Dr Beecher’s February 2012 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter

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“In general, mankind, since improvement of cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires.” ~  Ben Franklin

Can This Vitamin Cut Your Risk Of The Flu By 42%?

The best part is – you do not even have to take

 this vitamin to get the benefits!  Find out how…

Read on the discover:

• NTSB recommends full ban on cell phone use while driving.
• The danger lurking in raw cookie dough!!!
• 65 Pound Pit Bull Becomes Guardian Angel: The amazing story how a lost pit bull stopped a robbery and saved a mother and her 2-year-old child being held at knifepoint.  Move over Benji and Lassie, there is a new Sheriff in town!!!

Houston – There is no doubt about it, getting the common cold is no fun.  But, coming down with the flu can be a real nightmare!  No one wants to miss work or school and have to deal with a fever, chills, headaches, body aches and just plain misery for a week or so (or even longer if you do not take care of yourself).

Here’s something very important most people do not understand: It is must easier to PREVENT the flu (or any sickness or disease) than it is to treat it.

You’ve heard the quote:

“An ounce of prevention is

worth a pound of cure.”

But, for most people, it’s nothing more than lip service. It’s just human nature.  When you are sick and you feel terrible, you say you are never going to let “this” happen again.  You are going to eat right, exercise, etc.  But, as soon as you feel like you’re back to your old self, you start acting like your “old self.” Don’t feel bad… just about everyone does it that way… except for the people who almost never get sick. J

Let’s face it, ALWAYS eating right, getting proper rest, reducing stress and so on in today’s society is nearly impossible.  That’s why you should always make the effort to do your best and to find small, but powerful, things that can help you in a big way.

For a while, some medical experts have ranted and raved about Vitamin D and its positive effects on health… and more and more research is being published that makes it look like they’re right.

For example, Dr. Joseph Mercola writes, “According to the findings from a 2010 study that didn’t get any widespread attention, vitamin D is a highly effective way to avoid influenza. 

            “In fact, children taking low doses of Vitamin D3 were shown to be 42 percent less likely to come down with the flu.

“The randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study included 430 children aged 6-15, who were followed between December 2008 and March 2009.

“Half were given 1,200 IU’s of vitamin D3 daily, while the other half received a placebo.

“Influenza strains were determined through lab testing of nose and throat swabs.

“Eighteen of the children taking vitamin D contracted influenza Type A, compared to 31 children in the placebo group.

“Type B influenza rates were unaffected by vitamin D use, however, the illness resulting from Type B influenza strains is typically milder than Type A.

         “Considering the fact that influenza was reduced by 42 percent at a dose of just 1,200 IU’s a day, it’s possible that even better results might be obtained with higher dosages—depending on just how deficient you are to begin with, of course, because it’s not really the dosage that matters; it’s the amount of vitamin D in your blood.”

One huge thing to understand here is that the study isn’t just referring to “Vitamin D,” it’s referring to Vitamin D(3).  So, if you are going to take a Vitamin D supplement, it should be for Vitamin D(3)… and it is always recommended you consult with a qualified physician who is an expert on nutrition and up on current research.  A lot has recently changed about what researches and scientist know about nutrition, not to mention what was taught in school 10 or 20 years ago!

But, here’s something else that is important and often very misunderstood: The best possible source of Vitamin D does not come in the form of a dietary supplement.  The best source is the SUN.

Wait, isn’t sun exposure bad?  Doesn’t it cause skin cancer?

The first thing to understand is that “sun exposure” is not bad.  Too much sun exposure is bad.  Water is not bad for you but drinking too much water can kill you.  Simply because drinking too much is bad for you does not mean you should not drink any.

The same is true for the sun.  Everyone is different but everyone needs the proper amount of sun to maximize their health potential.  You should get regular amounts of sunlight but NEVER enough to burn you.

Since skin types vary, as does the sun’s strength in different geographic locations, there is no “formula” to follow.  Once again, seeking advice from a physician well educated on this subject is a must.  Getting no sun is not good, but you don’t want to get too much, either.

National Transportation Safety Board

(NTSB) Recommends Banning

All Use Of Cell Phones While Driving

“This (distracted driving) is becoming the new DUI.  It’s becoming epidemic,” said NTSB member Robert Sumwalt.

An estimated 3,092 roadway fatalities last year involved distracted drivers but experts think the true number is probably higher because many distracted drivers either do not admit it or are killed in the crash.

35 states ban text messaging while driving, 30 ban cell-phone use by novice drivers and 10 ban all use of hand-held cell phones.

The safety board recommends development of phones smart enough to know when you are driving to discourage use.

Their new proposed ban would go above and beyond what states are currently doing in an effort to regulate cell phone usage.

According to CNN, “The recommendation is the most far-reaching yet by the National Transportation Safety Board, which in the past 10 years has increasingly sought to limit the use of portable electronic devices — recommending bans for novice drivers, school bus drivers and commercial truckers.           “Tuesday’s recommendation, if adopted by states, would outlaw non-emergency phone calls and texting by operators of every vehicle on the road.

            “It would apply to hands-free as well as hand-held devices, but devices installed in the vehicle by the manufacturer would be allowed.”

Although safety is extremely important, one panelist discussing the issue wondered when the ban on playing with the car radio or children acting up in the back seat was going to come.

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 providing you natural pain relief.

Inspirational Story Of The Month –

(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)

65 Pound Pit Bull Becomes Guardian Angel:

Stops Robbery And Saves Mother And

2-Year Old Child Being Held At Knife Point!!!

It had been a good day.  “Angela” and her 2-year old son were leaving a playground in Port Charlotte, Florida.  That’s when a man cut her off in the parking lot.  He was holding a knife and told her not to make any sudden movements.  Angela didn’t know what to do.  She was physically at the mercy of her attacker and paralyzed with fear about what might happen to her little son.

That’s when it happened…  A guardian angel, in the form of a 65 pound pit bull, emerged from nowhere.  The super-hero dog charged the attacker and chased him off.

“I don’t think the dog physically attacked the man, but he went at him and was showing signs of aggression, just baring his teeth and growling and barking. It was clear he was trying to defend this woman,” Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse. “I don’t know what this man’s intentions were, but it is very possible this dog saved her life.”

The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it so quickly jumped to defend.

“You hear about family dogs protecting their owners, but this dog had nothing to do with this woman or her kid,” Jones said. “He was like her guardian angel.”

As soon as the attacker ran off, Angela quickly put her son in their car.  The next thing she knew, the 65 pound pit bull was sitting in the back seat with her son, Jordan.  The dog looked like he was smiling.

Police believe the dog is probably not a stray, but rather, a lost pet because he is so well behaved.  So, the hero of the day was brought to a shelter with the hope his owner would find him.  But, Angela said if no one claims him after 5 days, she will adopt him.  She has already named him “Angel.”

“It’s funny, that someone’s irresponsibility could have saved someone’s life,” Jones said of Angel’s possible owners.

“I don’t know what his (the thief’s) intentions were — I don’t know why he did it, but I’m glad that — we call him Angel — I’m glad that Angel showed up because I don’t know what would have happened,” she added.

Pit bulls are banned in England, Denver, Colorado and Miami-Dade County in Florida.  If Angela had gotten attacked in a different part of Florida, Angel would have been “illegal” and most likely put to sleep.

ONE MORE SUPER HERO STORY – THIS ONE IS HUMAN!!!

When Lori Stearnes bought her grandchildren’s Christmas gifts on Kmart’s layaway plan, she had no idea she was about to discover the true meaning of the holidays.  You see, after she received her paycheck and went to pay her bill, she found out an anonymous donor had already done it for her.

“It just gives you a warm feeling,” said Stearnes, 53, of Omaha. “With all the things going on the world, just to have someone do that is so, I don’t know, it’s hard to put into words.”

At Kmart stores across the country, Santa got a little help this past holiday season… Anonymous donors paid off strangers’ layaway accounts and bought the Christmas gifts other families couldn’t afford, especially toys and children’s clothes set aside by impoverished parents.  Stearnes took her paycheck and paid someone else’s bill, just as others did all over the country.

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.  You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!

Did You Know?…

Did you know that stress can lead to depression, weight gain and obesity, major health problems and over the long term, can even shorten your life? Well, now researchers at Tufts University think they might have the answer for stress relief in the form of a pill.  The researchers say they have discovered exactly how stress hormones affect receptors in your brain and they have actually been able to block them.

According to the author of the study, Jamie Maguire, PhD., “By blocking the synthesis of the neurosteroids, they stopped the elevation of corticosterone, and prevented anxiety in mice. We have identified a novel mechanism regulating the body’s response to stress by determining that neurosteroids are required to mount the physiological response to stress. Moreover, we were able to completely block the physiological response to stress, as well as prevent stress-induced anxiety.

            “Now, the team is focusing on modulating the neuroreceptors to treat some of the diseases that accompany stress — be they depression, anxiety, or epilepsy.” 

Words of Wisdom:  We all know stress is bad.  We all know that all drugs have side effects.  There are plenty of stress reduction techniques that do not require a drug, they just take a little effort.  (But, it is wonderful that science recognizes the importance of stress reduction.)

Tip Of The Month

STOP!!!!!  DANGER!!!  Don’t Eat That Raw Cookie Dough!!!

We all do it.  Just before you put the cookies in the oven, you take a little sample.  Most mothers tell their children to keep their hands out of the cookie dough because it will give them a tummy ache. Well, as it turns out, it can give them something much worse.  Scientists now warn that raw cookie dough can carry food-borne pathogens like E. Coli.

The Journal Clinical Infectious Disease recently published a study that reported an outbreak of E. Coli in 30 states with 77 illnesses.  Of these 77 people, nearly 35 were so sick they had to be hospitalized and 30 died.    According to Industry Leaders Magazine: The lead author of the study, Dr. Karen Neil, a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, “What our report shows is that you shouldn’t eat cookie dough raw, no matter where it comes from. It’s supposed to be baked.”

            A recent study urges food manufacturers to get realistic with their products’ end purpose and consider presenting cookie dough that is not just ready-to-bake, but ready-to-eat.

Many think the E. Coli came from the eggs in the cookie dough.  But, as it turns out, it wasn’t the eggs or sugar but the raw flour that contained the E. Coli. That means, even if you are making your cookies from scratch, it is still possible to be exposed to E. Coli by eating raw cookie dough. Even though the chances are small that you’ll come into contact with E.Coli, you should still avoid eating raw dough. E. Coli does not just cause a simple stomachache, it is serious and people die.

In this case, it just makes sense to eliminate that risk, no matter how small it may be.

Remember, we’re always here to help your body heal

and maintain the pain free body you deserve.

This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice.  Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without a thorough exam or appropriate referral. If you have any further concerns or questions, please let us know by contacting us at BeecherChiropractic.com.