Dr Beecher’s April 2014 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Monthly Newsletter, please click here!
“At 18 our convictions are hills from which we look; At 45 they are caves in which we hide.”
~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
Amazing Technology Lets Doctors See Cancer Cells With High-Tech Glasses!
Why This Breakthrough May Improve Cancer Treatments and Save Lives…
Also this month:
- World’s oldest father has son at age 96: Guess what he eats!
- Does eating too much sugar DOUBLE risk of heart disease? New Research might make you think twice about consuming processed food and drinks loaded with sweeteners.
- Eating this might help you lose weight and live longer: Many people think this food makes you gain weight… but research shows the opposite is true.
- Another Janitor becomes HUGE Success! He dropped out of college in 1979 and became a janitor to help his mother support his four siblings. The amazing story of how he went from janitor… to teacher… to principal!
Houston – In just a moment, you will read about a fascinating pair of glasses that allows surgeons to actually see cancer cells while they’re in the operating room. It’s pretty awesome and has the potential to dramatically improve the outcome of many cancer surgeries.
But first, here is something fascinating…
It has been reported that Ramjeet Raghav is the world’s oldest new father. Mr. Raghav lives in India, he’s 96 years old, and he just welcomed his second son into the world!
Mr. Raghav fathered his first son back in 2010 and was recognized as the world’s oldest new father at that time too.
Just imagine not only being alive but having enough energy to be that active at age 96!
What is his secret? No one knows for sure, perhaps not even Mr. Raghav, but it’s probably a mixture of great genes and lifestyle. Mr. Raghav is a former wrestler and lives on a diet of milk, butter, and almonds. Perhaps the almonds he eats are magical. J
On a more serious note, almonds and other “tree nuts” appear to be very healthy foods. Many people think nuts are fattening and not healthy because of their fat content, but this is not true. There is “good fat” and there is “bad fat.” Tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, filberts/hazelnuts, Macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts, and are high in “good” healthy fats.
In fact, a large-scale 30-year-long study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people who regularly ate a small handful of nuts at least seven times per week were 20 percent less likely to die for any reason during the length of the study compared with those who largely avoided nuts in their diet.
Here is a quote from the study as reported in the Washington Post: “Even those who ate nuts less than once a week had a 7 percent reduction in risk. Consuming nuts at least five times a week corresponded to a 29 percent drop in mortality risk for heart disease, a 24 percent decline for respiratory disease, and an 11 percent drop for cancer.”
One thing should be noted: People in this study who ate more nuts also ate more fruits and vegetables and were leaner.
This is important for a couple of reasons. First, it takes more than just doing ONE THING, like eating nuts, to be healthy. There is no silver bullet. Good health (and the vibrant energy and awesome feelings that come with it) is the end-result of doing a lot of little things correctly for years and years.
Secondly, it is no shock that the people who ate more nuts also ate other healthy foods. These were probably not just “nut lovers.” They were likely people who were into eating healthy and nuts were one part of what they considered to be a healthy diet.
While we are on the subject of eating correctly for optimal health, yet another study has shown the negative effects of eating too much “bad” sugar. “Bad” sugar is sugar used to sweeten processed foods.
According to Bloomberg News: “High sugar consumption may double the chance of dying from heart disease, according to a study that adds to evidence that high levels of the sweetener in processed foods and drink is bad for a person’s health.
“People whose sugar intake is about a quarter or more of their total daily calories had twice the risk of dying from heart disease than those whose intake was 7 percent, according to the research today in JAMA Internal Medicine. For those whose intake of added sugar was about 19 percent, their risk of dying from heart disease was about 38 percent higher.”
About 37 percent of added sugar in American diets comes from sugar-sweetened beverages, while the rest comes from grain-based desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, and candy. Sugar from fruits and vegetables is not considered added sugar.
Here is something worth writing down: Processed food is generally not good for you. Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide and is believed to cause an estimated 600,000 deaths per year in the United States alone. Making an effort for you and your family to stay away from processed foods may literally save your life and the lives of your family members.
A Common Food that Can Zap You
of Energy and Make You Gain Weight…
One food that many people mistakenly think is healthy is the bagel. Many bagels are processed white bread and they often contain about 40-50 grams of refined carbohydrates that can spike blood sugar levels, setting off a chain of events that result in the release of hormones like tryptophan into your brain to make you feel tired. Not only that, if you don’t burn off those extra calories, your body may convert them into fat!
Does Yogurt Lower Your Risk of Diabetes?
It looks like it just might. New research published in the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes shows that higher consumption of yogurt, compared with no consumption, can reduce the risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes by 28%. Scientists found that higher consumption of low-fat fermented dairy products, which include all yogurt varieties and some low-fat cheeses, also reduced the relative risk of diabetes by 24% overall.
Okay, now for some amazing medical technology that just might…
Blow You Away!
Cancer cells appear to glow blue when viewed through new high-tech glasses designed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine. This may help surgeons visualize cancer cells while performing surgery to remove them. The first surgery performed while wearing these glasses was conducted on February 10, 2014 at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.
This is important because cancer cells are very difficult to see, even under the greatest magnification. These glasses have the potential to almost ensure that no cancer cells are left behind during surgery.
Surgeon, Julie Margenthaler, MD, is very optimistic, “Imagine what it would mean if these glasses eliminated the need for follow-up surgery and the associated pain, inconvenience, and anxiety.”
Don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us at 281-286-1300 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)
Another Janitor Becomes
A HUGE Success!
He dropped out of college in 1979 to help his mother raise his four siblings. The amazing story of how he went from janitor… to teacher… to principal!
Not too long ago we told you about how Richard Montanez went from mopping the floors to calling the shots as the Executive Vice President of PepsiCo of North America. Now, here’s is another incredible success story involving a janitor.
His name is Joseph “Gabe” Sonnier and his story starts with very humble beginnings. Sonnier was attending Southern University but decided to drop out and get a job as a janitor to help his mother, a housekeeper, financially support his four siblings.
As you know, time flies. Before he knew it, he was 39 and still a janitor at Port Barre Elementary School. That’s when the school’s Principal pulled Sonnier aside and told him he should be grading papers instead of picking them up off the ground.
That’s when Sonnier decided to finish his education. “I would come to work at like five in the morning and leave at seven, go to school all day, and then come back and finish up my eight hours of work here, and then go home and do homework,” said Sonnier.
He earned his Bachelor’s Degree, and in 2008, he went from janitor to teacher at Port Barre Elementary. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Education through Arkansas State University. Last November, he was promoted to Principal of Port Barre Elementary.
His incredible journey has several very important life lessons for anyone and everyone, especially if you are unhappy and your life is not where you would like it to be right now.
Sonnier is known for saying, “Don’t let your situation that you’re in now define what you’re going to become later. I always tell them it’s not where you start, it’s how you finish.”
After reading this, one thing is abundantly clear: It has nothing to do with being a janitor and everything to do with what these two janitors, Mr. Sonnier and Mr. Montanez, thought.
Neither one of these guys has any “special inborn skill.” They are not dramatically smarter, or better looking, or luckier than anyone else. What they ARE is super ACCURATE THINKERS.
They both fully understand that hard work beats talent when talent does not work. Sure, some people are born gifted and if they work hard, then they will probably come out ahead of those who are not as naturally capable. But we do not live in a vacuum, and many gifted people simply do not work hard. That makes it easy for hard-workers to blow right by them.
Accurate thinkers understand that there is plenty of opportunity out there. They do not falsely believe that they are condemned to a life of struggling and lack of success simply because there is no other way. They know there is another way simply because so many other people… just like them… have done it already, and are doing it every day.
They clearly understand that it takes HARD WORK to succeed. Nothing worth anything comes easy. Most people simply do not want to put in effort. Sonnier was up a 5 a.m. every day and worked until late at night. He did this for years and years to reach his goal. How many others are willing to make this kind of sacrifice? Are you? Only you know the answer to that question.
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?…
Eye Charts and Vision
The Snellen eye chart was created by Herman Snellen, a Dutch eye doctor, in the 1860s. Another popular chart used during eye exams is the Tumbling E chart which features capital letter E’s facing in different directions. This chart comes in handy when young children who don’t know the alphabet are being tested, or for people who don’t know the English alphabet. Rather than say a letter, they can pick the smallest line of E’s that they can see, and say or point which way the “arms” of the E in that line are facing. Numerous studies have shown that this chart and the Snellen chart come up with nearly the same results.
Around one million people aged 40 and older in the United States (US) are considered legally blind. To obtain a driver’s license in the US, you need to have at least 20/40 vision or better. If you can read the fifth line of text on the Snellen chart from 20 feet away, you are considered to have 20/40 vision.
Cataracts, the clouding of the lens inside the eye which leads to decreased vision, affects 22 million Americans aged 40 and older. Around half of Americans will have suffered from cataracts by age 80. The medical costs relating to cataract treatment nationwide is estimated at $6.8 billion every year.
Tip Of The Month
New Research: How Video Games Change You In The Real World!
If you play video games, you are not alone. According to the Entertainment Software Association, as of 2013, 58% of Americans play video games. There is an average of two gamers in each game-playing household in the United States (US). The average US household owns at least one dedicated game console, PC, or smartphone. Fifty-one percent of US households own a dedicated game console, and those who do, own an average of two. The average age of a game player is 30 years old and there are more people over the age of 36 playing video games (36%) than between the ages of 18-35 (32%), with 32% being under the age of 18. With so many people playing, and with such a wide age group, the finding of a new study could be very important.
The study reported by the Association for Psychological Science found that how you represent yourself in video games may affect the way you behave and treat others in real life. They reported, “Our results indicate that just five minutes of role-play in virtual environments as either a hero or villain can easily cause people to reward or punish anonymous strangers.” One experiment studied 194 undergraduates. The participants were randomly assigned to a villain, hero, or neutral avatar in the game. They played the game for five minutes. During that five minutes, their avatar (their identity in the game) fought against enemies. After the five minutes ended, the participants took part in a taste test that they believed was not part of the study. In this taste test, they were asked to taste both a chocolate and a chili sauce and then decide which one and how much to give to the next participant.
According to the Association For Psychological Science, “The results were revealing: Participants who played as [the hero] poured, on average, nearly twice as much chocolate as chili sauce for the ‘future participant.’ And they poured significantly more chocolate than those who played as either of the other avatars. Participants who played as the villain, on the other hand, poured out nearly twice as much of the spicy chili sauce than they did chocolate, and they poured significantly more chili sauce compared to the other participants.”
A second, similar experiment of 125 graduates confirmed these finding. According to the lead author of the study, “In virtual environments, people can freely choose avatars that allow them to opt into or out of a certain entity, group, or situation… Consumers and practitioners should remember that powerful imitative effects can occur when people put on virtual masks.”
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 emailing me at [email protected] .
“At 18 our convictions are hills from which we look; At 45 they are caves in which we hide.”
~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
Amazing Technology Lets Doctors See Cancer Cells With High-Tech Glasses!
Why This Breakthrough May Improve Cancer Treatments and Save Lives…
Also this month:
- World’s oldest father has son at age 96: Guess what he eats!
- Does eating too much sugar DOUBLE risk of heart disease? New Research might make you think twice about consuming processed food and drinks loaded with sweeteners.
- Eating this might help you lose weight and live longer: Many people think this food makes you gain weight… but research shows the opposite is true.
- Another Janitor becomes HUGE Success! He dropped out of college in 1979 and became a janitor to help his mother support his four siblings. The amazing story of how he went from janitor… to teacher… to principal!
| H |
ouston – In just a moment, you will read about a fascinating pair of glasses that allows surgeons to actually see cancer cells while they’re in the operating room. It’s pretty awesome and has the potential to dramatically improve the outcome of many cancer surgeries.
But first, here is something fascinating…
It has been reported that Ramjeet Raghav is the world’s oldest new father. Mr. Raghav lives in India, he’s 96 years old, and he just welcomed his second son into the world!
Mr. Raghav fathered his first son back in 2010 and was recognized as the world’s oldest new father at that time too.
Just imagine not only being alive but having enough energy to be that active at age 96!
What is his secret? No one knows for sure, perhaps not even Mr. Raghav, but it’s probably a mixture of great genes and lifestyle. Mr. Raghav is a former wrestler and lives on a diet of milk, butter, and almonds. Perhaps the almonds he eats are magical. J
On a more serious note, almonds and other “tree nuts” appear to be very healthy foods. Many people think nuts are fattening and not healthy because of their fat content, but this is not true. There is “good fat” and there is “bad fat.” Tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, filberts/hazelnuts, Macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts, and are high in “good” healthy fats.
In fact, a large-scale 30-year-long study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people who regularly ate a small handful of nuts at least seven times per week were 20 percent less likely to die for any reason during the length of the study compared with those who largely avoided nuts in their diet.
Here is a quote from the study as reported in the Washington Post: “Even those who ate nuts less than once a week had a 7 percent reduction in risk. Consuming nuts at least five times a week corresponded to a 29 percent drop in mortality risk for heart disease, a 24 percent decline for respiratory disease, and an 11 percent drop for cancer.”
One thing should be noted: People in this study who ate more nuts also ate more fruits and vegetables and were leaner.
This is important for a couple of reasons. First, it takes more than just doing ONE THING, like eating nuts, to be healthy. There is no silver bullet. Good health (and the vibrant energy and awesome feelings that come with it) is the end-result of doing a lot of little things correctly for years and years.
Secondly, it is no shock that the people who ate more nuts also ate other healthy foods. These were probably not just “nut lovers.” They were likely people who were into eating healthy and nuts were one part of what they considered to be a healthy diet.
While we are on the subject of eating correctly for optimal health, yet another study has shown the negative effects of eating too much “bad” sugar. “Bad” sugar is sugar used to sweeten processed foods.
According to Bloomberg News: “High sugar consumption may double the chance of dying from heart disease, according to a study that adds to evidence that high levels of the sweetener in processed foods and drink is bad for a person’s health.
“People whose sugar intake is about a quarter or more of their total daily calories had twice the risk of dying from heart disease than those whose intake was 7 percent, according to the research today in JAMA Internal Medicine. For those whose intake of added sugar was about 19 percent, their risk of dying from heart disease was about 38 percent higher.”
About 37 percent of added sugar in American diets comes from sugar-sweetened beverages, while the rest comes from grain-based desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, and candy. Sugar from fruits and vegetables is not considered added sugar.
Here is something worth writing down: Processed food is generally not good for you. Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide and is believed to cause an estimated 600,000 deaths per year in the United States alone. Making an effort for you and your family to stay away from processed foods may literally save your life and the lives of your family members.
A Common Food that Can Zap You
of Energy and Make You Gain Weight…
One food that many people mistakenly think is healthy is the bagel. Many bagels are processed white bread and they often contain about 40-50 grams of refined carbohydrates that can spike blood sugar levels, setting off a chain of events that result in the release of hormones like tryptophan into your brain to make you feel tired. Not only that, if you don’t burn off those extra calories, your body may convert them into fat!
Does Yogurt Lower Your Risk of Diabetes?
It looks like it just might. New research published in the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes shows that higher consumption of yogurt, compared with no consumption, can reduce the risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes by 28%. Scientists found that higher consumption of low-fat fermented dairy products, which include all yogurt varieties and some low-fat cheeses, also reduced the relative risk of diabetes by 24% overall.
Okay, now for some amazing medical technology that just might…
Blow You Away!
Cancer cells appear to glow blue when viewed through new high-tech glasses designed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine. This may help surgeons visualize cancer cells while performing surgery to remove them. The first surgery performed while wearing these glasses was conducted on February 10, 2014 at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.
This is important because cancer cells are very difficult to see, even under the greatest magnification. These glasses have the potential to almost ensure that no cancer cells are left behind during surgery.
Surgeon, Julie Margenthaler, MD, is very optimistic, “Imagine what it would mean if these glasses eliminated the need for follow-up surgery and the associated pain, inconvenience, and anxiety.”
Don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us at 281-286-1300 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)
Another Janitor Becomes
A HUGE Success!
He dropped out of college in 1979 to help his mother raise his four siblings. The amazing story of how he went from janitor… to teacher… to principal!
Not too long ago we told you about how Richard Montanez went from mopping the floors to calling the shots as the Executive Vice President of PepsiCo of North America. Now, here’s is another incredible success story involving a janitor.
His name is Joseph “Gabe” Sonnier and his story starts with very humble beginnings. Sonnier was attending Southern University but decided to drop out and get a job as a janitor to help his mother, a housekeeper, financially support his four siblings.
As you know, time flies. Before he knew it, he was 39 and still a janitor at Port Barre Elementary School. That’s when the school’s Principal pulled Sonnier aside and told him he should be grading papers instead of picking them up off the ground.
That’s when Sonnier decided to finish his education. “I would come to work at like five in the morning and leave at seven, go to school all day, and then come back and finish up my eight hours of work here, and then go home and do homework,” said Sonnier.
He earned his Bachelor’s Degree, and in 2008, he went from janitor to teacher at Port Barre Elementary. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Education through Arkansas State University. Last November, he was promoted to Principal of Port Barre Elementary.
His incredible journey has several very important life lessons for anyone and everyone, especially if you are unhappy and your life is not where you would like it to be right now.
Sonnier is known for saying, “Don’t let your situation that you’re in now define what you’re going to become later. I always tell them it’s not where you start, it’s how you finish.”
After reading this, one thing is abundantly clear: It has nothing to do with being a janitor and everything to do with what these two janitors, Mr. Sonnier and Mr. Montanez, thought.
Neither one of these guys has any “special inborn skill.” They are not dramatically smarter, or better looking, or luckier than anyone else. What they ARE is super ACCURATE THINKERS.
They both fully understand that hard work beats talent when talent does not work. Sure, some people are born gifted and if they work hard, then they will probably come out ahead of those who are not as naturally capable. But we do not live in a vacuum, and many gifted people simply do not work hard. That makes it easy for hard-workers to blow right by them.
Accurate thinkers understand that there is plenty of opportunity out there. They do not falsely believe that they are condemned to a life of struggling and lack of success simply because there is no other way. They know there is another way simply because so many other people… just like them… have done it already, and are doing it every day.
They clearly understand that it takes HARD WORK to succeed. Nothing worth anything comes easy. Most people simply do not want to put in effort. Sonnier was up a 5 a.m. every day and worked until late at night. He did this for years and years to reach his goal. How many others are willing to make this kind of sacrifice? Are you? Only you know the answer to that question.
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?…
Eye Charts and Vision
The Snellen eye chart was created by Herman Snellen, a Dutch eye doctor, in the 1860s. Another popular chart used during eye exams is the Tumbling E chart which features capital letter E’s facing in different directions. This chart comes in handy when young children who don’t know the alphabet are being tested, or for people who don’t know the English alphabet. Rather than say a letter, they can pick the smallest line of E’s that they can see, and say or point which way the “arms” of the E in that line are facing. Numerous studies have shown that this chart and the Snellen chart come up with nearly the same results.
Around one million people aged 40 and older in the United States (US) are considered legally blind. To obtain a driver’s license in the US, you need to have at least 20/40 vision or better. If you can read the fifth line of text on the Snellen chart from 20 feet away, you are considered to have 20/40 vision.
Cataracts, the clouding of the lens inside the eye which leads to decreased vision, affects 22 million Americans aged 40 and older. Around half of Americans will have suffered from cataracts by age 80. The medical costs relating to cataract treatment nationwide is estimated at $6.8 billion every year.
Tip Of The Month
New Research: How Video Games Change You In The Real World!
If you play video games, you are not alone. According to the Entertainment Software Association, as of 2013, 58% of Americans play video games. There is an average of two gamers in each game-playing household in the United States (US). The average US household owns at least one dedicated game console, PC, or smartphone. Fifty-one percent of US households own a dedicated game console, and those who do, own an average of two. The average age of a game player is 30 years old and there are more people over the age of 36 playing video games (36%) than between the ages of 18-35 (32%), with 32% being under the age of 18. With so many people playing, and with such a wide age group, the finding of a new study could be very important.
The study reported by the Association for Psychological Science found that how you represent yourself in video games may affect the way you behave and treat others in real life. They reported, “Our results indicate that just five minutes of role-play in virtual environments as either a hero or villain can easily cause people to reward or punish anonymous strangers.” One experiment studied 194 undergraduates. The participants were randomly assigned to a villain, hero, or neutral avatar in the game. They played the game for five minutes. During that five minutes, their avatar (their identity in the game) fought against enemies. After the five minutes ended, the participants took part in a taste test that they believed was not part of the study. In this taste test, they were asked to taste both a chocolate and a chili sauce and then decide which one and how much to give to the next participant.
According to the Association For Psychological Science, “The results were revealing: Participants who played as [the hero] poured, on average, nearly twice as much chocolate as chili sauce for the ‘future participant.’ And they poured significantly more chocolate than those who played as either of the other avatars. Participants who played as the villain, on the other hand, poured out nearly twice as much of the spicy chili sauce than they did chocolate, and they poured significantly more chili sauce compared to the other participants.”
A second, similar experiment of 125 graduates confirmed these finding. According to the lead author of the study, “In virtual environments, people can freely choose avatars that allow them to opt into or out of a certain entity, group, or situation… Consumers and practitioners should remember that powerful imitative effects can occur when people put on virtual masks.”
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 emailing me at [email protected] .
Dr Beecher’s March 31 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 31st, 2014
Mental Attitude: Is Stress Contagious? A new report finds that not only do babies pick up on their mother’s stress but their bodies will also mimic physiological changes. Researchers found that when mothers were stressed and then reunited with their infant, the child quickly adopted his/her mother’s stress response, including a corresponding change in heart rate. Lead author Dr. Sara Waters writes, “Before infants are verbal and able to express themselves fully, we can overlook how exquisitely attuned they are to the emotional tenor of their caregivers… Your infant may not be able to tell you that you seem stressed or ask you what is wrong, but our work shows that, as soon as she is in your arms, she is picking up on the bodily responses accompanying your emotional state and immediately begins to feel in her own body your own negative emotion.” Psychological Science, February 2014
Health Alert: Buckle Your Children Up! Although child deaths resulting from motor vehicle crashes fell 43% in the United States between 2002 and 2011, car accidents still claim the lives of over 9,000 American children each year. Researchers working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believe that nearly a third of these deaths can be prevented if parents simply secured their children in age/size appropriate car seats. They point out that in states where car seats are required until ages 7-8, more children are put into car and booster seats and serious injury rates are 17% lower than in states without such laws. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, February 2014
Diet: No More Than 2-3 Cups Per Day… Using current research on the over-consumption of caffeine as a guide, Dr. Laura Juliano, co-author of “Caffeine Use Disorder: A Comprehensive Review and Research Agenda,” recommends healthy adults limit caffeine consumption to no more than two to three cups of coffee per day (about 400 mg/day) and pregnant women to no more than half that amount. She also recommends people with health problems such as anxiety, insomnia, heart problems, or urinary incontinence limit or even eliminate caffeine consumption. Journal of Caffeine Research, February 2014
Exercise: Sitting and Disability. For the first time, a study has labeled sedentary activity as a risk factor for disability for people over age 60. Using data on over 2,000 adults over 60 years of age, researchers were shocked to discover that being sedentary is just as large a risk factor for disability as not exercising, and the risk of disability dramatically increases for each additional hour spent sitting at a computer or on the couch watching TV. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, February 2014
Chiropractic: Acute Low Back Pain Treatment Comparison. In this study, researchers compared the efficacy of spinal manipulation to diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), for the treatment of acute low back pain. Based on outcomes including self-rated physical disability, function, time missed from work, and rescue medication use during the following 12 weeks, spinal manipulation proved to be a significantly better treatment. Spine, April 2013
Wellness/Prevention: Mammography Recommended for Women in Their 40s. While the United States Preventive Services Task Force’s 2009 guidelines recommend against routine mammograms for women in their 40s, new research shows that regular screenings would benefit this age group by helping doctors catch the disease when it can still be treated without extensive surgery or chemotherapy. Current statistics show that one in eight women will develop breast cancer, and if the disease is caught early enough, the five-year survival rate is 97%. American Journal of Roentgenology, February 2014
Quote: “To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge.” ~ Nicolaus Copernicus
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 24 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 24th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Have You Noticed Any Changes in Your Memory? Dr. Erin Abner of the University of Kentucky’s Sanders- Brown Center on Aging asked 3,701 men ages 60 and up if they had noticed any changes in their memory since their last doctor visit. She found that the patients who reported on-going incidences of memory loss that affected their daily lives were more likely to be diagnosed with cognitive decline later in the years ahead. This finding could lead to earlier detection and perhaps more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s diseases and other conditions that affect cognitive function. University of Kentucky, February 2014
Health Alert: Half of All Cancer Deaths Could be Avoided! According to the World Health Organization (WHO), early detection could cut the worldwide cancer death rate in half. Experts note the leading preventable risk factors for cancer development are tobacco use, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, sedentary activity, unhealthy diet, sexually transmitted diseases, and air pollution. The WHO estimates cancer claimed 8.2 million lives in 2012. World Cancer Report, February 2014
Diet: Four Ways to Reduce Sugar in Your Diet! Here are four tips from the American Heart Association for reducing your added sugar intake: 1) Try putting less sugar on foods like cereals or in beverages like tea and coffee. When you’re used to it, try cutting back even more. 2) Buy fresh fruits or fruits canned in water, not syrup. 3) Instead of sugar, add fresh fruit or dried fruit to foods like oatmeal. 4) Add spices like cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg to foods instead of sugar. American Heart Association, February 2014
Exercise: Walking Decreases COPD Hospitalization Risk. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a condition that describes difficulty breathing due to long-term lung damage. New research shows that COPD sufferers can greatly reduce their risk of hospitalization with severe attacks by simply walking 3-6 kilometers (~1.8-3.6 miles) per day. Respirology, February 2014
Chiropractic: Neck Pain Affects Breathing. Researchers at the Technological Educational Institute of Lamia in Greece examined a group of chronic neck pain patients and a group of individuals with no previous incidence of neck pain to see if a correlation exists between neck pain and respiratory dysfunction. They found that neck pain sufferers have significantly reduced breathing capacity and lower respiratory muscle strength. They also noted a strong association between increased forward head posture and decreased respiratory muscle strength. Cephalalgia, July 2009
Wellness/Prevention: Prevent Divorce with Movies? For newlyweds, watching and then discussing movies about relationships appears to be just as effective at preventing divorce as more time and energy intensive counseling programs. Participants attended a ten-minute lecture on the importance of relationship awareness and how watching couples in movies could help them pay better attention to their own behavior. Then, they watched a movie and had a 12 question guided discussion with their spouse. During the following four weeks, they were asked to watch one movie each week from a prepared list of movies and conduct the same guided discussion afterwards. When researchers later compared the three-year divorce rates of couples in this group with couples who participated in either conflict management or compassion and acceptance training, they found each resulted in an 11% three-year divorce rate. The three-year divorce rate for a control group that participated in no interventions was 24%. According to the study’s lead author, Dr. Ronald Rogge, “The results suggest that husbands and wives have a pretty good sense of what they might be doing right and wrong in their relationships. Thus, you might not need to teach them a whole lot of skills to cut the divorce rate. You might just need to get them to think about how they are currently behaving. And for five movies to give us a benefit over three years—that is awesome.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, December 2013
Quote: “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” ~ Peter F. Drucker
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 17 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 17th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Prevent Burnout. Burnout is described as a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and job dissatisfaction. Teachers appear to be especially susceptible to burnout and this has resulted in poor classroom performance, more days missed from work, and high turnover rates in the profession. In this study, teachers were taught transcendental meditation and were followed for four months. Each participant meditated at least once per day, with half meditating at least twice per day. The researchers reported significant improvements in perceived stress, burnout, and depressive symptoms. The Permanente Journal, February 2014
Health Alert: Are Chemicals Used in Food Packaging Harmful? A new report warns that chemicals used in the production, storage, and processing of packaged foods may be harmful to your health over the long-term. The authors of the report note that food manufacturers regularly use small and regulated amounts of chemicals in food packaging known to cause cancer and or disrupt hormones. The trouble, they say, is that there are no existing studies that identify the long-term impact of such exposure or to see if such exposure may be linked to the rise in chronic conditions such as cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Epidemiology and Community Health, February 2014
Diet: Daily Multivitamin May Reduce Cataract Risk in Men. After reviewing roughly 15 years of data concerning 12,641 male doctors, researchers found that men who took a daily multivitamin were 9% less likely to be diagnosed with a cataract. While 9% may seem small, applied to a large population, this finding could have a substantial impact on public health. Opthalmology, November 2013
Exercise: What Does Your Coach Know? Researchers quizzed 70 youth coaches on topics ranging from exercise physiology, practice design, hydration, nutrition, basic first aid and acute injury management, concussion care, and strength training. While the majority tested well on first aid and CPR knowledge, most coaches scored poorly on questions related to hydration and concussion care. With over 40 million children in the United States participating in organized sports, the demand for coaches and volunteers is greater than ever. The researchers hope this information will help coaches become more knowledgeable on ways to keep youth athletes both safe and healthy. American Council on Exercise, February 2014
Chiropractic: Decrease Pain Sensitivity. Past research has found that spinal manipulation results in a decreased sensitivity to pain, but researchers wanted to find out if this was the result of the adjustment itself or because of the expectation of treatment. To find an answer, researchers divided participants into four groups: no intervention, spinal manipulation, sham manipulation, and sham manipulation with an instruction that the treatment they will receive has been shown to significantly reduce low back pain in some people. Pain sensitivity was assessed both pre- and post-treatment by applying heat to the body until participants reported it reached their pain threshold. The spinal manipulation group showed the greatest decrease in pain sensitivity. Journal of Pain, February 2014
Wellness/Prevention: Postnatal Visits are Important! While medical associations recommend women visit their doctor in the weeks after giving birth, only about half do and the rates aren’t much higher among women who had complicated pregnancies because of high blood pressure, diabetes, or other health problems. These visits are important for all new mothers as they give the doctor an opportunity to recommend preventative care or to address risk factors for chronic diseases when a new mother may be most motivated to make healthier lifestyle choices. Johns Hopkins Medicine, February 2014
Quote: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” ~ Mark Twain
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 10 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 10th, 2014
Mental Attitude: The Invisible Risk Group. Researchers studied 12,395 European teenagers ages 14-16 to identify which risky behaviors were linked to depression, anxiety, conduct problems, and self-destructive behaviors. Risky behaviors included excessive alcohol use, illegal drug use, inadequate sleep, sedentary behavior, and excessive time spent watching TV, on the computer, or playing video games. The researchers identified three risk groups. The high risk group accounted for 13% of adolescents. They were likely to engage in all the risk behaviors previously mentioned and were most at risk for mental illness. The low-risk group accounted for 58% of adolescents. They engage in one or no risky behaviors and were at the lowest risk for mental illness. Researchers named the third group the invisible risk group. They had the same risk for mental illness as the high risk group but only participated in unobtrusive risky behaviors such as inadequate sleep, excessive media use, and sedentary behavior. The authors of the study conclude, “While discussions with adolescents often focus on substance abuse and delinquency, the risk behaviors indentured here need to be
considered, and special attention given to encouraging sufficient sleep, participation in sports, and using new media moderately.” World Psychiatry, February 2013
Health Alert: The Average Obese Person Exercises Less Than Four Hours Per Year! Using data from a 2005-2006 United States government survey on nearly 2,600 adults, researcher Dr. Edward Archer at the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham calculated that the average obese women gets just one hour of vigorous exercise per year while the average obese man manages only 3.6 hours per year. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, December 2013
Diet: Possible Test for Obesity Predisposition. A study of 2,258 10-year olds in the United Kingdom found that children with a genetic propensity towards obesity also had lower satiety responsiveness. This finding could be used to identify children who may be at risk for being overweight or obese and teach them techniques to feel fuller while eating such as controlling portion sizes, eating slower, keeping treats out of sight, and avoiding second helpings. JAMA Pediatrics, February 2014
Exercise: Gardening is Good Exercise for Youth. Researchers have identified gardening as a great exercise for kids. This study involved 17 children who engaged in ten gardening tasks: digging, raking, weeding, mulching, hoeing, sowing seeds, harvesting, watering, mixing growing medium, and planting transplants. The results showed that tasks such as digging and raking were high- intensity activities while the remaining activities were considered moderate-intensity physical activities. The researchers claim the study results could facilitate the development of garden-based exercise interventions for children to promote health and a physically active lifestyle. HortTechnology, October 2013
Chiropractic: Used by Severe Migraine Sufferers. A study of 225 severe migraine sufferers found that during the previous two years, nearly the same percentage sought treatment from a Doctor of Chiropractic (27.1%) as sought out pharmacological treatment from their General Practitioner (27.6%). Headache, February 2014
Wellness/Prevention: Preventing Teen Prescription Drug Abuse. Prescription drug abuse kills more people in the United States each year than cocaine and heroin combined. A six-year study on the efficacy of programs designed to curb teenage prescription drug abuse finds that school-based programs are largely ineffective unless they are coupled with home-based interventions. Still, even the best programs only decrease abuse rates by 10% suggesting that parents, educators, communities, and local governments need to work together to find better interventions to stop teenaged prescription drug abuse. Preventive Medicine, February 2014
Quote: “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” ~ Albert Einstein
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 3 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 3rd, 2014
Mental Attitude: Online Courses for Stress Reduction? While mindfulness training in a 1-on-1 setting has been shown to be beneficial for reducing perceived stress, anxiety, and depression, researchers at the University of Oxford wondered if such training delivered via the internet would be as effective. A group of 273 participants completed an online mindfulness course that consisted of 10 sessions over an average time span of four weeks. Following the course, outcome assessments showed reductions in perceived stress, anxiety, and depression similar to those reported by participants who experienced in-person trainings. BMJ Open, February 2014
Health Alert: Amazing! Scientists from the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland and the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Italy have announced the first known instance of an amputee “feeling” the world via a state-of-the-art sensory- enhanced artificial hand. Sensations felt by the “hand” are converted into electrical impulses that communicate with the patient via wires that were surgically connected to nerves in his arm. Science Translational Medicine, February 2014
Diet: The Mediterranean Diet and Firefighters. The Mediterranean diet is rich in fish, nuts, vegetables, and fruits and previous studies have linked it to a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. However, these studies tend to focus on an older population, patients with existing health problems, and people who live in Mediterranean countries. In this study, the participants were firefighters living in the Mid-Western United States. The firefighters who most adhered to the diet had a 35% decreased risk for metabolic syndrome and were 43% less likely to gain weight compared with those who least followed the diet. PLOS ONE, February 2014
Exercise: Play Team Sports! Because of declining estrogen levels, menopausal women are at greater risk for stroke and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Researchers found that menopausal women who participated in team-based sports for just twelve weeks had significant reductions in their blood pressure and improvements in blood vessel function, putting them at a 40% lower risk for stroke and a 20% lower risk for heart disease. As an added benefit, the majority of the women enjoyed the activity and were likely to continue participating after the study concluded. AJP: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, January 2014
Chiropractic: Just Two Treatments. Nearly 200 adults with spinal pain were separated into two groups. One group received two chiropractic adjustments and the other received two sham adjustments so researchers could differentiate if results were the result of the adjustment itself or the expectation of treatment. Two weeks later, researchers assessed each group and found the adjustment group reported greater improvements in pain, better overall improvement, and higher satisfaction. Spine, November 2013
Wellness/Prevention: Folic Acid and Pregnancy. Despite decades of research recommending pregnant women take folic acid supplements in order to prevent spina bifida and other neural tube defects, only 31% of pregnant women in the United Kingdom (UK) do. Additionally, among women who had previously given birth to a baby with a neural tube defect, only 51% took a folic acid supplement during subsequent pregnancies. In the United States, Australia, and 74 other countries, some grain-based foods are fortified with folic acid in hopes of reducing the risk of these types of birth defects. PLOS ONE, February 2014
Quote: “I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.”
~ Abraham Lincoln
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 2014 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” ~ Harry S. Truman
Surprising News: Exercise Without This May Not be Doing as Much Good for
Your Heart as You Think!
New study shows why nutrition may be more important than exercise for preventing the nation’s #1 killer…
Also this month:
- Is Your Lunch Missing a Key Weight-Loss Ingredient? A new study shows that eating this at lunch helped overweight adults feel fuller for longer!
- The One Thing You Should Never Do in the Morning: If you are like most people, you do this every day and it could be prematurely aging you and harming your health!
- The Janitor Who Traded His Mop for the Executive Jet: How a Mexican-American janitor went from cleaning the floors to being an Executive Vice President of PepsiCo of North America…
Houston – This is big news, especially if you want to increase your odds of living a longer and healthier life. This news will also shock many people because it sounds counterintuitive. But, that’s one reason scientific research is done. You see, what seems obvious is not always correct.
For example, let’s take a look at two people: one has good cardiovascular fitness but is overweight and the other does not have good cardiovascular fitness but is lean.
Which Person Do You Think
is at Greater Risk of a Heart Attack?
According to the findings of a new study, the overweight but fit person may be at greater risk for a cardiac event than the lean not-so-fit person.
In other words, according to this study, being lean may be better than being in good aerobic shape. But that’s not the whole the story, so let’s look at the study…
In the study published in the European Heart Journal, a research team found that physical fitness in a person’s teen years can reduce their risk for a heart attack later in life.
Researchers analyzed data from 743,498 Swedish men who received a medical examination at the age of 18 when they were conscripted into national service between 1969 to 1984. Each man’s fitness level was measured with a bicycle test in which the resistance was gradually increased until he was too exhausted to continue. The men were monitored for an average of 34 years until they suffered a heart attack, died, or until January 1, 2011, whichever came first.
According to researcher Dr. Peter Nordström, “We report a significant graded association between aerobic fitness in late adolescence and [a myocardial infarction or heart attack (MI)] later in life in men. However, obese men with a high aerobic fitness had a higher risk of MI than lean men with a low aerobic fitness.
“While being physically fit at the end of your teens can reduce the risk of a heart attack, fitness alone does not appear to fully compensate for the risks with being overweight or obese. In other words, having a normal weight is more important than being in good physical shape, but it is even better to be both fit and have a normal weight.”
How to Possibly Decrease
Heart Attack Risk by 18%
The researchers also ranked the men based on physical fitness and for every 15% increase in fitness, they found the men in that group had an 18% lower risk for a heart attack 30 years later. They also found that consistent fitness training into late teens can reduce risk of having a premature heart attack by 35%.
Dr. Nordström and his team also stated that several factors may have influenced their data. For example, some people are born with bodies more equipped for higher levels of fitness and a lower risk for heart disease.
Scientific research is used to determine which treatments work, which treatments do not, and which treatments do more harm than good.
Countless drugs have been scientifically tested over the years, and drugs are often compared against each other, but very few studies have actually directly compared drugs with exercise and their effect on several common health conditions and diseases.
While more research needs to be done on this topic, here are two things that would not be a bad idea: (1) If you are a parent, it is probably a very good idea to make sure your kids exercise regularly, whether in sports or just an exercise program. It may dramatically decrease their risk of premature heart attack in adulthood. (2) Stay lean! In other words, try to eat the best you can. If this study is accurate, shedding some weight and staying lean may add years to your life.
The best possible scenario is to both eat right (stay lean) and exercise. Once again, science is showing that simply eating right and exercising is by far the best medicine.
If you add stress reduction and proper sleep to the mix, barring genetic weaknesses or accidents, you should be in good shape to live a long, healthy life.
It is amazing how even chronically sick people can become healthy just by eating right, exercising, reducing stress, and getting the proper amount of sleep.
Most BIG diseases and health problems come from the cumulative effect of small, unhealthy things done over decades.
The first cigarette does not kill you, but smoking a pack or two a day for 30 years is a cancer time bomb. Similarly, going for a walk today will not make you healthy, but walking every day for decades could prevent a heart attack or some other serious health problem.
Here is something very important: Many people are mistaken about what exercise can do for you.
The Most Common Weight Loss Mistake…
It is common for people to believe that if they exercise, they can eat more… or eat poorly… and they will still lose weight.
It is believed that exercise will overcome poor nutrition.
Nothing is further from the truth. In fact, no amount of exercise can make up for poor diet and poor diet is probably the biggest reason so many people work out like dogs, never see results, and quit.
On the contrary, you can lose a ton of weight by eating properly and not exercising at all.
Now, we are not saying you should not exercise. Clearly, exercise is very beneficial and should be used in conjunction with eating right. But, you must eat correctly if you want to lose weight and be healthy.
If you are serious about losing weight and getting fit, the only way to do it is to make a lifestyle change. Diet and exercise fads do not work. They only lead to frustration and rebound weight gain.
Forget about “magic” pills and foods that burn belly fat and simply decide to eat right for the rest of your life.
The same goes for getting fit. There is nothing you can buy on an infomercial that will give you the quick and easy solution. It simply does not exist.
If you need help, just ask. As your chiropractor, I am trained in nutrition and exercise physiology. I can give you the answers you are looking for and start you on a path to losing weight and a healthier, happier future.
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)
The Janitor Who Traded His Mop for an Executive Jet
How a Mexican-American janitor went from cleaning the floors to being an
Executive Vice President of PepsiCo of North America…
The year was 1976. Richard Montanez was a Mexican-American janitor at the Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga, California. He changed a popular snack food and his life in an instant and he has a very important message for you…
Here’s the story and it all started long before 1976. When Montanez was just in grade school, his mother gave him a burrito to bring for lunch. All the other kids had bologna sandwiches. Feeling out of place, the next day Montanez asked his mother to make him a bologna sandwich. His mother told him, “No.” She told him that he is different and should be proud of who he is. Then, she packed him a few extra burritos to share with his bologna sandwich friends. Soon after that, Montanez had a little side business selling burritos to all the “bologna boys.”
His mother’s lesson stuck with him, and when Richard was working as a janitor in the Frito-Lay plant, he never thought of himself as just a janitor. He thought of himself as an owner. So, he acted like one.
He would mop the floors during the day and play around with recipes at night. He invented a recipe to coat the Cheetos made by his company and tried it out on all his friends. Everyone loved it, so he called the CEO.
Surprisingly, his call got through and he made an appointment to meet with the management team. He had no idea what he was doing so he went to the public library and got some books on marketing. He even bought a $3 tie to wear on what would be a life-changing day. Rumor has it that he did not know how to tie a tie, so his neighbor did it for him.
To make a long story short, the big wigs not only loved his recipe, they loved him. They promoted him and mentored him. His recipe became a smash hit, mainly due to its appeal with the rapidly expanding Latino population in the United States. You may recognize the recipe Montanez invented, it is called Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
Montanez became a smashing success, too. He has met several U.S. Presidents and has spoken at the United Nations. He currently teaches leadership to MBA students at a California university and is frequently sought after for advice.
“My disqualifications are the very things that qualified me,” he said, particularly urging young minorities to be courageous and confident. “Your own people will hold you back… Break ranks. That’s diversity and inclusion. Don’t just hang out with your own.”
He says diversity is what made him a successful burrito salesman as a child and also enabled him to drop his mop and board the executive jet.
“Maybe I wasn’t created to fit in. Maybe I was created to stand out,” Montanez said unabashedly. “My greatness is courage. I’m willing to take a chance.” His prime message is that there’s no such thing as “just a janitor” if you “act like an owner.”
“Diversity and inclusion programs can open doors,” he said, “[but] if you have confidence, you can walk into any room. Your job is to prepare yourself to walk through the doors.”
He made one point crystal clear. He said that diversity and inclusion programs can create opportunity – but that is just opportunity. You must be prepared for that opportunity and have the courage and ability to make the most of it.
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?…
How Does Salt Enhance Flavor?
“Saltiness” is actually one of the five primary basic tastes the human tongue can detect. Those five tastes include salt, bitter, sweet, sour, and umami. (If you’re not familiar with umami, it is from glutamic acid. It’s found in many foods, particularly some meats, and is the basis of the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG).
Salt has other effects outside of simply making things taste more salty. Adding salt helps certain molecules in foods release more easily into the air, thus helping the aroma of the food, which is important in our perception of taste.
Salt also has been shown to help suppress the bitter taste. So, adding a bit of salt won’t just increase your salty taste perception, but will also decrease the bitter taste in any given food (which is why it is often sprinkled on grapefruit before eating, for example).
Finally, adding salt to sweet or sour things — while not shown to suppress sweet or sour flavors as with bitter flavors — will help balance out the taste a bit by making the perceived flavor less one-dimensional.
Tip Of The Month
Eat This at lunch if You Want to Feel Full for Longer!
If you are like most people, you love to eat! In fact, many people say eating is their favorite thing to do. Nothing is worse than trying to lose a few pounds and feeling hunger pangs. Well, there is a certain kind of food that is not only good for you but also helps you feel full for several hours. This is wonderful because it also puts great nutrients into your body and will keep you away from snacking on fattening and unhealthy junk food.
What is this food? It’s the avocado! New research shows that eating half an avocado at lunch helped overweight adults feel full for longer in the hours after lunch and before dinner. Dr. Joan Sabate, a Professor of Nutrition at Loma Linda University School of Public Health, writes, “Avocados are a very popular and delicious fruit, and from the results of our study, may also be helpful for people who are looking to better manage their weight.”
In the study, the group who ate half an avocado with their lunch was 40 percent less likely to want to eat again over the three hours following lunch and 28 percent less likely to want to eat again over the five hours following lunch compared with the group who did not have any avocado in their lunch. The downside to this study is that it was only done with 26 people, so the results may not hold true for the population as a whole. But, who cares? Avocados are great for you so give it a try and see how it works for you!
The One Thing You Should Never Do in the Morning!
Almost everyone does it, but doctors and sleep experts are saying it is bad for you… We are talking about HITTING THE SNOOZE BUTTON! According to experts, hitting the snooze button is a bad idea for several reasons. First, it is a sign that you either are not getting enough sleep or enough QUALITY sleep. You are hitting the snooze button in an attempt to get the sleep your body desperately needs. But, hitting the snooze button will not help. In fact, it may make things worse. This is because, according to Dr. Robert Rosenberg, “When you hit the snooze alarm, you are disrupting your current stage of sleep. Unfortunately, in many ways, fragmented sleep is worse than no sleep. As an example, if you are in REM sleep and you interrupt it with the snooze alarm, this can lead to an inability to process and reconcile emotionally laden memories from the previous day. In addition, fragmented sleep can result in moodiness, cognitive problems, and trouble paying attention.”
The best thing to do is to go to bed a little earlier and turn off any blue-light emitting devices at least one hour before bed time. It is a bad idea to watch TV or play on the computer, iPad, or smartphone right up until the time you want to go to sleep. Turn all these things off and give yourself a “cool down” period.
Getting enough quality sleep is vital to your health. Besides the obvious feeling tired and miserable all the time… lack of sleep quickly affects your body! After just one night, you will be hungrier and more likely to eat more. You will also be more likely to get in an accident. Getting six or less hours of sleep triples your risk of a drowsy-related accident. You will also not look as good and be much more likely to catch a cold. Over time, lack of sleep increases your risk of stroke, obesity, and may even increase your risk of certain cancers.
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.
Dr Beecher’s February 24 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, February 24th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Meditation Benefits. According to an analysis of 47 clinical trials involving over 3,500 patients, meditation offers benefits to people with depression, anxiety, and pain similar to antidepressant medications. The researchers behind the study also note that meditation does not have the potential negative side-effects of antidepressant drugs. JAMA Internal Medicine, January 2014
Health Alert: Hygiene and Diabetes? Researchers at the University of Helsinki Children’s Hospital believe the rise in auto-immune diseases, like type 1 diabetes and allergies, may be linked to a corresponding rise in hygiene standards. The so-called “hygiene hypothesis” suggests that less bacterial exposure during childhood may hinder the development of a child’s immune system. The researchers point out that Finland has the highest incidence of type 1 diabetes in the world but neighboring countries with lower hygiene stands have much lower reports of the auto-immune disease.
University of Helsinki Children’s Hospital, January 2014
Diet: Avocado Please. According to a new study, participants who ate half of a fresh avocado with lunch were 40% less hungry three hours later and 28% less hungry five hours later. Most of the fat content in avocados is monounsaturated fat and studies have shown that regularly consuming this type of fat can reduce levels of bad cholesterol in the blood, as well as reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease. Nutrition Journal, January 2014
Exercise: A Quick Walk? Walking at a moderate pace for 180 minutes over the course of a week (30 minutes a day for five days or 60 minutes a day for three days) has been demonstrated to significantly improve mild to moderate depression. Harvard Medical School, November 2005
Chiropractic: Dare to Compare. Patients with chronic (>13 weeks) spinal pain were placed into one of three types of care: acupuncture, medication, or spinal manipulation. After 30 days of treatment, only the manipulation group showed significant reduction in pain intensity and improvements across all outcome measurements.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, July 1999
Wellness/Prevention: Watch What You Eat! A study involving 224 adolescent females found that the increased consumption of dietary fat was significantly linked to an increase in abdominal fat, regardless of total calorie intake or physical fitness. The accumulation of abdominal fat is harmful as it increases the risk of suffering from cardiovascular problems, diabetes mellitus, arterial high blood pressure, high cholesterol level, etc. According to lead researcher Dr. Idoia Labayen, “Until now it was thought that even with an unbalanced diet, you somehow compensated for it if you got plenty of physical exercise. In this study we have shown that this is not the case.” Clinical Nutrition, January 2014
Quote: “Before you can think outside the box, you have to be smart enough to know that there is a box.”
~ A. Farthingsworth
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 17 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, February 17th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Green Spaces? Researchers have discovered that moving to greener areas can improve a person’s mental health over the long-term. During a 5-year study, people who moved into greener areas experienced an immediate improvement in mental health that persisted for at least three years. Those who moved to a more built-up area with less green space experienced a decline in their mental health. The authors of the study suggest creating more green spaces in towns and cities (parks and gardens) could bring lasting benefits to public health.
Environmental Science & Technology, January 2014
Health Alert: Excessive Alcohol Consumption. Nearly forty million American adults drink too much alcohol, although most are not considered alcoholics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, high weekly use is considered 15 or more drinks for men and eight or more drinks on average for women. Excessive alcohol consumption causes premature death (79,000 deaths annually in the United States alone) and costs the economy $224 billion a year. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 2014
Diet: High-Protein Diet Linked to Kidney Problems! A Spanish study found that rats fed a long-term, high-protein diet (57% of total calories from protein) had a higher risk for developing kidney stones and other renal diseases than rats fed a lower protein diet (13% of total calories from protein). The authors of the study stress that even though these results are derived from rat subjects, their findings should translate to humans and anyone on a high-protein diet should be closely monitored for kidney-related issues. Nutricion Hospitalaria, January-February 2013
Exercise: Decreased Risk for Heart Attack Later in Life. A Swedish study involving over 740,000 males found that lack of aerobic fitness at age 18 corresponds to a greater risk for a heart attack later in life. According to lead researcher Dr. Peter Nordström, “As far as we know, this is the first study to investigate the links between an objective measure of physical fitness in teenagers and risk of heart attack in the general population. Further studies are needed to investigate the clinical relevance of these findings, but given the strong association that we have found, the low cost and easy
accessibility of cardiovascular training, and the role of heart disease as a major cause of illness and death worldwide, these results are important with respect to public health.” European Heart Journal, January 2014
Chiropractic: Car Wrecks and Disk Injuries. A disk injury can cause chronic neck pain following a car accident. If the outer wall of the disk (the annulus) is torn and does not properly heal, stress on the nerve endings in the annulus may cause neck pain during normal activities. North American Spine Society, January 2014
Wellness/Prevention: Un-Happy Employees are More Likely to Smoke. According to the Gallup research, employees who are emotionally disconnected from their jobs are 20% more likely to smoke than employees who are either neutral or excited about their work. Previous research has shown that disengaged employees are more likely to suffer from stress, obesity, and chronic health problems. Gallup, August 2013
Quote: “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
~ Joseph Campbell
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 10 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, February 10th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Depression’s Influence on Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis Sufferers! Based on data provided by 322 patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis, researchers have identified that a patient’s psychological state can affect self- reported measurements about how their body responds to different treatments and therapies. The researchers recommend rheumatologists be aware of their patient’s mental state when assessing the efficacy of their treatment plan.
Arthritis Care & Research, December 2013
Health Alert: Smoking is a $289 Million Dollar a Year Burden! During the last half-century, 20 million Americans have died as a consequence of smoking and 16 million more continue to suffer from smoking-related conditions. The combined healthcare expenses and lost economic productivity that results from smoking-related illnesses costs the United States (US) about $289,000,000 each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every thirteen children alive in the US right now will die prematurely from smoking-related diseases unless current smoking rates drop! Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 2014
Diet: Diet Soda Not Helpful for Dieters! A new study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that drinking diet soda may not help dieters lose weight. Using data from the long-term National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers discovered that, even though people who drink diet sodas are drinking fewer calories, they tend to consume just as many or more total calories than people who drink sugary beverages. According to lead author Dr. Sarah Bleich, “The results of our study suggest that overweight and obese adults looking to lose or maintain their weight–who have already made the switch from sugary to diet beverages–may need to look carefully at other components of their solid-food diet, particularly sweet snacks, to potentially identify areas for modification.” American Journal of Public Health, January 2014
Exercise: How to Keep that New Year’s Resolution. Recording goals in a fitness diary, reflecting on successes and failures, and being held accountable by others are key strategies that have been found to maximize the achievement of all goals, including New Year’s resolutions. Loughborough University, January 2014
Chiropractic: The Cause of Post Car Accident Neck Pain. After a car accident, the cause of neck pain may be unknown. Muscles and ligaments can become strained and even inflamed, but they usually heal within six to ten weeks. Pain that lasts longer is usually due to injury to the disk, facet joint, or both. Facet joint pain is the most common cause of chronic neck pain after an accident. Facet joint pain may occur alone or along with disk pain and may sometimes be mistaken for muscle pain. North American Spine Society, January 2014
Wellness/Prevention: Breastfeeding and Rheumatoid Arthritis? A study of 7,000 older Chinese women showed that those who breast fed their children had a 50% reduced risk for rheumatoid arthritis later in life.
Rheumatology, January 2014
Quote: “The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise.” ~ Maya Angelou
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 .
