help ward off many diseases, but it’s also been shown to aid in weight loss by reducing food intake at meals. This is because fibre-rich foods take longer to digest and thus result in an increased feeling of fullness and satiety. In addition, the more gradual absorption slows the entrance of sugar into the bloodstream, thereby preventing large blood glucose and insulin spikes that can lead to binge eating.

Plant foods contain both types of fibre in varying degrees, according to the plant’s characteristics. Examples of foods rich in soluble fibre are fruits, vegetables, brown rice, barley, and nuts. Most of insoluble fibres come from the bran layers of cereal grains. Examples of foods rich in insoluble fibre are wheat bran and whole-grain breads and cereals. Remember, both are important for good health, so your diet should include a balance of foods rich in both types.

There is no recommended daily allowance (RDA) for fiber, but the American Dietetic Association recommends eating 20-35 grams of dietary fibre per day or 10-13 grams for every 1,000 calories in the diet. The average American significantly falls short of the recommended amount of fibre, consuming on average only 5-10 grams per day. Here are some easy ways to increase fibre intake:

	Choose whole fruits and vegetables (with peels when possible) instead of juices.
	Replace white flour with whole-wheat flour in all baked goods.
	Select whole-grain bread, pasta and cereals in place of similar processed versions.
	Choose brown rice over white rice.
	Replace meat with alternate protein sources such as beans, lentils or other legumes.

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Too Little Sleeping = Too Much Snacking

Here’s an important reason to get the kids off to bed: Too little sleep can lead to a bad habit: overeating. According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reduced sleep time (less than six hours compared with more than eight) is associated with an increase in energy consumption – often in the form of snacks – without any increase in energy expenditure.

In other words, if kids sleep less, they tend to eat more, but don’t expend energy during the extra time they’re awake.

So, what could they possibly be doing that doesn’t burn any energy? Perhaps they’re studying for next week’s exam or writing that long-overdue birthday card to grandma. But probably not. In fact, the chances are good that they’re playing on the computer, watching television, texting their friends or pursuing some other sedentary activity, which is never a good thing, particularly when combined with additional caloric intake. That’s a bad combination that could lead to chronic overeating and weight gain, not to mention fatigue, irritability, and reduced performance attributable to lack of sleep.

Talk to your doctor about the importance of adequate sleep and what you can do to ensure you and your family get the sleep they deserve every night.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

The term “improved function” has been used by chiropractors for years to help patients understand the benefits of chiropractic care and the role it plays in true wellness. The body is made up of muscles, organs and glands that are controlled by the nervous system, and the nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord and nerves.

The brain sends signals down the spine and to the nerves, which tell the heart to beat, the lungs to breathe, the stomach to digest, the glands to produce necessary hormones, and so on. It’s when the signals don’t get from the spinal cord to the nerves and then from the nerves to the muscles, organs and glands that the body begins to lose proper function and symptoms begin to occur.

Mainstream medicine doesn’t recognize these symptoms as simple alerts from the body that there’s something amiss, but instead as something that must be eliminated through chemicals or pharmaceuticals. They don’t seek wellness, but rather a lack of symptoms.

The biggest difference between mainstream medicine and wellness care is just that: medicine. Today’s medical professionals are still treating symptoms instead of the cause of the problem. The bigger problem lies with the fact that the medicines usually begin to create their own list of symptoms that must be treated with more medicines. It’s a domino effect leading not to health and wellness, but to illness and dependence.

These days, the term wellness is being overused and abused by a society that recognizes its importance but doesn’t understand its application. Marketing departments around the globe are throwing the word around because it’s popular, but often it’s simply being used as a gimmick to improve sales of products that have nothing to do with improved health and function.

We live in a society that’s been conditioned to believe there’s a medication or a surgical procedure to fix every problem. Is that really the way you want to live your life? Now that you understand wellness, start doing something to ensure you can enjoy it. Talk to your chiropractor to learn more.

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Top Whole Foods for Health

Nutritionally, there is no perfect food, although a few come pretty close. And even if there were, who’d want to eat the same thing every meal, every day? Fortunately, variety and healthy eating can go hand in hand, particularly if you know where to look. Take a look at these foods that pack a nutritional punch and can be incorporated into a wide variety of meal plans.

Beets: Beets were one of the most successful crops in the Biosphere project. Basically, it simulated living on the moon. And if you had to pick one vegetable to take with you to the moon, you’d do well to pick beets. The roots and leaves are packed with antioxidant phytochemicals, provide much-needed minerals and vitamins, and are a good source of fiber.

Rye: Obesity statistics suggest a good portion of us could use some help battling the scale, and rye is on your side. Rye has an excellent reputation for helping us feel full, produces a low insulin response, and is typically a good source of fiber. It is a rich source of minerals, too.

Organic Berries: This isn’t a hard sell, right? Juicy, bright, and tasty, berries add fiber, vitamins and antioxidants to your diet. These little gems appear to support healthy arteries, cognition, inflammation and eyesight. Many studies have found a benefit in drinking cranberry or blueberry juice for prevention of urinary tract infections.

Fermented foods: Face it Mr. Clean, the human body needs bacteria, and fermented foods provide “good” bacteria (probiotics) to give our native colonies a helping hand. Clinical trials continue to examine the benefits of probiotics on gastrointestinal complaints like diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as for conditions such as colic and eczema in infants.

Legumes: This low-fat, no-cholesterol source of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals is among the best foods we can eat. As a substitute for meat-based protein, beans can help support our drive for heart health. And the fiber and protein in legumes are excellent tools in our weight-management toolbox.

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An Education in Exercise

Whether you’re in good health, rehabbing a recent injury or have arthritis, osteoporosis or other chronic condition, the following key points should be followed to ensure you get the most out of your workout. Remember to talk to your doctor first so the two of you can work together to design an exercise program that’s right for you.

LESSON 1: Before starting an exercise program, you and your health professional need to understand what your immediate goals are. Are you trying to lose weight? Increase strength? Train for a particular sport? Do you have any swelling? Pain? Weakness? Are your joints stiff? Once you know what you want to accomplish, it’s a lot easier to figure out where to start.

LESSON 2: Exercise should consist of three clear phases. Begins with five to 10 minutes of warm-ups. Keep in mind that a “warm-up” is not the same as stretching.

LESSON 3: Type of exercise is just as important as the three phases. Try to incorporate different types of programs, such as stretching, strength training, balance training, and aerobic conditioning. Each of these affects the joints and body in different ways. By using all of them, you’ll be able to make better gains in your health.

LESSON 4: There can be some discomfort with exercise at first. Therefore, precaution should be taken to ensure you don’t injure yourself. Remember that your body’s response to exercise can change day by day. You shouldn’t feel pain, particularly sudden/sharp pain, when you are exercising.

LESSON 5: Rest time is crucial for strength training. In the past, people tended to weight train every day. Research is showing that if a body doesn’t get enough rest, it will break down instead of building up. Therefore, never strength train the same body part two days in a row. Always allow at least two days in between, if not longer.

LESSON 6: Lifestyle activities are also effective forms of exercise. For example, gardening, going for hikes, taking the stairs at work, or playing catch with your kids or grandkids is just as effective in producing positive effects as a more traditional “gym” program.

LESSON 7: Most guidelines recommend 20 to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per day. However, if you are not able to do this, then break it up into five-minute bouts several times a day. Research shows that doing smaller bouts of exercise through the day is just as beneficial as one continuous session.

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1. Get enough rest. If your body is overly fatigued, it is harder to fight off infections such as the flu (or any other bacteria or virus for that matter). Your body does most of its healing while you sleep.
2. Good nutrition is vital. Avoid sugar and caffeine (they weaken you immune system); eat whole, preferably organic foods. Enjoy fresh, raw garlic regularly – garlic is antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. Lab tests have found garlic to be more effective than antibiotics against certain types of bacteria.
3. Exercise! Regular moderate exercise helps to boost immune system function (as well as the cardiovascular benefits and muscle conditioning).
4. Stay hydrated. Pure, clean water is necessary for every bodily function. When you are dehydrated, your body functions less efficiently and that can cause fatigue, dry skin, headaches, stomachaches and constipation. If you wait until you are thirsty to drink, it is already too late – you are dehydrated!
5. Use good hygiene. Washing your hands regularly decreases your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or to others. Antibacterial soaps should be avoided as they produce drug resistant “superbugs.” Sneeze or cough into your elbow, not your hands as viruses cannot survive long outside of the body and you reduce the potential for spread.
6. Decrease stress. Adopt a more positive attitude. Optimists have healthier immune systems, suffer from fewer infections and are not as adversely by stressful life events.
7.  Get adjusted! Keep your body subluxation free so your nervous system stays healthy. The immune system protects us from the flu, as well as any other infectious disease by directing your immune system and strives to get us well again when we do get ill. Remember, the immune system, like every other system in the body, is controlled by the nervous system. It’s about living your life to its fullest potential!

Thank you for your commitment to health. We are here to help with that commitment and are dedicated to the expression of your highest health potential. This information is posted to help you maximize that health potential. If you have any questions or need more information, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you for sharing this with others; we appreciate your help in making this world a healthier place!

Sarah A. says: “I am not living my life in blinding pain. Now I can focus on health improvement and becoming fit. I have less pain, more energy, better movement and greater flexibility.”

Feel the Runner’s High

Running is one of the best forms of aerobic conditioning for your heart and lungs. It can significantly increase your metabolic rate and the amount of calories you burn, leading to loss of excess body fat. Running is also beneficial for slowing down the aging process. Those who run regularly are less likely to experience bone and muscle loss due to the body’s positive response to additional physical demands.

Running can also have many psychological benefits. Most runners typically report being happier and feeling less stressed from the grind of daily life. Why? Because regular exercise has the ability to alter mood, attributable to a surge in hormones called endorphins. These hormones create a sense of euphoria often referred to as a “runner’s high” and can result in an improvement in mood.

Here are some great tips, courtesy of running coach Chipper Robinson from Running on the Edge in Ramsey, N.J., on how to maximize your running experience:

	Incorporate cross training into your running routines. Add weight-lifting, bicycling, yoga, elliptical training, or swimming. Why? They make you fitter and less prone to injury.
	Exercise your abdominal muscles almost every day. A strong midsection (core) is a key component to running. In fact, it can often be the single most important factor for success in long-distance running.
	Change your intensity levels by running faster or farther. Alternate which one you choose to implement in various workouts. It prevents your body from adapting to routines.
	Pay attention to your shoes. Most shoes wear out after 300 to 500 miles. You often can’t see the wear, but, your knees, hips, and back will feel it. Visit a running specialty store for quality shoes and talk to your doctor for suggestions on the best shoes to get. Not just any shoe will do.
	Run on different surfaces. See how many different surfaces you can run on in a month: asphalt, gravel, trail, grass, track, treadmill, and beach. Each stresses your leg muscles in a slightly different way, helping to prevent overuse injuries. (If possible, avoid concrete, the hardest and most harmful surface for runners.)
	Keep a training journal. A journal can be a great way to maintain motivation and consistency. Keep it filled with running times, routines, motivational quotes, and how your body reacts to various routines. You should have a documented road map for reaching your running goals.
	Take some time off. You don’t have to run every day, every week, or even every month (as long as you’re performing other cardiovascular activities). For healthy, consistent training, your body needs regular recovery periods. Performance suffers with too much exercise. Start slow and work your way toward higher mileages and/or more frequency.
	Introduce high-intensity interval training into your running routine. Alternate, pace, speed, tempo and rest periods during a single running session. For example, keep a steady pace for a mile and then sprint run for 30 seconds. Do this for several cycles and notice how your heart rate and muscle fatigue threshold increase.

Every great journey starts with a single step; now just put one foot in front of the other to see how far this new journey takes you. Welcome to the wonderful world of running. Talk to your doctor to learn more about the benefits of running.

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Nutrition for Healthy Skin

Along with hair and nails, skin is the fastest growing and most superficial tissue in the body. As such, it has a high demand for nutrients in order to continuously replenish itself with rapidly developing immature skin cells from the layers below. Even a marginal deficiency of nutrients such as vitamin A, the carotenoids, vitamin D, vitamins B₁ and B₂, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, vitamin B₁₂, vitamin E, vitamin C or essential fatty acids can result in impaired development of skin cells, resulting in skin that is less smooth, prone to lesions, less elastic and more likely to suffer accelerated aging.

Here are some of the more common skin problems and the nutritional supplements that can help you get rid of them:

For sun- and chemical-induced free-radical damage that causes premature aging of the skin, wrinkling, cancerous conditions, other forms of skin damage, the appropriate supplement contains optimal levels of antioxidants to help protect your skin from the aging and damaging effects caused by the sun: Antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium and zinc intercept and neutralize free radicals and defend skin cells from these damaging effects. Antioxidants also protect skin from ultraviolet light damage.

For skin disorders such as dermatitis (skin inflammation problems), lack of smoothness, seborrhoea-like scaly lesions, irregular pigmentation, the appropriate supplement contains B vitamins at sufficient doses to ensure the healthy development of skin cells: B-vitamin supplementation corrects these skin problems and successfully treats a wide range of dermatitis problems. B vitamins also help to improve the smoothness and texture of the skin.

For unhealthy skin, acne and other conditions, the appropriate supplement provides adequate daily doses of zinc and selenium to enhance your skin’s vitality and appearance: Zinc improves oil gland function, local skin hormone activation, wound healing, inflammation control within the skin and tissue regeneration of skin cells. Selenium plays a key role in antioxidant protection and in the prevention and management of various skin conditions.

Healthy skin is an important step toward a healthy, happy you, so what are you waiting for? Ask your doctor about how to give yourself an “inner facial” with the right nutrition.

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Three Steps to a Happier You

They say happiness is a state of mind, not a reflection of your circumstances, but we all know one can have a dramatic effect on the other. Here are three simple suggestions that can put a smile on your face and maximize your health and wellness while doing so:

1.	Challenge Yourself: If you’re stuck in the daily grind, wondering why every day seems to be “same old, same old,” maybe it’s because it is. Fortunately, you have the power. Whether it’s changing up your workout routine, learning a new language, or finding creative ways to teach your kids new things, commit to continually challenging yourself and avoid stagnation.
2.	Turn Bad Into Good: We all experience good and bad moments in life, but whether you crumble or climb is really just a matter of attitude. Negative breeds negative, which can have profound consequences. Next time you’re hit with a negative, think about the up side (there always is one, even if it’s not immediate) and turn that frown upside down. Before you know it, you’ll be back on track.
3.	Find Time to Relax: Life isn’t a race, it’s a journey filled with memorable moments; make sure you appreciate them, rather than rushing from one day to the next. It’s all-too-easy to get caught up in daily routines and lose yourself. Schedule some you time every day, whether it’s a sunset walk, a long bath, a good book, or even a nap – find time to relax and reap the physical and psychological benefits.

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Prescription Drugs

In Part 1 and Part 2, we covered the five components of a vertebral subluxation as described by B.J. Palmer in 1934. They are:

1.) Malposition – This simply means misalignment of a vertebra
2.) Occlusion – This refers to the closing off of an opening that a nerve passes through. In our case, we are referring to the neural canal where the spinal cord travels down.
3.) Pressure – When C1 or C2 is misaligned, this can occlude the neural canal near the brain stem. This can cause pressure or tension on the spinal cord at this level.
4.) Interference to flow of nervous system transmission – With a misalignment, an occlusion, and pressure, there is zero chance for the nervous system to properly communicate to the rest of the body.
5.) Three-directional torqued vertebra – To achieve these four components of vertebral subluxation, the C1 and C2 vertebrae has to shift up or down, left or right, and rotated front or back.

We also covered physical and emotional stress and their contribution to vertebral subluxations. Let’s move onto the third and final cause.

Toxins aka Chemical Stress

Toxins are around us at every corner. They are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, in our medicine cabinets, our bodies… you name it, and toxins are there.

So how do we avoid toxins?

First off, let’s make one thing perfectly clear. We will never be able to avoid all toxins. Life happens and so do toxins. You might as well forget about taking control of every single thing that enters your body right now.

There will be days that no matter how much fresh organic juice you make in your Jack LaLanne juicer, no matter how many miles you run, no matter how long you meditate, you still might walk through a cigarette smoker’s exhaled, yet lingering nicotinic cloud, or breathe in fumes from some old clunker’s exhaust, or shower in city water full of prescription drug remnants and fluoride.

That being said, you can actually control a number of toxins from entering your body. Let’s begin with the most toxic.

Prescription Drugs

In 1992, the average American got an average of seven prescriptions per year. In 2008? That number went up to 12. This is a 71% increase, which amounts to an extra $180 billion in sales for pharmaceutical companies.

Being on 12 prescription drugs is not health. In fact, that is completely toxic to your health, and any MD who says differently is giving unethical advice and should be jailed. Health does not come from a pill or a bottle. It is an outside-in approach, a way of treating the effect, that will never produce the desired effect… which is a healthy lifestyle.

I don’t care how skillfully that guy in the Cialis commercial can throw a football through a tire, Cialis is not good for you. It doesn’t matter how good of a time those four old guys are having on their vacation, cholesterol lowering medications are a cover-up in dealing with the real issue: a disfunctioning liver due to terrible diet and lifestyle decisions.

Prozac Poster

Let’s take a look at the popular drug fluoxetine, more commonly known as Prozac. This drug is commonly used for major depression (including pediatric depression), obsessive-compulsive disorder (in both adult and pediatric populations), bulimia nervosa, panic disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Prozac is a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI), and the fourth of its kind when Ely Lilly released it to the public. When the first two SSRIs on the market were withdrawn due to side effects, Eli Lilly went on a fierce marketing campaign to make sure fluoxatine was looked at as a major scientific breakthrough in popular culture. Also, they made it appear as if fluoxetine was the first SSRI to be introduced to the market, when it was not.

Below is a list of side effects associated with Prozac, not often realized because of its acceptance in our society:

Drowsiness, Chronic Trouble Sleeping, Excessive Sweating, Head Pain, Feel Like Throwing Up, Diarrhea, Nervous, Feeling Weak, Anxious, Itching, Joint Pain, Muscle Pain, Fever, Chills, Rash, Trouble Breathing, Nightmares, Feeling Restless, Problems with Eyesight, Ringing in the Ears, Abnormal Heart Rhythm, Stuffy Nose, Dry Mouth, Incomplete or Infrequent Bowel Movements, Inability to have an Erection, Painful Periods, Sun-Sensitive Skin, Hair Loss, Dizzy, Low Energy, Involuntary Quivering, Taste Problems, Temporary Redness of Face and Neck, Loss of Appetite, Weight Loss, Increased Hunger, Fast Heartbeat, Cough, Chest Pain, Throwing Up, Gas, Frequent Urination, Stomach Cramps, Numbness and Tingling, Confused, Sexual Problems, Altered Interest in Having Sexual Intercourse, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, Serotonin Syndrome – Adverse Drug Interaction, Hepatitis caused by Drugs, Inflammation of Skin caused by an Allergy, Erythema Multiforme, Seizures, Swollen Lymph Nodes, Abnormal Liver Function Tests, Reaction due to an Allergy, Allergic Reaction causing Serum Sickness, Low Blood Sugar, Low Amount of Sodium in the Blood, Increased Risk of Bleeding, Behaving with Excessive Cheerfulness and Activity, Mild Degree of Mania, Having Thoughts of Suicide, Loss of Memory, Flu-Like Symptoms, Weight Gain, and Mood Changes.

Altered interest in having sexual intercourse? Hepatitis caused by drugs? No thank you.

To be fair, most of these side effects are rare. But if someone were to take this drug for 15-20 years, I suspect the rare side effects become everyday business as usual.

Is it any wonder that Ely Lilly needed to embark on a fierce marketing campaign to con the public into believing in this worthless and dangerous drug?

Food and Drink

Along with prescription drugs, this subject could take up multiple blog posts for weeks. Food in our society is not what it once was. In fact, most food we eat is not really food. Look no further than the aisles at your local grocery store. Packaged goods with ingredient lists full of words understood only by hardcore chemists line the shelves at every corner.

Ingredients like monosodium glutamate (MSG), phenylketonuronics aka phenalalanine aka aspartame, L-cysteine, high fructose corn syrup, red #40, and yellow #5 frequent all sorts of packaged goods such as Hamburger Helper, diet sodas, whole wheat bread, frozen microwaveable dinners, most cereals, and more. These things do not occur in nature.

For example, MSG was originally derived from seaweed as a salty additive to foods. But now, it is mass-manufactured by the tons through an industrialized fermentation process of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses. MSG is the single salt form of glutamate, an amino acid found in protein rich foods, as well as in your body. It is an excitotoxic substance that can raise your blood glutamate levels up to 20 times the normal limit. It might also be responsible for making cancer cells more mobile and contributing to or even causing cardiac arrythmias, among other things.

But here’s the sneaky part: MSG can be in your food under different guises. The manufacturers of this chemical know the negative public perception of the three letters M-S-G, so they were able to get laws passed that allowed them to disguise MSG as yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and textured protein, to name a few.

But even if you avoid the aisles in the grocery stores, the produce can be just as bad. Pesticides are used generously on fruits and vegetables grown around the world. While we all grow up learning to wash our produce before eating it, you can’t wash off or wash out all the pesticides.

Airplane spraying pesticide on crops

There is something called the dirty dozen in regards to produce. This is referring to foods containing the highest amount of pesticides. They are, from most to least: peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes (from outside the United States), carrots, and pears. These are not the only foods containing pesticides, just the foods with the most. All conventional produce will contain pesticides to some degree.

Then, we get into the subject of genetically engineered food. Again, this could be more blog posts in and of itself. I will simply refer you to the movie Food, Inc. It is a little bit like in the movie the Matrix, when Morpheus offers Neo the choice between the red pill (the truth) and the blue pill (return to the status quo). Food, Inc is akin to taking the red pill (thanks to Dr. Scott Brady for that metaphor).

Avoiding the Chemicals

As I said earlier, we can’t always avoid everything around us. Many of us live in cities with high rates of pollution, or our homes may have hidden mold that we don’t know about (common in Texas). What we can do is avoid the things we do have control over.

Prescription drugs, unless ABSOLUTELY necessary, are not necessary. Not the purple pill or the green pill or the yellow pill. Not one pill or seven pills or twelve pills. I might sound a little like Dr. Seuss, but I am serious. God doesn’t make defective junk that only pharmaceuticals can cure. In fact, the word pharmaceutical itself is derived from words meaning something along the lines of witchcraft. Not very scientific if you ask me.

When in the grocery store, avoid the aisles and buy organic produce if possible. Jack LaLanne has a saying that goes something like this: “If man made it, don’t eat it.” Grocery store aisles are filled with man-made food and you’re better off staying out of them. Organic has become somewhat of a hip and cool pop culture term, but still your best bet when it comes to pesticide free food.

Next week, I’ll conclude this series with a list of things you can do to minimize or avoid physical, emotional, and chemical stress.

[by Dr. Brandon Harshe on April 1, 2010 from http://theatlasoflife.com/2010/04/01/trauma-thoughts-and-toxins-vertebral-subluxations-part-3-chemical-stress/]

Control Your Allergy Symptoms Naturally

When looking to control allergy symptoms without resorting to medications, the first step is to limit your exposure. Using an air filter, preferably one that ties into a central heating and air conditioning system, can drastically reduce the build-up of allergens in your home. It is also important to focus on areas where allergens can collect. Pet areas, carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture should be cleansed regularly, and bedding should be washed at least once a week.

In addition to these simple steps, you may want to look to your diet as a means for controlling your allergy symptoms. A study of 35 patients conducted in the Journal of Asthma found a positive correlation between allergy relief and vegetarian or vegan diets. In a clinical observation, 92 percent of patients who followed a vegan diet for one year reported reduction in asthma symptoms.

Foods that have been closely linked to respiratory allergies include dairy products, chocolate, sugar, and gluten. There is also strong evidence indicating a connection between allergic rhinitis and intake of certain food additives, including artificial dyes and colorants, sulfites, and benzoates.

Omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to support healthy airways and additionally favor the production of anti-inflammatory mediators. In a 2009 study reported in the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology, atopic asthma patients supplemented daily with omega-3 fatty acids improved airway responsiveness even when subjects were exposed to a known allergen. Dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids include cold-water fish, flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts.

Increasing antioxidant intake is also essential to prevent the free radicals that are often elevated in allergies and asthma. Vitamin C is considered as one of the most important dietary antioxidants for the protection of the lungs, and low levels of blood vitamin C are considered an independent risk factor for allergic rhinitis. Other beneficial antioxidants may include vitamin E, selenium, the carotenoids, and the flavonoids, which all posses powerful free radical- quenching capabilities.

Why go through life suffering from allergies if you don’t have to? With a few dietary and lifestyle changes, you can face allergy season without stockpiling allergy medications and Kleenex. Talk to your doctor for more information about allergies and natural solutions.

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Show Me the Light: The Healing Power of Laser Therapy

An increasing number of doctors nationwide are offering laser therapy to their patients. With its increasing popularity and use, that means more and more people are probably wondering about lasers in general and some important specifics, including how they work, how safe they are and what it feels like to get treated. Here’s a little Q & A on laser therapy.

Q: What is laser therapy?
A: Laser therapy is the application of low levels of laser light to areas of the body that have been injured or damaged. Contrasted with high-powered lasers used in health care that cut tissue, such as surgical or hair-removal lasers, therapy lasers produce beneficial photochemical and photobiological interactions that can help relieve pain and repair injured/damaged tissue.

Q: How does laser therapy work?
A: The photons of laser light penetrate through your skin and are absorbed by special components in your body’s cells called chromophores. Just as photosynthesis creates energy for plants, the absorption of the photons by your cells causes increased production of cellular energy. In areas of injury or damage, this means there is more energy available to improve the rate and quality of healing.

Q: What does it feel like to get a treatment?
A: With very low-powered therapy lasers, you feel nothing at all. Higher-powered (Class IV) therapy lasers produce a mild, soothing, warm feeling. You may notice a tingling sensation in the treatment area as blood vessels dilate, or that muscle spasms are reducing in strength and duration. Laser therapy is a painless treatment.

Q: How do you know it not causing cancer or other tissue damage?
A: There are two ways that laser light can damage tissue; if it is very concentrated (high power density) or if the photons are very high energy. Therapy lasers use power densities that are far below the levels that cause tissue damage. Ultraviolet light has very high-energy photons capable of ionizing molecules, but therapy lasers use visible and near-infrared light, which only cause molecular vibrations. You could argue that therapy laser light is safer than sunlight.

Q: How can I get more information?
A: Ask your doctor! A steadily growing number of health care practitioners are offering laser therapy to their patients. Your doctor can determine if laser therapy is appropriate for your particular health situation.

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Four Ways to Keep Kids Moving

1. Lead by Example. When it comes to exercise, an adult couch potato effectively nurtures a child couch potato, who then becomes yet another adult couch potato years down the road – a vicious cycle of inactivity that increases disease risk. Fortunately, the opposite is also true, so get off the couch and show your kids the value of an active life filled with physical activity.

2. Unplug for Awhile. Hours on end of TV, video games, and even phone and computer “activities” like instant messaging, chat rooms and other pursuits leave very little time for exercise. While there’s no easy solution, establishing a daily time limit on these activities is a great start.

3. Find the Time. When we’re young, we spend hours in the yard or on school grounds playing our favorite games; then we slowly get more and more responsibilities and somehow, the time just seems to disappear. It happens quickly, right around the time daily homework comes along. What can you do about it? It’s the same advice, whether young or old: Find the time. Pencil physical activity into your child’s daily schedule and don’t let “life” ever erase it.

4. Make It Fun. Too often, exercise becomes more of a chore than a pleasing activity, and this often begins at an early age, basically as soon as children get involved in the rigors of organized sports. Sure, it’s never all fun and games, but exercise shouldn’t be a dreaded activity, not if you do it right. Be creative and teach children that active is fun at any age.

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