Ambition

Ambition is that something that urges you on to accomplishment. Ambition may be worthy or it may be selfish, but in either case it stirs you to action.

Napoleon's ambition was to conquer the world. Hitler had a similar ambition. They both failed because destiny looks after her own when men's hearts are strong.

Ambition may be for wealth or fame, it may be for beauty, service, justice, freedom, or even peace and good will. Great men and women in every age group have dedicated their lives to the welfare of mankind. Artists, writers, statesmen, prophets, and teachers are good examples, with the most noted of all being Jesus. He created no wealth, he owned no property, and was put to death as an impostor. Yet, his ambition for the good of mankind has survived and continues to grow as a shining light, a star to guide the destiny of men.

Ambition need not be of an outstanding nature to be considered great and worthy. Being a good parent, teacher, or child has its just rewards. Rendering a worthy service, setting a good example, or doing a kindness are always rewarding.

What is your ambition? Is it worthy, is it good, is it uplifting, is it something to be proud of? Or, is it lower than should be expected?

Perhaps you will use the excuse that your ill health has robbed you of your ambition and that you have to lean on aspirin and drugs to keep going. Is this really the truth, or is it an ignorant excuse? Have you ever given chiropractic an honest trial?

Our ambition is to be a lighthouse for those who suffer and are in search of health. We attempt to render a genuine health service for those willing to break away from the habit of taking drugs. Health, like ambition, comes from within and is expressed outwardly through the emotions and the nervous system of the body.

We stress the importance of the spine as the key to health and growth. Do it now!

NIACIN - Some Important Facts

Niacin is well known as the "cholesterol fighter in a bottle". A quote from long ago, "Niacin is the most inexpensive and effective internal cleansing mechanism known to man."

Following ingestion of niacin, one will expect "side effects" of itching and flushing of the skin. Please note that flushing is normal, and not an allergic reaction. It's what niacin does as it cleanses the body of toxins and poisons. The best side effect I experience is the calmness that follows a dosage.

Cardiovascular disease is significant killer in the United States, and it is frequently associated with high cholesterol. Our American diet, with fast food, toxin-loaded, refined sugar cholesterol-impregnated foods, is the frequent messenger of destruction and death.

In recent years, niacin has become widely used as a potent cholesterol fighter. Various studies indicate doses of niacin increase beneficial high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, lower harmful low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and decrease triglycerides. However, all too often extremely high doses of niacin are prescribed (usually 500 to 4500 mg/day). Those amounts are not necessary. I receive the same flushing reaction from 100 milligrams as I do for 500mg, thus, low dosages are what I recommend.

Studies conducted by scientists from Auburn University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Georgia Southern University, and the Hames Heart Institute (Claxton, Georgia), Professor Lefavi studied the serum cholesterol levels of healthy, college-age athletes. They found that cholesterol could be significantly lowered an average of 14 percent, and total cholesterol/HDL ratios improved by seven percent by merely adding only 200 mcg niacin supplement to their daily diets. These findings are even more significant when we note that subjects were classified as "normal," having cholesterol levels "within normal limits."

Early studies suggest that vitamin B3, or niacin, a common water-soluble vitamin, may help improve neurological function after stroke. When rats with ischemic stroke were given niacin, their brains showed growth of new blood vessels, and sprouting of nerve cells which greatly improved neurological outcome. Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in America and a leading cause of disability. Ischemic strokes occur as a result of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. Ischemic stroke accounts for about 87 percent of all cases.

One underlying condition for this type of obstruction is the development of fatty cholesterol deposits lining the vessel walls. Niacin is known to be the most effective medicine in current clinical use for increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), which helps get rid of those fatty deposits.

Therefore, research indicates that niacin is the hope on the horizon for cholesterol's cascading catastrophe. Niacin supplementation is a viable tool in everyone's daily fight against high serum cholesterol and our country's major killer, cardiovascular disease.

For your overall health, you might consider NOT stocking up on cheesecake, doughnuts, candy and other cholesterol-laden garbage. Instead, with this knowledge, go to your local chiropractor or health food store and purchase a natural form of niacin.

Kidney Stone Prevention

Prevent Kidney Stones With Lemonade?
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But what if life gives you kidney stones? For most people, a drug called potassium citrate is prescribed, but for those who can't tolerate potassium citrate's side effects or are allergic to certain medications, the results of a small study published at the American Urological Association's annual meeting indicate that lemonade may work just as well.

Kidney stones develop when minerals in the urine crystallize and build up inside the kidney. In most people, urine contains a chemical called citrate, which breaks down the minerals and prevents the stones from forming. In this study, researchers followed 12 people who suffered from hypocitrauria, a condition that causes a person to produce low levels of urinary citrate. Patients in the group drank lemonade made from 120 milliliters of lemon juice mixed with 2 liters of water throughout the day; small amounts of sugar or sugar substitute were added for taste.

Results showed that 11 of the 12 patients had increased urinary citrate levels during lemonade therapy. The kidney stones of the people taking lemonade therapy also decreased in size and number during the course of treatment. While lemonade may help reduce the incidence of kidney stones, it's only part of a larger program. Lowering the amount of salt in the diet, eating smaller portions of red meat, and increasing fluid intake can all help slow the formation of existing stones and prevent new ones from developing.

Cut Back On Salt
The biggest issue with consuming too much salt is its detrimental impact on high blood pressure and swelling of your extremities such as your ankle and feet. Salt draws water to it and can cause elevation of the pressure inside your blood vessels hence worsening blood pressure.

The kidney is very much affected by too much salt. When there is excess salt in your blood stream, your kidneys have to work harder to get rid of that in your urine and it's been suggested that with the increased salt load to the kidney filtration system, you may be at higher risk for kidney stones and mineral deposits to your kidneys. Beyond the direct effect of the salt, the high blood pressure generated by the salt can cause kidney disease.

Finally, even your bones are affected by the excess salt in your diet. There's evidence that suggests that extra salt in your diet can worsen your risks for osteoporosis. Since the excess salt in your blood stream needs to be filtered in your kidney and removed, there are other minerals that the salt may bind to or cause a shift in the filtration system such that higher levels of other minerals are also lost in urine because of the excess salt. One of those minerals is calcium. Therefore, if that's the case, it's been suggested that bone health is compromised with a diet that is high in salt.

People should aim for about 1500-2000 milligrams of sodium per day at most. By paying attention to what you are eating, Just that simple act will start to help you towards the road of eating a more balanced low sodium diet.

Keep diet and common sense simple and enjoy a long healthy life!  It works!

Can't Sleep; Try These Tips

If you want to maximize your health, wealth and youthfulness in the new year, start by sleeping the night away, soundly experts advise.

Lack of sleep runs up a high tab in injury and death on the highway and on the job, poor performance and reduced productivity in school and at work and, some studies suggest, increased susceptibility to ulcers, heart disease, obesity, depression and a host of age-related ailments.

With the dawn of a new year, the growing ranks of slumber scrooges should awaken to the costly and, at times, fatal consequences of skimping on sleep, and resolve to give their mind and body a richly deserved rest, scientists urge.

A UPI survey of 71 sleep specialists produced a number of suggestions that could lead you to the land of the sleeping. They include:

• Follow a routine of retiring and rising on a timeline that deviates by no more than two hours every day, even on weekends.
• Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, which suppresses deep sleep, within three to six hours, and heavy meals within three hours, of bedtime.
• Use your bed for resting or sleeping, not for doing extra office work, watching television or playing video games.
• Exercise moderately for 30 minutes daily, but no later than three hours before lights out.
• Sip warm milk, herb tea or other non-caffeinated drinks to raise body temperature. Also, try 3 to 5 dry saltine crackers (no water) before turning in for the night and help transport you to dreamland.
• Nibble on bananas, turkey, peanut butter or other foods rich in tryptophan, a compound that produces a natural sedative effect.
• Refrain from naps when you get home from work or school because they can reduce "sleep pressure" and, deter your subsequent ability to drift off for the night.
• Put work aside two to three hours before you go to sleep. Your mind has a tendency to focus on tasks you've recently focused on.
• If sleep fails to claim you within 20 minutes, get out of bed and read for a while, selecting soothing rather than stimulating material.
• Engage in massage, meditation, music, yoga, positive imagery, biofeedback, a warm bath or other techniques that help the brain kick back and unwind.
• Write a "worry list" of bothersome matters half an hour before bedtime and deal with it before your head hits the pillow.
• Keep the room quiet, dark and cool, and wear socks to sleep to keep toes toasty.
• Melatonin is a natural byproduct of your body, and induces sleep. Anything over 10mg is dangerous and you could face consequences. 3mg is suggested, and taken 20 minutes prior to bed. Thus, consult a doctor before taking melatonin. Take Melatonin only at bedtime, as it may produce insomnia if given at the wrong time.
• Dim the lights two to three hours and shut off the TV and computers 30 minutes before bedtime. Get out in bright sunshine for five to 30 minutes as soon as you arise to help set your brain's internal clock to your sleep-wake schedule.
• Enjoy and have sex. Studies and experience have identified sex as a sleep promoter.
• If slumber continues to elude you, I recommend a consultation with a sleep specialist.

Pregnancy and Chiropractic

Two of my patients are currently awaiting the arrival of new additions to their families. Adjusting women through pregnancy is one of the most rewarding parts of our work, because a healthier pregnancy means an easier labor and delivery, and a better transition for the baby into this life.

There are many stories regarding a traumatic birth, and the subsequent years of poor health suffered as a result. Many Moms are unaware that chiropractic care through pregnancy would have likely given these children a better start, and angry that they were unaware of this option prior to their conception.

Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy is not only safe, it is essential. We can look at the implications of subluxation from a bio mechanical, hormonal and neurological standpoint. It is easy for all of us to see postural changes through pregnancy; the center of gravity changes, the weight of the baby places increased pressure on the spine and pelvis, and towards the end of the pregnancy, changes are seen in gait pattern - the "waddle." What we can't see, are the millions of different hormonal changes and chemical reactions occurring both in the mother and the developing baby, all of which are controlled and coordinated through the nervous system.

Adjustments result in easier pregnancy, significantly decreased labor time, and assists new mothers back to prepartum health. In one study, women receiving chiropractic care through their first pregnancy had 24% shorter labor times than the group not receiving chiropractic, and multiparous subjects reported 39% shorter labor times. Thirty-nine percent-that's a massive difference. In addition, 84% of women report relief of back pain during pregnancy with chiropractic care. Because the sacroiliac joints of the pelvis function better, there is significant less likelihood of back labor when receiving chiropractic care through pregnancy.

Body position during delivery is also critical. Any late second stage labor position that denies postural sacral rotation denies the mother and the baby critical pelvic outlet diameter and jams the tip of the sacrum up to 4cm into the pelvic outlet. In other words, the popular semi-recumbent position places the laboring woman on her back onto the apex of the sacrum, which closes off the vital space needed for the baby to get through the pelvic outlet.

This delivery position is the main reason why so many births are traumatic-labor is stalled, the mom becomes fatigued and overwhelmed by pain, so the utilization of epidurals, forceps, episiotomy, vacuum extraction and cesarean increases. Just consider the analogy my husband uses-how hard would it be to have a bowel movement while lying on your back? You're right, very hard, and it may not happen. This is why squatting is the preferred position-gravity works to help and the pelvic outlet can open to a greater degree. Squatting during delivery results in decreased use of forceps and a shorter second stage of labor than the
semi-recumbent position.

Greater complications during delivery result in greater neurological insult to the newborn due to injury to the head and neck. Even after vaginal births, 4.6% of term neonates suffer unexplained brain bleeds and 10% suffer neonatal encephalopathy. Because so many children had been injured with forceps deliveries, (facial nerve palsy, tearing of cervical spine musculature) vacuum extraction was developed. Suction cups are placed on the newborn's head, and the baby is literally sucked out of the mother.

Vacuum extraction, when utilized, exerts 120 pounds of pressure going through the baby's head and neck. Decapitation occurs at 140 pounds of pressure, as an example to give you an idea of the high forces involved. Remember when you were a little girl or boy and there was a new baby you were being introduced to? Our parents always said, "Watch his head, you don't want to hurt him." We're careful because the fontanel's of the skull are so pliable, and the neck and brain are fragile and unprotected. This is why so many babies sustain injuries to their heads and neck during vacuum extraction-the force is far greater than their little bodies can tolerate.

Adjustments to newborns contain only ounces of force. But that force is directed into the spine to facilitate health and remove subluxations. We adjust babies as soon after birth as possible, to alleviate subluxations caused by in-utero constraint and the journey down through the birth canal. There has been a lot in the media lately about children not needing chiropractic care, but there is no better way to get a head start in life. As you all know, chiropractic care is not a cure for anything, it is a system of wellness to help us be who we're supposed to be. It is not a cure for ear infections, for colic, for allergies, for asthma, for frequent colds, nor for ADD/ADHD.

Every child should be checked, before problems with their health even develop. That's preventive care in the truest sense. This is why every woman needs chiropractic through pregnancy, so that the arrival of their baby is a "wonderful experience".

First Impressions

Make First Impressions Count

It's that time of the year where students graduate, and many others look for new opportunities. No matter what the event, whether it’s a social gathering, a business seminar, or office function, you’re meeting new people and sizing them up. And they’re doing the same with you. Within the first minute you meet, people make judgments about each other. Those first impressions can easily become lasting impressions. What do you want those first few seconds to say about you? Make that first impression count!

When first impressions make the difference, it’s important to understand how you come across to others and especially how you impact people, whether it’s in person on paper or on social media.

First Impressions Made in Person

Attire
Whenever you’re meeting people for the first time, whether you’re networking, attending a business seminar, or dating, it’s essential to look the part. In other words, dress for the specific occasion, even if it means doing a little research up front. Think of how you want to be perceived by the people you’re about to meet and dress accordingly.

Grooming
Hair should be neat; NOT the wind-tunnel look. For women, less makeup is always better than too much, and a light perfume or cologne is acceptable, but be careful of overwhelming the people in
the room with the scent, as it can be interpreted as not bathing. Keep in mind that being well-groomed can make people think you’re efficient and reliable, while being disheveled and/or untidy could make people think you’re disorganized.

The Handshake
Keep it simple. Extend your right hand, vertical palm (body language is obvious), look the person in the eye, and grasp their hand gently but firmly. No need to prove how strong you might be, and leave the other hand from embracing the first. And most definitely no wimpy handshakes.

Your Conversation
The world does not revolve around you, and neither should your conversations. Be certain to engage the other person when you talk, and use their name for emphasis. You can, of course, talk about yourself, but don’t make the whole conversation about you, and tell no stories. Look for common ground with the person you’re talking to, and share conversations about that common interest.

Attitude
A great posture, standing or sitting will be recognized, and also be judged. Nothing works better in any situation than having and expressing a positive attitude. A smile is priceless and displays confidence and a calm demeanor. Let your enthusiasm for any new situation show, but leave your problems at the door. NO baggage allowed!

First Impressions Made With Visuals

Cover Letters
Your cover letter might be someone’s first impression of your personality and professionalism. Keep it short. That means no more than four or five brief paragraphs. In your first paragraph, create a dynamic and powerful opening that explains why you are writing. Always address the letter to the recipient by name. Do not use, "To whom it may concern”, as that shows that little knowledge or interest in the company. The worst mistake you can make would be misspelling the person’s name. And even worst, misspelling anything else in the cover letter. After all, if you’re not careful about your own business, why would anyone think you’ll take care of theirs?

Resumes
A single-page resume is best, but don’t cram every single detail into a page with zero margins and tiny type. Only add an additional page if absolutely necessary. Organize your resume to reflect your most recent work at the top and include dates of employment, perhaps a contact person. Use bullet sentences, not paragraphs, to describe your work experience. Resumes are read quickly, and bullet sentences are easier to read than long paragraphs. And be certain to spell check carefully, as misspellings and grammatical errors tell employers you are not detail oriented.

Online Social Media
Be aware that what you post on social media generally stays forever in the cloud, which is the source from which anyone can capture your "fun" sharing with friends. People copy and share photos and video, and it can go viral very easily. Remember, you are judged by your actions, your writings, and who you are seen with on those "special" digital fantasies. A common practice of most businesses today is to track and inspect your Facebook, Twitter and other, open to the public, forums. Thus, beware of what is fun and what is practical, as your future could very well depend on it ....

Passing Thoughts

What are you thinking about at any given moment? Could you even answer that? Probably not, but your mind is always active with some thought constantly passing through your mind. The fact is, over 70,000 thoughts per day is the researched number.

What is thought? Do you actually think mentally, or is thought just a passing reflection without any given pattern? Of course at times you do concentrate on a given theme or a task where something is accomplished. At times your thoughts are creative and you become deep in thought, a thing that no other animal can do. But even so, do you actively engage in mental creation, or do you simply tune into a mental wave length at random.

What are we doing now at this very moment? Are we engaging in actual or passing thought, or is it a mental or spiritual reflection having more or less interest? What becomes of each passing thought? Where does it go during sleep or at the time of death? On such occasions the physical body either remains dormant or disintegrates. But what about the mental or spiritual aspect? Is there a logical answer?

And, what is life anyway? From whence does it come and where does it go? Within the womb of the mother, for instance, a physical creation is taking place and at a given time a combined reaction takes place and the baby is born with a mental and physical element all its own. Mental impulses call for nourishment and physical growth takes place for a given period of time, When adulthood is reached, physical growth is arrested. However, maintenance and reparation continue all through life, maintaining a state of being until "death do us part."

But what about the process of maintaining health and function or activity? What regulates this element? What changes common food into flesh, blood, and bones, hair, skin, and nails. Food provides distribution when and where it is needed. Have you thought of this reaction? Would you entertain the concept that this process would require pill, shots, physiotherapy, or passing thought on your part? Not so!

All function and activity of the body are directed and controlled through the nervous system that stems from the brain and spinal cord. The spinal cord is encased within the spinal column and sends out bundles of trunk nerves through openings provided for that purpose between the vertebrae that form the spinal column.

Through this medium sensation reaches the brain where the message is interpreted and responding mental impulses set glands and organs into activity and function in a process of directed or controlled definite activity, in a state of health.

This is NOT merely a passing thought ... It is a fact!

Plan For Tomorrow

Tomorrow is constantly coming, and yet it never seems to get here. What can be done about it? Is there anything you can do? Are you sometimes dismayed or concerned by the prospects? Nevertheless, one must keep planning for tomorrow. Make its coming welcome. Be ready for change constantly coming. Look forward with a feeling of delight as changes come and plan to do your very best as all things are altered. Use today as a stepping stone hopefully to better things ahead in the game of life and, win or lose, you will have the joy of keeping on keeping on, as you play the game.

Do you ever say your today is hampered by ill health? And perhaps that often your plans for tomorrow are marred by headaches, indigestion, or some other hurdle involved in the game as it is played?

This may be true. But, what are you doing to welcome change? Are you forming a drug habit? Are you leaning towards tranquilizers or pain killers? What assurance do you have that tomorrow will be better or worse than today should you fill your stomach with drugs that always produce side effects, often times worse than the original complaint? Is this an encouraging outlook?

What is health? Is it not largely the normal expression of life through the medium of the glands, organs, and other structures of the body? What is it that keeps these structures normal, as they were intended to do? Expressly, it is the nervous system and the hormonal systems of the body, as they are the reasons you feel good OR do not.

The nervous system is as vital to the activity and function of the body as is the electrical systems are to a modern home. Ground an electrical wire and service is impaired. Pinch spinal nerve bundles and symptoms of dis-ease are present in the form of pain, headaches, indigestion, and other related disorders.

What can be done about it? Is it logical to suppose that a "quick fix" medication or pain killers are the remedy? NO!

Falls, accidents and other mishaps incidental to life frequently produce shocks and strains on the spine that displace one or more vertebrae to a degree that results in nerve interference and subsequent dis-ease with its associated various symptoms. Clear the nerve channels and health comes from within outward as nature has provided.

                                  Success is a series of failures ... put to flight.

Talking About People

The most interesting thing in the world is people: men, women and children. The race, color, and/or nationality does not really matter. People are what counts.

Many things may have interest, beauty, worth, or value, but they are a pale abstract, all of passing interest. Only people awaken a keen impression or lasting interest because only they are children of God, possessing a quality that nothing else has. Think about it ...

Man, it is said, was created from the dust of the earth and made in the image of God. What does that mean? Does it mean that the Creator of the universe is fashioned in the likeness of man? Not so. How could such a creation be possible? Literally it could not, yet the same universal quality that makes all things possible resides within man or in life, each form bearing after its kind in the likeness of its own nature. Is that principle not reasonable enough?

But what about people? People are something different. People are the only things in God's creation that can and do think, reason, and remember. We are the creature that has hands and the ability to create things of interest or can go places, or preserve that which he has created for the good of his fellow being, or can produce a pattern for all time if need be.

Do you enjoy reading? Perhaps so, but what holds the most interest for you? Is it not people or something that people do, or their history and how they created hieroglyphic impressions. Or, how about the alphabet, with the incredible ability to form words, thus giving meaning and lasting interest in things and places where men have been, or are going, and why.

What kind of people hold the greatest interest? Is it not those who serve best and make possible things of greatest interest to mankind; health, hope, happiness, peace, good will, wise or foolish, in relation to his fellow being and the God of the universe.

The professions which should hold the greatest interest are perhaps teachers, doctors, and those who make possible a more abundant life for mankind and for the common good.

It's time to think of and create an interest in your own person. One of the Psalms states that the body is "fearfully and wonderfully made," and that is an affirmation of truth. Add life to your years without the side effects that so often follow medication and/or drugs. Live!

Think, for the mind tells the body what to do.

Antibacterial Soap Overuse May Help Spread Disease

Scrubbing your hands too often with antibacterial soap may actually have the opposite effect and make you and others more susceptible to disease.

Doctors at the summer scientific meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology said that, "When overused, the relatively harsh detergent action of antibacterial soaps leaves you vulnerable to open sores that can attract bacteria, resulting in skin problems such as eczema. This begins a vicious cycle, whereby a person who develops hand eczema or another form of dermatitis touches a surface, leaving microscopic germs behind. Another person comes along, touches that surface and he too can be infected with the bacteria."

Dr. William Baugh, chief of dermatology at the Beaufort Naval Hospital in Beaufort, S.C., stated,“I've seen patients who have developed hand eczema from these [antibacterial] products, it certainly can occur [and spread].  When I ask patients [with eczema] how often they wash their hands, they say 20 to 25 times a day. They think they are being good citizens by washing frequently. But you can over do a good thing.”

On December 16th of 2013 the FDA announced that soap manufacturers must show that antibacterial soap is both safe and more effective than using conventional soap and water or it will need to stop
production of them. About 75 percent of liquid antibacterial soaps and 30 percent of soap bars used has Triclosan2 as an active ingredient. Triclosan, which was originally used strictly in hospital settings, was adopted by manufacturers of soaps and other home products during the 1990s, eventually becoming a billion dollar industry. Now Triclosan is also being used in wipes, hand gels, cutting boards, mattress pads and other home items. Triclosan's use in home over-the-counter products was never fully evaluated by the FDA however, and while the agency had to produce guidelines for the use of Triclosan in home products in 1972 it only published its final draft on December 16 of last year. Their report, the product of decades of research, notes that the costs of antibacterial soaps outweigh the benefits and forces the manufacturers to prove otherwise by 2016.

You shouldn't wait long to stop using antibacterial soaps.

* Antibacterial soaps are no more effective than conventional soap and water.
Forty-two years of FDA research in addition to independent studies have produced no evidence that Triclosan provides any health benefits as compared to old-fashioned soap. So far, analysis of the health benefits do not show any evidence that Triclosan can reduce the transmission of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections. This might be due to the fact that antibacterial soaps specifically target bacteria, but not the viruses that cause the majority of seasonal colds and flus.

* Antibacterial soaps have the potential to create chemically resistant bacteria.
The FDA is making manufacturers prove these products work because of possible health risks associated with Triclosan and bacterial

The CDC recommends washing your hands with conventional soap and water. That's because while alcohol from hand sanitizer kills bacteria, it does not remove dirt or anything else you may have touched. The water doesn't need to be hot and you are better off scrubbing for about 30 seconds to get properly clean. resistance is first on the list. Heavy use of antibiotics can cause bacterial resistance, which results in a random mutation that allows the bacteria to survive exposure to the chemical. If the chemical is used frequently enough, it might kill other bacteria but the resistant bacteria will grow even in the presence of this chemical. Antibacterial resistance is a huge medical issue. Some bacterial species have even acquired resistance to several different antibiotic drugs, making it harder to control and treat infections as they spread.

* The soaps could impact your thyroid health.
Some studies have identified that rats, frogs and other animals can’t regulate their production of thyroid hormone when exposed to Triclosan and the theory is that because it chemically resembles thyroid hormones that it can bind to the thyroid receptor sites shutting down thyroid hormone production.

* The soaps might lead to other health problems,
Children with prolonged exposure to Triclosan appear to have a higher chance of developing allergies, including peanut allergies and hay fever. This could be due to reduced exposure to bacteria, which are necessary for immune system function and development. Another study suggests that Triclosan may interfere with muscle contractions in human cells, as well as in mice and minnows. Given new findings that the chemical can penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream more easily than originally thought this is a huge concern. They literally strip away fatty acids, moisture and amino acid from the skin. Overuse of antibacterials is worse than frequent use of other soaps as chemicals in the detergents strip away the naturally protective fats and oils on the skin.

* Antibacterial soaps are bad for the environment.
When we use a lot of Triclosan in soap it gets flushed down the drain; it leaves sewage plants and is often detected in streams and other bodies of water where it disrupts algae's ability to perform photosynthesis. Triclosan builds up in fatty tissues and it may appear at greater levels in the fatty tissues of animals higher up the food chain.

If you want to stop using antibacterial hand soap, you can substitute hand sanitizers, which simply kill both bacteria and viruses with alcohol. Because the effectiveness of hand-washing depends on how long you wash, a quick squirt of sanitizer might be more effective when time is limited.

Old fashion soap and water and common sense are always the best disinfectants.

Isn't It Strange?

Isn't is strange how people react to life and the things about them?

Isn't it strange that evil is so often emphasized and good is so often ignored, even suppressed?

Isn't it peculiar that good deeds are accepted as a matter of fact, but make one misstep and it is shouted from the top, and in these contemporary times over the internet, television and in the press. This holds especially true when one posts "fun" on the internet, either photos or video. What is posted is ALWAYS in the cloud for all to see. Frightening, but all too true. I urge caution and common sense!

What kind of news gets the headlines? Usually it is crime, murder, corruption, and war. Isn't it strange that constructive and positive news has to be satisfied with a meager mention on inside pages?

Isn't it strange that whispering campaigns are conducted to spread slander and character assassination, and never to praise or encourage others in doing good? Strange that gossip pulls down and never uplifts, that troublemakers possess loud voices while peacemakers have a still small voice.

Isn't it strange that the Prince of Peace had to die on a cross because mankind so easily forgets the good and the great, and so quickly turns to evil influences? Truly, as Robert Burns wrote, "Man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn."

Isn't it strange that greed makes men do dishonest, hurtful things such as using defective material in bridges, highways, buildings and worst, genetically alter our foods - merely for greater profit?

Isn't it strange that people continue to buy and use things detrimental to health and well being? For example, cigarettes, marijuana, strong drink, and habit forming drugs. They should know the danger, recognize the dangers and judge accordingly.

Isn't it strange that people are satisfied to use pain killers and sleeping pills for relief without seeking the cause of their health problem and doing something about that?

Isn't it strange that the press often prints misleading stories about Chiropractic even after doctors of Chiropractic have demonstrated and proved the merits of their science in correcting health problems after other methods have failed? Stranger still, people repeat these derogatory remarks without investigating the facts - the researched facts!

Chiropractic is truly a wonderful boon to mankind. We maintain and prove that health, like other virtues, come from within and is expressed outwardly in a helpful way. We are skilled in locating and correcting the spinal cause of dis-ease. Therefore, isn't it strange that more people do not employ chiropractic as a way to better health and a more fulfilling and abundant life?

Form Good Habits

Habits are wonderful things when properly employed. However, much is said about breaking bad habits. That is a difficult thing to do when you have allowed a bad habit to grow and take command.

Most success in life is based on the forming of good habits cultivated in a helpful way. Had you thought of that? Even simple things are subject to the proper exercise of habits. Habits of dressing, sleeping, awakening, eating, doing almost everything ultimately makes the day's work seem easier.

Doing almost everything a dozen times in the same way is the beginning of a habit, good or bad. Watch your step, be on your guard, outline what you want to do, and your pattern of life begins to be formed. Learn to remember. Plan ahead. repetition is the beginning of the thing you desire to remember.

A wise man once related, "I used to tell my troubles to everyone I knew, and the more I told my troubles, the more my troubles grew." Does it work that way for you? Haven't you found such repetition to be true? It is just as easy, therefore, to form good habits by developing helpful patterns relating to wise and happy thins you do.

Keep on keeping on is one way to make things right or wrong. You learn to save by saving. You learn to accomplish by doing repeating, exercising a will to win.

Isn't it just as easy to do right as to do wrong? It is wise, however, from time to time to analyze your daily pattern and its relationship to life. Consider the habit of saving, for instance. It is good but in so doing be careful, don't become a miser. The love you give away is the love you keep. Be a cheerful giver when the need is great, and it will open for you a worthy gate.

Do you say the state of your health prevents you from doing the things you would like to do? You may have headaches, pain, worries that drive you to taking aspirin, muscle relaxers, and things to give you relief. Soon you are developing a drug habit. What can you do to change the pattern?

Consider Chiropractic! We maintain that health is a natural state of being that comes from up, down, inside and outward; without the need of drugs and needless surgery. Does this seem credible?

The spinal column is said to the the strength and support of the body. The nervous system stems from the brain and spinal cord with its countless nerve fibers that form a direct medium of contact from brain cells to tissue cells, in close relationship with the spinal column.

From the good habit of spinal checkups and you will be in line for better health and a more fulfilling and abundant life.

We Still Have Pride

We have a wonderful country, a beautiful country, a prosperous country, a free, rich and happy country. Of course our country has blemishes, things of which we may be ashamed. There's our treatment of Veterans, our period of slavery, our current and past racial intolerance, needless cruel wars, inequality, crime, immortality, injustice, political and industrial corruption found at a level few have witnessed.

But, we still have pride. We are proud of the opportunities that are ours, and we are sure that no other country equals ours in so many respects. Thus, even with all the quirks, we still have pride, hope, and love with assurances that much is well despite the dark spots. We know that all will grow better as time goes on, it always does.

Of course, there are times we tend to complain, find fault, and make rash judgments. But what are we doing, you and I, to correct the trouble we find? What are we doing about pollution, high prices, inequality, and the high cost of medical care and living expenses. The corruption of the whole begins with the shortcomings found in the individual. Are you doing something about the wrongs you see?

Let us consider the health equation. Why are you ill? What are you doing to renew health in yourself and your family? Are you merely getting shots, doctoring the effects, depending on aspirin and other nsaids, tranquilizers, wonder drugs, and such? Does this sort of treatment do more than modify the effects? Must there not be a better way, something to correct the basic cause of the health problem rather than the use of pain killers? We may still have pride in great medical centers and hospitals, but are they doing much to eliminate disease rather that fight the effects? Is the search to eliminate disease rather than fight the effects? Is the search for wonder drugs the right course of action - fighting fire with fire?

One of the Psalms tells us the body is fearfully and wonderfully made. Another calls the body God's masterpiece. If we accept these conclusions, is it not logical that treating the masterpiece with drugs, shots and surgery is NOT God's way, or at least only a part.

What does all this mean? It becomes apparent that the spinal column must be in proper posture mode and adjusted or else nerves will be pinched resulting in disturbed function, lowered resistance, and symptoms common to dis-ease. You are always given a choice -- just make it the right one for you.

You deserve the pride of making the correct decision regarding your health.

Be Kind

Did you ever stop to think about the wonderful art of being kind? Nothing will open more doors to friendship or quiet more turbulent waves of anger than just being kind.

Friendship is a wonderful asset, love smooths many a hurt, charity has its place, but being kind is the pathway to all that is good, all that is wise, all that is uplifting, all that makes life worth living. No one can resist kindness, even the worst brute is mellowed by kindness and friction gives way to its wonderful power.

"Love one another as I have loved you," said a gentle and great man. No injunction is more powerful any time, any place; but kindness is basic even for love because its approach makes contacts possible. Be kind and all the world will smile a welcome to you.

Perhaps you will say that you are ill and indisposed. You can't help resenting the things others do to annoy you. Even so, just be kind and your own disposition will improve which in turn will remove the barrier that now separates potential friends.

If you are ill, what has created this handicap? It could be an emotional conflict. Change your way of thinking, be kind, and the barrier will usually disappear.

"But," you may protest, "I am nervous, I have a headache, I can't sleep, indigestion is making me miserable. How can I be kind under such circumstances?"

Did you ever consult a chiropractor about your health problems? Bear this in mind. the chiropractor has a different approach to health -- no medicine, no shots, no tranquilizers, no treatment of effects, for such treatment seldom has lasting results. Doctors of Chiropractic assure you that health, as kindness, comes from within outward but is expressed in a different manner.

Your body is composed of material things; bones, muscles, glands, organs, blood vessels, and nerves -- all of which are arranged in systems coordinated by an intangible force animated through the nervous system that stems from the brain and spinal cord. Does this begin to make sense?

Your body has been called God's masterpiece. It is built around a skeletal framework of bones, the spine being the strength and support of the body. A good chiropractor will find the problems associated with you body, and treat the related symptoms by fixing the cause. This provides a kindness to the n
ervous system thus health returns naturally making possible a greater quality of life.

The Struggle For Expression

Everyone is more or less dedicated to the struggle for existence and expression. Even a baby smiles or coos, kicks and waves its hands, all in a struggle for expression or attention. Failing to get attention, the baby yells or cries, then hesitates to note the effect. If not satisfied it yells again.

When children are at play, each tries to excel. "Now watch me," is what the backward child is inclined to say. And so it is all through life whether it be choosing clothing, in games, in workmanship, in politics, in love. "Watch me, do it my way." There is a degree of competition, a struggle to excel. Perhaps that is as it should be. For without competition, without a degree of competitive struggle, there would tend to be decline. As you sow, so shall you reap.

Even with health problems there is a tendency toward excellence. You want to feel good because you can do better work. If you have a headache, you take something, not only to relive the pain but to enable you to do better work. When your work is inferior, it makes you nervous or irritable. Not a good thing. Children in school compete for better grades, for promotion, and for leadership. So it is in the game of life, there is a struggle to excel. To gain relief from pain and/or discomfort tranquilizers are used or other forms of treatment are employed.

In all forms of salesmanship there is a struggle for expression. Each tries to excel in salesmanship or in quality of product. In the healing arts it is much the same. Different so-called remedies make various claims for their respective product, and the patient is the goat. The competition between different forms of medication is keen. Makers of remedies seek wonder drugs. Chiropractors stress that drugs are superfluous and generally should be avoided. Do you wonder why? This is the explanation: The chiropractic profession maintains that health is a natural state of being that comes from within outward, expressed through the nervous system that stems from the brain and spinal cord, in conjunction with the spinal column.

The spinal column has been called the strength and support of the body. The spine consists of twenty-four movable vertebrae, with the sacrum and ilia supporting the rest of the spine. The spinal column has various functions. It serves for the articulation of all the larger bones and the attachment of the major ligaments and muscles. The vertebrae are separated by discs that enable bending and act as "shock absorbers" for the entire spine.

But this is not all. Between the vertebrae openings spinal nerve bundles emit from the spinal cord. These are a great cable of nerves encased within the spinal column extending downward from the brain to entire length of the spinal column. This make the spine the distributing center for the entire nervous system.

This anatomical arrangement is vital to health because accidents and trauma sometimes shock or strain the spine. When this occurs, one or more vertebrae may become displaced to a degree that nerves are pinched resulting in dis-ease (want of ease) and the symptoms that follow.

The normal expression of health should be restored and a more abundant life is made possible.

Make it happen!

Heat Stroke Kills Children and Pets

Here are several tips for preventing injuries or deaths to children and/or pets left in cars:

• Get in the habit of always opening the back door of your vehicle every time you reach your destination to check to make sure no child - or pet - has been left behind.
• Keep a large stuffed animal in the child's car seat. Right before the child is placed in the seat, move the stuffed animal to the front passenger seat as a visual reminder that your child is in the back seat.
• Put something you'll need on the floorboard in the back seat in front of your child's car seat (cellphone, handbag, employee ID, briefcase, left shoe, etc.). This ensures you open the back door of your vehicle to retrieve your belongings.
• Make arrangements with your daycare provider or babysitter to call you within 10 minutes if your child does not arrive as expected.
• Never leave children or pets alone in or around cars, not even for a minute. Instead, use drive-thru services when available.
• Keep vehicles locked at all times, even in the garage or driveway, and keep car keys and remote openers out of reach of children.

Opioid, Heroin Deaths Continue to Climb

Overdose deaths from both prescription opioids and heroin continued to rise in 2011, the most recent year for which data were available, according to the CDC. While prescription opioid deaths followed a more than decade-long trend and increased about 2% to 16,917, heroin deaths jumped by 44% -- from 3,036 in 2010 to 4,397.

Officials with the CDC said the increase in heroin deaths may be partly due to users having less access to prescription opioids and switching to the illicit drug. It can be said that about 75% of heroin users say they started out by using prescription opioids.

The increasing number of heroin deaths also coincides with anecdotal reports about rising heroin use among people who have had diminished access to prescription opioid painkillers. The prescription opioid death number is getting close to stabilizing, but added that it's "still bad because it hasn't gone down." That number has been on the rise since 1999, when it was 4,030. In 2010, the figure was 16,651.

Doctors are trying, but they need to do a better of job of screening for opioid abusers by checking prescription drug monitoring programs in their states for patients who are doctor shopping, and by using urine screens to detect if they are using illicit drugs.

Andrew Kolodny, MD, a long-time advocate of tighter controls on opioids, said the growing deaths from heroin and opioids is something that could have been predicted 10 years ago. "I see this as all the same problem, an epidemic of people addicted to opioids," said Kolodny, chief medical officer of Phoenix House, a national addiction treatment organization. "Treatment has to be easier to access than pills or heroin."

We are seeing more heroin use, and presumably the new users of heroin are people who run out of their ability to get prescription opioids. In a way it is an unintended consequence.

Deaths involving benzodiazepines, which are commonly used concomitantly with opioids, also continued to rise, showing up in 31% of opioid overdose deaths in 2011, up from 30% in 2010.

Prescription drug overdoses more than doubled in the past 13 years in Orange County, a deadly increase that has closely mirrored the popularity of their illicit use, according to a report recently released. Illegal drugs – such as cocaine and heroin – used to make up the majority of overdose deaths. In 2012, however, 57 percent of overdose deaths in the county involved prescription drugs, such as Vicodin, Oxycontin and Codeine, the report states.

The steep increase in prescription drug deaths has been nearly in sync with the increasing use of them among addicts, officials said, with users over the years seeking out pain medication to obtain a high similar to heroin.

Last year, 2013, illegal drugs were behind 20 percent of Orange County’s 330 overdose incidents.

Prescription drugs were involved in 57 percent of the cases, 188 deaths. The remaining 23 percent of cases involved both illegal and prescription drugs, the report found. The report detailed all death investigations by the coroner’s office for 2012, but officials singled out the increasing appearance of prescription drugs, noting the flip from illegal to prescription drugs.

Drugs such as Oxycontin, Opana, Codeine and Vicodin are increasingly being used, and sold, by people seeking a high, officials said, often with deadly consequences. Narcotics investigators in Orange County have been seeing the trend for years on the street, he said, and it’s a trend that’s occurring across the country.

There has been a surge in the use of opioid drug - heroin and prescription painkillers - in the United States, and this rise in popularity has some calling it an “epidemic.” Here in Orange County, public health officials say there is a growing problem with opioid abuse and subsequent overdoses.

The increase in heroin use across the country is interconnected with an expanding opioid market, driven by the high demand for prescription painkillers, such as Oxycontin and hydrocodone. As a general class of drugs, opioids have a high potential for abuse.

Across North Carolina, there has been a more than 300 percent increase in opioid overdose deaths since 1999, according to the state Center for Health Statistics.

One important part of that approach is the use of the medication, naloxone, which can quickly reverse an overdose caused by opioid medications and even heroin. This was possible due to a state law passed in 2013 that gave doctors the ability to prescribe naloxone to a person at risk of opioid overdose, as well as that person’s friends and family members. Naloxone is just one piece of a larger effort to address substance abuse and misuse, particularly with prescription and other opioids.

Simply put ... THERE IS NO "MAGIC" PILL ... WITHOUT SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES!

Today - Begin Where You Are

Do you wish to succeed in life? Try beginning where you now are. Utilize the tools you have at hand. Expect the best and then follow through and DO your best. That is all it takes.

Of course you must have a goal, whether it be immediate, intermediate or long term. You must know what you want. You must have an ideal, you must have vision. The Bible says, "Where there is no vision the people perish." Those with no vision wander about in a desert of non-belief, fear, and doubt until despair enters their mind. This is true of the individual or the mass. There seems no way out, and you can't win unless you believe you can be changed.

What is your problem? could it be ill health? Do you suffer pain? Are you nervous? Are you groggy from taking too much medicine, too many drugs, tranquilizers, aspirin, and/or perhaps even alcohol? Begin now to get rid of these false idols. There is a better way, a right way, and most importantly - the proper way. You will never find answers in a bottle or drug. You may ask what you can do. What other way is open to you?

Your body is fearfully and wonderfully made, as has often been said. This being true, what have you to fear? Why doubt the laws of nature? Begin now, where you are, to set nature's laws to work for you and you will find the way to approach a more abundant life. What does this mean, you may ask?

Chiropractors have a different approach to health problems. No drugs, no surgery, nothing to swallow, and no shots. It's not that we do not "believe" that modern medicine is injurious, but it would be a last resort unless a true emergency should present. Have you wondered how this works?

I point out that health comes from "up down inside and outward" and in no other way. Health depends entirely upon the nervous system that stems from the brain and spinal cord with its network of nerve fibers forming a direct medium of contact between brain cells and tissue cells.

You may have heard it said that the spine is the strength and support of the body. This is true, but the use of the spine has many ramifications. The spinal column supports the head housing the brain. It also serves for the articulation of all the larger bones and the attachments of major muscles and ligaments. Through this medium you are enabled to have strength, activity, and function; however, more is needed. this is supplied through the brain, spinal cord, and its nerve fibers already mentioned.

The spinal cord is a great cable of nerves that descends from the base of the skull down through the greater length of the spinal column. the spinal column is provided with openings between the vertebrae where nerve bundles emit separating into countless nerve fibers that form a direct contact between the brain cells and all structures of the body. Through this medium all activity and function take place enabling the body to perform a more perfect state of health.

Sometimes however, there is dis-ease (want of ease) with its various symptoms and you may become ill. You have pains, indigestion, nervousness, and various other disorders. As a result you take something for it, or you go to a doctor for a prescription to be filled at a pharmacy. These sometimes work, but more often cause side effects worse than the original complaint. "A drug is not a drug unless it causes side effects." Eli Lilly.

What has caused these problems? We point out that in everyday life you are subject to falls, accidents, and mishaps that sometimes displace one or more vertebrae to a degree so nerves are pinched. This in conjunction with malfunction and the emotions results in various health problems.

X-rays of the spine and other tests can determine the spinal cause of the problem. Then gentle spinal adjustments are given, and in due time health can be restored again. Are you in doubt?

Begin now, where you are. Go to your chiropractor and perhaps you too can discard your medicines. The way will be opened to a more abundant life.

Chronic Pain

Easing Chronic Pain With Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
Even mild chronic pain, whether from arthritis, migraines, or another condition, can be debilitating. So it makes sense to take a pain reliever to make the hurt go away. But when you walk down the aisle of your local drug store, there are many pain pills to choose from. How do you know which pain pill to choose? And just what is the difference between aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen?

Aspirin and ibuprofen belong to a large class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly called NSAIDs. NSAIDs and acetaminophen can block pain and reduce fever. Together, they make up the most widely used group of drugs for treating pain conditions. Here's information you can use in working with your doctor to find out if these pain pills are right for you.

How Do Anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs, Differ From Acetaminophen?
The primary difference between NSAIDs and acetaminophen (Actamin, Pandadol, Tylenol) lies in the way each relieves pain. Acetaminophen works primarily in the brain to block pain messages and seems to influence the parts of the brain that help reduce fever. That means it can help relieve headaches and minor pains. But it's not as effective against pain associated with inflammation.

Inflammation is a common feature of many chronic conditions as well as injuries. NSAIDs reduce the level of certain chemicals called prostaglandins that are involved in inflammation. Treatment with NSAIDs can lead to less swelling and less pain.

What Are Some Examples of NSAIDs?
You are probably already familiar with several types of NSAIDs. For instance aspirin is a widely used pain pill and at one time, aspirin was the only NSAID available without a prescription. Other NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium, began as prescription drugs. Now they are sold, usually at a lower dose, as over-the-counter pain pills.

Other examples of NSAIDs include:

diclofenac (Cambia, Cataflam, Voltaren)
etodolac (Lodine)
fenoprofen (Nalfon)
flurbiprofen (Ansaid)
naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn)
oxaprozin (Daypro)

Some pain pills, such as Excedrin Migraine, combine an NSAID, in this case aspirin, with acetaminophen.

Another kind of NSAID, available only by prescription, is known as a COX-2 inhibitor. These medicines provide pain relief like other NSAIDs, but they are less likely to cause stomach problems. The only COX-2 inhibitor available in the U.S. is celecoxib (Celebrex).

How Do I Know Which NSAID Will Work for My Chronic Pain?
The effectiveness of any particular pain medication varies from person to person. So it may be necessary to try several different medicines at various dosages. Side effects, and their severity, vary from person to person. You may not be able to take a particular NSAID because your body can't tolerate it. At the same time, your neighbor may take it and have no problem at all.

Whether you should take an over-the-counter pain reliever or a prescription-strength NSAID also varies from person to person. Remember, over-the counter painkillers are still medicines. They may be cheaper than prescription medicines and you don't need a doctor's prescription to buy them, but they can still have major effects on you. That's especially true if you are going to take a pain pill long term for chronic-pain. If you need pain medicine for more than 10 days, talk to your doctor to see which one is right for you.

How Do I Know Which NSAID Will Work for My Chronic Pain?
Your doctor should know all the medicines you take. Your doctor can advise you if the NSAID may interact with other medications you take. Also, your doctor can suggest the right dose for you. As you continue to take the medicine, your doctor can also monitor its effect, and raise or lower the dose as needed.

Before recommending a specific pain pill, your doctor will want to consider:

your medical history
past surgeries
your current health concerns
allergies and past reactions to drugs
other medicines you take
the functioning of your liver and kidneys
the drug's expense
your overall treatment plan and goals
When you talk with your doctor, be sure to ask about anything you don't understand.

Are There Side Effects and Special Cautions Associated With NSAIDs?
Specific side effects vary from drug to drug. For instance, some NSAIDs are harsher on the stomach than others. But there are certain side effects that are common to NSAIDs as a class. Serious side effects include:

bleeding problems
damage to the stomach and small intestine lining that can lead to ulcers
kidney disease
elevated blood pressure
muscle cramps
hearing problems

Other less serious side effects include:

dizziness or headache
nausea
excess gas
diarrhea or constipation
extreme tiredness or weakness
dry mouth

Your doctor or your pharmacist can give you specific information about the side effects of the particular drug you are taking.

In addition to side effects, there are serious health risks associated with NSAIDs. It is important to talk with your doctor before taking NSAIDs if any of the following apply to you:

You are allergic to aspirin or any other pain reliever.
You have more than 3 alcoholic drinks a day.
You have stomach ulcers or bleeding in your digestive tract.
You have liver or kidney disease.
You have heart disease.
You take blood-thinning medicine or have a bleeding disorder.

Although aspirin taken in low doses with a doctor's supervision can help protect some people from heart attack, certain NSAIDs can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. They can also interfere with blood pressure medicine, making it less effective.

Children and teenagers under the age of 18 should not take aspirin unless their doctor says to. There is a risk of Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal disease.

So Should You Take an NSAID to Manage Your Chronic Pain?
Anti-inflammatory drugs have a long history of success. Many people are able to manage their chronic pain quite well using NSAIDs as part of their management plan. For most, side effects, if any, are minor. But all medications have associated risks. All medications also have benefits. Deciding to take an NSAID or any medication involves weighing the risk against the benefit.

Eli Lilly, of Eli Lilly and Company once stated, "A drug is not a drug, unless it has a side effect."

Belly Fat

Excess accumulation of belly fat is more dangerous than excess fat around your hips and thighs. Belly fat is associated with serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Your genes can contribute to your being overweight and help determine where you carry this extra fat, but poor lifestyle choices are likely to worsen the issue.

Eating high-fat foods is not helpful, but excess calories of any kind can increase your waistline and contribute to belly fat. Still, there is no single cause of belly fat. Genetics, diet, age, and lifestyle can all play a role. Changing dietary habits can help you fight the battle of the bulge and fight belly fat: Read labels, reduce saturated fats, increase the amount of fruits and veggies you eat, and control and reduce your portions.

Excess calories, whether from alcohol, sweetened beverages, or over-sized portions of food, can increase belly fat. Our bodies need calories, yet gram for gram, alcohol has almost as many calories as fat.

Alcohol does seem to have a particular association with an increased waistline, though. In general, that’s because when you drink alcohol, your liver is too busy burning off alcohol to burn off fat, leaving you with a beer belly. Studies show that alcohol can cause you to feel hungry by affecting hormones that regulate a sense of satiety.

Researchers at Wake Forest University found that trans fats, which are created by partially hydrogenated oil, increase the amount of fat around the belly and redistribute fat tissue to the abdomen from other parts of the body. Trans fats may be found in such foods as margarine, pastries, cookies and crackers, and fried and convenience foods.

Green tea, in combination with exercise, could help you lose weight, according to the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers think substances in green tea known as catechins stimulate the body to burn calories and enhance loss of belly fat. Blueberries also show promise, albeit in rodents. In one study, rats bred to become obese were fed either a high-fat diet or a low-fat diet rich in blueberries. Rats fed a blueberry-rich diet had less abdominal fat.

Many fast food options are typically high-fat, calorie-dense foods that are eaten in large portions -- all of which contribute to over-consumption of calories, weight gain, and an increase in belly fat when eaten frequently. Many fast food restaurants don’t provide nutritional information, but studies have shown that when this is available, people tend to pick lower-calorie meals.

According to the American Heart Association, “soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the No. 1 source of added sugars in the American diet.” Added sugars mean added calories, something you want to avoid to help with weight loss and cut down on belly fat. Yet, high-fructose corn syrup has gradually replaced refined sugar as the main sweetener in soft drinks and has been blamed as a potential contributor to the obesity epidemic.

Does switching to diet sodas help? Although some research has suggested that people who drink artificially sweetened sodas as part of a calorie-restricted diet do lose weight, other studies have suggested that diet soft drinks could even lead to weight gain. For now, there’s no conclusive evidence either way.

To trim your waistline, add whole grains to your diet. For example, choose brown or wild rice instead of white rice. Refined and other highly processed foods can contribute to weight gain and interfere with weight loss. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a calorie-controlled diet rich in whole grains can trim extra fat from the waistline of obese subjects.

Couscous, spaghetti, and corn flakes are made from refined grains (though whole grain options may be available). But popcorn is a whole grain food that can boost fiber. The best way to prepare popcorn is with an air-popper, which requires no oil for cooking. Read labels to see what oils have been added to microwave popcorn.

All else being equal, though, whole grains are better than refined grains because they tend to be high in fiber and take longer to digest. This satisfies your hunger better and helps lower blood glucose levels and reduce fat.

Overall, men tend to store fat in the abdominal area more than women do, thanks to sex hormone differences. Before age 40, women tend to store most of their fat in the hips, thighs, and buttocks. After 40, as estrogen levels drop, body fat is redistributed to the abdomen.

When you lose weight, you’re much more likely to lose it in your midsection. Losing weight on a well-balanced plan will melt body fat, including belly fat. The best way to decrease your waist size is through healthy eating and regular exercise.

Mouth Devices for Sleep Apnea

If you have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea -- a condition in which relaxation of the muscles around the tongue and throat causes the tissues to block airflow to the lungs while you sleep
 -- there are a number of treatment options to discuss with your doctor. Two of the most widely used and most effective are continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and dental appliances, or mouth guards.

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure)

The most effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, CPAP blows air down your throat at night to keep your airways open while you sleep. The treatment is done using a CPAP machine, which consists of three main parts:

• Mask that fits over your nose -- or your nose and mouth -- and is held in place with straps while you sleep
• Motor that blows air
• Large tube called a cannula that connects the motor to the mask

CPAP machines are small, lightweight, and fairly quiet. If you travel, you should take your CPAP with you.

Benefits of CPAP include keeping your airways open while you sleep, easing snoring, improving sleep quality, relieving daytime sleepiness, and lowering blood pressure.

Although you will likely feel better rested and alert once you start CPAP, getting used to the device can take some time. Some people have difficulty sleeping the first few nights of treatment.

Side effects of CPAP use are minor and may include:

• Feelings of confinement from the face mask
• Sore or dry mouth
• Nasal congestion, runny nose, sinusitis, or nosebleeds
• Irritation and sores over the bridge of the nose
• Stomach bloating and discomfort
• Discomfort in chest muscles, which usually gets better after a while

If you are having any of these or other problems, speak to your doctor. An adjustment to your CPAP machine may make it more comfortable. Some CPAP machines have special features such as heated humidifiers to reduce problems such as drying of the airways. Other possible fixes include using a cushioned face mask, chin straps, and nasal saltwater sprays. Your doctor may have additional suggestions.

Mouth Devices

If you have mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea and can't tolerate or haven't been helped by CPAP, oral appliances may be an effective treatment option.

These devices, which must be fitted by a dentist or orthodontist, and worn in the mouth at night include:

Mandibular advancement device (MAD). The most widely used mouth device for sleep apnea, MADs look much like a mouth guard used in sports. The devices snap over the upper and lower dental arches and have metal hinges that make it possible for the lower jaw to be eased forward. Some, such as the Thornton Adjustable Positioner (TAP), allow you to control the degree of advancement. 

Tongue retaining device. Used less commonly than MAD, this device is a splint that holds the tongue in place to keep the airway open.

Good Posture Equals Good Health

Articles from the British "ResponseSource.com" comes the headline, "Work May Be Hazardous to Your Health."  This article also highlights the dangers of workplace posture and its effect on health.  In this article the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) joined forces with Targus, a leading supplier of mobile computing cases, to conduct the research that showed that a third of office workers make no adjustments to either seating or computer equipment when switching desks. The article noted that the same percentage of office workers say they currently suffer back pain – and experts believe there may be a link.

The American PR Newswire article noted that the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) was declaring May to be "Correct Posture Month" and is using this event to highlight the relationships between posture and health. Spokesperson for the ACA Dr. Jerome  McAndrews stated, "Once established, poor posture creates a chain reaction throughout the body. The digestive and respiratory systems will be affected by poor posture, especially poor sitting posture. And in more serious cases, where poor posture has had major effects on the musculoskeletal system, there can be a resulting negative impact on the vascular system."

In the British article, Tim Hutchful from the British Chiropractic Association commented, “Whether at work or at home, computers have begun to dominate our lives, yet what we don’t realize is that they in fact have the ability to damage our health. The nation is suffering from an epidemic of back pain and our working lives could be contributing to this. By taking time to adjust your chair and by taking regular breaks can help protect your spine and prevent the onslaught of back pain”.

Both Chiropractic organizations released a series of recommendations to help deal with the posture issue. Similarly, The International Chiropractors Association also released recommendations related to posture and sitting at work. These include:

When sitting - use a chair with firm low back support. Keep desk or table top elbow high, adjust the chair or use a footrest to keep pressure off the back of the legs, and keep your knees a little higher than your hips. Get up and stretch frequently--every hour if you sit for long periods of time. Do not sit on a fat wallet; it can cause hip imbalance!

When working on a computer - take a one or two minute task break every 20 minutes when you work at a computer screen. Keep the screen 15 degrees below eye level. Place reference materials on a copy stand even with and close to the terminal.

Our World Today

Our world today ... what is wrong with it? Are we drifting, or are we plunging into moral and political decay? Are debt, high prices, and extended credit upsetting our whole economy? Are we headed for an economic breakdown and moral decline worse than the world has ever before known? It can be disturbing to give thought of the future. I believe it's appalling as there seems to be an unknown void facing the young and old alike. What elements are available to give us hope?

We in the United States are supposed to have political and social economic stability equaled by none. We are considered a Judeo-Christian nation, But what about it? Consider all the scandals in Washington over the years, Watergate, Benghazi and the IRS, and all the corruption, without culpability. With the leaders involved, what kind of light is to be shed on the months and years ahead? No wonder doubts, fears, and anxieties are facing each and every one of us. Has anyone, or any party, the vision or hope required to save this great nation? Where there is no vision, "the people perish", says the Bible. Rome had its rise and fall. Other nations have followed suit in time. Is our nation destined to follow the same bleak trail? The situation is enough to give credible concern.

And, what about the moral reaction? How about drug addicts in the young and old? The young because they crave excitement and are facing a destiny that is not encouraging; the old because time is running out, and the younger set is giving them concern. Crime is growing, and often worry is causing nervous breakdowns. Is it not enough to cause concern?

What about medical and hospital services with their high costs and the side effects of drugs and medication that often leave the victim worse than the disease confronting him or her in the first place? No wonder Abby,  Landers, Dr. Phil and others are being pressed for answers in every phase of life, with things that appear to be growing worse.

On a more positive note, there is a light ahead in the healing arts. Have you ever considered Chiropractic as a mode of healing, minus the drugs and needless surgery?

Your body, sometimes called a house of clay, is made up of bones, muscles, glands, organs, blood vessels, and nerves. All of these are arranged in systems that normally maintain health in its many forms without drugs, tranquilizers, and/or pain killers.

Your body is "fearfully and wonderfully made", says Psalm, and so it is. The skeletal system consists of long, short, and irregular shaped bones to which major muscles are attached giving activity and function to the rest of the body.

In this anatomical arrangement, the spinal column is the strength and support of the body, but it has added functions. The spine supports the head that houses the brain. It also encases the spinal cord and provides openings between the vertebrae through which bundles of trunk nerves emit forming a direct medium of contact from brain cells to tissue cells.

Through this medium sensation is flashed to the brain where the message in interpreted, and responding mental impulses direct activity and function in a state of health.

Sometimes however, due to spinal shocks and strains, one or more vertebrae are displaced to a degree so that nerves are "pinched" resulting in dis-ease with it various symptoms.