Dr Beecher’s September 2013 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter

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“A well-spent day brings happy sleep.”

~ Leonardo da Vinci

Are You Getting

Enough Sleep?

How Not Getting The Proper Amount

of Sleep For YOU Can Cause Health and Relationship Problems, and More…

Also this month:

• Relationship Problems and Sleep! University Of California At Berkeley Research Explains How Fighting and Lack Of Sleep Are Intertwined and Make Each Other Worse.
• Is Sleeping Too Much Just As Bad As Sleeping Too Little?
• Is This The Blueprint To Lose 68 Pounds? Woman Claims These Two Things Helped Her Go From 210 lbs. to 142 lbs. Will It Work For You?

Houston – For many, there is no bigger pain in the entire world than the sound of their alarm clock rousing them from a beautiful, deep slumber.

Do you get up or hit the snooze button?  Are you lazy if you slept eight hours and don’t get up? Well, perhaps not.  New research shows that your desire for more sleep may not come from laziness at all.  It may be genetic. More on that in a moment, but first, how much sleep do you really need?

The amount of sleep your body needs is the amount that results in you feeling fully rested and alert. According to a report by ABC News, if you find yourself sleeping in on weekends, then your body may be catching up on lost sleep time. On one hand, some researchers recommend trying to sleep more during the week to balance out your sleep schedule so you sleep the same number of hours on weekends. A short 25-minute nap in the afternoon can help make up for a sleep deficit during the week. On the other hand, Dr. W. Christopher Winter, medical director of the Martha Jefferson Hospital Sleep Medicine Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, thinks there’s no harm in sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday morning to make up lost time. But, that may not be such a good idea for some people. We’ll cover that later too…

How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Need?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults sleep 7-9 hours per night, teenagers sleep 8.5-9.5 hours per night, and children (ages 5-10 years old) sleep 10-11 hours per night. A review of 16 long-term studies published in the journal Sleep found that both short sleepers (under 7 hours) and long sleepers (over 9 hours) lived shorter lives than those who slept 7-9 hours per night. This may be the basis for the CDC’s 7-9 hour recommendation.

Inadequate sleep can negatively affect your heart, lungs, kidneys, appetite, metabolism, immune system, reaction time, mood, and brain function. People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes (and all the health problems associated with that disease) because inadequate sleep affects insulin sensitivity.

A study of 24,000 Japanese women found those who slept less than six hours a night were more likely to develop breast cancer while a study by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland found men who slept less than six hours a night were at a higher risk for potentially cancerous colorectal polyps.

Another study found lack of sleep might cause relationship problems. This research from the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) found that couples fight more and are less healthy after a bad night’s sleep.  “For the first time, to our knowledge, we can see the process of how the nature, degree, and resolution of conflict are negatively impacted by poor sleep,” said Dr. Serena Chen, a Professor of Psychology at UCB.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you sleep less than seven hours a night but you feel rested and alert when you wake up, that may be fine too. In fact, researchers at the University of California at San Francisco discovered individuals with a mutation to the DEC2 gene can function well on five or six hours a night, with no apparent adverse effects.

Oversleeping May Be Just As

Bad As Not Getting Enough Sleep!

Interestingly enough, sleeping over nine hours a night can lead to many of the same problems as sleeping too little. Long sleepers are at risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, back pain, depression, and heart disease. If you tend to wake up before your alarm clock and you feel rested, get up and start your day. Forcing yourself to sleep in may do you more harm than good.

If it’s true that some people may genetically need less sleep, then the opposite is likely true as well: some of us may be genetically predisposed to needing more sleep than the “average” person. So, if you need more than nine hours of sleep to feel rested and alert, that may be okay.

Irregular Sleep Patterns May Be A Problem Too!

People with irregular work schedules (that, in turn, lead to irregular sleep patterns) may also experience health problems. One study recently found that females working shift patterns are associated with an increase risk of menstrual disruption and subfertility. The study collected data on 119,345 women from 1969 – 2013 and found that those working shifts (alternating shifts, evenings and nights) had a 33% higher rate of menstrual disruption than those working regular hours, and an 80% increased rate of subfertility.

In a nutshell, you must get the proper amount of sleep to be healthy. One of the biggest things we can take from this study is that the proper amount of sleep is individual.  It is not “8 hours.”  We are all different, and you must figure out what the proper amount of sleep is for you.

We all know people who can sleep five hours and wake up with a full charge. Five hours might be optimal for them, and that is awesome.  However, you might need eight, nine, or even more.

If you’re the type who has trouble getting restful sleep, here are some tips:

• Regular exercise is often advised to improve sleep. Some experts recommend you try exercising earlier in the day, others think the evening before bed is a better idea. See what works best for you. Stress and anxiety can affect sleep and exercise has been shown to help relieve stress and anxiety, even if you don’t really want to work out.
• Eating before bed may trigger acid reflux or an upset stomach that can hinder sleep. However, consuming a relaxing food or beverage (like a warm glass of milk) may help you fall asleep.
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and smoking before bed as they can disrupt sleep patterns.
• Take a hot bath, shower, or sauna before bed. This will raise your body temperature and cooling off facilitates sleep. The temperature drop from getting out of the bath signals to your body that “it’s time for bed.” On the same note, keep the room cool. Lower temperatures help with sleep.
• Get out of bed. If you are having trouble falling asleep, get up and do something else. Don’t linger in bed and fret about not being able to fall asleep because it could develop into an even bigger sleeping problem.
• Turn off the lights. Complete darkness (or as close to it as possible) is best. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin. Cover your windows with blackout shades or drapes.
• Consider a “sound machine.” Listen to the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to drown out upsetting background noise and soothe you to sleep.
• Try to sleep a consistent number of hours each night. While it may be okay to catch up on sleep during the weekends, if you can’t sleep Sunday night because you slept in on Sunday morning, that can be a problem.
• Increase your melatonin. If you can’t increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime and absolute complete darkness at night, consider supplementation.

Last but not least, health conditions like back pain or neck pain can interfere with a good night’s sleep so make sure to get adjusted regularly to help keep your body functioning optimally so you can sleep restfully.

            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)

Is This The Blueprint

To Losing 68 Pounds?

Woman claims these two things helped her go

from 210 lbs. to 142 lbs.  Will they work for you?

It might be because of what we see on television, the Internet, or magazines but it seems like almost everyone wants to lose weight. Some just want to drop a few unwanted pounds while others need to lose a whole heck of a lot more.  For that reason, weight loss is estimated to be a $60 billion industry.  When there is that much money involved, you know it will attract con artists and scammers who want to sell you the next magic pill, exotic diet, or whiz bang gadget that will make the pounds fall right off your body. Some of their approaches may work, but doesn’t it seem like within a couple years, the same people are pitching the next miracle doo-dad? What happened to the last one?

Believe it or not, there is a proven and effective way to lose all the weight your heart desires. It is 100% free, and this story tells it all.

It’s the story of a young woman named Dawn who is married to Steve, a soldier deployed in Afghanistan.

Dawn gained 55 pounds while pregnant with their first child, though she readily admits that she had started gaining weight long before that.  She was still surprised when her doctor told her she weighed over 200 lbs.

Six weeks after their son was born, Dawn weighed 210 pounds. Then, Steve left for Afghanistan.  On Facebook, Dawn wrote, “At the time, I still weighed 210 pounds. I grew to hate mirrors, and my attempts to squeeze myself into my old clothes left me feeling defeated.  One day, not long after Steve had left, I decided I was done feeling bad about myself.  I wanted a healthy body again, so I had to get to work.

            “I started a strict exercise routine and committed to two daily workouts, including a bootcamp class and 45 minutes spent on the treadmill.  I cut out fast food for 11 months without cheating and never skipped a workout.  My husband was in awe of my commitment.  While he’s deployed, we rely on Facebook to communicate, and I sent him updates from home, pictures of our son, and messages about my progress in the gym. I was getting stronger every day, and I loved that he got to cheer me on from overseas.”

When Steve came home just before their son’s first birthday, Dawn weighed 142 lbs. (less than she weighed when they first met)!

So, what is the “blueprint?”  The blueprint is simple:  Commitment and hard work.  Dawn said, “It wasn’t easy.  There is no magic pill for good health…” 

Making that acknowledgment and accepting that statement as fact is the first step in losing any amount of weight you want and living a much healthier life.

Yes, losing weight is NOT complicated.  In fact, it is quite simple, but simple doesn’t not mean “magic” or “overnight” or “no work” or “take this pill and wake up skinny while eating ice cream and sitting on the couch.”

All those statements are tactics used by marketers trying to get their share of the $60 billion weight loss industry.  Listen to Dawn.  Make the commitment, eat right, and do the work… for the rest of your life.  Forget about those magical fat burners.

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?…

Great Autumn Fruits and Vegetables

Fall is upon us, and with that comes beautiful fruits and vegetables that are ready to be harvested and consumed. When produce is consumed at its ripest (when it is in season) more nutrients are delivered into the body. Here are some delicious foods you can get your hands on to enjoy the beauty of autumn (in the Northern Hemisphere at least):

• Apples: Even though apples are available 365 days a year in grocery stores, fall is their time to shine. Apples are full of fiber and vitamin C. Due to the anti-oxidant properties found in apple skin, they are also great for reducing inflammation.
• Squash: Fall gourds like butternut squash are low in fat, high in fiber, and full of potassium. Not only is squash great for you, it is also highly versatile. Whether you are a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned professional, you can make an awesome fall meal involving squash.
• Carrots: Whether you munch on carrots as a mid-day snack or use them as a key component in a comfort-filled fall stew, carrots are an absolute treasure when it comes to nutrients. Carrots have an incredible amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A assists in maintaining vision, a healthy immune system, and cell growth.
• Eggplant: These strange and beautiful vegetables are harvested in late summer and can be found at their best in early fall. The phytonutrients in eggplant have been found to protect cell membranes against free radicals. Want more reasons to eat eggplant? One cup contains only 19 calories!

Tip Of The Month

What You Can Do One Hour Before Grilling Beef

To Reduce Your Risk Of Cancer…

In a world where there is so much disagreement, here is a statement we can all agree on: No one wants cancer.  If there is a simple and inexpensive way to help prevent it, why not do it?  While there is great buzz about “cancer genes” and how much of a role they play in an individual actually getting cancer, there should also be great buzz about eating right, reducing stress, getting the proper amount of sleep, and doing all the other things that help optimize your immune system so you can live up to your full genetic potential, whatever that potential may be for you.

That being said, there are several studies on the subject of “grilled meat.”  In the research, the various authors discuss heterocyclic amines (HCAs). HCAs are SUSPECTED human carcinogens (cancer causing) formed in muscle foods (meat) during high temperature grilling or cooking.  One study, published in the Journal Food Science, studied the effect of marinades rich in polyphenolic antioxidant containing spices in HCAs.  According to the study: “The marinades were formulated according to the package label instruction in an oil, water, and vinegar mixture, and the steaks were treated for one hour prior to grilling.  All three marinades: Caribbean, Southwest, and herb, significantly decreased the imidazo-azaarene HCAs (MeIQx, PhIP) as contrasted to controls and liquid blanks.  The Caribbean mixture showed the highest decrease in the total HCA content (88%), followed by the herb (72%) and Southwest (57%). With a few exceptions, there were significant decreases in HCAs for treatments with only the marinade bases (ingredients without any spices/herbs).  As measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the marinades contained considerable amounts of the polyphenolic antioxidants carnosic acid, carnosol and rosmarinic acid with Caribbean being the highest.  Commonly available spice-containing marinades can be effective inhibitors of HCA formation and provide reduced exposure to some of the carcinogens formed during grilling.” 

Does this mean if you marinate your steaks one hour before grilling them in this Caribbean mixture you will not get cancer?  No.  Does it mean you will… for sure… reduce your risk?  Can’t say that either.  But it’s pretty safe to say this:  Science and research are not perfect.  They are only as good as the imperfect humans doing the research and interpreting the data.  Every month, there are studies that say what we believed last year (“proven” in a study) was wrong.  But that doesn’t mean you should throw your hands up in the air and ignore everything and eat junk food and sugary drinks all day.  Try eating natural foods over processed foods.  Exercise moderately instead of sitting on the couch.  Think positive thoughts more than negative thoughts. And maybe… just maybe… if you eat steak… consider a Caribbean marinade one hour before. J

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 phone or e-mail at [email protected] .