Stress Management - New Series



You won't know if you've attained a goal
if you haven't written it down.



What makes 3% of the population successful, 30% moderately successful and the other 67% just exist? Well, according to Harvard Business School researchers, the 3% who are successful have concrete goals that they’ve written down. The 30% who are moderately successful have some type of plan. But the remaining 60% are merely accepting life as it’s dished out to them.

There are many reasons (excuses?) why people avoid setting goals: not enough time, no clear idea of what they want, fear of success, fear of failure, others’ expectations of them and lack of focus. Ironic, since feelings of powerlessness and the inability to control outcomes cause us the most stress. Setting goals could help.

It’s important to write down your goals. Don’t leave them as vague feelings in your head! Each goal must be personal and clearly stated. You cannot be successful if you are not sure what you want. Nor will you ever know if you’ve attained it! This will only cause more frustration.

Dr. Joseph Mercola of the Optimal Wellness Center outside of Chicago offers these suggestions for setting and achieving goals: 

• Decide on the exact goal you want to achieve
• Write it down clearly and in as much detail as possible
• Set a deadline to achieve the goal, with measurable steps if it is a large one
• Make a list of all that you need to do in order to achieve the goal
• Put all those “action” steps in order, by priority and sequence
• Take immediate action on the most important item in your list
• Do something each day towards attaining your goal

Goal setting doesn’t have to be time consuming or elaborate. In fact, the simpler, the better. The point is, you’ll never get to where you want to go if you don’t have a clear sense of where you are headed. It’s just that simple – so get started!

Endometriosis

Resolving back pain may also improve nerve supply
to reproductive organs, improving fertility.

At first, it may appear to be coincidental. You are having trouble becoming pregnant and you also have a problem with low back pain. Are they related? Can low back pain actually be a factor? The answer to the first question may be "yes," while the answer to the second question is more along the lines of, "The cause of your infertility may also be the cause your lower back pain."

Many women have problems conceiving because of a condition known as endometriosis. In fact, endometriosis is the cause for 30-40% of female infertility. This condition occurs when uterine tissue, known as endometrium, attaches itself to tissue and organs outside the uterus, including other reproductive organs, the bladder and the gastrointestinal tract. While the primary symptom of endometriosis is painful menstruation, back pain may result as well.

Obviously, it is imperative for you to see a health care professional when either one or both of these conditions are present. If your diagnosis is endometriosis, chiropractic care may reduce much of the pain and discomfort associated with it. In addition, several chiropractic case studies have documented cases in which infertile women have become pregnant after starting chiropractic care.

No such thing as SUPER mom!

Give up the idea that you have to be a super woman,
and you will enjoy life much more!

Most mothers today tend to wear many hats in addition to their “Mom” uniform – wife, sister, daughter, employee, boss, volunteer, scout leader, club member, taxi driver, etc. Sometimes life can be overwhelming and very few women are skilled in the art of just saying “NO!” The “Super Mom” syndrome is very real, and it takes its toll on women in terms of physical and emotional stress. (Two of the causes of subluxation).  

These are just a few reasons why every mom needs to dump the idea that she can be a “Super Mom”: 

1. There is no such thing as a perfect anybody. It just can’t be done.  Trying to be perfect  in every facet of your life is pure folly.
2. It is exhausting and overwhelming to think that you can be all things to all people.  Besides that, it’s an impossible goal.
3. Children need their mother to meet their needs, not everyone else’s.
4.  A “super mom” never lives in the joy of the moment; she is always looking at what she has to do next.
5. Unrealistic expectations that we set for ourselves, and fail to achieve, lead to stress, anxiety and depression. Stress causes many diseases that can kill; anxiety and depression rob us of our health and overall wellbeing.

If more women took the time to nurture themselves and their close relationships with family and friends, instead of trying to do it all perfectly, more women would lead happy and purposeful lives. No one is perfect - or meant to be! If you realize that, you’ll start to have a lot more fun. Being a mom is about being, not just doing!

Kissed by the SUN

That health glow isn't all that healthy!

Millions of people visit tanning salons in order to keep that year-round “kissed by the sun” glow. What many of them fail to realize is that “glow” may someday cause malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.

Is this fake idea of health worth the risk?

Tanning salons promote their services by claiming that their beds emit UVA rays rather than the potentially more harmful UVB rays. However, a 15-20 minute session in a tanning bed equals an entire day of outdoor tanning and UVA rays can be just as damaging to the skin and to the immune system as UVB rays. In fact, the UVA rays emitted from a tanning bed lamp are three times as powerful as those from direct sunlight!

What are some of the more serious long-term effects of UVA exposure? They include:

• Eye damage
• Immune system changes
• Wrinkles and premature aging of the skin
• Cataracts
• Sun spots/pigmentation changes on skin
• Skin cancer

Although anyone who is exposed to UVA rays may be at risk, some are at greater risk, particularly those who have blond, light brown or red hair, those with fair skin, those who burn easily, those who have blue, green or gray eyes, and those who often burn before tanning.

Women, and especially teenage girls frequent tanning salons more often than their male counterparts, making them more vulnerable to the increased risks and damaging effects of UVA exposure.

Research suggests that exposure to the sun is essential to good health. Clearly, tanning booths and exposure to unnaturally high levels of ultraviolet light can compromise your health and later on, your appearance!

Mammogram??? Maybe!!

Thermography is a less risky, non-invasive tool that is becoming
 more and more popular as a replacement for mammogram

 

 The dreaded mammogram…that once-a-year cancer-screening tool you look forward to almost as much as you look forward to cleaning out the kitty litter. Yet we do it because we are told that it is an early detection / early-warning system for breast cancer that saves lives. But does it?

 

There is a growing controversy surrounding the effectiveness, or even the usefulness, of periodic mammo-grams. Those opposed point to these facts about mammography screening: 

• It is a flawed screening tool that can neither detect nor prevent cancer
• Its reliability is unstable given that there are many “false positive” readings
• It does not increase the likelihood of long-term survival
• It is generally recommended to protect the doctor’s liability
• It may be no better at early detection than self-breast examination
• Mammography/breast biopsy is a massive money-making business
• Mammography emits radiation that may very well cause the cancer it is designed to detect!

 

Disillusioned? Who wouldn’t be? Are there viable alternatives? Many are touting the benefits of thermography over mammography. Thermography does not require that the breast be flattened like a pancake and it is not in any way painful. Thermography is a form of non-invasive infrared imaging that detects “hot spots” in the breast that show likelihood for being pre-cancerous. In fact, a positive thermographic reading is the best indicator of positive risk for the future development of breast cancer, 10 times more significant than any family history of the disease.

 

Chiropractic isn't a treatment for cancer! In our practice, we address subluxation. Instead of living in fear of what might happen to your body, we focus on keeping nerve interference at a minimum so your body can function at its optimal best.

  

 

Call us for an appointment to have your spine checked. You’ll be glad you did!

The Facts About Varicose Veins



Hiding your legs inside long socks and tights
doesn't eliminate those varicose veins!



 They are unsightly and painful and one out of every two adults over 50 suffers from them. Varicose veins are enlarged veins, often dark blue and purple in color, that appear to be swollen and twisted, very close to the surface of the skin. Although they usually appear on the calves and the inside of the legs, they may affect any area of the body.

 

To determine whether you might be at a greater risk to develop varicose veins, consider the following:

 

• A family history of varicose veins (genetic predisposition)
• Obesity
• Pregnancy (due to increased pressure on the legs)
• A job that requires long periods of standing
• Frequent heavy lifting
• Sitting for long periods of time with crossed legs
• Eating a low-fiber diet that causes constipation

There are certain things you can do to try to prevent varicose veins, including:

• Exercise on a regular basis; walking in particular increases the strength of the veins in your legs
• Avoid sitting with your legs crossed
• Elevate your legs while sitting or resting
• Get up and walk around every 30-45 minutes if you work in a job that requires you to sit for long periods of time
• Try not to stand for long periods of time. If you must, shift your weight frequently from foot to foot and wear support stockings or socks
• Maintain a healthy weight for your height
• Eat a high fiber diet, including bran, and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to ensure regular bowel movements

Most of the time, no treatment is necessary for varicose veins. Chiropractic care, which is known to improve the flow of blood through the body, may help relieve and/or control varicose veins. Please call our practice to discuss your concerns; we will be happy to meet with you.

 

 

Winner! Winner! Winner! Winner!

Winner of our T-Shirt Photo Contest. 

Marilyn Johnson. 

I thank her for her "originality" in crawling in

with her T-Shirt on.