Tag: Exercise

Dr. Beecher’s June 6th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE Week of Monday, June 6th ,2011 Mental Attitude: Shorter Hours Please. If your workday averages 11 or more hours, you probably earn more than your 8-hour a day colleagues, but your risk of developing heart disease will be 67% higher! Researchers believe doctors should include data on a patient’s working hours when listing risk factors for heart disease (smoking, total body weight, diabetes and blood pressure). Annals of Internal Medicine, April 2011 Health Alert: Adverse Drug Reports Swell! In a new study of adverse events linked to medications-compiled by the FDA since 1969, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy revealed only 55% have been reported to the agency in the past decade! According to the FDA’s website, the agency’s Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) is “designed to support the FDA’s post-marketing safety surveillance program for all approved drug and therapeutic biologic products. The FDA uses AERS to monitor for new adverse events and medication errors that might occur with these marketed products.” In the past decade, 2.2 million events reported to AERS represented a 1.65-fold increase from the prior decade. Archives of Internal Medicine, April 2011 Diet: Divide Your Plate! When putting food on your plate, fill half of it with veggies or salad (but watch out for fatty dressings). One-quarter of the plate should have lean protein, such as fish, chicken or beef that’s been grilled, baked or poached. The last quarter of the plate should be a healthy starch — but don’t load it up with butter or oil. Family Features, April 2011 Exercise: Have Some Standards! Adults who adhered to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines reduced their mortality risks. To meet the guidelines, do moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at least 150 minutes per week or vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise at least 75 minutes per week and perform strengthening exercises at least twice a week. Adults who met the guidelines had lower risks of dying by 27% among those without health conditions and 50% less in those with an illness. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, May 2011 Chiropractic: Some Nerve! Growing evidence suggests that immune function is regulated, in part, by the sympathetic nervous system. Simply put: the nervous system has a direct effect on the immune system due to the nerve supply to the important immune system organs. Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 1974 Wellness/Prevention: Shedding Skin Helps? The flakes of skin we shed (at the rate of 500 million cells a day) actually reduce indoor air pollution. The flakes contain squalene, a skin oil that reduces indoor ozone levels roughly 2-15%. American Chemical Society, May 2011 Quote: “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” ~ Jackie Robinson 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 www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.

Dr. Beecher’s May 30th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE Week of Monday, May 30th ,2011 Mental Attitude: Smile And Mean It! Customer-service workers who fake smile worsen their mood and withdraw from work, affecting their productivity. On the other hand, workers who smile as a result of cultivating positive thoughts – such as a tropical vacation or a child’s recital – improve their mood and withdraw less. Employers may think simply getting their employees to smile is good for the organization, but that’s not necessarily the case, smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional exhaustion and withdrawal, and that’s bad for the organization. Academy of Management Journal, March 2011 Health Alert: A Hefty Price! People 70 pounds overweight will spend $30,000 extra in health care costs in their lifetime. Scientific American, March 2011 Diet: Why Do We Over Eat? Generational: “My parents taught me to clean my plate and not waste food.” Relational: “Feelings will be hurt if I don’t finish what they made me.” Economical: “This is such a good deal – more bang for my buck.” Convenience: “I’m in a rush and need it now.” Emotional: “Eating helps me feel better.” Loyola University Health System, February 2011 Exercise: Another Benefit of Exercise. According to David Nieman, director of Appalachian State University’s Human Performance Lab in Kannapolis, NC, “No pill or nutritional supplement has the power of near-daily moderate activity in lowering the number of sick days people take.” Wall Street Journal, January 2010 Chiropractic: The Power That Created The Body Heals The Body. This statement describes the chiropractic philosophy that the body is a self-healing organism. The body functions well on its own as long as there is no interference of function (muscular restriction of the joints, poor nutrition that decreases cellular function, mental stress, poor sleep habits, lack of exercise, etc). Wellness/Prevention: Healthy Lifestyles Help Healing. Joint replacement patients who improve their lifestyle and maintain a positive mindset prior to surgery are more likely to have better functional outcomes than those who do not. Multiple studies found that patients who smoke, misuse alcohol, fail to control blood sugar levels or simply have a poor attitude prior to undergoing total hip or knee replacement surgery can double their odds of post-operative complications. Risk factors for complications like advanced age and pre-existing heart or lung conditions are difficult or impossible to change prior to surgery, but smoking, alcohol abuse, high blood sugar levels and poor mental attitude are completely manageable by the patients themselves, which makes them an excellent target for prevention and intervention programs that are likely to improve outcomes. Current smokers had higher odds of pneumonia (53%), stroke (161%), site infections (41% ) and one-year mortality (63%) compared to non-smokers. Prior smokers were at higher odds of stroke (114%) and pneumonia (34%), compared with non-smokers. Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, February 2011 Quote: “A riot is the language of the unheard.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. 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 www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.

Dr. Beecher’s May 23rd, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

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Week of Monday, May 23rd, 2011

Mental Attitude: Exercise Your Mood. Regular exercise reduces symptoms of moderate depression and enhances psychological fitness. During exercise, plasma levels of endorphins increases in the body, which can have an effect on the psychological state. Endorphins are hormones in the brain associated with a happy, positive feeling. A low level of endorphins is associated with depression. A recent National Health and Nutrition survey found physically active people were half as likely to be depressed. Exercise also boosts the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that send specific messages from one brain cell to another. Though only a small percentage of all serotonin is located in the brain, this neurotransmitter is thought to play a key role in keeping your mood calm. WebMD.com

Health Alert: Diabetes Out Of Control! 8.3% of Americans of all ages are affected by diabetes! 11.3% of Americans over 20 years old have diabetes. 27% of Americans who have diabetes do not know and 35% of individuals over 20 years old in the US have pre-diabetes. How do you prevent it? Try a healthy diet and regular exercise. CDC, 2011

Diet: Is It A Fad Diet? How can you tell if a diet is a fad diet? Here are some useful hints: It promotes or bans certain foods or food groups. It pushes a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. It promises quick, dramatic or miraculous results. It focuses on short-term changes to eating and exercise habits. It encourages ‘miracle’ pills, potions or supplements – often promoted as ‘fat burners’ and ‘metabolism boosters’. It contradicts the advice of trusted health professionals. It makes claims based on a single study or testimonials.

Dietitians Association of Australia, January 2011

Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Exercise. 1) Exercise improves mood. 2) Exercise combats chronic disease. 3) Exercise helps you manage your weight. 4) Exercise boosts your energy level. 5) Exercise promotes better sleep. 6) Exercise can put the spark back in your love life. 7) Exercise can be fun! Mayo Clinic

Chiropractic: The Very First! “I claimed to be the first person to adjust a vertebra by hand, using the spinous and transverse processes and levers. I developed the art known as adjusting, and formulated the science of chiropractic, and developed its philosophy.” ~ DD Palmer

Wellness/Prevention: Family Mealtimes? The amount of time families spend eating meals together has been linked to the health and wellbeing of children and teens. Families who eat together regularly report declines in substance abuse, eating disorders, and unhealthy weight in their children. Child Development, Feb 2011

Quote: “If you’re interested in ‘balancing’ work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable.” ~ Donald Trump

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 www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.

Dr. Beecher’s May 16th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS

UPDATE

Week of Monday, May 16^th, 2011

Mental Attitude: Poor Eating Habits Can Cause Depression. The ingestion of trans-fats and saturated fats increase the risk of suffering depression, while ingesting olive oil appears to protect against depression. Participants with an elevated consumption of trans-fats (fats present in artificial form in industrially-produced pastries and fast food, and naturally present in certain whole milk products) showed a 48% increase in the risk of depression. Also, the more trans-fats consumed, the greater the harmful effect they produced.

Public Library of Science, February 2011

Health Alert: Only 24 Hours In A Day! National restrictions were first introduced in 2003 to limit the hours resident physicians could be on duty. At the time, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) cited increasing acuity and intensity of medical care in teaching institutions, as well as scientific evidence of the negative effect of sleep deprivation on performance, as reasons for instituting restrictions. Those limits were not to exceed 80 hours in a week or more than 24 consecutive hours. In December 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report recommending further action to reduce resident fatigue and ensure patient safety within 24 months of the report. The IOM committee did not recommend a change from the maximum of 80 hours per week, averaged over four weeks, but instead recommends decreasing the maximum length of shifts, increasing the time off between shifts and mandating a sleep period during longer shifts.

Journal of the American College of Radiology, 2010

Diet: Tea Can Help. This study looked at the effect of treating superficial precancerous lesions in the mucosal lining of the mouth with a mixed tea product. After the six-month trial, partial regression of the lesions was observed in 37.9% of the group treated with tea as compared to only 10% of those treated with a placebo.

Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 1999

Exercise: Exercise And Stress. Regular exercise reduces the amount of stress hormones in the body, lowers the resting heart rate, relaxes blood vessels, and lowers blood pressure. Mayo Clinic, March 2011

Chiropractic: Have Back Pain? Spinal manipulation is the best treatment for acute low back pain.

Agency for Health Care Policy and Research

Wellness/Prevention: A Cup Of Tea. The antioxidant properties of tea flavonoids may play a role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing lipid oxidation, reducing the instances of heart attacks and stroke, and may beneficially impact blood vessel function (an important indicator of cardiovascular health).

Archives of Internal Medicine, 1996

Quote: “What some call health, if purchased by perpetual anxiety about diet, isn’t much better than tedious disease.”

~George Dennison Prentice

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  www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.

Dr. Beecher’s May 9th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS

UPDATE

Week of Monday, May 9^th, 2011

Mental Attitude: Improved Memory? Scientists from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York increased the amount of the protein IGF-II in rats and found they showed significantly improved long term memory. The effects of the IGF-II were also found to last for several weeks. Nature, February 2011

Health Alert: Kids Working? Many teens work part-time during the school year and in the current economic climate, more youths may seek after school employment. Working more than 20 hours a week is associated with declines in school engagement, a lower probability of continued education, and increases in problem behavior such as stealing, carrying a weapon, drinking alcohol and using illegal drugs. Child Development, Feb 2011

Diet: I Could Have Had A… Studies show drinking vegetable juice may be a simple way for people to increase their vegetable intake and may help them more effectively manage their weight. Adults who drank one 8-ounce glass of vegetable juice each day consumed nearly twice as many vegetable servings a day than those who did not drink any vegetable juice. Also, 9 of 10 who drank the popular vegetable juice V8 said they felt they were doing something good for themselves. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2010

Exercise: Burning Calories! Most people know exercise keeps muscles strong. Did you know strong muscles burn more calories? Muscle mass is metabolically active tissue. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn even when you’re not working out! For each pound of muscle you add, you will burn an additional 35-50 calories per day. So, an extra 5 pounds of muscle will burn about 175-250 calories a day or an extra pound of fat every 14-20 days. Mayo Clinic

Chiropractic: Light As A Feather! Pressure on a nerve root equal to a feather falling on your hand resulted in up to a 50% decrease in electrical transmission down the nerve supplied by that root.

Seth Sharpless, Ph.D. and Marvin Luttges, Ph.D.

Wellness/Prevention: Prevent Bad Lifestyle Habits. Unhealthy habits are especially predominant amongst young adults ages 19-26. Data points to the fact that young people show more risk behavior than expected (more even than they themselves perceive) and believe they are healthier than they really are. Unhealthy habits include poor diet, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, risky sexual practices, smoking cigarettes, taking drugs and getting insufficient sleep. Bad habits tend to worsen with age. Special attention has to be paid to adolescents because around 16 years of age appears to be the point of no return, the age when either healthy activities are adopted or risk behavior patterns arise. AlphaGalileo Foundation. January 2011

Quote: “For the rational, psychologically healthy man, the desire for pleasure is the desire to celebrate his control over reality. For the neurotic, the desire for pleasure is the desire to escape from reality.” ~ Nathaniel Branden

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  www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.

Dr. Beecher’s May 2nd, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS

UPDATE

Week of Monday, May 2^nd, 2011

Mental Attitude: Parents Can Help. Many studies show parenting under stress can negatively affect children. Parents who struggle financially, who suffer from depression, or who are single parents need extra support. In schools offering ParentCorps, a program for families of Pre-Kindergarten students in disadvantaged urban communities that focuses on improved parenting strategies, parents reported using more effective discipline strategies and were observed in the home to be more responsive to their children during play interactions. By the end of the Pre-Kindergarten year, children in schools with ParentCorps were rated by their teachers as better behaved and showed more social and emotional competencies. Child Development, February 2011

Health Alert: Unemployed And Unhealthy! Unemployed people between the ages of 30 and 59 years are often affected by physical, emotional, and functional impairments such as sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, and substance addictions. The health consequences of unemployment result from loss of income, loss of social contacts in the workplace, and/or loss of social reputation. Unemployed men and women who are supported by their partners, family members, or friends are less frequently affected by these complaints.

Deutsches Aerzteblatt International, February 2011

Diet: Genes And Your Sweet Tooth. The substance ghrelin plays an important role in binge-eating and sugar consumption. Ghrelin is a neuropeptide that activates the brain’s reward system and increases appetite. People with certain changes in the ghrelin gene consume more sugar than their peers. Researchers also found, when ghrelin was blocked, rats reduced their consumption of sugar and were less motivated to hunt for sugar. Plos One, April 2011

Exercise: The Great Outdoors! Exercising in natural environments is associated with greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy and positive engagement, with decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression. Participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and were more likely to repeat the activity. Environmental Science and Technology, February 2011

Chiropractic: Stop On A Dime! At the spinal nerve root level, a sustained pressure increase of the weight of a dime was adequate to produce interference in normal nerve transmission! Dr. Chung Ha Suh, University of Colorado

Wellness/Prevention: Adopt Healthy Habits! When considering levels of HDL, or “good” cholesterol, people who did not improve any lifestyle factors between youth and adulthood had more than double the prevalence of low HDL levels (26.2% vs. 11.9%). Those who had improved at least two lifestyle factors had a prevalence of low HDL less than one-fourth that of the study average. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, February 2011

Quote: “Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.” ~ Sigmund Freud

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  www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.

Dr. Beecher’s April 25th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE

Week of Monday,  April 25^th, 2011

Mental Attitude: Risks For Quitting College. 40% of students in the US fail to get a bachelor’s degree within 6 years at the college where they began. Surprisingly, events such as a death in the family and students’ failure to get their intended major did not have a significant influence. The critical event with the most influence was depression. Other reasons include recruitment by an employer or another institution; losing financial aid or experiencing a large increase in tuition or living costs; unexpected bad grades; and roommate conflicts. Journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Feb 2011

Health Alert: Cough It Up. Research has linked over-the-counter cough and cold products to poisoning or death in hundreds of children, ages 2 and younger. Studies also show these medicines do little to control symptoms. In 2008, the FDA formally recommended OTC cough and cold products not be given to children under age 2. 61% of parents of children ages 2 and younger gave their children OTC cough and cold medicine within the last 12 months. More than half of parents report their child’s doctor says OTC cough and cold medications are safe for children under 2. University of Michigan Health System, Feb 2011

Diet: Too Fat! The rate of obesity among children and adolescents in the US has nearly tripled between the1980s and 2000s. Childhood obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep problems, cancer, liver disease, skin infections, asthma and other respiratory problems later in life. Pediatrics Journal, February 2011

Exercise: The “Skinny” on Exercise. Exercise boosts blood circulation and the delivery of nutrients to your skin, helping to detoxify the body by removing toxins. As exercise boosts oxygen to the skin, it helps increase the production of collagen, the connective tissue that keeps your skin elastic. Mayo Clinic, Feb 2011

Chiropractic: Headache Help! A study compared 6 weeks of chiropractic adjusting for tension-type headaches to 6 weeks of medical treatment with amitriptyline, a medication often prescribed for severe tension headache pain. Chiropractic patients experienced fewer side effects (82.1%) and only chiropractic patients continued to report fewer headaches when treatment ended. JMPT, 1995

Wellness/Prevention: Zinc! The cold accounts for 40% of sickness absence from work and millions of school days missed each year. Zinc taken within a day of cold symptoms can reduce severity and shorten the length of illness. At 7 days after onset, a higher proportion of people who took zinc reported no cold symptoms compared to those who took a placebo. The Cochrane Library, Feb 2011

Quote: “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.” ~ Thomas Edison

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 www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.