Let it Out!

Men who stifle their anger at work are at a greater risk for heart attack; so says a recent study out of Stockholm, Sweden. Men who consistently failed to express their resentments over conflicts with a fellow worker or supervisor were more than twice as likely to have a heart attack or die of heart disease. And ignoring an ongoing work-related conflict was associated with a tripled risk of heart attack or coronary death, the study of almost 2,800 Swedish working men found.

Coping styles may play a big part in the physiological outcomes, as women did not show a risk of heart related disorders when stressed at work. Maybe men need to consider pedicures. Check it: Women in general appear to handle stressful situations better than men, noted Dr. Bruce S. Rabin, director of the Healthy Lifestyle Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

"Social interaction, having people to talk to, is extremely important," Rabin said. "If you keep things to yourself, you have high levels of stress hormones. Women are more comfortable in social interactions than men. They talk more, while men tend to keep within themselves."

So men...let it out! You can't scream at work, but you can certainly bring your frustrations home with you...and talk about them. Yes, talk...Find a friend, like your pitbull, Killer, maybe, and talk to him. Let him know how you're feeling. Let him know that you'd love to feed him your boss' appendages...starting with Mr. Douche's third leg. You might not be able to actually do it in this lifetime, but just saying it helps. I know, I do it all the time.

How about a punching bag with your asswipe coworker's headshot on it? I've seen video of one friend at the gun range with a picture of a sworn enemy's face on the target--quite effective, I tell ya. Lastly, you can try a friendly game of Grand Theft Auto. I find the virtual beat-the-crap outta anyone and everyone enormously gratifying. Let it out, man. It's for your heart health, dammit.

Thanks for Getting On-Board

In 1992 when I was in college, the Catholic Church finally acknowledged Galileo's findings on planetary motion, and publicly cleared him of any wrongdoing. Evolution is still foolishly rejected by some. But what really makes me feel good is when an idea known as true for so long by some gets picked up by the mainstream.

Take pain for instance; chiropractors have known for over a century how wide ranging its effects are. But not the medical industry. Noooo. Pain is a part of getting old. There are some medications we can give you to ward off the pain, but...I'm sorry Missus Jones, you'll just have to live with the pain.

But, as they say, the times they are a changin'. And there is now acknowledgment that pain can wreak havoc on human operation that goes well beyond the obvious. A new study out of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and the University of Massachusetts shows that chronic pain actually increases the probability of seniors falling. Since falls are a significant cause of death for the elderly, uncovering its predisposing factors are vital.

According to the study, published in the Nov. 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, people who had pain in more than one joint were more likely to fall, compared with people who reported no pain or minimal pain. Severe pain and pain that affected participants' ability to do daily activities also made falls more likely, researchers found. In addition, having pain in one month made falling in the next month likely. People who reported severe pain in one month had a 77 percent increased risk of falling the next month. Even people reporting very mild pain were more likely to fall the following month, the group found.

So this is nothing new to chiropractors. We know precisely how much pain interupts neurological functioning of the human body; we know that the elderly are particularly susceptible to pain-induced biomechanical dysfunction (but don't get false security young-folk, you, too, are susceptible); and we know that helping people become pain-free through chiropractic care helps them maintain their function, their balance and their dignity.

But here's the problem: Medical science does not fully recognize it, yet. Damn shame I tell you. The current medical answer to pain in the elderly is pharmaceutical therapy, or in other words, drugs. Not only is this solution a non-solution since it never really removes or corrects the pain, but it can also add to the feelings of imbalance which then lead to further...you guessed it, falls.

Did the researchers mention pain-relieving chiropractic care as an answer? Well, they did mention fitness and wellness professionals, and since chiropractors are that, then...I guess they did. Thank you, thank you medical science--it's about time. Like Galileo before him, D.D. Palmer will appreciate the acknowledgment.

Depressed Canadian Loses Benefits over Facebook

A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression says she lost her benefits because of pictures posted on Facebook.

According to a recent report from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Nathalie Blanchard of Quebec has been on leave from her job at IBM for the last year. She had been receiving monthly payments from insurance giant Manulife, but the payments dried up this fall. Apparently, according to Ms. Blanchard anyway, she was told she lost benefits because of pictures posted on Facebook showing her having a good time at various activities, including a night out at a Chippendales bar show club.

Manulife denies that they would drop coverage solely based on information published on Web sites such as Facebook. However, they did say that they have evidence that Blanchard is no longer depressed. Hmmm. Blanchard states that she went partying on her doctor's advice to go out and have a good time to help her forget her problems. Double hmmm....

I guess when you have such a weak classification of a disorder as depression is, eventually you'll have a fiasco like this one. Listen, depression as a medical diagnosis is BS. Who doesn't get depressed? Sure some people go off the deep end, but does it really warrant in excess of $31 billion in lost productivity per year (U.S. figures); does it really warrant mass antidepressant therapy; does it really warrant massive insurance payouts in disability? Does it...really?

Well I guess if it does, then there will always be a fine line that insurance adjusters will monitor. Just like with physical disability, an insured collecting monthly payments will have their life scrutinized. Who hasn't heard of people on permanent disability filmed lifting heavy objects, doing housework and other activities proving that they can, in fact, work? Duh! Same thing will happen with mental health issues.

Can't say whether Facebook pictures of somebody enjoying Chippendales dancers constitutes improved mental status (could argue either way), but remember it's a fine line. It seems to me that if you are too depressed to work, you are probably too depressed to go out socializing. Or put another way, if you can find joy and purpose in male strippers, or anything for that matter, getting your behind to work will probably good for you in the long run.

Chocolate Stress Cure

Listen up, ladies: Eating chocolate may decrease the stress response. Ooh...got your attention didn't I? You heard right, a small amount of dark chocolate a day can keep stress at bay.

According to a recent study done at the Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced the levels of stress hormones in highly stressed people. Dang! That sounds like the cure for me.

Dark chocolate is rich in bioactive compounds. It contains flavonols--antioxidants found in dark vegetables. Dark chocolate has eight times more antioxidants than do strawberries. Since dark chocolate is only sugar and fat mixed with cacao, or "chocolate liquor"--it's a purer form than milk chocolate, white chocolate, or sweet chocolate. Some other health benefits of dark chocolate:

• lowers blood pressure
• balances some hormones
• lowers cholesterol
• stimulates production of phenylethylamine (PEA), which is also produced during female orgasm, and therefore gives feelings of pleasure

Now I know what you're thinking: If a little dark chocolate is good, then a five pound block is better, right? No, no, no...too much sugar, and remember that the chocolate we eat is also mixed with fat, so the recommendation is an ounce and a half per day (the picture to the right shows a 1.5 oz. bar). That's it. A little chocolate every day, less stress, more pleasure--what more could you need?

Hail My Symptoms

Well, I'm feeling under the weather today. Swine flu, I think. Again. Third time this year. I'm feverish, body aches, severe runny nose, sneezing, not sneezing but feeling like I have to (hate that), and slight chills.

But it just reminds me that my symptoms are welcome. Yes, welcome--thank god for symptoms--because they are my body's way of protecting me from dangerous microorganisms.

The fever increases my body temperature to a level not safe for many microbes. The runny nose, sneezing, and cough expel any unwanted germ from my mucous membranes, where they like to attach before invading. The chills and body aches are the environment's response to the ongoing war between my immune system and the invaders it's fighting. Think of it as the beating any battlefield takes during wartime--Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, a Sumo dohyō, you get it.

I'm not generally a drug-taking guy. Saying that, I will take a med if it's useful to me at the time. So, you all remember when I cracked my tooth a year ago? Motrin'd it. Didn't mess around--I was hurtin' big time. Then there was the time I had appendicitis. Morphine'd it. Thank goodness for narcotics--they're useful, no doubt. But I don't run to antibiotics, or cold medicine, or anything like that when I'm sick because I'm really of the belief that the body knows what to do and when to do it--it has an incredible innate inteligence directing it. And I'm confident in my body's Innate Intelligence to handle most things that come its way.

So I'm celebrating my innate ability to heal by embracing my body's symptoms. I'm at work today and everybody coming in knows my status. If they are freaked out about it, they are not required to stay. I wash my hand one thousand times a day, anyway...but I double that when I'm symptomatic.

Anyway, I kind of value the times when I feel under the weather, because, frankly, it allows me to get some much needed rest, so I ain't complaining. Five more hours and I'll get to become more intimate with my bed.

Maclaren Strollers Recalled

Heads up parents: Maclaren USA Inc. is recalling about 1 million strollers sold in the U.S over the last decade following a dozen reports of children's fingers being amputated when caught in the stroller's hinges.

Maclaren announced a voluntary recall with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Monday.

The strollers, which were made in China, apparently severed twelve childrens' fingertips as they were placed in the hinge apparatus. The amputations occurred as the strollers were being opened or closed and not while the children were sitting in the stroller. Nevertheless, the CPSP advises immediate discontinuation of any Maclaren stroller manufactured in 1999 or later.

The models affected by the recall include Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveler.

T.V. Doctor Selling Power

Looks like T.V. doctors are influencing Americans in droves. Not surprising since people in the U.S. are generally obsessed with celebrity figures. Just look at internet search data and you'll see celebrity searches topping the list day in and day out. True, things like the Paris Hilton sex tape or Erin Andrews nude video make up the majority of searches; but celebrities like Oprah, Howard Stern and George Clooney come in at a close second in search volume.

This is valuable information because it shows just what types of things influence American purchasing habits. Corporations have known this for years, so the celebrity endorsement is not a new phenomenon. But what is fairly young is the use of celebrities to sell health products. Pharmaceutical companies do it, for instance using Earvin "Magic" Johnson to sell HIV drugs. And companies pushing weight loss programs and products have also been aware of the super-selling power of celebrity.

But this brings up question: Should celebrities really be selling products that might be better endorsed by doctors? I mean, didn't Tom Cruise take an s-load of heat for making statements about Brooke Shields and antidepressants? He's just an actor! Well, marketers have found a solution: Use celebrity doctors!

That's right, make doctors the new celebrity (reality celebrity-dom is in, baby). With shows like Dr. Phil, The Doctors, and now The Dr. Oz Show marketers have a powerful vehicle to sell everything from diet programs to the latest wonder drugs. Isn't the evolution of business and advertising fascinating?

Take for instance the dietary meals on wheels program, Bistro MD. Not a new concept by any means, delivering meals of a certain calorie count for people to watch their weight, much like the calorie counting concept of Weight Watchers (a personal favorite of mine for its ground-breaking model conceived more than four decades ago). The idea, though, is for Bistro MD to take the work out of it for the customer. As their website says:

"take the hassle out of preparing healthy meals for the whole family."

Sounds good to me. 'Cept does work? Well The Doctors T.V. show is pushing it, so it must, right? Most Americans would think so cuz...those doctors are on T.V.!

How about a vegan diet? I used to think that was only for nutty hippies, but hey, Dr. Oz recommended a vegan diet for a meat-eating cowbow, so I guess like most Americans I'll accept it cuz, well...that doctor is on T.V.!

And then there's Dr. Phil. He's called in Bistro MD on his show, too (see the video, here). That's a double-whammy celebrity-doctor endorsement--now that's advertising power! And so which company do you think is dominating health and weight loss web searches right now? Yes, Bistro MD. Very good, give yourself a gold star.

So what do I think about all this? Well, I'm really not all that influenced by celebrity endorsements (or so I think; but I do like Danica Patrick, hmmm...); therefore, I'll have to stick to the truth as I know it: NO MAGIC BULLETS people! You want to lose weight, it takes three things:

1. Motivation and drive--these are based on whether you value your health and looks over pleasureful sensory stimulation, which eating for many people invariably is
2. Watching what you eat--both in calories and types of food
3. Burning more calories than you take in--simply put, if you're overweight, you'll need to exercise

So diets like Bistro MD alone ain't gonna do it. Sorry. Gotta have above principles 1 and 3 in there, too. And, frankly, I find that anything that takes the hassle or work out of the process is a sure loser in my book, because it will violate principle number 1 for most people. Sure some people will succeed with Bistro MD, like it happens with most things, but in general, you gotta want it bad enough to make it happen.

My favorite T.V. example of these weight-loss principles in action occurs in the show The Biggest Loser. They prove exactly what I'm saying: You've got to want it (#1), you've got to watch what and how much you eat (#2), and you've got to burn, baby, burn (#3). Ain't no other way. But I'm not on T.V. so...who's really listening?