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Dr Beecher’s March 16 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 16th, 2015
Mental Attitude: Does Alzheimer’s Disease Affect Diabetics Differently? In an eighteen-month study, researchers explored whether or not Alzheimer’s disease affected patients with diabetes differently than non-diabetics. While they did not detect much difference in cognitive decline between the groups, functional decline was more pronounced in patients with both diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Clinical Therapeutics, February 2015
Health Alert: Lyme Disease More Widespread Than Believed. According to a new report, prolonged illness in Americans with Lyme disease is more prevalent, serious, and costly than previously thought. Investigators found Lyme disease patients are nearly five times more likely to have post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome-related symptoms such as fatigue, nerve pain, joint pain, and memory and thinking problems. They also found that Lyme disease costs up to $1.3 billion dollars per year to treat. Researcher Dr. Emily Adrion explains, “Regardless of what you call it, our data show that many people who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease are in fact going back to the doctor complaining of persistent symptoms, getting multiple tests and being retreated… it is clear that we need effective, cost-effective, and compassionate management of these patients to improve their outcomes, even if we don’t know what to call the disease.” PLOS ONE, February 2015
Diet: Corn Oil Lowers Cholesterol. A new study claims that corn oil significantly lowers cholesterol more than extra virgin olive oil. In the study, participants consumed four tablespoons of corn oil or extra virgin olive oil in addition to their normal diet. The results revealed that total cholesterol decreased by 8.2% in the group that consumed corn oil and just 1.8% for extra virgin olive oil group. Corn oil lowered bad cholesterol (LDL) by 10.9% while extra virgin olive oil only lowered LDL by 3.5%. Lead researcher Dr. Kevin C. Maki adds, “These findings add to those from prior research supporting corn oil’s positive heart health benefits, and align with recommendations to replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats, such as those found in corn oil.” Journal of Clinical Lipidology, February 2015
Exercise: Exercise During Dialysis Improves Energy in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients. Fatigue is a common complaint by chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on dialysis. A small study involving 66 CKD patients found that those who participated in a physical and mental exercise program twice a week for two months experienced significant decreases in fatigue when compared with those who did not participate in such a program. The authors of the study conclude, “With respect to the findings of the study, this method of treatment is recommended due to being cost efficient, easy, applicable, and flexible for alleviating the effect of fatigue on the personal, psychological, and social aspects of life quality in patients on hemodialysis.” Nephro-Urology Monthly, July 2014
Chiropractic: Resolution of Motor Tics & ADHD. A recent case study involved a 10-year-old boy with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who also suffered from involuntary motor tics. A thorough examination revealed cervical dysfunction dating back to at least when the boy was four months old. Chiropractic care focused on adjustments of the first cervical vertebra and mechanical traction. Following the first treatment, the patient exhibited improvements in both behavior and focus and no longer required pharmaceutical management for his ADHD symptoms after two months of care. After ten months of care, the boy experienced a complete resolution of his motor tics. Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, November 2014
Wellness/Prevention: Prevent Breast Cancer. In a cumulative examination of research done on environmental factors associated with breast cancer, experts recommend the following actions to minimize an individual’s risk: engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity, avoid a high-fat diet, reduce alcohol intake, and be cognizant when taking estrogen and synthetic progestagen hormonal therapy. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, January 2015
Quote: “Don’t write so that you can be understood, write so that you can’t be misunderstood.” ~ William Howard Taft
Dr Beecher’s March 2015 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter
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“A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.” ~ Francis Bacon
Do Computers Know You Better Than Your Friends or Spouse?
New research shows computers can judge your personality better than the humans closest to you… and it’s all about your “Likes”…
Also this month:
- Study shows that riding in a car with a smoker is bad for your health… even if the window is cracked!
- Is posting selfies the sign of something very bad? New study shows men who post more selfies score higher on measures of narcissism and psychopathy.
- Did Ohio State eat a “magic diet” to beat Oregon for the National Championship? Find out what they did to drop weight just ten days before their big game.
- If you were diagnosed with cancer and given just months to live… what would you do? Find out what this teenager did that has changed countless lives…
Houston – Isn’t it amazing that just twenty years ago very few people had a cell phone and now most people cannot live without one? Try this little experiment: next time you go out, leave your cell phone at home. Chances are you will feel very uncomfortable. Some people actually say they “freak out” when they accidentally leave their smartphone at home or misplace it.
Twenty years ago, not too many people were on the internet either. Now it’s such an entrenched part of life that some people feel uncomfortable if they are not connected 24/7 to their email or social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Because so much time is spent on social sites like Facebook, both researchers and marketers have studied them quite a bit, and some of the information they’ve discovered is quite surprising.
For example, a new study published in the journal PNAS tested to see whether computers or people made more accurate assessments of an individual’s personality. Researchers started by asking 86,220 volunteers to complete a 100-item personality questionnaire. Then, they asked friends and family members to complete a shorter questionnaire in regards to the volunteer’s personality. Finally, they accessed the volunteers’ Facebook Like history.
The human judgments were based on the data provided by friends or family members who actually knew the volunteer and the computer’s assessments were solely based on the volunteer’s Facebook Likes.
Results? According to Science Daily: “The results show that by mining Facebook ‘Likes’, the computer model was able to predict a person’s personality more accurately than most of their friends and family. Given enough likes to analyze, only a person’s spouse rivaled the computer for accuracy of broad psychological traits.”
The researchers said that this is a demonstration of how computers can discover a person’s psychological traits just from analyzing data.
Lead author Dr. Wu Youyou of Cambridge University’s Psychometrics Centre adds, “In the future, computers could be able to infer our psychological traits and react accordingly, leading to the emergence of emotionally-intelligent and socially skilled machines.”
Here is something you might find pretty incredible… In the study, a computer could more accurately predict a subject’s personality than a work colleague by analyzing just ten likes, more than a friend or a cohabitant (roommate) with 70 likes, more than a family member (parent, sibling) with 150 likes, and more than a spouse with 300 likes!
What is This Information Good For?
Study co-author Dr. David Stillwell writes, “The ability to judge personality is an essential component of social living – from day-to-day decisions to long-term plans such as whom to marry, trust, hire, or elect as president… The results of such data analysis can be very useful in aiding people when making decisions.”
Dr. Youyou explains, “Recruiters could better match candidates with jobs based on their personality; products and services could adjust their behavior to best match their users’ characters and changing moods.”
But the research team also issued this warning: “We hope that consumers, technology developers, and policy-makers will tackle those challenges by supporting privacy-protecting laws and technologies, and giving the users full control over their digital footprints.”
Clearly, most things that possess the power and potential to do tremendous good can also be used for harm. Splitting the atom is the classic example. This type of data mining is another.
That’s why everyone should think twice about what digital footprint they leave on the Internet. One good piece of advice is to only post things online that you wouldn’t mind your mother or grandmother seeing (because they might). If you’re not sure, then don’t post it. But since psychological profiles can be made of you just from you clicking a “Like” button, you may be revealing more about yourself than you know.
While we are on the topic of being careful what you post on the internet… check this out…
You probably know what a “selfie” is. A selfie is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or smartphone. Selfies are often shared on social networking services like as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. They are usually flattering and made to appear casual. Most selfies are taken with a camera held at arm’s length or pointed at a mirror.
You probably knew that. But here is something you probably do not know…
The first selfie was taken by Robert Cornelius in 1839. Yes… 1839. Robert was an American pioneer in photography and took what is considered the first photograph of a person: himself. He was able to accomplish this because it took over a minute for his primitive camera to take the shot, so he was able to start the picture and then run in front of the camera while the film was exposed to light.
Now for something else you probably do not know about selfies…
Researchers from Ohio State University analyzed surveys completed by 800 men in regards to their online behavior and personality traits. They found that men who regularly posted selfies on social media sites “scored higher on measures of narcissism and psychopathy, and were prone to self-objectification… Additionally, men who tended to edit their selfies before posting scored higher up the scale in narcissism and self-objectification, which measures the extent to which they prioritize their appearance.”
The researchers said that “self-objectification” may become a bigger problem with the rising use of social media. However, they stress that posting selfies on a regular basis doesn’t make a man a narcissist or psychopath, it just means they score above-average for these particular antisocial traits.
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 May Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)
If You Were Diagnosed with Cancer and Given Just Months to Live, What Would You Do?
Find Out What This Teenager Did That Changed Countless Lives…
Zach had plans. Big plans. But don’t take my word for it… let’s hear it directly from him…
“I think every teenager out there feels invincible. And they’ll never admit that… It’s not the kind of invincible like Superman – it’s the kind of invincible like… I’ll see you in five months. I thought I was invincible. I was ready for college pretty much. I was planning out way ahead. Then… yeah… turns out sometimes you can’t do that.
“My name is Zach Sobiech. I’m 17-years-old and I have osteosarcoma. I’ve been told I have a few months to live… but I still have a lot of work to do. I want everyone to know – you don’t have to find out you’re dying… to start living.”
That was the opening to a video called My Last Days that has gotten over 13 million views on YouTube.
One of the most important things you can ever discover about people and life is displayed in Zach’s video and story. What is it?
It is that there are basically only two kinds of people in the world. When times are tough – really tough – they either stand up and fight until the end… or fold up like a house of cards. You never really know which person you are until you are faced with a REALLY tough situation.
When a 17-year-old kid is given a few months to live, it would probably be easier to pack it in and give up. But when faced with the ultimate test, Zach proved he was a fighter until the end.
One of the things Zach did was make music. It was his way of sharing and making others happy. He wanted to make as much as he could and bring happiness to as many people as possible.
His song Clouds became a huge hit, and his video has over 11 million views at the time of writing.
But Zach’s message was much more important than an entertaining song. For example, in the video about his life, Zach’s mother mentioned a guy playing basketball and how he had a really funny way of running. Zach responded that he was really good at x, y, and z and he listed several things the man was good at. While many people who are completely healthy and feeling great can’t find something nice to say about someone and can only point out the negative, Zach always pointed out the positive. He always saw the beauty in the same exact world others constantly see as ugly.
How is it a grown adult with a wonderful life can only see the negative while a 17-year-old dying of cancer sees the positive, the good, and the beauty?
The answer to that is choice. Zach simply chose to see the beauty, while others simply choose to ignore it.
There is an old saying that goes something like this, “When you change the way you see things, the things you see change.”
Zach made the decision to change the way he saw things. Maybe he did this because he was faced with what many see as the ultimate tragedy. Perhaps Zach saw it as the ultimate opportunity. The opportunity for him to live as much as he could as fast as he could. But even more important was to get the message out to as many people as he could to do the same.
Let’s face it, life is short. No matter if you are 17 or 80, it goes by in the blink of an eye. No matter how successful you are – or how much money you have – time is the one thing you can never get any more of.
So, don’t waste any of it. Start changing the way you see things so the things you see change. Make the decision to see and live the life you want to live. Do it today, because no one is guaranteed tomorrow.
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?…
3 Things That May Be Stalling Your Metabolism!
If your metabolism isn’t what it used to be, you may need to do some dietary detective work. For example, when you eat may be as important as what you eat, so intermittent fasting may give your metabolism the boost it needs. And, while sugary beverages and sports drinks are best avoided, organic coffee and green tea may actually help your metabolism as long as you’re not adding sugar to them.
Needless to say, exercise (and high intensity exercises in particular) cannot be overlooked if you want to rev up your metabolic engines. If you are already fit, it’s possible that you are simply spending too much time sitting, which can be remedied by getting out of your chair to move more often.
Also, chronic low-level inflammation can stall your metabolism, which may result from food sensitivities, poor sleep, stress, and other lifestyle factors.
Tip Of The Month
Study Shows Riding in a Car with a Smoker Is Bad for Your Health…
Everyone knows smoking is bad for your health. Very bad. Most people also know that secondhand smoke is harmful. The problem is that many people think they are safe from secondhand smoke when they are not. In other words, you are probably getting a lot more secondhand smoke than you think. For example, one study showed secondhand smoke can actually be obtained from a smoker’s clothes.
That’s why the results of a new study published in the journal Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention are not that surprising. The study looked at 14 non-smokers who sat in an SUV with a smoker for one hour. During that hour, the smoker smoked three cigarettes. The front and back windows were cracked and the smoker sat in the driver’s seat while the non-smokers sat in the right rear seat. According to the study, tests conducted on the non-smokers showed elevated levels of butadiene, acrylonitrile, benzene, methylating agents, and ethylene oxide. According to UCSF Professor Dr. Neal L. Benowitz, the chemicals are “thought to be the most important among the thousands in tobacco smoke that cause smoking-related disease.”
Lead author Dr. Gideon St. Helen writes, “This tells us that people, especially children and adults with pre-existing health conditions such as asthma or a history of heart disease should be protected from secondhand smoke exposure in cars.”
Here is something that should be mentioned: The study was performed on a vehicle that was not moving. Obviously, more research should be done with a moving vehicle to get more realistic results. But the real question is: why expose yourself or your children to ANY level of secondhand smoke?
Did Ohio State Eat a “Magic Diet” to Lose Weight
and Beat Oregon for the National Championship?
Whether you are into football or not, you will like this information. Why? Because if you are like most people, you would love to know how to lose a few pounds… and that’s exactly what Ohio State’s players did. In fact, the coaching staff told players to lose about 5 lbs. (~2.2 kg) in the ten days before the National Championship game. They even made them weigh in to prove they did it. What was the “secret” to the weight loss? According to Ohio State defensive-line coach Larry Johnson, “I told them: I don’t want you to starve. Just eat less. I should launch my own weight loss program.”
One of the Ohio State players, Adolphus Washington, said it boiled down to eating less and running more. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Washington, who weighs 295 pounds, stayed after practice between the Alabama and Oregon games for more cardiovascular exercise and swore off sweets, including Honey Buns, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Snickers’ bars Johnson keeps in his office.”
How crazy is this? Who would have known that eating less, cutting out junk food, and exercising more is the “secret” to losing weight?
Remember, we’re always here to help your body heal
and maintain the pain free body you deserve.
This information 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 health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.
Dr Beecher’s March 9 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 9th, 2015
Mental Attitude: Student Loans = Stress for Young Adults. A new study finds that student loan debt is a significant cause of stress among young adults. Researchers conducted a survey across the United States and found that those with greater student loan debt reported higher levels of depressive symptoms. Study author Dr. Katrina Walsemann writes, “We are speculating that part of the reason that these types of loans are so stressful is the fact that you cannot defer them, they follow you for the rest of your life until you pay them off.” Further research is needed to determine how student loan debt affects other areas of health and life, such as job choices, marriage, and children. University of South Carolina, January 2015
Health Alert: Lung Cancer Now the #1 Cancer Killer of Women in Wealthy Nations. According to a new report, lung cancer has overtaken breast cancer as the leading killer of women in developed countries. Experts explain that an increase in female smokers in the 1970s is the likely explanation for the upsurge in lung cancer-related deaths among women in present day. On the other hand, early detection and improved treatments have led to a decline in breast cancer-related deaths in recent decades. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, February 2015
Diet: Healthy Diet & Nutrition Critical for Mental Health. A new collaborative study adds to a growing body of evidence showing a relationship between both diet quality and potential nutritional deficiencies and mental health. Studies have shown that many nutrients have a clear influence on brain health including omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins (particularly folate and B12), choline, iron, zinc, magnesium, S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe), vitamin D, and amino acids. Lead author Dr. Jerome Sarris writes, “While the determinants of mental health are complex, the emerging and compelling evidence for nutrition as a key factor in the high prevalence and incidence of mental disorders suggests that nutrition is as important to psychiatry as it is to cardiology, endocrinology, and gastroenterology.” The Lancet Psychiatry, January 2014
Exercise: Get Fit at Home. You don’t need to invest in a gym membership to get fitter, stronger, and healthier. The American College of Sports Medicine reports that you can get a great home-based workout with the following inexpensive essentials: an uncluttered space of about 100 square feet, light dumbbells, a stability ball, and resistance bands. They recommend a training routine featuring 8 to 10 different exercises that works all muscle groups. American College of Sports Medicine, February 2015
Chiropractic: GERD Improves with Adjustments. A recent case study involved a 27-year-old woman who presented at a chiropractic clinic with a history of upper and mid-back pain as well as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). She received a two- month course of chiropractic care that included adjustments, traction, and exercises to improve posture. She reported improvement of her GERD symptoms and x-rays revealed improvement in spinal alignment at the conclusion of care. The findings support the use of chiropractic care for gastro-intestinal symptoms in addition to musculoskeletal pain. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research, June 2014
Wellness/Prevention: Use of Media Devices Affect Teens’ Sleep Significantly. A Norwegian study has found that if it takes more than an hour for a teenager to fall asleep, there is an almost 50% likelihood that they are spending more than four hours per day outside of school using electronic devices such as computers, TVs, smartphones, and MP3 players. The findings are of concern since the majority of teens in the United States report having at least one electronic device in their bedroom, and poor sleep has implications on school performance. The authors add, “The current recommendation is not to have a TV in the bedroom. It seems, however, that there may be other electronic devices exerting the same negative influence on sleep, such as PCs and mobile phones. The results confirm recommendations for restricting media use in general.” Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, November 2014
Quote: “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” ~ Will Rogers
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
Dr Beecher’s March 2 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 2nd, 2015
Mental Attitude: Are Girls Around the World Smarter Than Boys? After analyzing educational data collected during a ten-year period concerning 1.5 million 15-year-old boys and girls from around the world, an international team of researchers from the University of Missouri and the University of Glasgow claims that girls outperform boys in reading, math, and science in 70% of the countries they studied. This finding challenges the widely-held belief that boys generally perform better in these subjects. Study author Dr. David Geary adds, “Even in countries where women’s liberties are severely restricted, we found that girls are outperforming boys in reading, mathematics, and science literacy by age 15, regardless of political, economic, social, or gender equality issues and policies found in those countries.” Intelligence, January 2015
Health Alert: Colon Cancer Rates on the Rise Among Americans Under 50. An analysis of National Cancer Institute data reveals that overall colon cancer rates fell by roughly 1% every year between 1975 and 2010. However, the rate of colon cancer among people ages 20 to 34 actually rose 2% annually and individuals between ages 35 and 49 saw a half-percent yearly increase during the same time period. Study co-author Dr. Jason Zell writes, “Multiple research organizations have shown that colon cancer is rising in those under 50, and our study found the same, particularly among very young adults… Which means that the epidemiology of this disease is changing, even if the absolute risk among young adults is still very low.” Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, December 2014
Diet: Green Tea Ingredient May Help Kill Oral Cancer Cells. Scientists have found that a compound in green tea called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) may trigger a cycle that kills oral cancer cells while leaving other cells alone, though the precise mechanism is unknown. Because this process appears to happen without causing any damage to the surrounding healthy tissue, this findings may lead to treatments for oral as well as other types of cancer in the future.
Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, January 2015
Exercise: Talk Yourself Up! Cyclists who underwent motivational self-talk training experienced enhancements in their power output and breathing capacity that led to improvements on time trials that were not achieved by cyclists in a control group that received no such training. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, March 2015
Chiropractic: New Study Demonstrates Positive Changes Following Chiropractic Care. Using a special x-ray process called video fluoroscopy, researchers were able to produce real-time video images that demonstrate the benefits of spinal manipulation performed by chiropractors. In the study, they identified spinal joint fixations and then observed the joint’s behavior after a chiropractic physician adjusted that region of the spine. The video showed a significant improvement in motion on the treated vertebrae, supporting the use of chiropractic care to restore joint motion. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research, February 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Good Bedtime Habits Result in Better Sleep for Kids. Sleep researchers say that children obtain better sleep in the presence of household rules and regular sleep-wake routines. Researchers evaluated 1,103 American households with children ages 6 to 17 years old and found that within the family dynamic, a consistent bedtime routine improved sleep, whereas television use in the bedroom generally was associated with reduced sleep. Researcher Dr. Orfeu Buxton adds, “Good quality and sufficient sleep are vital for children. Just like a healthy diet and exercise, sleep is critical for children to stay healthy, grow, learn, do well in school, and function at their best.” Sleep Health, January 2015
Quote: “Don’t follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.” ~ Margaret Thatcher
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
Dr Beecher’s February 23 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, February 23rd, 2015
Mental Attitude: Early to Bed Leads to Fewer Negative Thoughts. A study that included 100 college students found that those who went to bed later and slept fewer hours experienced more repetitive negative thoughts during the day than those who went to bed earlier and slept longer. Study author Dr. Jacob Nota adds, “Making sure that sleep is obtained during the right time of day may be an inexpensive and easily disseminable intervention for individuals who are bothered by intrusive thoughts.” Cognitive Therapy and Research, December 2014
Health Alert: Internet Addiction is a Worldwide Problem. An analysis of 31 nations found the overall global prevalence of Internet addiction is around 6%. Internet addiction is the inability to inhibit Internet use, which can adversely affect a person’s life, including their health and relationships. Investigators noted that Internet addiction varies among regions around the world from about 1 in 38 people in Northern and Western Europe to about 1 in 10 people in the Middle East. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, December 2014
Diet: Kids Get Too Much Caffeine from Energy Drinks. A new Danish study claims that 20% of children between the ages of ten and fourteen who regularly consume energy drinks ingest too much caffeine based on the caffeine content of the energy drinks alone. Furthermore, when caffeine intake from other sources such as soda and chocolate is included, fifty percent of these children and over 30% of high school-age children consume too much caffeine. Senior researcher Dr. Jeppe Matthiessen claims, “Both the use of and attitudes towards energy drinks give us reason to be concerned that the intake will increase in the coming years and we therefore suggest that more information will be made available about energy drinks aimed at children and adolescents as well as their parents.” National Food Institute, December 2014
Exercise: HIIT Is Good For Hypertension Patients! Patients with high blood pressure who participated in a 16-week high- intensity intermittent training (HIIT) program experienced greater improvements in both their blood pressure and overall quality of life when compared with hypertension patients who participated in a 16-week moderate-intensity continuous exercise routine. HIIT is an exercise strategy consisting of low-to-moderate intensity intervals alternated with high-intensity intervals. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, January 2015
Chiropractic: Helps with Recurrent Ankle Sprains! While many associate chiropractic care with back and neck pain, manipulative therapy provided by doctors of chiropractic can also help patients with recurrent ankle sprains. In a study of 33 patients with recurrent ankle sprain with functional instability (RASFI), those who received rehabilitation in addition to six treatments of manipulative therapy reported improved joint motion as well as significant reductions in pain when compared with those who received rehabilitation alone. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, January 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Proper Screening for Hearing Loss. The American Speech-Language Hearing Association suggests that adults undergo a hearing test every 10 years until age 50, after which they should undergo screenings every three years. Individuals who fail a hearing test should see an audiologist for a complete hearing evaluation.
American Speech-Language Hearing Association, December 2014
Quote: “Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.” ~ Isaac Asimov
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
Dr Beecher’s February 16 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, February 16th, 2015
Mental Attitude: Parental Suicide Attempts Raise Risk of Their Children Doing the Same. According to the findings of a new study, when a parent has a history of attempting suicide, the odds that their child will attempt suicide increase five-fold when compared with the children of individuals who have not attempted suicide. Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, the president and CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation adds, “For parents who have a history of depression, bipolar disorder, and/or suicide attempts, they should be aware of the potential risk for their children and be proactive in having an evaluation if the child is experiencing depression or other psychiatric symptoms.” JAMA Psychiatry, December 2014
Health Alert: Hospital Infection Rates Falling. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that the rates of many types of hospital-acquired infections are on the decline. The researchers found a 46% decline in “central line-associated” bloodstream infections, a 19% decrease in surgical site infections, an 8% drop in multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, and a 10% fall in C. difficile infections during the previous five years. Despite the findings, the CDC states that more work is needed to protect patients. CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden writes, “[The] key is for every hospital to have rigorous infection-control programs to protect patients and health care workers, and for health care facilities and others to work together to reduce the many types of infections that haven’t decreased enough.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 2015
Diet: Recess May Promote Healthy Eating in Schools. Schools may want to consider adding a recess before lunch to help improve students eating habits. Investigators found that students ate 54% more fruit and vegetable servings when recess was held before lunchtime than after lunchtime. The research team also noted a 45% increase in the number of students who ate at least one serving of fruit and vegetables. They conclude, “Increased fruit and vegetable consumption in young children can have positive long-term health effects. Additionally, decreasing waste of fruits and vegetables is important for schools and districts that are faced with high costs of offering healthier food choices.” Preventive Medicine, January 2015
Exercise: Exercise Helps Reduce Risk of Falls for Some Parkinson’s Patients. A new clinical trial has found that home- based exercises focused on balance and leg strengthening may help individuals with milder Parkinson’s disease symptoms reduce their risk of falling down by as much as 70%. More research is needed to determine whether a program with closer supervision can help prevent falls in individuals with more advanced Parkinson’s cases. Neurology, December 2014
Chiropractic: For Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis… Patients with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis (OA) may want to consider a course of chiropractic care. In a small-scale study including 83 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, those who received chiropractic care reported statistically significant improvements on surveys used to measure pain, stiffness, and physical function. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, January 2015
Wellness/Prevention: How to Prevent Snoring. The National Sleep Foundation offers the following suggestions that may help prevent snoring: lose excess weight, have a regular sleep schedule, sleep on your side, do not eat for at least three hours before bed, do not drink alcohol for at least four hours before bed, and avoid medications such as antihistamines, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers. The National Sleep Foundation, December 2014
Quote: “We are made to persist. That’s how we find out who we are.” ~ Tobias Wolff
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
Dr Beecher’s February 2015 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Monthly Newsletter, please click here!
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” ~ Harry S. Truman
New Study Shows Refined Sugars May Raise Blood Pressure More Than Salt!
Also this month:
- Study Links Vitamin D Deficiency to Depression. The evidence about the importance of Vitamin D is adding up. It affects your immune system and has now been linked to depression.
- Lose Weight with Potatoes? New study shows you may be able to lose weight even if you are eating a diet high in fat and refined carbohydrates with this potato extract…
- How Stealing Eggs Fed a Family of Six. Stealing is not good but the outcome of this “theft” may have saved a few lives…
Houston – There is no question, science has dramatically changed the way in which we see the world and has helped us better understand both ourselves and the universe we inhabit.
Here is something most people do not know about science and the scientific method: it raises more questions than answers. You see, the purpose of science is NOT to “prove” things. In fact, all scientific theories are actually unprovable.
The late philosopher Karl Popper believed a hypothesis, proposition, or theory is “scientific” only if it is, among other things, falsifiable.
According to Princeton University’s website: “Falsifiability or refutability is the logical possibility that an assertion could be shown false by a particular observation or physical experiment. That something is ‘falsifiable’ does not mean it is false; rather, it means that if the statement were false, then its falsehood could be demonstrated.
“The claim ‘No human lives forever’ is not falsifiable since it does not seem possible to prove wrong. In theory, one would have to observe a human living forever to falsify that claim. On the other hand, ‘All humans live forever’ is falsifiable since the presentation of just one dead human could prove the statement wrong (excluding metaphysical assertions about souls, which are not falsifiable). Moreover, a claim may be true and still be falsifiable; if ‘All humans live forever’ were true, we would never actually find a dead human, and yet that claim would still be falsifiable because we can at least imagine the observation that would prove it wrong.”
Here Are Two Important Things About This…
First, a statement that is unfalsifiable is non-scientific, but that does not mean it is not relevant or that it is inaccurate. One great example is the existence of atoms. The ancient metaphysical and unfalsifiable idea of the existence of atoms led to modern theories about atoms that are falsifiable.
In other words, just because something does not fit into the scientific method does not mean it will not fit someday or that it is false. It is very possible that things could be untestable by science but true.
Just as important, because something does fit into the scientific method and has withstood scientific testing, it does not mean it is true or even partially true. It is not uncommon to discover that things we believe to be fact are either partially or completely incorrect.
In other words, we know a lot less than we sometimes think we do and we should always keep an open mind.
Is Sodium Really the Devil?
For example, sodium has been demonized for quite some time because it has been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. For many years, it has been an accepted “fact” that sodium intake must be reduced in people with high blood pressure and by most people in general.
Not too long ago, a study was published that suggested the important measure wasn’t sodium intake but the sodium/potassium ratio in an individual’s diet. This could mean that even a low-sodium diet could be bad if an individual’s diet is also low in potassium, or that a high-sodium diet may not be an issue if a person’s diet is also a high-potassium diet.
But it gets better… Now, a new study published in the journal Open Heart has added to the debate. In this study, high-sugar diets were found to raise blood pressure.
According to the study: “Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature mortality in the developed world, and hypertension is its most important risk factor. Controlling hypertension is a major focus of public health initiatives, and dietary approaches have historically focused on sodium.
“While the potential benefits of sodium-reduction strategies are debatable, one fact which there is little debate is that the predominant sources of sodium in the diet are industrially processed foods. Processed foods also happen to be generally high in added sugars, the consumption of which might be more strongly and directly associated with hypertension and cardio metabolic risk.”
The authors of the study went on to add, “Thus, while there is no argument that recommendations to reduce consumption of processed foods are highly appropriate and advisable, the arguments in this review are that the benefits of such recommendations might have less to do with sodium – minimally related to blood pressure and perhaps even inversely related to cardiovascular risk – and more to do with highly-refined carbohydrates.”
Here’s What Is VERY Important To YOU:
This may seem like a lot of “scientific” information. It may also seem confusing. Researchers are good at making things confusing!
Here is the scoop: Foods loaded with processed, refined carbohydrates are not good for you. Choosing to eat fewer refined, processed foods is one of the best ways to lose weight and stay healthy. Period. End of story.
Notice, I did not say to stop eating carbohydrates? Many people are confused by this and think all carbohydrates are the same but nothing could be further from the truth.
There is a HUGE difference between highly refined carbohydrates and unrefined carbohydrates.
Sure, there is a raging debate over low-carb and high-carb diets but that is another conversation. The first thing you must understand is highly refined carbohydrates are not good for you in any amounts. How many unrefined and GOOD carbohydrates you should consume is a very different topic.
Does science always have the right answer? No, it is not supposed to. Science is a method, a process. It is one part of how we know what we know. It is not all of it.
We should use science as part of the process to make the best decisions about life and health.
With that being said, I will go out on a limb and say this: If you want to be healthier – possibly much healthier – stop eating processed, highly refined foods.
Are You SAD? Vitamin D Deficiency
Might Be The Cause…
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is believed to affect up to 10 percent of the population. SAD is a type of depression related to the changes in the season and can affect some geographic locations more than others. The symptoms of SAD usually start in the fall and continue throughout the winter months. Now, new research suggests that Vitamin D plays a HUGE role in whether or not a person develops SAD. According to Dr. Alan Stewart of the University of Georgia College of Education, “Rather than being one of many factors, Vitamin D could have a regulative role in the development of SAD… We believe there are several reasons for this, including Vitamin D levels fluctuate in the body seasonally, in direct relation to seasonally available sunlight. For example, studies show there is a lag of about eight weeks between the peak in intensity of ultraviolet radiation and the onset of SAD, and this correlates with the time it takes for UV radiation to be processed by the body into Vitamin D.”
It is important to note that Vitamin D is involved in the synthesis of dopamine and serotonin and lower levels of both are linked to depression. This is especially important since many people now avoid the sun as much as possible out of fear or developing skin cancer. Clearly, exposure to sunlight is important for optimizing your health. But there is a big difference between getting too much sunlight (and getting sunburns) and taking an extreme position to get no sunlight at all. The tricky thing is determining what level of sun exposure is most beneficial for you. Factors like skin tone and geographic location drastically affect how much sun any given person should be exposed to. However, a vitamin D supplement may safely help increase your vitamin D levels, especially during winter months when sunlight exposure is extremely limited.
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 May Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)
How Stealing Eggs Fed a Starving Family of Six
Ever had a bad day? One of those days where you wish you never got out of bed? We all have those days. Sometimes we get more of them than we want to deal with.
Clearly, life can be tough and it has brought many good people to their knees. It’s a safe bet that EVERYONE at one time or another has needed help. Getting help is what this amazing story is about…
Helen Johnson was just buying groceries, something we all do. But that’s where the similarity ends for most of us.
Helen was not buying much, just the necessities because the children in her charge had not eaten in two days. When the cashier told her the total, she was 50 cents short. This put Helen in a very tough spot. She is raising her two daughters, two grandchildren, and a niece. She gets assistance from disability and welfare, but her last check got lost in the mail.
Helen was faced with letting her family go hungry… or stealing. She chose the latter.
She put three eggs in her pocket and they broke. This mistake turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Here is why: The cashier saw the broken eggs and knew she was trying to shoplift them, so she called the police. When the police came, Helen was honest and told Officer William Stacy what had happened.
Officer Stacy said she started crying and said she needed help to put food in her babies’ stomachs.
Instead of arresting her, Officer Stacy told her to wait for him in the parking lot. She did and he came back with a carton of eggs he purchased for her. When he handed Helen the eggs, she almost broke down with overwhelming emotion.
What’s more, someone in the parking lot caught the entire exchange on video. The video was uploaded to the internet and as you can imagine, went viral.
But it gets even better… Officer Stacy is employed by the Tarrant Police Department in Alabama. The Tarrant Police Department signed up Helen’s family for a local toy drive and also collected enough donations to deliver two truckloads of groceries to the family.
Helen has been quoted as saying, “I was just getting eggs and now that’s saved my life. I’ve never been more grateful in my life. I’m so overwhelmed with the goodness of these people… My heart is wide open right now.”
This story is not as unique as one may think. In 2013, Jessica Robles was caught shoplifting groceries in a Publix Supermarket in Florida. When Miami-Dade Police Officer Viki Thomas looked at the situation, she decided to pay $100 for the woman’s groceries instead of arresting her.
Everyone knows there is plenty of bad in the world, but there is also plenty of good. Most of the time, you see what you are looking for.
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?…
Are You Drinking Enough Water?
Throughout each day, your body loses water through your urine, exhalation, and sweat glands – even when you’re not purposely working up a sweat. As a result, you have to drink water to constantly replenish this fluid. No, coffee and soft drinks do not count toward this requirement. Both coffee and soda are high in caffeine, which act as a diuretic that will dehydrate you. Worse yet, sodas, fruit juices, and other sweetened beverages are loaded with sugars that could negatively impact your health. So, the key is to drink pure water. Once your body has lost 1-2% of its total water content, it will signal its needs by making you feel thirsty.
Besides listening to your thirst, a good rule of thumb is to look at the color of your urine. In most cases, you want to drink enough water to turn your urine a light-colored yellow (if it’s clear, you may be drinking too much water). Also, Riboflavin (vitamin B2, which is also found in most multi-vitamins) will turn your urine a bright, almost fluorescent yellow. So, if you’re taking supplements containing B2, it may be more difficult to judge hydration by the color of your urine. Frequency of urination can also be used to judge your water intake. If your urine is scant or if you haven’t urinated in several hours, that too may indicate you need to drink more water.
Tip Of The Month
Lose Weight with Potatoes?
Potatoes (and other carbohydrates) have gotten a bad rap in recent years. Now, newly published research claims they can help you lose weight. Well, sort of. According to researchers at McGill University, a potato extract may help limit weight gain from a diet that is already high in fat and refined carbohydrates. The study was done on mice that were fed an obesity-inducing diet for ten weeks. Some of the mice were also fed a potato extract. The mice fed the potato extract gained less weight.
Here are a few things that are important… The extract comes from 30 potatoes. Obviously, attempting to eat 30 potatoes a day would not achieve the same results (due to the large amount of calories) and is not advisable. That’s why an extract was used. But there is a bigger issue: This potato extract was tested on mice eating diets high in fat and refined carbohydrates. A much better solution would be to stop eating that sort of low-quality diet. The answer is not to eat poorly and hope that a supplement or drug will solve your problems. The answer is to eat right in the first place. The study said the mice taking the extract with the poor diet gained LESS weight. This means they still gained weight. There are no good shortcuts to losing weight and staying healthy. Making the decision to eat right and exercise for the rest of your life is the only real solution.
Remember, we’re always here to help your body heal
and maintain the pain free body you deserve.
This information 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 health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.
Dr Beecher’s February 9 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
In this weeks health news update I discuss how having a dog helps autistic kids develop better social skills, how e-cigarettes may lead to more respiratory infections, how binge drinking affects your immune system and how anxiety can cause back pain.
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter , please click here!
Dr Beecher’s February 2 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter , please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, February 2nd, 2015
Mental Attitude: Learning to Play Music Improves Kids’ Brains. MRI scans of children who received musical training showed greater thickness in the areas of the brain that influence working memory, self-control, organization, and planning for the future. The research team claims their findings “underscore the vital importance of finding new and innovative ways to make music training more widely available to youths, beginning in childhood.”
Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, December 2014
Health Alert: Cancer Death Rates in the US Continue to Drop. Death rates from cancer in the United States (US) continue to fall (down 22% since a peak in 1991), according to the annual report from the American Cancer Society (ACS). The ACS argues that continuing the fight against cancer across all segments of the population could lead to even greater reduction in cancer related deaths. Dr. John R. Seffrin, the CEO of ACS adds, “The change may be inevitable, but we can still lessen cancer’s deadly impact by making sure as many Americans as possible have access to the best tools to prevent, detect, and treat cancer.” American Cancer Society, January 2015
Diet: Eat Your Fruits and Veggies! A 24-year study including 9,112 Japanese men and women found that those who ate the most servings of fruits and vegetables each day had a 24% lower risk for total cardiovascular disease, a 20% lower risk for stroke, and a 43% lower risk for coronary heart disease when compared with their peers who ate the fewest daily servings of fruits and vegetables. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2015
Exercise: Daily Physical Activity Helps Maintain Vascular Health. Researchers have found that reducing daily physical activity for even a few days can lead to decreased function in the inner lining of blood vessels in the legs of healthy, young individuals. However, their work demonstrates that it’s possible to start the repair process by walking at least 10,000 steps a day. Study co-author Dr. Paul Fadel adds, “The best treatment is to become more active, and our research lends proof to that concept. If you do not realize how harmful sitting around all day and not doing any activity is to your health, this proves it.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, December 2014
Chiropractic: Lumbar Manipulation & Exercise for Knee Pain? A new case study supports the use of lumbar spinal manipulation for anterior knee pain and quadriceps weakness. A 20-year-old man who underwent ACL reconstruction of the left knee with continued knee pain and quadriceps weakness presented for chiropractic care. He was prescribed exercises to improve his quadriceps strength and received side-lying rotational spinal manipulation. After a course of eight weekly treatments, he returned to pain-free participation in recreational sports. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, December 2014
Wellness/Prevention: Water Coolers at School Encourage Students to Drink More. When water dispensers were installed in a few New York City schools, students drank three times more water at lunchtime than students at schools that did not install water coolers in their lunch rooms. Researchers found that 80% of students noticed the water dispensers, two-thirds of those who noticed them actually used them, and 50% who noticed the coolers actually drank more water at lunchtime. Officials plan to install water dispensers in over 1,000 New York City public schools. American Journal of Public Health, December 2014
Quote: “It is better to be alone than in bad company.” ~ George Washington
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
