Dr Beecher’s January 6 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, January 6th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Good News about Dementia. Several recent studies show that the rate of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is declining due to increased education and improvements in both health care (treatment of key cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol) and lifestyle (regular exercise).
New England Journal of Medicine Perspective, December 2013
Health Alert: Don’t Mix Your Drinks! A growing trend among young adults is mixing energy drinks with alcohol. Research has shown that college students tend to drink more heavily and become more intoxicated on days they consume a combination of energy drinks and alcohol than on days when they only drink alcohol. While the United States no longer permits manufacturers to premix high-caffeine products with alcohol, mixed drinks such as vodka and Red Bulls are becoming more popular. The public health implications include physical risks to individuals from blacking out, alcohol poisoning, and even exposing the community to dangerous situations in which young adults may be “wide awake drunk” after a night of partying. Journal of Adolescent Health, December 2013
Diet: Two-Thirds of 13-Year-Old Girls are Afraid of Gaining Weight! Using data concerning 7,000 teenagers, United Kingdom researchers found that two of every three 13-year-old girls are afraid of gaining weight or being overweight. The researchers also noted that half of the girls surveyed avoid fatty foods and 26% restrict their calories.
University of Bristol, December 2013
Exercise: Boost Your Energy Naturally. Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to devote to daily life activities. Mayo Clinic, November 2013
Chiropractic: Does Knuckle Cracking Cause Arthritis? Previous studies have NOT shown a link between knuckle cracking and hand osteoarthritis. One study even suggested that knuckle cracking helped prevent osteoarthritis. This study showed that 18.1% of those who cracked their knuckles regularly had hand osteoarthritis compared with 21.5% of those who did not crack their knuckles. Journal American Board of Family Medicine, April 2011
Wellness/Prevention: An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away. Experts in the United Kingdom (UK) estimate that if everyone over the age of 50 simply ate one apple each day, this act alone would prevent about 8,500 vascular-related deaths each year. Previous studies estimate that prescribing statins to all adults over 50 years old could prevent a similar amount of vascular-related deaths annually but the mass prescription of statins in the UK could also result in an extra
10,000 diagnoses of diabetes and an extra thousand cases of muscle disease. The study did not note any potential negative effects from mass apple consumption. British Medical Journal, December 2013
Quote: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” ~ Alan Kay
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 18 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, February 18th, 2013
Mental Attitude: Unaware? Only 5% of Americans realize obesity raises cancer and respiratory disease risk! The majority of the public believes obesity to be the second most serious health issue in the country, after cancer. When asked whether their weight was normal, 50% said, “Yes.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 67% of American adults are either overweight or obese. This means many people are probably not completely aware of their own physical health.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, January 2013
Health Alert: Less Weight Counseling? 145 million adult Americans are overweight or obese, and while the number of overweight and obese Americans has increased, the amount of weight counseling offered by primary care physicians has decreased, especially for patients with high blood pressure and diabetes. Despite the current obesity epidemic, overweight patients seen in 2007-2008 had a 46% lower chance of receiving weight counseling than other patients, and counseling occurred in only 6.2% of doctor office visits. At the same time, the percentage of adults who were overweight or obese increased from 52% in 1995 to 63% in 2008. Medical Care, January 2013
Diet: Sugary Drinks. People who regularly consume sugary drinks are more susceptible to becoming obese or overweight. Annually, the average American consumes 100 lbs of sugar from drinks. Regularly drinking sugary beverages may amplify obesity in those genetically predisposed to being overweight.
New England Journal of Medicine, September 2012
Exercise: Walking. Women who walked more than 3 hours a week were 43% less likely to suffer a stroke compared to those who didn’t do any physical activity. Stroke, January 2013
Chiropractic: Why Did You Wait? Patients often wait before seeking Chiropractic care. They hope the problem will go away on its own or they try home remedies (drugs, ice, heat, other therapies, etc.) first. Injuries are almost always slower to recover when care is put off, so the longer you wait, the harder it may be to “fix” your problem. Optimum care should start right away. As you wait, muscles become tighter, muscles atrophy, muscles weaken, soft tissue adhesions form, proprioceptive function decreases in the joint, and fluid flow to and from the cells decreases. This usually results in the pain lasting longer. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 1992
Wellness/Prevention: Alcohol and Calories. Alcohol contains 7 kcal/g (second only to fat, which contains 9
kcal/g). A glass of wine has 178 calories and takes 38 minutes of brisk walking to burn off. A regular alcohol drinker may get up to 10% of their total calorie intake from alcohol. World Cancer Research Fund, January 2013
Quote: “I’ve made a promise to myself to be a 100% healthy person if nothing else.” ~ Picabo Street
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 .
