THIS is one of the best things you can do to improve your health.

31 Mar

A new study sheds light on one of the best things you can do to improve your health, and possibly avoid some of the leading causes of death in the United States (and the rest of the developed world). Global diabetes has more than doubled in the last 30 years. 25.8 million children and adults in the United States – 8.3% of the population – have diabetes. 7 million people have diabetes and do not know it because they are undiagnosed. 79 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE PRE-DIABETES!

In 2007, diabetes was listed as the underlying cause on 71,382 death certificates, and was listed as a contributing factor on an additional 160,022 death certificates. This means that diabetes contributed to a total of 231,404 deaths.

According to a report from the American Diabetes Association, the U.S. cost of diabetes grew to $245 billion in 2012. Now, a new study published in PLOS ONE reveals strong evidence that sugar (not other diet and lifestyle factors) is the primary cause of Type 2 diabetes. The study’s researchers from the University of California at San Francisco studied data on sugar intake and diabetes from 175 countries. The researchers found, “that every 150 kcal/person/day increase in sugar availability (about one can of soda/day) was associated with increased diabetes prevalence by 1.1%.”

The researchers went on to state: “The impact of sugar on diabetes was independent of sedentary behavior and alcohol use, and the effect was modified but not confounded by obesity or being overweight. Duration and degree of sugar exposure correlated significantly with diabetes prevalence in a dose-dependent manner, while declines in sugar exposure correlated with significant subsequent declines in Diabetes rates independently of other socioeconomic, dietary and obesity prevalence changes.”

In other words, if the results of this study are accurate, sugar is directly related to developing Type 2 diabetes and cutting back on sugar is directly responsible for improving Type 2 diabetes. Limiting the amount of sugar you eat might drastically change your health and your life.

You Can Enrich Your Life With Music, For A Second Or Third Time…

30 Mar

Mid-lifers often feel the need for “something new” in their lives. At age 55+, some buy a sports car, some move to another city, and some marry a person a few decades younger than them. But, putting music back into your life could be a more satisfying and less costly pursuit.

It doesn’t matter whether you had piano lessons at age nine or learned to play the guitar at age 20, revisiting music can bring remarkable benefits to you. If you’re like many others who tried it, going back to music now can be just the thing to make your sagging spirits joyful again.

You’ll need a teacher. You can find one at a music school, a community center, or a music store. You can try web-based programs, but an actual teacher may be a better fit for you. He or she will help you develop modern skills and pleasantly correct your mistakes.

Don’t attack the music. Slow down, not as in old age, but to ease the pace and help you focus. It’s good practice for your mind and a way to savor the sounds of the music. The scheduled and unscheduled practice time is not only good for your brain, as it reduces memory loss, but it’s good for keeping your fingers nimble and for reducing stress.

Don’t forget that the main reason to stay close to music, at any age, is to have fun!

How This Homeless Man “Paid It Forward” and Cashed In BIG TIME!

29 Mar

Society seems to prefer rewarding people who do “bad” things. Reality shows are filled with “stars” who don’t exactly follow the golden rule. In fact, most people have a very hard time believing something like karma can exist. Well, if you don’t believe in karma, you might after reading this incredible story. At the very least, you will know there are still some wonderful people left in the world.

Here’s the story: Billy Ray Harris was 55 and homeless. He had a regular spot on the street where he put out a cup for donations.

Sarah Darling walked by Harris and wanted to help. She reached in her change purse and put a handful of change into his cup. It wasn’t much, but every bit helps…

Later that day, Harris got on his bike to leave and dumped the change into his hand, but there was not only change. There was something else. Something shiny. A ring.

Harris didn’t think much of it. It was probably some cheap costume jewelry. Knock-offs and fakes were all over the streets, but he wasn’t sure, so he took it to be appraised.

That’s when things changed, and changed fast. The appraiser took a look at the ring and immediately offered him $4,000.00 cash. Harris was broke and tempted, but his grandfather didn’t raise a crook.

So he kept the ring and went back to his regular spot on the street and waited. It wasn’t long before Sarah appeared and Harris presented her with the ring.

Sarah said it was a tremendous loss when she thought the ring was gone. She told Harris she was eternally grateful to him. She didn’t think in a million years she would ever see that ring again.

But that’s just the beginning of the story. What happened next is nothing short of incredible…

The story of Harris giving the ring back went viral, and he became an internet sensation. Supporters started donating money to help Harris find a house to live in. In no time, $175,000.00 had been raised!

It has been said that whatever you give comes back ten-fold. Well, Harris turned down $4,000 to do the right thing and it turned into $175,000.

But it gets even better… Harris was able to get back in touch with his family that he hadn’t seen in 16 years. His younger sister saw the story about him and was able to find out where he was. After they spoke on the phone for over 90 minutes, Harris’ sister told him he could live with her. He always had a place with her.

Since then, Harris has been in touch with his three other siblings and the nieces and nephews he didn’t know he had.

Harris is now working for a Jazz band and living with a member of the band while he acquires the proper identification to open a bank account.

Here is a final “twist” to the story… Sarah Darling’s husband, Bill, is the person who launched the donation page for Harris, and they have become friends. Bill often has dinner with Harris and is helping him with his identification paperwork and getting his life straightened out.

Harris is planning a family reunion in Texas in July.

So does karma exist? That’s for you to decide. But one thing is clear. There are still wonderful people left in the world.

If You Sit At Work (Or Sit At All), You Might Want To Read This! Especially If You Keep Your Wallet Or Cell Phone In Your Back Pocket…

28 Mar

Everyone (at least everyone we know of) sits, but some people sit more than others.  For example, if you have an office job, there is a very good chance you sit for the majority of your day.  Even though sitting has been associated with low back pain (LBP) by many, research has shown that “sitting alone was not associated with the risk of developing LBP.”

But (and this is a very big BUT) sitting combined with either “whole body vibration” WBV or awkward postures did increase LBP.  In fact, according to the study, “when the co-exposure factors of WBV and awkward postures were added to the analysis, the risk of LBP increased fourfold. The risk effect of prolonged sitting increased significantly when the factors of WBV and awkward postures were combined. Sitting by itself does not increase the risk of LBP. However, sitting for more than half a workday, in combination with WBV and/or awkward postures, does increase the likelihood of having LBP and/or sciatica, and it is the combination of those risk factors which leads to the greatest increase in LBP.”

Helicopter pilots showed the strongest association between WBV and LBP.  Clearly, truck drivers, heavy machinery operators, etc. can be at risk as well.

Here is something important:  Many people create their own “awkward posture,” even if they have an ergonomically designed work station and think their posture is perfect.  They ruin everything simply by keeping a big, fat wallet in their back pocket.  In fact, the wallet does not even have to be that fat to have a negative effect.  Nowadays, we see a lot of people suffering because they keep their cell phone in their back pocket and sit on it. You see, when you sit on a wallet or cell phone, it un-levels your pelvis, which then un-levels your entire spine.  This will cause abnormal stress and strain throughout your entire spine, muscular and nervous system.  It can cause LBP, mid-back pain, neck pain, sciatica, headaches and more.

This is a major reason some people do not get the desired results from Chiropractic care.  No matter what the doctors do, if you sit on a wallet (or have other bad posture) all day, it will simply work against the treatments.  Many people do not see the connection between neck pain or headaches and sitting on a wallet or something else that is causing awkward posture. Advice:  Simply put your wallet (or anything else like a cell phone) in your front pockets.  Plus, you won’t break your cell phone as much.

How These Two $5,000 Birds Can Help Your Back and Neck Pain.

27 Mar

If you would like to know how two $5,000 birds can help your back and neck pain, you are going to love this story.

Here is why,  there is a very successful business man who grew up extremely poor.  His mother made many sacrifices for him as a child so he could get an education and become the huge success he is today.

Now that he is making a lot of money, he likes to buy his mother lavish gifts.

But after several years, he ran out of gift ideas… until he walked into an exotic pet store.

In the pet store, he discovered a pair of birds that were ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.  They were beautiful.  They could talk, sing, dance, and they could even walk a dog!

Theses birds were extremely rare and cost $5,000 each, and were sold in pairs.  The business man spared no expense for his mother – he bought them without hesitation and had them shipped to her.

After a few days, the business man called his mother…

“Hey Mom… I love you… did you get the two birds?”

“Yup, they were great.”

“What?  They can talk, sing, dance, and even walk the dog!  They cost $5,000 apiece.  Please tell me you didn’t eat them!!!”

“If they could talk, they should have said something.”

We have told you this story/joke because there is a very important moral we thought you should know.  And the moral to this story is that too many people are just like those two birds.

They have an ache or a pain or a health problem… and they can talk… but they don’t tell a doctor!  This leads to people suffering when they do not have to, and the small easy-to-deal-with things become major health issues.  Too often, a little back or neck pain is ignored until you end up hunched over in serious pain.

If you or anyone you know has any aches or pains – SPEAK UP!  Give us a call and let us take care of it now… before you end up like those two $5,000 birds. 

 

Low-Tech Tests Help Doctors Diagnose Complex Diseases and Predict Risks…

26 Mar

Sometimes, doctors can use common objects to gather preliminary information about a variety of conditions. Here are a few:

The tape measure: A waist size over 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women indicates a higher risk for diabetes. It is also helpful as a test for sleep apnea, cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

The bathroom scale: A weight gain of just a few pounds is a signal that heart failure patients are retaining fluid and at risk for hospital admission. Doctors and nurses ask heart failure patients to weigh themselves every day.

The paper clip: A bent paper clip can be used instead of calipers to assess nerve impairment in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. A patient should be able to feel both ends of the paper clip when they are pressed into a finger. It is less expensive than using calipers for the two-point discrimination test.

A handshake: At no cost, a firm handshake can help assure that a patient is healthy enough to make it through heart surgery. A weak grip can warn of possible complications. Surgeons also judge frailty by how easy it is for a patient to get out of a chair or get up on a table for an exam.

A stop watch: Testing how long it takes an elderly heart surgery candidate to walk 15 feet helps predict surgical risk. The gait speed test is a validated measure of frailty in elderly people and a predictor of physical and cognitive health. It should take no longer than six seconds to cross the finish line.

 

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