Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: The “race” to the weight loss pill finish line: A...

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: The “race” to the weight loss pill finish line: A...: Pharmaceutical companies are businesses focused on one primary goal; to make a lot money for their investors. Arena’s latest diet pill “B...

The “race” to the weight loss pill finish line: Arena’s Belviq becomes the first FDA approved diet pill in 13 years

Pharmaceutical companies are businesses focused on one primary goal; to make a lot money for their investors. Arena’s latest diet pill “Belviq” is about to do just that: Make lots of money. Belviq is the first diet pill approved by the FDA in 13 years, making it the newest and perhaps hottest pill on the market. Not since Phen-Phen (the last diet pill to be removed from the shelves for being the culprit behind heart attacks and life threatening reactions to its drug) has a diet pill been allowed to be approved.

The secret behind Belviq is not such a mystery after all; it suppresses your appetite while reducing your caloric intake. Along with a proposed healthy diet and exercise regiment, the benefits of Belviq should work to help curb your appetite. However, the long terms effects of any appetite suppressant fall short of being the answer. Below, are several reasons why:
*Eating disorders (obesity to anorexia) directly relate to behavior.
*Pills do not provide therapy; they only curb the cravings but not the obsession.
*Only a small percentage of those tested lost a small amount of weight

“Belviq is designed to block appetite signals in the brain to help people feel full after eating smaller amounts of food. In large clinical trials, patients on average lost about 5 percent of body weight. The drug's FDA-approved label says Belviq use should be stopped if a patient has not reached 5 percent weight loss after 12 weeks of daily use”.

(http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/27/us-arena-obesity-idUSBRE85Q1AA20120627)

If you are obese (BMI above 30), a 5% weight loss won’t scratch the surface of the problem and the end-result will leave you feeling even more hopeless and defeated.

So what does someone with an eating and behavioral issue do to lose weight?
*Counseling – This should be at the top of the list. Get to the root of the problem and you will find the link that keeps taking you back to the behavior. If you can not afford counseling, most churches and other religious organizations offer spiritual support groups that will stand with you as you walk this journey.
*Education and Nutritional planning – Most people think they know what they should eat, however, you would be surprised. If your insurance plan (or the lack thereof) does not cover a visit to a nutritionist, attend a nutritional and/or wellness seminar (usually costs under $20 per person) and learn more about nutrition and how to make healthy choices
*Exercise – You can join a gym or hire a personal trainer, but it is much easier to commit to do one thing every single day: Walk, 30-45 minutes a day. If you are too embarrassed to walk the block, then walk in place. Moving your body each day in a repetitive fashion for at least 30 minutes can make a vast difference. And guess what? It is free!!!!

Is a pill the answer? No. It may help, but it is never the complete equation. Unless you get to the root of the why you are overeating, you will continue to use food as a “bad” drug. That is why diet pills, fad diets and marketing ploys to lose weight are so short lived.

Quick Tips for Wellness: Diet pills do not work.
Get to the root of the problem and you will find the answer.

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Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: The truth about Chiropractic care

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: The truth about Chiropractic care: In 2002, I was the victim of hit and run drunk driver traveling 65 mph. Fortunately, I didn’t suffer any life threatening injuries; but, ...

The truth about Chiropractic care

In 2002, I was the victim of hit and run drunk driver traveling 65 mph. Fortunately, I didn’t suffer any life threatening injuries; but, I did suffer from three bulging discs, sciatica and a tear in my meniscus and rotator cuff. Needless to say, I was in A LOT of pain! I absolutely refused to take pain medicine for fear of becoming addicted, and I put off having surgery to repair the two tears (but later had knee surgery by a wonderful surgeon) for many years following the accident. Living in pain was unbearable, many days and nights. The only thing that really helped me during that time was my Chiropractor, who not only relieved my pain but helped me therapeutically heal on my own, as well.

What I learned from being under the care of an excellent Chiropractor was two things: Our bodies are made to heal themselves when they receive the proper medical intervention and are coupled with our nutrition and faith (yes, faith….it played as great a part if not great in my overall healing as did anything else!).

The beauty of my Chiropractor, Drs. Spencer and Tara Johansson of the Spine Group, was how they understood the compliment of three components to complete health and wellness: Body, mind and spirit. NEVER did my Chiropractor tell me not to receive surgery or other medical intervention when necessary (meniscus tear, rotator cuff tear, etc., usually requires surgery). Even my surgeon supported and affirmed the benefits of Chiropractic care and its benefits. Both doctors were, respectfully, in sync with how both medical practices complimented one another.

So why does Chiropractic care receive such mixed reviews from the public and from some medical professionals? Why can’t both Chiropractic care and medicine be a compliment to one another versus in competition or contrast with one another? Could it be something as simple as ignorance (lack of knowledge) or arrogance (desire to be right regardless of the evidence pointing elsewhere)? Maybe, it’s a bit of both.

What is Chiropractic care?

Chiropractors practice “spinal manipulation”, adjusting and aligning the spine as an alternative to surgery and pain medicine (but can be used in conjunction to medical treatment), allowing the body to naturally, heal itself.

When should you receive Chiropractic care?

The mobility of our joints can become restricted and limited when we have experienced a trauma (fall, injury). The build-up of tissue around our joints usually occurs, causing arthritic pain in the area where we are injured or restricted. Alignment not only helps our joints realign they help to keep the joints mobile in the area of restriction. Along with physical therapy and sometimes surgery, Chiropractic care is a compliment or can be a primary medical treatment for almost any skeletal injury.
Chiropractic care is used in the treatment of “muscles, joints and bones” and can assist (along with proper exercise and nutrition) in the body healing itself (http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/chiropractic-pain-relief).

Are Chiropractors “Doctors”?

A Chiropracter is designated by the letters “DC” (Doctor of Chiropractic) after their name. Their education typically reflects four years of undergraduate study and four years of education through a Chiropractic school. They do not perform surgery or write prescriptions.

Do all Chiropractors use the same methods?

No. For example, some use force while others use non-force methods. All Chiropractors practice some form of therapy along with guiding their patients toward living a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.

Who should see a Chiropractor and who should not?

Good question. Talk to your primary care physician and disclose all of your medical history to both your Chiropractor and MD before you receive treatment. Most doctors (mine included) support Chiropractic care and are possibly receiving the same treatment themselves. However, some patients are not candidates for this type of care according to their doctors. If you are currently undergoing any type of medical treatment, speak to your MD before you seek any alternative care (a responsible Chiropractor would tell you the same advice).

Does insurance cover Chiropractic care?

Most will but check with your insurance company, first. Also, check your deductible, co-pays and limits on your policy before you receive treatment.

Is Chiropractic care safe, effective and a good alternative to pain medicine and surgery?

Just like there are good and bad medical experiences, throughout any type of treatment, Chiropractic care is no different. What is beneficial (in my opinion) with Chiropractic care is an alternative to medical care that doesn’t involve pain medicine and injections. My personal experience has been overall excellent and effective.

To learn more about Chiropractic care visit this link: http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/how-select-best-chiropractor.

Quick Tips for Wellness: Chiropractic medicine helps the body heal itself, naturally.

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Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: RIP (Rest In Peace): Insomnias long term effects ...

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: RIP (Rest In Peace): Insomnias long term effects ...: There will be times when our sleep cycle will be disrupted or experience small changes, every now and then. But what about when we’re not...

RIP (Rest In Peace): Insomnias long term effects on the body, mind and spirit

There will be times when our sleep cycle will be disrupted or experience small changes, every now and then. But what about when we’re not able to “rest in peace” or sleep a normal sleep cycle and healthy sleep regiment for long periods of time? Insomnia is described simply as the inability to sleep through the night, constantly awaking throughout a sleep cycle or awaking too early, not getting enough sleep and feeling tired upon waking. During an illness, insomnia is not all too uncommon. Absent of an illness or medically related condition, insomnia can wreak havoc on a person’s life.

Types of Insomnia
There are two types of Insomnia: Primary and Secondary.
Primary Insomnia relates to experiencing a sleep disorder not related to other medical conditions or illnesses.
Secondary Insomnia is typically related to an illness, medical condition, injury or a possible reaction to medicine consumed. Things like depression, arthritis, indigestion, cancer, etc., are examples of medical conditions that may easily disrupt our sleep cycle.

Acute or Chronic Insomnia
The length of time and when Insomnia occurs in a person’s life is key to understanding whether or not it is a sign to a greater problem and how to correct it’s linger effects.

*Acute Insomnia will usually last for a limited amount of time, may be the result of stress (job, finances, emotional) and will likely resolve itself once the stress is over (typically over within a few days or weeks).

*Chronic Insomnia will linger much longer (several nights a week continuing for months) and is likely to interrupt a person’s life, health and livelihood.
Depression, anxiety, life changes (divorce, job loss, overwhelming responsibilities, etc.) can each contribute to Chronic Insomnia and if left untreated, can invite illness into our lives.

The "factory" within
So why is it so important to stop Insomnia before it stops you? Our bodies are like a factory that must shut down every night so that the engine (mind, body and spirit) can be renewed and restored.

If you’ve ever worked in a factory, then you’ve noticed how parts of the factory will shut down for routine maintenance at a certain time, usually at night when activity or production is reduced or has halted. During that time the machinery not only gets a rest, it receives a routine maintenance check so that it can start working efficiently the next day. When anything runs without rest it eventually wears down more quickly, doesn’t it?

Our bodies are the same way: Without adequate rest (7-8.5 hours at night), our bodies will not be adequately prepared to go to work the next day. If we work the night shift it’s harder for our bodies to “shift” into healthy sleep patterns.
Side effects and symptoms of Insomnia can include:
*Yawning
*Poor performance
*Irritability
*Inability to concentrate and perform simple common tasks
*Illness, injury/accidents occurring during routine performances (tripping, falling down, misjudging distances)

Insomnia is a sleep disorder and can very likely be linked to other hereditary conditions/disorders. Insomnia often appears to be very common genetically but shouldn’t be accepted as just a genetic pre-disposition. More than likely, it’s related to stress in your life which can also be the pre-cursor to illness and disease.

Treatment for Insomnia can range from sleep aids, to dietary and lifestyle changes. If you’re constantly going to bed late (after 11pm), handling too many responsibilities (leadership roles, multiple jobs, single parenting, care-giver to others) or simply stretching yourself thin (overspending, over committing) then you need to start changing your lifestyle and commitments before they start robbing you of your wellness. Sleep disorders are treatable but often the result of our lives being out of order and overwhelmed by external circumstances (not always but more often than not).

If you have found yourself off-course, unable to sleep, and starting to feel the side effects disrupting your life here are a few things you can do immediately to help your body help you:
*Stop eating or drinking ANYTHING 3 hours before bedtime (8pm at the latest)
*Stop watching television and/or being on the computer/cell phone 1 hour before bedtime
*Meditate and pray right before you fall asleep (calming your mind and releasing your thoughts can make a huge difference on how you fall asleep)
*Sleep should occur in a dark, slightly cool (70 degree) room in a comfortable, clean bed and pillow
*Clean the room where you will be sleeping (what we see before we go to sleep has an effect on how we feel as we go to sleep)
*Prioritize sleep! If you have trouble going and staying asleep (Chronic Insomnia), start taking inventory of your life!

If it’s related to a medical condition, ask your doctor for help. If it’s related to an emotional condition, seek counseling, therapy or guidance to find the internal peace you need. Regardless of what internal factors may be causing your Insomnia, your external environment feeds your internal condition.

Make sure that your life is in order and balanced as much as possible and within the realm of what you can control (you can’t control other people but you can control how you allow them to impact and influence your life).

Create a clean slate – Clean up, clear out and shut down your mind
For example: If your room is messy, cluttered and trash is lying everywhere, then your mind will feel overwhelmed as it attempts to rest and when it awakens the next day. Just the visual reminder that your life is out of control adds stress to your emotional wellbeing.
Turning down the “volume” in our lives through external forces (computers and cell phones) at least an hour before we rest helps to begin the releasing process. When our minds are constantly active, they are hard to shut down. Taking control over our mind first helps to take control over our bodies. Cleaning the "slate" internally helps our body function more thoroughly.

Shut down slowly – Watch how you unwind before you rewind your internal clock.
Anything that comes to an abrupt “halt” will usually leave tracks, doesn’t it? If I am constantly slamming on the breaks in my life then I will have a hard time “winding” down when it comes time to stopping at night. Either that or I’ll simply crash and burn each time I come to a stop.

Manage stress with an open mind - Learn to take control over what you can and manage your life from that perspective. If external forces are driving you crazy, discipline your mind to separate your thoughts from what you can and cannot control.

The key to understanding the difference between the two is simply this: If I can control it, then I can change it. If I can’t change it, I can’t control it. If you find yourself experiencing the latter of the two, then learn to release it to God and ask for His help. You’ll be amazed at how much better you will feel once you realize what you can and cannot control. The onus transfers from your shoulders to His shoulders, instantly.

Quick Tips for Wellness: Rest In Peace is a term meant for the living.

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Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Unlock the door to a good night's sleep

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Unlock the door to a good night's sleep: What exactly is a good night’s sleep? That answer might depend upon who you ask, but experts say it’s affected by two major components: Le...

Unlock the door to a good night's sleep

What exactly is a good night’s sleep? That answer might depend upon who you ask, but experts say it’s affected by two major components: Length and quality of sleep.

There are many levels of sleep that we experience throughout a sleep pattern, with deep sleep (also known as stage N3) occurring directly before we start dreaming. It’s harder to awaken someone when they are in deep sleep, the most vital cycle of sleep we experience. Sleep-walking occurs during this cycle and is the result of our brain’s motor centers awakening, without the higher centers engaging, allowing our body to respond physically without our full awareness.

There are three stages of sleep (N1-N3) that start the process of how we fall and stay asleep:

N1 (Transition to sleep) – Easily awakened, eyes move slowly while muscle activity slows down, allowing you to be easily awakened.

N2 (Light sleep) – Continues for about 10-25 minutes, with your eye movement stopping and your heart rate slowing down, decreasing your body temperature.

N3 (Deep sleep) – Brain waves are at the lowest point with blood flowing away from the brain and into the muscles.

REM - After these three initial stages, REM sleep kicks in lasting about 70-90 minutes and producing our “dreaming” stage of sleep. You might call this stage “paralyzing” due to the decreased breathing our body experiences, along with our arms and legs becoming “paralyzed”, while our heart and blood pressure increase and our eye movement rapid.

The “How, when and why” behind our sleep zone

The question of how much sleep we need, when we should sleep and why sleep is so vitally important in our daily lives are three key questions that don’t change between individuals. What does change is our sleep behavior, which can be affected by several factors. There was a very good reason God made day and night, with the latter for sleeping. At night, our brain begins producing melatonin, a hormone that increases our desire to fall asleep. During the day melatonin production is prohibited, thus keeping us awake and alert unless we’re not getting a good night’s sleep, resulting in sleepiness, yawning and feelings of exhaustion.

The length of time we spend in deep sleep is equally important as the length of time we spend asleep. If we’re having a hard time functioning throughout the day or awaking from sleep, then we know that we’re not getting enough deep sleep. A lack of exposure to natural sunlight during the day and too much exposure to indoor lighting at night can also disrupt our brain from producing the melatonin it needs at night. Thus, the reason why working the night shift, maintaining a job or lifestyle that keeps you indoors throughout the day, traveling outside your time zone and pulling an all-nighter can wreak havoc on your wellness, throwing your body off balance and depriving you of the precious sleep you need each night.

The side effects from a lack of sleep

During deep sleep, our body goes through a rebuilding process, part of the Circadian Rhythm cycle at which time it rebuilds, renews and restores our hormones, tissues and cells. Our bodies naturally want to shut down at night time (due to the increase of melatonin) experiencing part of this cycle around 10pm, continuing for approximately 8 hours. When we fail to “shut down”, our body will fall short of experiencing the benefits of one part of this cycle, causing us to gain weight, lowering our immunities (Melatonin has antioxidant effects that help fight toxins in our body) and personal performance the very next day. “Get some rest” is more than just sage wisdom; it’s a requirement for us to live a healthier life.

Sleep cycles

At some point in our lives, we develop sleep habits that unless there are major changes in our lives, stay relatively the same. Sudden changes in time zones or our work schedule can take more than a week for our bodies to reset our biological clocks from within. When our lifestyle or habits change drastically, even by 2 hours, our bodies can feel sleep-deprived especially if we’re continuously changing them.

Quality versus quantity

Sleep is a form of “nutrition” for our body, feeding it what it needs to perform the next day. While the length of time we sleep plays an important part in our wellness cycle, it doesn’t necessarily represent a clear picture of the sleep-quality we experience during our sleep cycle. Counting only the number of hours you slept (7.5 – 9 hours for an adult, up to 12 hours for a child) but not the quality of sleep you experienced, creates a misunderstanding behind the purpose of sleep. There is a point in which your body may sleep longer or shorter, reflecting what you experienced during the day and how your body produced the melatonin levels you needed for sleep. However, the length of time is only one factor involved in determining the quality of sleep. What levels of sleep you experienced will be the true quantifier with which to measure your sleep experience. Less than 3% of the population can sleep on 6 hours or less a night and still experience peak performance the following day.

Deep sleep deprivation

Deep sleep (aka REM or rapid eye movement sleep) is one of the four cycles of sleep. When we don’t experience each cycle our body begins to change, in subtle but major ways. Dreaming occurs during REM sleep, along with blood flow being directed away from the brain and into the muscles, as our brain waves slowly decrease. This deep state of relaxation is extremely important for our body to experience, enhancing the renew/replenish/restore cycle we need for the next time we awake. Lack it and you’ll feel it within the next 24 hours.

Sleep bank

So is the length of time we sleep equal to depositing into a sleep “bank account”, one we can deposit and withdraw upon our own will? The sleep experts say “yes”. How is that? If you’re sleep-deprived you can give your body the rest it needs which in turn will help your body start the rebuilding, restoring, renewing process at any time. That doesn’t mean you should “yo-yo” back and forth between good and bad sleep habits, but that you should correct your sleep habits as soon as you begin to experience sleep deprivation. Remember: Deep sleep is the state in which our bodies fully restore. Napping is great, but it isn’t a substitute for what our body requires from 7-8 hours of sleep.

Quick Tips for Wellness: Sleep is the bodies down time for rebuilding the body’s engine.

Resources: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/healthy_sleep.pdf

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Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: “Shot-limiting schedules” limit vaccinations for k...

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: “Shot-limiting schedules” limit vaccinations for k...: From 2006 to 2009, parents in Portland, Oregon, tripled in size for those who delayed receiving their children’s vaccinations on time ac...

“Shot-limiting schedules” limit vaccinations for kids: Wisdom or misguided idealism?

From 2006 to 2009, parents in Portland, Oregon, tripled in size for those who delayed receiving their children’s vaccinations on time according to a new study in the journal “Pediatrics” (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/06/13/peds.2011-3154).
Based on the study, a total of 4502 out of 97711 children born between 2003 and 2009 fell into the “shot-limiters” category for not receiving their shots on time. Only a handful of shot-limiters followed alternative shot schedules:

“RESULTS: A total of 4502 of 97 711 (4.6%) children met the definition of consistent shot-limiters. The proportion of consistent shot-limiters in the population increased from 2.5% to 9.5% between 2006 and 2009. Compared with those with no or episodic limiting, consistent shot-limiters by 9 months of age had fewer injections (6.4 vs 10.4) but more visits when immunizations were administered (4.2 vs 3.3). However, only a small minority of shot-limiters closely adhered to published alternative schedules.

CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of children consistently receiving 2 or fewer vaccine injections per visit between birth and age 9 months increased threefold within a 2-year period, suggesting an increase in acceptance of non–Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices vaccine schedules in this geographic area.”

Alternative medicine may be to thank or blame when it comes to decisions and opinions parents have about having their child vaccinated. According to medical experts this type of thinking puts a child at greater risk in one of two ways: Exposure to illness/disease and record keeping of shots given. Once a child fell behind in their shots, it was likely they would stay behind in their schedule. Both could spell the potential for future problems.

Delayed shot giving didn’t appear to have any better results for those surveyed: 4,500 out of 98,000 of the children on the delayed shot schedule visited the doctor’s office almost twice as many times as their counter parts.

The staggering number of immunization shots a child is given, from birth to age 6, seems almost surreal: As many as 5-6 shots during one office visit and up to 24 shots by age 6 covering 14 diseases. When you consider the amount of preventative shots you receive over a lifetime, the amount received by a brand new life is certainly questionable both ways and begs to ask the question of whether too many shots is just too much at one time.

For those surveyed, skepticism and illness related conditions seem to be at the root of the decision. Leading questions like “Is this shot necessary?”, “Will it cause my child pain?”, “Should I have all these shots given at once?”, appear to be “top of mind” concerns for most parents. The study did not provide a category specific response from parents but generalized the reasons for the delay’s.

The toughest decision a parent has to make when it comes to their child is always whether or not they’re protecting from or exposing them to a potential problem in the future. The answer to both may be a flat “yes”.

Quick Tips for Wellness: You can’t un-ring the bell when it comes to making a health care decision. Before you choose, examine the advice closely.

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Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Hypnotic “bypass” surgery: Power of suggestion...

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Hypnotic “bypass” surgery: Power of suggestion...: Hypnotic “bypass” surgery: Power of suggestion or quackery? You decide. Hypnotic motivational guru, Paul McKenna swears he can help 7 ...

Hypnotic “bypass” surgery: Power of suggestion or quackery? You decide.
Hypnotic motivational guru, Paul McKenna swears he can help 7 out of 10 people achieve sustainable, permanent weight loss through the power of hypnosis. Dr. Oz recently interviewed McKenna, presented compelling testimony from his followers who swear by the outcome: After eating only a small portion of food, the feeling of fullness followed by some nausea and pain (akin to bypass surgery) were common occurrences for those who went through hypnotic therapy for weight loss.

According to McKenna, “This procedure is real new…..we’ll have to see what the long term effects are.” The most powerful part of hypnosis is centered on the power of “suggestion”. “When they change on the inside they change their behavior on the outside” is the simple answer to why hypnosis seemingly works for some.

McKenna even has a way to accelerate a slow metabolism through the power of suggesting pleasant and desirable thoughts while linking those thought to some form of physical exercise. Through touching the thumb and finger together, he leads you through a simple procedure of thinking about doing something you like and associating it to increasing physical exercise. “That alone, increases metabolism” according to McKenna. (Hmmmm…..I guess so, but there’s no real evidence that has shown if the brain alone can increase the metabolism through simply thinking the thought versus disciplining the body to perform the activity itself). I’d bet a lot of “exercise haters” just love this idea!

Is it something more or is hypnosis really “the” answer? What is common about what McKenna is suggesting is one thing: Behavioral change is a key component to permanent change. Lap bands, gastric bypass surgery and fad dieting only have one thing in common: Temporary fixes and controlled behavioral consequences that will not last if you don’t do the work and discipline your eating and exercising regiment. You simply cannot force your body into changing when you’ve not committed your behavior to follow suit. They may help you to start along the path to recovery (and some will need that start), but they never will replace behavior or permanently control it.

Hypnosis might help you “change” your way of thinking, but behavior modification therapy, prayer, meditation and self discipline (learning to say no), along with educating yourself to know more about nutrition can do just as much.
Quick Tips for Wellness: There are no shortcuts to permanent weight loss. Do the work and enjoy the journey!

To learn more about the hypnotic therapy approach, click on the following link: http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/hypnosis-weight-loss

Quick Tips for Wellness: Keeping the weight off = behavior modification.

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Man on a wire: Sport Psychology or lunacy?

Thirty three year old Nik Wallenda had a dream: To walk across Niagara Falls, from the USA to Canada, at night on a wire. Sounds more like a nightmare or an insane moment to most, but for Wallenda, it was a desire that left him restlessly desperate to complete. As the grandson of Karl Wallenda and famed member of the Flying Wallenda’s, Nik had a unquenchable desire to complete what his grandfather never could after losing his life at 73 years old during a failed attempt during a walk on a wire between two buildings in Puerto Rico in 1978.

Aside from completing an amazing feat, the Wallenda family is well known for their prowess on the wire. A future event to cross a section of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, three times the length of walk across the falls, has already been planned. However, what sounds like a day at the office, is hardly something normally accomplished by more than a handful of people on any level.

So what exactly is it that separates the Wallenda’s from the Smith-like people, enabling them to do what seems next to impossible? What does it take to perform such daring feats and how does someone become a “Great Wallenda” kinda guy? Are you genetically predisposed, influenced at a young age or is it something that requires a mental capacity unknown to most human beings?

According to sports psychologists, mental toughness training is a key factor top performing athletes must possess. Carissa Rodriguez of Vanderbilt University’s Health Psychology Department describes the body mind connection as an essential component necessary to achieve overall performance.

“By learning to train the mind to work along with the body and spirit, one will increase real performance by decreasing anxiety.”

Cognitive, behavioral training coordinates the body to work with the mind while disciplining and balancing both to overcome the rise of stress hormones experienced during highly stressful situations. If the mind fails to work with the body, then no matter how smart, strong or athletically talented you may be you will likely fail, both mentally and physically. Our mind constantly sends or replays a message that is sent to our body, ordering its response.

For example, if we’ve “failed” at something we’re trying now to overcome, we have to train our mind to discipline our body to work cohesively in order to hurdle past our history. If our mind continuously replays the message of our failure or defeat, then the repeat button will likely win over the fast forward action we’re attempting to send. The ability with which we are able to perform, overcome and achieve success at any level is highly related to our ability to coordinate both our mind and body to work together.

Imagery, concentration and self belief are equal partners in obtaining peak performance. Although you can’t just “believe in yourself” without paying the price of what comes with it (years of developing your talent, athletic prowess and superior ability) belief in yourself is a vital lifeline to accomplishing anything beyond your last feat or your next life challenge.

What separates the winners from the losers is usually one thing: The ability to overcome the obstacle set before them and the discipline to hurdle forward with strength beyond their natural abilities.

Quick Tips for Wellness: Training the body to work with the mind and spirit produces the strength to overcome.

Quick Tips for Wellness ™ Copyright © 2012, All Rights Reserved

Resources: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-16/us-man-first-to-walk-cable-stretched-across-niagara-falls/4074652; http://www.athleticinsight.com/Vol1Iss2/Cognitive_Behavioral_Anxiety.htm#Cognitive-Behavioral Treatments in Athletics

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Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Cancer research ...

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Cancer research ...: Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Cancer research breakthrough and prognostic blood ... : Breakthrough research for cancer patients may be o...

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Cancer research breakthrough and prognostic blood ...

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Cancer research breakthrough and prognostic blood ...: Breakthrough research for cancer patients may be offering a crystal ball outlook in screening for breast cancer, but will it help revers...

Cancer research breakthrough and prognostic blood tests for breast cancer: Crystal ball or false hope?

Breakthrough research for cancer patients may be offering a crystal ball outlook in screening for breast cancer, but will it help reverse the curse or simply notify you in advance, is the million dollar question. Mostly, it can tell a patient what the propensity of reoccurrence may be for the spread of metastatic cancer cells and how that could affect their future health.
Early diagnosis may allow a doctor to take a more aggressive treatment route or prepare a patient in advance of the potential future of their disease, while assessing the risks of its return and what that may mean to the patient.

According to the “Lancet Report”, the occurrence of one or more CTC’s (circulating tumor cells) in the blood stream predicted early reoccurrence and, if left untreated, decreased the possibility of survival. The main purpose of the research is to determine if these cells were likely to spread beyond their original location (nonmetastatic). Early detection can help advance the stages of treatment more aggressively with the hope of a more positive outcome for the patient.

The study examined 302 patients, of which 24% were identified as having CTC’s in their blood samples. In short, those found with higher concentration of CTCs (one or more circulating tumor cells) had higher rates of relapse and less hopeful outcomes if left untreated.

As “gatekeepers”, General Practitioners are critical care providers who are heavily relied upon in the initial screening. The recent study revealed some very disturbing evidence: In some countries, GP’s are failing miserably at treating their patients properly for cancer and the potential of it’s dangerous spread and/or occurrence. Twenty-five percent of those patient’s symptoms were ignored or simply delayed in receiving proper treatment recommendations. Should early detection of CTCs be made available early on, no one will suffer from misaligned advice or poor treatment advice.

Quick Tips for Wellness: Ask your doctor what tests are currently available for your current condition and make certain your doctor is being “proactive” in their recommendations for you care.

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Resources: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2812%2970247-4/fulltext

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Do "skinny taste buds" = Bigger waist line?

Quick Tips for Everyday Wellness: Do "skinny taste buds" = Bigger waist line?: According to Dr. Oz, if you’re shy on taste buds you might be showing it around your waist line. “How is that?” you might be asking yours...

Do "skinny taste buds" = Bigger waist line?

According to Dr. Oz, if you’re shy on taste buds you might be showing it around your waist line. “How is that?” you might be asking yourself. Here, a few theoretical reasons:

*Less taste buds = Over-eating (especially fatty foods)

*More taste buds = Instant gratification (less over eating)



If you’re not sure if you have too few or too many taste buds, simply open your mouth and look in a mirror. Taste buds appear like little bumps on your tongue. If you barely notice them, then you probably have fewer than normal. If you notice a lot of them, then you have more than most. Our taste buds interact with our “papillae” (receptors in our mouth), assisting with the satisfying our cravings. The tendency for overweight people is to satisfy (satiate) their “taste buds”, thus overeating. Fatty foods are the least likely food to satisfy and cause those with fewer taste buds to over eat.

So what can you do to “trick” your taste buds especially if you have too few of them?

*Choose “healthy” fatty foods (Avocados, almonds, oily fish) to satisfy your cravings

*Incorporate protein related foods every time you eat (protein is more filling than carbohydrates)

*Season food with natural herbs and spices and avoid MSG and high sodium seasoning products


When we crave “fatty foods” we usually go through another cycle of consuming sweet food to balance out our cravings. Why? Our body naturally craves nutrition. Fatty foods = feeding our brain. Sweet foods = feeding our body energy. Even though, we may be feeding our bodies the wrong nutrition, we still crave what is in the food we’re consuming. Remember: Food is fuel and food is a drug. When we constantly feed our body “healthy” balanced nutrition, we help our body feel satisfied.

If you’re still not sure if you have too many taste buds or not enough, try eating something really spicy and judge your reaction. If you can handle what most people cannot, then you probably have too few taste buds.

Watch this interesting Dr. Oz video to learn more. (http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/taste-buds-weight-gain)

Quick Tips for Wellness: Understanding the “why” behind the “what” you’re eating, helps keep your wellness in check.


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