PROBLEMS

Problems - what are they? Where do they come from, what causes them? How are you best able to cope with problems and why do they seem to pick on you?

The world is full of problems, however, all do not victimize you. Everyone has his or her problems. Some are imaginary, some are real. It's how you live with them that counts. As you think, so you are. As you continue to think, so you will become. So you doubt this? Well, think it over, and cautiously watch your step.

Some people make mountains out of minor issues,. Some laugh at the things that assail them. It is all in the state of mind. Do you believe this? Well, let us see. Are you becoming deeper and deeper in debt? Do yo spend less? Do you set a goal and not go beyond it? You can do anything you make up you mind to do.

Is your task difficult or hard to accomplish? Take the first step and keep on keeping on. As you sow, you reap. As you do unto others, they will tend to do unto you. That is human nature, and it often creates problems hard to overcome.

You may say your problem is ill health. You are sick of being sick, and whatever you do seems to react adversely for you. You take medicines to gain relief, but the side effects take over that are often worse than the original complaint. What can you do about that?

Change your approach. Medicines only add to the fire of insecurity. Try Chiropractic and give it a fair trial.

We doctors of Chiropractic have a different approach. No medicine, no pain killers, no surgery except in emergencies which do create adverse problems. Thus, use judgment. With Chiropractic, spinal adjustments are made by the skillful hands of the chiropractor. With this done normal nerve energy is released, function is restored, and the symptoms disappear, thus adding life to years and years to life with ability to meet its problems, fears, and worries.

"He who fears he will suffer, already suffers because he fears."

-Michel De Montaigne

5 Ways to Feel Better in the Morning

If your typical morning starts with your alarm clock’s harsh ringing startling you out of a sound sleep, two or three slaps on the snooze button, and an exhausted drag out of bed, it’s time for something better. Starting your day feeling miserable sets the tone for your entire morning, and often, your entire day. While the key to waking up feeling good is getting enough sleep to begin with – if you routinely go to bed later than you should, your mornings are bound to be tough – there are several easy ways to improve your mood and energy level right after waking up in the morning. In fact, you can feel better before you even get out of bed.

Start the Night Before
If you want to feel your best in the morning, start getting ready the night before. You’ll wake up feeling refreshed and ready for your day if you:

Follow a relaxing nighttime routine before bed.

• Eat a small snack within an hour of sleep time – a piece of fruit with yogurt, cereal with milk or crackers with peanut butter are all good choices that are just enough to keep your stomach satisfied overnight without keeping you awake.

• Drink a small cup of water before retiring for the night.

• Set out your clothes for the next day. You’ll wake up with one less thing to worry about.

Wake Up to Pleasing Sound and Natural Light
You might need an alarm clock to wake up on time for work, but that doesn’t mean you have to start your day with a harsh buzzing, ringing or blaring sound. Instead, use an alarm clock that awakens to you to your favorite music, nature sounds or the gentle chime of bells.

The first sound you hear in the morning should be a pleasant one.

For the best sleep, your bedroom should be as dark as possible during the night, but waking up with natural light helps your body maintain the circadian rhythms that regulate your body’s functions. If possible, leave your blinds open enough to admit morning sunshine.

If that isn’t an option, try a dawn simulator alarm clock or lamp attachment. Instead of a noisy alarm, these devices wake you up with light that simulates the rising sun by gently intensifying over a period of 30 or so minutes. As the light hits your closed eyelids, it stimulates your brain to awaken you naturally. It’s a lot more pleasant waking up to a lovely spring sunrise than the electronic blare of a traditional alarm.

Don’t Touch That Snooze Button!
Though it may be tempting to hit the snooze button for a few precious minutes longer in bed, resist the temptation. The snooze button is not your friend. In fact, hitting that snooze is likely to leave you feeling even more tired and irritable once you finally get up. Those few extra minutes allow you to drift into a doze, only to be abruptly awakened right as your brain is restarting the sleep cycle. The result is even worse fatigue and difficulty in getting out of bed. If it seems impossible to resist the lure of the snooze button, try setting your alarm clock across the room so you’re forced to get up just to shut it off. If you still struggle to get up, take an honest look at how much sleep you’re getting each night, and get to bed earlier if necessary.

Stretches You Can Do In Bed
Taking a few minutes for a gentle stretch before getting out of bed is a great way to start your day. You’ll wake up your muscles, give your circulation a boost, and ease any sleep-related stiffness or soreness. Here are five easy stretches you can try:

Long stretch: Lie on your back with your arms at your sides and your legs straight. Now reach your arms up past your head and point your toes towards the foot of the bed, lengthening your spine until you feel a nice stretch.

Back rock: Still on your back, bring your knees up against your chest, and hug your legs against your body. Now gently rock from side to side.

Side stretch: Sit up with your legs crossed. Reach both arms over your head, and interlink your fingers so your palms are facing upwards. Now slowly and gently rock from side to side, just enough to feel a pleasant stretch along your sides and arms.

Seated crawl: Still sitting cross-legged, “crawl” your fingers out in front of you, until you are stretched forward as far as you can comfortably reach without your rear leaving the bed. Slowly and gently sway from side to side, keeping your arms stretched out long. Let your hands roll back and forth with your movements.

Lift off: From your cross-legged seated position, reach both hands onto the bed behind you. Lean your head back, and lift your chest and hips upwards until your rear leaves the bed. Balance your weight on your palms for several seconds before releasing the stretch.

Get In a Good Mood
Finally, take two or three minutes to prepare your mind for the day ahead; not by thinking about all you need to accomplish or the problems of the day, but with a prayer, list of three things you are grateful for or short yoga session. Opening your day with a brief interlude of positive, reflective thought puts you in a good mood as you get out of bed and start your morning preparations.

Low Testosterone

A Subtle Drop in Energy
Fatigue is a common effect of low testosterone. You might feel like you just don't have the energy that you're used to. Or you might be incredibly tired. But many other things can sap your energy, too, including normal aging and depression. Getting enough sleep may help raise your energy levels. Try to get at least 7 to 8 hours each night. See your doctor for more help with unusual fatigue.

Changes in Sex Life
A drop in your sex drive can be due to low Testosterone. So can erectile dysfunction. However, low testosterone alone is rarely the only reason for weaker and fewer erections. Other medical problems can be to blame, such as heart disease or diabetes. Check with your doctor. If you have low testosterone levels, your sex drive may get better with treatment.

Fuzzy Thinking
Low testosterone can hurt your mental focus and memory. You may forget what you planned to do and have trouble concentrating. This happens more often when testosterone levels are extremely low. To help, take steps to ease stress. Try meditation, yoga, exercise, or massage. The more stress hormones your body makes, the less testosterone it can make.

Changes in Mood
Low testosterone can get you down a little or to the point of depression. Some men really see a change in personality. Nothing seems to make them happy anymore and they don't want to do things they used to enjoy. When testosterone levels are back to normal, men often say they feel like themselves again.

Muscle Changes
Because testosterone helps build muscle, when it gets low, so does your muscle mass and strength. When you work out you don't see the results that you would normally expect from exercise. Regular exercise can help boost your testosterone levels. Be sure to work large groups of muscles when you exercise and do some weight lifting, too.

More Body Fat
Not only can you lose muscles with low testosterone, you can also gain fat. If you're not building muscle with the calories you take in and the physical activity you do, then your body turns the calories into fat. Eat a healthy diet. When you start to lose weight and extra body fat from dieting, you may lose some muscle. If you are overweight or obese, your body may make more testosterone as you lose weight. This will help you gain lost muscle mass.

Thinning Body Hair
Low testosterone can cause you to lose some facial hair, pubic hair, and hair on your arms and lower legs. But it doesn't usually affect the hair on your head. Yet, there's a link between testosterone therapy and male-pattern balding. Your doctor can talk to you about any side effects of testosterone treatment.

Loss of Bone Mass
Low testosterone has been linked to osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones. But there are other causes of osteoporosis too, so check with your doctor. To keep your bones healthy, don't smoke, and cut back on alcohol. Also get regular exercise, including weight-bearing exercise.

Trouble Sleeping
When your testosterone levels are low, you might have trouble with insomnia and restlessness at night. To help get a good night's sleep, have a relaxing bedtime routine. Go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on weekends. Make your bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortable, and only use it for sleep and sex. Eliminate all light, especially BLUE.

Problems on the Job
Many of the effects of low testosterone are focus problems, mood issues, and low energy. All there can make it hard to stay on top of your game at work. If your work or home life has changed dramatically for the worse, a full medical checkup and blood test may find the cause. A blood test can show whether you have low testosterone levels. Caution regarding the numbers vs your age.

If you have low Testosterone, a healthy lifestyle change is important, along with any testosterone therapy your doctor might suggest.

Leg Cramps

Most leg cramps select no certain age or gender. In ages under 45, there is doubt one has blockage of the arteries to the legs. However, everyone who has frequent recurrent leg cramps does deserve a medical examination.

Most leg cramps at night in people who do not have leg cramps in the daytime are not caused by poor circulation. They seem to be a reflex reaction. There are a number of things one can do for the common night leg cramps. One is to stretch the leg muscles thoroughly every night before going to bed.

Another is to wear warm long socks or even the bottoms of thermal underwear. The legs and feet cool off more than the rest of the body during sleep and that is one reason they are prone to cramps.

Your sleep position is important. Sleep on your side with one or two pillows tucked at the knee (my favorite), on your back with a pillow under the knees, or try sleeping with a covered board at the bottom of the bed so that your feet rest against it and your toes do not drop down. A major cause of muscle cramping is shortening of the muscle. With the toes pointed down the calf muscle is already in a contracted position and ready to cramp.

IRS PHONE SCAM

Telephone scam artist: ‘Americans are fools’

Fraudster posing as IRS official tries to scam a cop, who hassles him right back.

By KELLY PUENTE

   The con man was looking for a mark, but instead he got a cop.

   Damon Tucker, head investigator for the Major Fraud Unit in the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, was checking voice messages on his personal cellphone when he heard a message a lot of us get – from a scam artist.

   Tucker called back the cheat for a chat.    “Actually you are calling the police,” Tucker told the man. “That’s the part that’s hilarious.”

   “You know what’s hilarious? You calling yourself ‘police’ ” the man replied. “That’s hilarious.”

   In a YouTube video released this week, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas warns of IRS telephone scams as Tax Day approaches.

   To get his point across, Rackauckas shows a clip of Tucker’s exchange. The cheat had left a message saying that Tucker needed to call back to avoid the IRS filing a lawsuit.

   Such callers ask that money be sent to them, or try to ferret out personal information from victims.

   In the call, Tucker volleys with the man.

   “Do you have a script that they give you?” Tucker asks. “How do you guys rip off people from their money?”

   “It’s easy to rip off people – Americans are stupid,” the fraudster replies. “You don’t need a script. American are fools. Vegetables, we call them.”

   This fraudster, unfortunately, isn’t alone.

   IRS officials said they have noticed an increase in scam artists this year calling under the guise of verifying tax return information. IRS spokesman Raphael Tulino said criminals are especially aggressive during tax season.

   “There are so many ways the scammers are trying to reach out to people,” he said.

   In January, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said there had been 896,000 phone scams reported since October 2013, with more than 5,000 victims paying $26.5 million in all.

   The IRS recommends hanging up on scam artists and reporting the incident to the Tax Administration.

   In a Wednesday interview, Tucker, a longtime fraud investigator, said he decided to “con the con artists” and repeatedly called their number, giving fake names from movies until those on the other end told him to “stop calling us.”

   “I figured if I’m tying up their line, that’s time they won’t get to spend calling potential victims,” he said.

   Tucker said he spoke with the man heard in the video several times, and the man eventually became frustrated and hung up the phone.

   The District Attorney’s Office turned the case over to its Cyber Crimes Task Force, but Tucker said these types of cases are tough to investigate because the callers are usually in another country.

   To see the video, go to www.youtube.com/user/OrangeCountyDA.

Lack of Sleep Can Make You Fatter

From the American College of Physicians issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine comes a study that suggests that there is a correlation between lack of sleep and weight gain. Chief author, Dr. Eve Van Cauter, Professor of Medicine, University of Chicago, states, "If you do not run a sleep debt, you will be able to curb your appetite more easily and maintain or lose weight."

A full article on the original research on the FitCommerce.com website notes that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that can make you feel full. These 2 factors lead to cravings for sweets, chips, and starchy fare like bread and pasta thus setting up the scenario for weight gain.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, An estimated 63% of American adults do not get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. They report that the average adult gets 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5 hours on weekends, for a daily average of 7 hours. The researchers point out that the decline in time spent sleeping correlates to the rise in obesity in the U.S. Statistics show that less than one-quarter of young American adults sleep eight to nine hours per night -- down from about 41 % in 1960.

The article notes that this scenario sets up a downward cycle. Not having enough sleep leads to weight gain, then weight gain and obesity leads to sleep difficulties that can affect the quality of sleep and therefore cause even more sleep loss and therefore more weight gain.

"You're not healthy, unless your sleep is healthy."

The Importance of X-rays

In examining your spinal x-rays, your chiropractor hopes to find a normal healthy spine. However, there are several major conditions which may show up on radiographs.

Fracture Or Dislocations
A fractured or dislocated vertebra may be the result of a recent accident or previous injuries. Fractures can also occur spontaneously, due to hereditary factors, nutritional deficiencies, or degenerative processes. Fractures and dislocations may cause misalignment of the vertebrae, pinched nerves, and associated health problems.

Congenital Deformity
It is estimated that at least one out of twenty people is born with a significant deformity of one or more vertebrae. Such deformities may alter the dynamics of the spinal column, resulting in misalignment, pinched nerves and a wide variety of health problems.

Pathology
Pathology is the structural and functional changes produced by disease. Some pathological changes, affecting spinal dynamics include infections, tumors, degeneration, and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. The presence of these conditions may cause misalignment of the spine, producing nerve interference, resulting in additional health problems in those areas serviced directly or indirectly by the affected nerve.

Disc Problems
The spinal discs play an important role in keeping the spinal column precisely aligned and balanced. That's why disc problems such as ruptured discs, slipped discs, and disc degeneration can have considerable influence on vertebral alignment and the nerve root passageways.

Neurothlipsis
The pinching or irritation of a nerve is called neurothlipsis. Although pinching or irritation can be the result of such things as slipped discs, ruptured discs, tumors and bony arthritic growths, neurothlipsis of a nerve root most frequently occurs when a misaligned vertebra alters the shape of the opening in the spine (foramen) through which nerve roots pass. Neurothlipsis can cause pain or disease in all areas of the body supplied directly or indirectly by the branches of that nerve root. Correction of the misalignment, before any permanent damage occurs, usually results in correction of the health problems associated with the pinched nerve.

Spinal Distortion
There are several common types of spinal distortions and curvatures. Examples of potentially serious conditions are;  Scoliosis (lateral curvature of the spine), Kyphosis (hunchback), and Scheuermann's Disease (inflamed growth centers of the spine). Usually less serious causes of distortions include muscle spasms, and soft tissue contraction, etc. However, any of these types of spinal distortions can lead to spinal disease, nerve root irritation, and subsequent health problems.

Spinal Imbalance
The head is located at the top of the spinal column and is normally positioned and balanced directly over the sacrum, which is located at the base of the spinal column. If your head is not properly balanced over the sacrum, our doctor is alerted to look for such conditions as misalignment of the pelvis, a shot leg, muscle spasms, muscle imbalance, pinched nerves, etc. An imbalanced spine creates enormous stress and strain on spinal muscles and ligaments, which may lead to misalignment of the vertebrae, which in turn can result in pinched nerves and associated health problems. Such stressors may also make an individual more susceptible to spinal injury.

Abnormal Range Of Motion
The human spine is designed to bend, flex, and twist; and withstand substantial strain and stress. But, adhesions and fixations can restrict the normal range of motion, reduce the elasticity of supporting tissues, and impair local circulation. Conversely, ligaments and cartilage may be over-stretched or torn, permitting excessive range of motion. This can lead to inflammation and degeneration of the joints.

Both restricted and excessive ranges of motion may lead to increased pathology, vertebral misalignment, and impinged nerves, resulting in pain or disease in the affected areas.

"Radiographs are a discovery of disease, or a map of a healthy person - RULE IT OUT WHAT COULD BE!"

Hearing Loss and Cigarette Smoking

Cigarette smokers are much more likely to develop hearing loss than non-smokers, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The findings are from a 5 year study that involved nearly 4,000 people between the ages of 48 and 92 years old, with an average age of 66 years. About half were smokers.

The study found that smokers were about 70% more likely to have significant hearing loss than non-smokers. Ex-smokers were about 30% more likely to have a hearing loss. Non-smokers living with smokers were also at significantly higher risk for hearing loss. Based on these findings, perhaps one of the Surgeon General's warning s printed on cigarette packages should be:

"Warning: cigarette smoking may be harmful to your hearing."

Smoking has long been suspected as a factor contributing to hearing loss because it can restrict blood flow to the inner ear. The researchers also believe that the nicotine in cigarette smoke may damage the cells of the inner ear directly. Other factors that can affect hearing include exposure to noise, hypertension, aging, genetics and physical injury.

And now we are introduced to E-Cig Vapor, another nightmare in the making ...

STAY TUNED!

Just Another Day

Today is just another day, as it will be tomorrow and the next day from now on until life's door has closed.

What of interest is going on? In Oregon, citizens protesting are being arrested by the government; ISIS continues to be the Islamic demon, the worst of all evil entities; floods in the east and south are and will be raging havoc over the land; horrible criminals have escaped their captivity and are now on the run; politicians are acting like juveniles in a quest for narcissist glory. What a wonderful record to start the day in this so-called modern, enlightened age. We are told that man is God's masterpiece created in His own image. Then, pray tell, why does man do such things?

Why the floods? It can be accounted for. Natural causes produce natural results and subsequent events. Man built his town in a hazardous place and the rain fell in super abundance moving everything in its path which accounted for the disasters. But why the man-produced tragedies? Why do some men regard life so cheaply as to destroy his own kind without cause? No other animal does so; they may kill for food to eat, but not as a game with little purpose or reason.

Somewhere in the Bible a psalmist exclaimed, "What is man that thou art mindful of Him?" What indeed!

We must consider God the creator of the universe including the plants, the Milky Way, the moon and stars, and all forms of life. Man being supreme in nature also does wonders. Even God would be without meaning if it were not for man and his intellect. Yet what a question mark when we consider His shortcoming on so many occasions.

"Remember when charity was a virtue, and not an organization.?"

Trouble To Yourself

Are you too much trouble to yourself? Do you take yourself too seriously, or do you just drift along the easy way with little concern?

There are different ways to consider yourself. You may be motivated by personal pride or just by ordinary habits, doing things that arouse the interest of others, or out of curiosity concerning the way you have of doing things that have a bearing on other people's lives.

Visualize if you will, a ragged hillbilly watching a man at a tourist court making use of a comb and brush, a toothbrush and nail file, and a whisk broom and shoe polish. The hillbilly boy finally, as he scratched his head, asked, "Hey Mister, are you always that much trouble to yourself?"

How much trouble are you to yourself? It is wise to have concern about appearance, all the while knowing there is a time and/or place for all things. Try to look your best on all occasions without too much public display. Be of service to others in a helpful manner without becoming subject to criticism.

Your body is "fearfully and wonderfully made" the Bible tells us; so you do not need to exercise too much trouble about yourself.

Have you thought of how wonderful your body really is? You become hungry and your appetite calls for food. You supply food of various kinds according to your taste. At once, the chemistry of your body begins to prepare the food for immediate use, exercising little thought on your part. In the process of time, common food is converted into flesh and bones, hair, skin, and nails; including blood, lymph glands, organs, and nerves with NO real trouble to yourself. It's nature's way of doing things, simple as that.

Be good to yourself without being too personal and others will love you as much as you love yourself.

Pain In The Forecast

Obviously, the most accurate method of predicting storms is to see how full the waiting room is. But why do some people seem to be able to predict coming rains based on their aches and pains?

It's true that many people with back pain, neck pain or other joint complaints are often surprisingly accurate in predicting when storms are approaching, and believe it or not, there is some validity to their weather forecasting abilities.

The phenomenon is nothing new. As early as the 5th century B.C., Hippocrates suggested many illnesses were related to changes in the weather. Since then, a number of musculoskeletal disorders have been identified as being especially sensitive to changing weather conditions, including osteoarthritis, tension headaches, back pain and fibromyalgia.

A variety of meteorologic factors have been suggested as the culprit, including temperature, precipitation, humidity, thunderstorms and increased ionization of the air. But while reliable conclusions about the link between weather and musculoskeletal pain have yet to be established due to the lack of controlled studies, most research points to the lowered atmospheric barometric pressure that often precedes storms and other weather changes.

In one of the first empirical studies on the effect of weather on joint pain, published in 2010 by the International Journal of Biometeorology, researchers established a direct connection between low barometric pressure, inflammation and joint pain in rats. For the study, scientists artificially produced a state of chronic inflammation in the feet of lab rats, mimicking the clinical features of neuropathic pain in humans. When the rats were placed in a low-pressure environment, they exhibited signs of exacerbated foot joint pain not seen in their control counterparts.

Additional research has demonstrated the same phenomenon occurs in humans. For instance, a 2002 study from the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques concluded that "back pain may be aggravated by atmosphere depression in patients with lumbar disc disease." And a 2007 study from the American Journal of Medicine determined that "changes in barometric pressure are independently associated with osteoarthritis knee pain severity."

Various mechanisms have been proposed to account for this relationship, but the most likely explanation involves the expansion of fluid in swollen joints following fluctuations in barometric pressure. Inflammation due to dysfunction, disease or injury will lead to swelling in and surrounding a joint. Because materials of varying densities are affected differently by pressure changes, drops in barometric pressure expand this extra fluid more than the muscle, ligaments and connective tissue that make up the joint capsule, stretching sensitized tissues and activating a nociceptive (pain) response.

A good illustration for the layperson is a balloon in a barometric chamber. If the pressure outside the balloon drops, the air on the inside expands and stretches the walls of the balloon. When the same happens to a swollen joint, the expansion stretches soft tissue, irritates nerve endings and causes pain.

It's important to note that this contraction and expansion of excess fluid in joints is happening on such a small scale that it cannot be quantified by any scientific means and the process is therefore entirely theoretical. But whatever the mechanism, the takeaway is that some degree of inflammation must already exist, whether we are aware of it or not, for barometric pressure changes to lead to joint pain. Weather changes can't cause pain by themselves; they can only exacerbate inflammation that's already there. After all, not everyone experiences pain when a storm is brewing, and those who do don't experience pain in every joint.

It really drives home what chiropractors have been saying for decades: The absence of pain isn't the same as good health! So while there's validity to the idea of "aches and pains mean coming rains," anticipation of weather changes shouldn't interfere with patients' motivation to decrease underlying inflammation with the things they actually can control. Sunny days ahead are no substitution for proper exercise, good diet and supplementation, and regular chiropractic care.

Holiday Stress

For some people, the holidays bring unwelcome guests, stress and depression. And it's no wonder. In an effort to pull off a perfect Hallmark holiday, you might find yourself facing a dizzying array of demands, work, parties, shopping, baking, cleaning, caring for elderly parents or kids on school break, and scores of other chores. So much for peace and joy, right?

Actually, with some practical tips, you can minimize the stress and depression that often accompany the holidays. You may even end up enjoying the holidays more than you thought you would.

The trigger points of holiday stress
Holiday stress and depression are often the result of three main trigger points. Understanding these trigger points can help you plan ahead on how to accommodate them.

Here are the three areas that commonly trigger holiday stress or depression:

Relationships. Relationships can cause turmoil, conflict or stress at any time. But tensions are often heightened during the holidays. Family misunderstandings and conflict can intensify, especially if you're all thrust together for several days. Conflicts are bound to arise with so many needs and interests to accommodate. On the other hand, if you're facing the holidays without a loved one, you may find yourself especially lonely or sad.

Finances. Like your relationships, your financial situation can cause stress at any time of the year. Overspending during the holidays on gifts, travel, food and entertainment can increase stress as you try to make ends meet while ensuring that everyone on your gift list is happy.

Physical demands. The strain of shopping, attending social gatherings and preparing holiday meals can wipe you out. Feeling exhausted increases your stress, creating a vicious cycle. Exercise and sleep, good antidotes for stress and fatigue, may take a back seat to chores and errands. High demands, stress, lack of exercise, and overindulgence in food and drink, these are all ingredients for holiday illness.

12 preemptive strategies for holiday stress
When stress is at its peak, it's hard to stop and regroup. Take steps to help prevent normal holiday depression from progressing into chronic depression. Try these tips:

• Acknowledge your feelings. If a loved one has recently died or you aren't near your loved ones, realize that it's normal to feel sadness or grief. It's OK now and then to take time just to cry or express your feelings. You can't force yourself to be happy just because it's the holiday season.

• Seek support. If you feel isolated or down, seek out family members and friends, or community, religious or social services. They can offer support and companionship. Consider volunteering at a community or religious function.

• Getting involved and helping others can lift your spirits and broaden your social circle. Also, enlist support for organizing holiday gatherings, as well as meal preparation and cleanup. You don't have to go it alone. Don't be a martyr.

• Be realistic. As families change and grow, traditions often change as well. Hold on to those you can and want to. But understand in some cases that may no longer be possible. Perhaps your entire extended family can't gather together at your house. Instead, find new ways to celebrate together from afar, such as sharing pictures, e-mails or videotapes.

• Set differences aside. Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don't live up to all your expectations. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion. With stress and activity levels high, the holidays might not be conducive to making quality time for relationships. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. Chances are, they're feeling the effects of holiday stress, too.

• Stick to a budget. Before you go shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend on gifts and other items. Then be sure to stick to your budget. If you don't, you could feel anxious and tense for months afterward as you struggle to pay the bills. Don't try to buy happiness with an avalanche of gifts. Donate to a charity in someone's name, give homemade gifts or start a family gift exchange.

• Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make one big food-shopping trip. That'll help prevent a last-minute scramble to buy forgotten ingredients — and you'll have time to make another pie, if the first one's a flop. Allow extra time for travel so that delays won't worsen your stress.

• Learn to say no. Believe it or not, people will understand if you can't do certain projects or activities. If you say yes only to what you really want to do, you'll avoid feeling resentful and overwhelmed. If it's really not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.

• Don't abandon healthy habits. Don't let the holidays become a dietary free-for-all. Some indulgence is OK, but overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt. Have a healthy snack before holiday parties so that you don't go overboard on sweets, cheese or drinks. Continue to get plenty of sleep and schedule time for physical activity.

• Take a breather. Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Steal away to a quiet place, even if it's the bathroom, for a few moments of solitude. Take a walk at night and stargaze. Listen to soothing music. Find something that clears your mind, slows your breathing and restores your calm.

• Rethink resolutions. Resolutions can set you up for failure if they're unrealistic. Don't resolve to change your whole life to make up for past excess. Instead, try to return to basic, healthy lifestyle routines. Set smaller, more specific goals with a reasonable time frame. Choose only those resolutions that help you feel valuable and provide more than only fleeting moments of happiness.

• Forget about perfection. Holiday TV specials are filled with happy endings. But in real life, people don't usually resolve problems within an hour or two. Something always comes up. You may get stuck late at the office and miss your daughter's school play, your sister may dredge up an old argument, you may forget to put nuts in the cake, and your mother may criticize how you and your partner are raising the kids. All in the same day. Expect and accept imperfections.

• Seek professional help if you need it. Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling persistently sad or anxious, plagued by physical complaints, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless, and unable to face routine chores. If these feelings last for several weeks, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. You may have depression.

Have it both ways
Remember, one key to minimizing holiday stress and depression is knowing that the holidays can trigger stress and depression. Accept that things aren't always going to go as planned. Then take active steps to manage stress and depression during the holidays. You may actually enjoy the holidays this year more than you thought you could.

Causes of Irritability

Fatigue
If adequate sleep is Beauty, then inadequate and/or poor sleep is surely the Beast. The health consequences of poor sleep aside, restless nights can lead to crankiness the likes of which have rarely been seen.

The Solution: Make sure you get not only enough sleep every night; ensure that it's restful sleep with the right mattress, pillow, lighting (lack thereof) and preparation.


Stress
Stress manifests in many ways, but irritability is perhaps the most common symptom. Stressed about your job, the screaming kids, the unpaid bills, your lack of motivation to hit the gym, or any number of other life challenges? Irritability can't be far behind.

The Solution: Manage stress by discussing it, dealing with it proactively and taking control; anything but avoiding it.


Hunger
Irritability that comes on like a wave and doesn't have any other obvious cause (like those above) could be due to hunger. Face facts:  People don't eat often enough, and when they do, it's high-GI foods that rush into your bloodstream and rush right back out, leaving you tired and hungry.

The Solution: Eat small, frequent meals high in complex carbs that fuel your whole day.

Veteran's Day Suggestions

I was taken last week by the overwhelming respect and gratitude shown by the Dana Hills High School's student body, and especially by the athletes and their genuine sincerity for the evening. I was one of 73 nominated veterans for the Honor the Valor ceremonies. It included a pre-game dinner sponsored by Chick-fil-A, a pre-game band honoring the veterans, a half time show that was themed patriotic, and following the game - a jersey presentation by a player who wore our name on that jersey during the game. My player was Tommy Bortnick.

Some suggestions I read some years ago have justifiable meaning regarding a veteran you may encounter. It goes something like this .... and it's the way most of us feel deeply about.

• Please don't ask us if we killed anyone in combat, or even be snide about it. It's difficult enough speaking to our spouses and family members, let alone strangers.
• Thanking us for our service is greatly appreciated.
• Please don't get into political opinions regarding our service. In our minds eye, it cheapens the meaning of a best friend who died protecting those same opinions. Sometimes it's just a good idea to keep your opinions to yourself. We are simply proud to have served.
• Far too many of us have PTSD. Should you witness us acting anxious or moving away from crowds, turning our backs to the walls, or even fidgeting, simple kindness and understanding would be most appreciated. We often need breathing room with conversations about something interesting.
• As with many of us who has a disability, please do not stare. Veterans can be sensitive about scars or injuries, and really don't wish to rewind the experience by questions asked. And remember, many of the injuries are not visible, thus be sensitive enough NOT to challenge it.

Many of us with disabilities appreciate light conversation and assistance if we look like we are in need. As for myself ... I'm damn proud to have served!

"To be a veteran one must know and determine one's price for freedom."

Water or Coke

                                                                 

WATER

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3 Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water: the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8‑10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short‑term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

And now for the properties of COKE:

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T‑bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca‑Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous China.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled‑up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca‑Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca‑Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca‑Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca‑Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca‑Cola will help loosen grease stains.

9. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

SOME HARD FACTS

 

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca‑Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would you like a coke or a glass of water?

Abusive Childhood Can Ruin Your Adulthood

Those who were physically or sexually abused as children are twice as likely to have C-reactive protein (a measure of inflammation) in their blood, which could be one reason that abused children have a higher incidence of heart disease and diabetes as adults. These results were obtained by monitoring 1,000 people in New Zealand from birth to the age of 32. Stress-creating factors were measured, and they were tested for levels of inflammation associated with heart disease.

Inflammation is a natural response to physical trauma, but psychological stress can also trigger inflammation. Constant triggering could reduce someone's ability to produce inflammation-suppressing glucocorticoid hormones. That could, in turn, eventually lead to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and other illnesses.

Negative emotions can do a great deal of harm to your physical health, including increasing C-reactive protein levels, a sure sign of heart disease and just as lethal as having high amounts of LDL cholesterol. In fact, there are many ways in which negative emotions can shorten your life. In contrast, positive emotions can make a difference in your blood pressure readings and your ability to heal.

This is merely further confirmation for something that any astute clinician can confirm. Many doctors experience that nearly all serious autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and chronic fatigue syndrome, have at one of their foundational roots some time of severe emotional childhood trauma that was never fully compensated for.

Children are a product of their environment. Negative emotions are like vibrations that ripple through a pond. Yes, working on the child is important, but if you look at how they have learned their behaviors, it stems back to the parents.

"Children believe what their parents show them and tell them."

Laugh And Cut Stress

 Take a deep breath. Now put your hand on your belly. Imagine your stomach jiggling, as if you are starting to laugh. You may have just taken a step toward reducing stress hormone levels.

Researchers say merely anticipating a laugh can jump‑start healthy changes in the body.

The findings come from a small study, made up of 16 healthy men. The men were divided into two groups. The experimental group was told to anticipate something funny. The other group was used as a comparison.

Researchers then tested the levels of three stress hormones participants had in their blood and compared that to the control group, which did not expect a laugh was on the way.

Researchers found that the group anticipating the laughs had reduced levels of three stress hormones compared to the other group.

Here's the breakdown from the experimental group.

  $        Cortisol levels dipped 39%. Cortisol is known as a major stress hormone.

  $        Adrenaline levels dropped 70%. Adrenaline is also known as epinephrine.

  $        Dopac levels dropped 38%. Dopac is a chemical related to the "feel‑good" chemical known as dopamine.

Persistently elevated stress hormone levels in the blood, as happens under chronic stressful situations, has been linked to a weakened immune system.

"Our findings lead us to believe that by seeking out positive experiences that make us laugh we can do a lot with our physiology to stay well," says researcher Lee Berk in a news release.

The researchers were following up on a similar study they did two years ago in which they found that anticipating laughter led to an increase in healthful chemicals such as beta‑endorphins.

"Laugh and whole world laughs with you."

Eye Floaters

Eye floaters, or muscae volitantes, Latin for “hovering flies", are those tiny, oddly shaped objects that sometimes appear in your vision, most often when you’re looking at the sky on a sunny day. They look like spots, or a squishy little amoeba, and drift aimlessly around in your field of vision. Try to get a fix on one, though, and it seems to disappear.

Floaters aren’t just optical illusions. You’re really seeing them, and they’re actually in your eye, not just on it or in front of it. The weird little squiggles are pieces of the vitreous humor, the fluid that fills the eye, breaking off and then floating about in your eyeball.

A little gross, I know, but completely normal. The vitreous humor fills the gap between your retina and lens and helps maintain the round shape of your eye. It’s made up of water bound up in a little hyaluronic acid and collagen. When you’re young, it’s thick and gel-like, but as you age, the hyaluronic acid network breaks down and releases the trapped water molecules. As this happens, the core of the vitreous humor becomes more watery and little bits of undissolved gel break off and slowly drift around. When light passes through the eye, the shadows of these pieces are thrown up on your retina and you perceive them as floaters.

Since floaters, well, float, their paths generally follow the motion of the eye. This makes looking right at them difficult, and when you shift your gaze towards them, they often move and stay at the edges. They don’t always float, though, and many of them will sink towards the bottom of the eyeball. To get a good look at them, just lie down looking up at a clear sky. Some of the floaters will settle near the fovea, a small area that sits at the back center of your eye and is responsible for your sharp central vision. The lack of movement and the even, textureless background makes it easy to scope them out and watch the blobs bob around a little.

For the most part, floaters are nothing to worry about, just a sign that you’re not a kid anymore. The sudden appearance of a lot of floaters combined with the onset of other eye weirdness, like flashes of light or blurriness or loss of peripheral vision, could indicate a problem, though. Sometimes, floaters are a symptom of the vitreous humor pulling away from the retina, a retinal tear, or the abnormal growth of blood vessels in the eye. If your floaters cross the line from curiosity to nuisance, it’s time to give the eye doctor a call.

"Just open your eyes and see the beauty in life."

Tennis & Golf Elbow

Many of my patients are taking advantage of the warm weather and spending increased time outdoors. It’s no surprise that some of my patients are making appointments based on sprains, strains and tennis and/or golf elbow. These issues crop up after too much exertion on weaker muscle groups.

Tennis/golf elbow does affect roughly 40 percent of all players, but the condition is not limited to those who spend time on the court or golf course. Manual workers, those who use a keyboard frequently or those who conduct repetitive tasks with their hands are all at risk for developing the condition.

Pain stemming from tennis/golf elbow is not always felt in the patient’s elbow, which can lead to confusing and misappropriated resources when treating the condition.

Many of my patients complain of neck stiffness or nerve irritation, but largely the symptoms for tennis and golf elbow include tenderness over the bony epicondyle and trigger points in the wrist/forearm muscles. Keep in mind that referred pain can also mask a cervical neck issue. The most common neck joint that refers to your lateral elbow is C5/6, which transmit their pain signals along the radial nerve. It’s important to remember that the radial nerve can also be a source of referred pain from reduced neural mobility.

Minimizing pain while rebuilding muscle strength should be the source of progress in regards to treating tennis/golf elbow. In recent years, there has been ample evidence shown that tennis/golf elbow is not a product of inflammation from overused tendons as previously thought. Part of the treatment plan includes educating the patient about the root causes of tennis/golf elbow so that the patient whose lifestyle or daily habits include risk for a chronic condition can augment activities to be better protected long term.

“Muscle activation facilitates healing - that’s how the healing begins. Stillness is the true enemy,” states Gary Reinl, author of Iced!

The Illusionary Treatment Option, says of muscle stimulation or as some call it, active recovery.

Reinl, a sports medicine consultant, relies on electrotherapeutic stimulation treatments to proactively support injuries like tennis or golf elbow while maximizing treatment outcomes.

“Activity recovery is the answer (ARITA) — controlled movement can help solve the problem and that’s where muscle stimulation comes in,” Reinl says. “Inactivity and over-icing will shut off the signals that alert to potentially harmful movements and put patients at the risk of more damage."

"Activity heals - inactivity creates more problems."

A Paradox Of Our Time

An observation:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away.

-Attributed to George Carlin