February 2018 Newsletter

In this month’s newsletter:

  • Chiropractic Office Closed for Presidents’ Day February 19.
  • Podcast: Focus on Being Unfocused and Train for Success
  • Video: The Importance of Sleep
  • Immune Support: Congaplex and Andrographis
  • Heart Health Month: Beware of the Myths!
  • Recipe of the Month: Paleo Stuffed Flank Steak

Office Closed Monday Feb. 19th for Presidents’ Day

The chiropractic office will be closed Monday, February 19th – Presidents’ Day.   
   

Podcast: Focus on Being Unfocused and Train Your Brain for Success

On a recent Bulletproof Radio podcast, Harvard Psychiatrist Srini Pillay discusses the importance of ‘unfocusing’ to increase creativity, efficiency and happiness.  He recommends people  schedule time to doodle, daydream and even nap. 

Srini finds people are so focused on being focused that they burn out.  Unfocusing helps to prevent burnout while helping your brain process information in creative ways. 

One segment of the podcast I particularly enjoyed was an idea to ‘pretend’ or to practice ’embodying’ a trait or quality or characteristic that you admire or would like to have more of in your life. I have played around with ‘pretending’ I am a person who is relaxed, not worried or rattled or stressed. It works for me. When you are ‘pretending’, your brain and body produce different chemicals and you essentially ‘become’ a little bit different – more like what you are practicing. Most of the time, I forget by mid-morning that I was playing or pretending. I’ll stop at lunchtime and realize it has been a heck of a good day! Try it out and let me know if this technique works for you. I’ve found it fun and effective.

The Most Underrated Way to Improve Health: Sleep!

Did you know that after 16 hours of wakefulness that multiple functions in the body begin to deteriorate?  The human body requires about 8 hours of sleep a night to restore and repair the body. This video from sleep expert Matthew Walker discusses how a lack of sleep puts you at higher risk of Alzheimer Disease, heart attack and multiple types of cancer.
 

Immune Support: Congaplex & Andrographis

Many of you have asked recently for recommendations on immune system support this winter.

We stock Congaplex and Andrographis Complex in the office. I use these products for my family to assist the body’s innate healing capacity.

Congaplex is useful when you feel typical symptoms of a cold, sore throat, runny nose, etc. coming on. Adults will take up to 12 capsules per day. We also carry the chewable version for kids that has cherry powder and a touch of honey to make it easier for the little ones!

Andrographis Complex is helpful for the times when you are hit with a really strong challenge to your immune system and need a powerful, natural option. Echinacea, holy basil and andrographis are the key ingredients. You take up to 4 capsules per day with this product.

Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Cod Liver Oil are other great options we have available to help you enhance your immune system. 
 

February is National ‘Heart Health Month’:
Beware of the Cholesterol and Heart Disease Myth

This clip from the documentary “Fat Head” shows how researcher Ancel Keys manipulated data which falsely shaped scientific and cultural ideas about cholesterol and heart disease for decades.

Keys had information about diet and heart disease from 22 countries but only used a handful of these 22 (the ones that supported his hypothesis) to show that animal fats caused heart disease.

Humans started to gain weight and have more heart disease around the same time processed wheat and processed vegetable oils became staples of our diet. However because of Keys, experts stated that tgrains and vegetable oils should make up a large portion of what we eat.

Furthermore, as cholesterol has been wrongly vilified over the years, statin medications (cholesterol lowering drugs) have emerged to be one of the most prescribed medications on the market. Pharmaceutical companies and some doctors have convinced millions of people that they need to lower cholesterol levels to avoid heart disease.

I am not a conspiracy theorist, nor against medication when needed, but I will give you my honest opinion on health issues because I want to see you live long, vibrant, healthy lives. For 99% of us, statins do not help us attain our health goals. They cause more harm than good.

This study published in the Expert Review of Pharmacology shows how statins are not reducing heart disease significantly and how serious risks are minimized.

  • “Our opinion is that although statins are effective at reducing cholesterol levels, they have failed to substantially improve cardiovascular outcomes.”

 

  • “We have also described the deceptive approach statin advocates have deployed to create the appearance that cholesterol reduction results in an impressive reduction in cardiovascular disease outcomes through their use of a statistical tool called risk reduction (RRR), a method which amplifies the trivial beneficial effects of statins.”
  • “Your chance to avoid a nonfatal heart attack during the next 2 years is about 97% without treatment, but you can increase it to about 98% by taking a Crestor every day. However, you will not prolong your life and there is a risk you may develop diabetes, not to mention other serious adverse effects.”
  • “The adverse effects of statin treatment are substantial, including an increased risk of cancer, cataracts, diabetes, cognitive impairment and musculoskeletal disorders.”

Finally, it is important to recognize that the ‘game’ is flawed. So many of us focus on trying to lower our cholesterol levels without drugs. If we fail, just like the drug ads suggest, ‘when diet and exercise are not enough‘… then we choose statins because we assume that the recommended cholesterol guidelines are appropriate. We must re-assess the recommended numbers! Who determines these numbers? Why? Dig a little deeper as your health is worth it.

For more information on heart health and cholesterol, check out the following websites. The infographic listed below has some better ways to assess your heart health than just looking at your total cholesterol number:

 

Recipe of the Month: Paleo Stuffed Flank Steak

This Paleo Stuffed Flank Steak is a easy and healthy way to cook up a fancy Valentine’s Day meal for you and your loved ones.  Cara from Health, Home and Happiness describes exactly how to prepare the steak in order to wow your dinner guests. It’s easier than it looks!