The Evolution of Health Science

Happy that medical science entering the new age; a little slowly perhaps, but I can appreciate the evolution. New recommendations from the American Cancer Society stress healthy lifestyle behaviors, not just as a preventative  to cancer, but also as a way to boost survival for those that currently have cancer. Bravo, ACS--welcome to the amazing world of human self-healing.

Because medical science believes strongly in evidence, yet prefers to follow the money when choosing which evidence to gather, it can take a little while to uncover what some in the healing professions (we charlatans) have known for decades through simple observation. But...I'm a scientist at heart, so I appreciate. Check it:

According to the Powers That Be, healthy lifestyle behaviors--like the ones I discuss in detail in my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health--could keep cancer from recurring, or can prevent cancer survivors from getting a new type of cancer. Yes! Nice. So healthy diet, exercise, and keeping the weight under control go a long way in enhancing and preserving health.

About 1 in 25 Americans are cancer survivors, according to Colleen Doyle, the cancer society's director of nutrition and physical activity. Although earlier research showed healthy lifestyle behaviors to prevent cancer, no studies had looked at the benefits for current cancer patients, or survivors. And remember, no evidence, no medical acknowledgement...sometimes even ridicule and accusations of quackery. But...that's early hominid thinking, and the times they are a-changing.

"The last time we published recommendations for survivors in 2006, we didn't feel there was enough evidence to say clearly that watching your weight, being active and eating a healthy diet can reduce risk of recurrence," said Doyle, a co-author of the guidelines. "Since that time, 100 studies have looked at the impact of weight, diet or a combination of those things, and those studies have clearly formed a foundation for us being able to make these very solid recommendations that adopting a healthy lifestyle is one of the most important things cancer survivors can do for themselves."

That's wonderful. Don't you just love seeing natural selection right up close and personal?

But the guidelines still warn of supplementation. Say the elders of the tribe:

De-Evolution Anyone?

No evidence shows that supplements benefit cancer survivors, and there is some evidence that certain supplements may cause harm.

Well, they can't get it all right too soon...that wouldn't follow the principles of evolution being a time process. Let's face it, though; the silly studies that they currently do on vitamin supplementation try to answer questions from a pharmaceutical frame of reference, like how vitamins might cure disease?

But the principles of self-healing and those of disease-curing are like apples to colostomy bags by comparison--I guess they're both edible but it really depends on your tastes.

Applause to the machine, nonetheless; healthy behaviors do very much more than prevent disease--they give life. An incredibly profound concept that medical science has yet to grasp...let alone study.

Women Over 50: Health Choices

Ladies: Are you over 50 and considering a boob-reduction?  Hope you're healthy then, because a recent study shows that you're at an increased risk for infection. That's right. And on top of that, women over 50 also have a higher rate of wound-healing problems as compared to younger women, leading to a higher rate of repeat surgery to remove areas of dead skin (debridement). Something to think about if you're considering a slash to the sag.

The study conducted at Johns Hopkins University looked at 1,192 women who had breast reduction surgery between 1999 and 2009 and found that the post-surgery infection rate for women over 50 was 2.7 times higher than for those under 40. 

Researcher believe that the differences are due to age-related changes to hormone levels. Yes, of course! And the reason is that they found older women on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were less likely to have post-surgery infections. Further, women who had undergone hysterectomy or removal of the ovaries, both of which result in large decreases in hormone levels, had higher rates of infection. Accordingly, the study's authors conclude that doctors should investigate any factors that might effect hormone levels in women considering breast reduction surgery, and that hormone replacement therapy might be warranted in women with reduced hormone levels.

So why would I say "hope you're healthy?" Because health isn't simply which chemical or hormone we're missing. When the body is in a state of wellness, it's missing nothing. Why not instead encourage older women to do some things that might improve their health overall? Why not encourage younger women now to maintain their health to their best ability? 

Spoke to a lovely lady this evening in my practice who told me that she does what she does cosmetically because it makes her feel better about herself, which in turn, motivates her to do other right things for herself (like exercise and eat well, etc). While I certainly understand where she's coming from on an emotional level, I'd say it's somewhat illogical reasoning: You alter yourself through surgery so that you feel better about yourself, and then you exercise and eat well?

Ladies, your body is yours to do what you deem appropriate. But I assure you that by doing the right things:

• Exercising regularly
• Drinking lots of water
• Eating whole, natural foods
• Supplementing with vitamin D and calcium
• Visiting your chiropractor regularly
• Getting regular body work done
• Being aware of your body (through gyno checkups and breast self-exams)
• Minimizing alcohol and tobacco use
• Practicing safe sex
• Getting plenty of rest

...you should be healthy for years to come. And if you are in your fifties and pick up these habits now, your highly intelligent body will rebalance itself. If you don't feel better about yourself then, it's time for me to hang up my hands (sorry, I'm a chiropractor, and it's all I could think of...). At the very least, if you decide to get that breast reduction after all, you'll be in the best shape to handle the surgery.

Obesity Causes Imbalance

Continuing on with obesity, you know, I've been hearing quite a bit about hormones and their role in weight gain.  It is an indisputable fact that the concentration of some hormones goes haywire as people gain weight.  But listen up o' seekers of truth: Hormone imbalances are a consequence of weight gain (though I am certain they are also maintainers of such), but in and of themselves they are not the cause.

Hormones are chemicals messengers that have a number of functions, one being regulation or homeostasis.  Homeostasis is a control mechanism that maintains the balance in a system--it is a universal principle.  The peripheral nervous system is made up of the somatic and autonomic nervous systems (ANS), the latter controlling functions that are on auto pilot--the one's we don't have to think about.

The ANS has two branches that act in continual oscillation under normal conditions--the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.  The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for our fight or flight responses; the parasympathetic for our rest and digest.  In other words, each branch of the ANS is responsible for various functions that support either build-up (parasympathetic) or breakdown (sympathetic) processes.  Energy utilization is one such process.

During energy buildup and storage or anabolism--when we extract and store our energy molecules--our parasympathetic system is the driver, controlling various hormones and chemical messengers.  During breakdown and utilization (fuel burning) or catabolism--it's our sympathetic nervous system that's the driver, with it's own hormones and neurotransmitters.  Parasympathetic prepares the body for build-up (rest and digest), which includes slowing molecular breakdown and energy utilization (sympathetic), increased blood flow to the digestive system, and decreased blood flow to the muscles.  When this system is in full force, we often feel relaxed, lazy, maybe even sluggish.  Our bodies are ripe for energy storage or weight gain when we are in rest and digest.

On the flip side, our sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for energy utilization, especially under stressful conditions.  Remember it's the fight or flight system.  During sympathetic stimulation, our metabolism speeds up so we burn fuel more efficiently, blood flow to the digestive organs decreases (less food coming in and being distributed to tissues, thus less stored), and muscles perfuse with blood (getting ready to work).  It's what makes you shake and tremble when you are stress or excited, although I am certain some people rarely feel it so strongly.

I say that because, no doubt, obese people are in a state of parasympathetic imbalance.  That is, their parasympathetic system is kicked in more often than their sympathetic system.  As a result, it has been observed in obese people that certain parasympathetic processes are acting normally while their sympathetic system is depressed.  The effects of such an imbalance is that obese people have difficulty burning fuel efficiently, while they are quite proficient at packing it in.

Okay, we'll no shiitake...we all know that: It's harder for obese people to lose weight.  No kidding...that doesn't mean they cannot.  The reason this happens is that when fuel keeps coming in as food, the body, in its profound intelligence, does what it's proficient at: stores it as fat for leaner times, for survival.  The body doesn't understand gluttony; it doesn't understand prosperity--it doesn't know 24-hr pizza delivery exists.  All it understands is, "Influx of food--store."  Period.  So that's what it does.

As a result of overeating, excessive weight gain and very likely low physical activity, the body is forced into this autonomic nervous system imbalance between parasympathetic and under-active sympathetic systems.  And a vicious cycle ensues.

Yes, it's the reason obese people don't see the same gains non-obese people see from short-term exercise...that's why they've got to make it lifestyle, and see what happens after two years of continued activity.  Too many obese people quit when they don't see result within three months.

And, yes, decreasing calories too quickly can lead to a stress both mental and physical, one that the body interprets as a need to store even more ("Starvation!").  That's why I always recommend to keep weight loss to realistic and healthy goals of one pound per week.  It's one thing I like about the Weight Watcher program--they do it slowly and steadily, advocating lifetime wellness and not just a crash-diet--literally and figuratively.

But here's the bottom line: In the end, it still comes down to calories in, and stored, versus calories burned.  It's just that the hormonal changes that occur--the ANS imbalance--slow things down that much more for the obese person.  In the end, though, part of the answer is still to exercise regularly and effectively, as well as change eating habits (see last post).  There is, however, one more obstacle that is probably the biggest hump when it comes to losing and keeping off weight, and one which I will be discussing in the next post--the human mind.

Corrective Exercises for Knee Clicking

Clicking at the knee is a common complaint walking into my West Hollywood sports chiropractic office.  Although a couple sites on the knee are potential origination points, I find that the most common area of occurrence is at the kneecap (patella) itself.  Knee clicking coming from the knee cap is usually painless, but it can eventually lead to breakdown of the cartilage underneath the patella itself, which can be painful.

Despite being painless in the early stages, knee clicking can be disconcerting, so those experiencing it want answers.  I've cut the video below to explain clicking knee coming from the patella.  In a nutshell, knee clicking comes from a tracking disorder of the patella on the femur and tibia on bending and straightening the knee.  The disorder is usually due to a muscular imbalance of the quadriceps muscles, specifically the vastus lateralis, which gets strong or overactive, and the vastus medialis, which gets weak or under active.  The vastus lateralis, being the strong one, will thus pull the kneecap toward the outside of the leg on knee extension leading to a..."click."

The way to fix knee clicking is by strengthening the vastus medialis relative to the vastus lateralis.  Watch the video below to see the best exercise to correct clicking knees due to a tracking disorder or muscular imbalance.  Remember, not fixing your knee clicking problem can lead to future degeneration, pain and disability, so start exercising now to click no more.

Los Angeles Chiropractic: Quadriceps Stretches for Pain Relief

I've been showing you stretches to open up your hip flexor complex, which includes the iliopsoas (iliacus and psoas major together) muscle.  Another muscle, which is an integral part of this complex and also needs attention in many people, is the rectus femoris (part of the quadriceps muscle) on the front of the thigh.

The rectus femoris attaches from the front of the pelvis to the shin (tibia).  It is involved in both knee extension (straightening the knee) and hip flexion.  In some people, it may be the hip flexor muscle in need of the most lengthening.  When this muscle is tight, it can lead to a number of problems, most notably low back pain and patellar tendonitis.  In either of these cases, stretching will bring quick relief and also prevent the formation and continuation of a chronic problem.

In the video below, I demonstrate four stretches that are excellent openers for the rectus femoris or quadriceps, and thus the hip, low back and knees.  The are actually four successive levels varying in difficulty and intensity.  You should try each one from the beginning to determine your current level.  When you find the one that challenges you the most, but which you can still do without causing too much pain or loss of balance, practice it for one to two weeks before trying the next level.

Within that time, you should be able to master the current level, if you do the stretch every day; and by moving on to the next level, that one will then become challenging but doable.  A principle of all exercise, whether we are talking weight lifting, cardio or stretching, is that you will have to try the next highest level at a lower intensity (whether that means reps, duration, increased intensity of stretch, or whatever) before you will be able to do it regularly and with greater ease.  For example, you won't be able to master the third level stretch in the video until you can do the second level with some ease; then by taking it to the next level, and practicing, even if it's uncomfortable, for a shorter period should in time allow you to do that next level comfortably (as comfortable as a stretch can be), and so on to the next level beyond that.  In other words, you won't be ready for the next level until you do it repeatedly, and ultimately, that will become your next level of mastery (also a metaphor for life!)

Try these stretches to add even greater opening of your hip flexor complex.  I guarantee that once you master all four levels of this rectus femoris stretch, your low back, hips and knees will thank you.  And you'll also see some amazing improvements in your posture.  Try them, you'll see.

Shocking Revelation: Chips Make You Fat!

When it comes to weight gain, is one food-like substance worse than another?  Yes, say Harvard University researchers, and the biggest offenders are potato chips!  Whaddayaknow--worse than sodas, worse than fries, worse than candy?  Yup, chips were more than four times more fattening than sweets or desserts.  Dang!  I'd say, "Who knew," but isn't it kind of obvious?

The study (actually three studies combined) looked at more than 120,000 people over a twenty year period, analyzing their dietary and lifestyle habits.  The subjects were all health professionals and not obese at the start.  Their weight was measured every four years, and they detailed their diet on questionnaires.  On average, participants gained nearly 17 pounds over the 20-year period.  For each four-year period, food choices contributed nearly 4 pounds, while exercise--for those who did it--cut less than 2 pounds.

This is how foods broke down into the fattening quotient (pounds gained/4 years):

• Potato Chips -- 1.69
• French Fries -- 1.28
• Candy -- 0.41
• Alcohol (drinks) -- 0.41
• Watching hour of TV a day -- 0.31
• Recently quitting smoking, 5-pound increase
• People who slept more or less than six to eight hours a night gained more weight.

The researchers conclude that diet is more important than exercise when it comes to gaining or losing weight.  Although I definitely agree with this statement in context of today's western society, I wouldn't say that's a physiological fact, thermodynamically speaking.  Today's foods may just be harder to burn, but I don't know that it is true for all foods (and can't one, technically, get fat from an excess of any food?).  Okay, different subject, I know, but I will agree that our current obesity epidemic ain't from eatin' too many carrots.

This is a decent study, but I would say we should put things into perspective.  Many people believe that as long as they work out, they should be able to eat whatever they want...within reason.  Problem is, people grossly underestimate how many calories they are eating at any given time.  A great piece came out in Scientific American last year discussing a study which showed most people, oddly, miscalculate total calories when high-calorie items are accompanied by 'healthy' side dishes.  Subjects overwhelmingly assigned less calories to plates with cheeseburgers and celery, than they did to cheeseburgers alone.  Doh!  Think that might happen regularly in real life?

Listen, crap is crap is crap is crap.  Chips are crap, period.  Eat them more than a few times a year (seriously) and expect fatness.  Same for sodas, canned ravioli, frozen tater tots and doughnuts--sorry to break-up the party, but...

Do we really need a study to tell us chips and fries are not Jenny Craig material?  I wish not, but sadly...we do.  So now you know.  Do with it what you will.

Beverly Hills Chiropractic: Bicep Stretches for Shoulder Pain Relief

Shoulder injuries are some of the most common conditions people walk into my Beverly Hills sports chiropractic office with, and treating them can be tricky.  I find that shoulder impingement, along with rotator cuff syndrome, has become increasingly problematic for people, especially as people pick up exercise as a lifestyle habit.  Now everyone knows that I think doing so is of mega-importance to achieving and maintaining great health, but it's not without its challenges.

First, without proper form, most people lifting weights can cause injury to themselves.  So form is foremost, period.  This is true whether were talking about lifting weights, doing yoga, Pilates, or whatever.

Poor form during shoulder exercises can lead to impingement syndrome.  I find that in stubborn cases of impingement syndrome, the offending agent is an inflamed biceps tendon.  Please don't take this to mean that the biceps is the primary problem in shoulder impingement syndrome--it's one of three structures that can get inflamed--but it is the most often missed and neglected during the treatment process.

What you can do on your own to speed up the healing process for shoulder impingement syndrome is to ice and stretch.  Watch the video below to see the best home stretch for a biceps tendonitis.

When dealing with a stubborn shoulder injury (that means chronic, not one you've just hurt), go see a sports chiropractor right away.  But you can help your own case by icing and stretching your shoulder, particularly the biceps.  Enjoy.

Rapid Weight Loss Confusion

Listen up wrestlers, boxers, body builders, brides to be and anybody else who makes a habit of losing significant weight quickly--rapid weight loss can lead to mental confusion.  Aw big deal, right?  Yes, it is--it could mean the difference between a win or loss, increase your risk of injury , or even be a matter of life and death!

Researchers at Cal State Fullerton recently looked at 16 collegiate wrestlers to determine if losing weight rapidly before a match had negative strength implications.  But what they found might have surprised them: although they found no changes in strength, the wrestlers that lost 4% or more of their body mass had significantly higher levels of confusion on the day of the competition.  No increased confusion was observed in those who lost less than 4% body mass.  No wrestler lost more than 8% of their body mass (avg. wt. loss = 6 lbs).  The study is published in the April issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

So you might be wondering why anybody needs to lose weight quickly.  Fighters must 'weigh-in' before each bout, so it is common to lose weight right before the match or weigh-in, to come in lighter than their actual weight.  This has the advantage of fighting a smaller opponent if you can get your weight below a certain level.  In fact, most of the wrestlers in the study lost nearly all their weight in the two days before the match.  (They were allowed to choose the desired amount of weight to lose before the match, using methods such as exercise, calorie restriction and fluid deprivation).

The drawbacks were not benign.  According to researchers, "a sport which requires split-second decision making, a higher state of confusion and tension can detrimentally affect the wrestler's performance."  No kidding.

Lots of people want to lose weight overnight.  Shows like The Biggest Loser only perpetuate that desire, as they demonstrate how effective rapid weight loss under controlled conditions can be.  But for the most part, rapid weight loss can be dangerous.  Most people that lose weight rapidly gain it back quickly, and the physiological changes that go along with this type of weight loss can have deleterious effects on the body--cardiovascular, neurological and mental.

I never understand when clients tell me they expect their latest weight loss plan (diet or exercise program) to net them 100 lbs. in a year or less.

What?!?! 

Yes, a year or less.

You are crazy--first it probably won't happen and second, you don't want it to.  A pound a week is healthy; 50 lbs in a year.  But they are convinced.

I'm not suggesting that this study has anything to do with the type of weight loss I just describe, but it does have a correlation.  Simple--any super-rapid weight loss is going to have physiological effects.  Now extrapolate that to "if it has short-term effects in athletes, what does it do over the long-term in the obese?"  I think that's a question worth asking.

Brugger Relief Position for Neck and Upper Back Pain Relief

Achy, sore neck and upper back following a long day in front of the computer?  Work at a desk and at day's end feel like your head weighs a ton?  Perhaps you're a student, head down, nose in the books all day long...that can certainly cause a stiff neck.  Architect?  Lots of driving?  T.V. in bed?  All these activities are common causes of neck and upper back pain and discomfort.

A perfect exercise to help the office worker, student, computer junkie, or couch crasher is something called the Brugger relief position.  This position works by engaging the postural muscles of the spine, holding the body upright.  While it may be uncomfortable for a few people at first (habitual slouchers), engaging the postural muscles takes pressure off the ligaments, which hold the spine up during slouching, and ultimately leads to upper back pain relief.

Watch the video below to see how to properly do the Brugger relief position at home or at work.  Do this exercise every day, minimum five times, until your body is used to the posture.  Then you can do the exercise whenever you start to feel stiff or sore in the neck or upper back.  This exercise does wonders for low back pain, too.

Chiropractic Clients are Healthier

http://www.drnickcampos.com/

When it comes to healthy lifestyle behaviors, regular bodywork is right up there with good diet and exercise.  And in the realm of bodywork, nothing beats chiropractic for keeping people healthy and full functioning throughout their lifetime.

According to a 2000 wellness study,

Chiropractic patients ages 65 and older who were under chiropractic care for five or more years experienced 50 percent fewer medical provider visits than their comparable peers and spent only 31 percent of the national average for health care services.  The health habits of patients receiving maintenance care were better overall than the general population, including decreased use of cigarettes and decreased use of prescription drugs.

I hope Obamacare bureaucrats are paying attention. 

Natural Health Icon Jack LaLanne Has Passed

A hero of mine has passed today: Jack Lalanne died this afternoon at his home in Morro Bay, Calif.  He was 96.  The cause was respiratory failure as a result of pneumonia.

LaLanne was the godfather of the modern physical fitness movement.  I remember as a kid watching him every morning at 7 am while my mom made breakfast.  He made exercise a household activity, and had many other contributions to the world of health.  He invented the Jumping Jack exercise, as well as the Smith machine (a weight-training machine that has a barbell fixed within steel rails, allowing only vertical movement).

A little known fact is that he was a Doctor of Chiropractic.  Yeah, baby!  And a huge advocate for juicing.  He was a bodybuilder, a vegetarian, and believe it or not, a skeptic of organic foods, which he believed were "a bunch of bull."


LaLanne was one of the first to advocate weight-lifting for women.  At a time when it was believed that lifting would cause women to look big and bulky, LaLanne was always one step ahead of the crowd when it came to health and fitness.

"The Jack LaLanne Show" was the longest running television exercise program.  It was started in my home town, San Francisco--perfect for us hippies and weirdos...but we made him an icon.  LaLanne became a popular inspirational speaker, author of several books, a recording artist (for exercise records), a video producer, and promoter of exercise equipment, many vitamin supplements and two models of electric (one his own, Power Juicer).  He made famous the phrase, "That's the power of the juice!"

Jack LaLanne was definitely one of my heroes.  He lived an amazing life, contributing greatly to the world we live in today.  He will continue to inspire me, as he has for my entire life.  Thank you, Jack LaLanne for inspiring me to follow the path of natural health and healing that I have chosen.

Aerobitexting

I have seen the future of exercise, and I can't say I like it.  Aerobitexting seems to be all the rage.  Tonight, I observed 50% of the people in the gym playing with their smartphones while doing something that resembled working out.  Gawd...am I the only one who finds this dorky?

I don't know, maybe I'm just from the old school, but...doesn't exercise warrant...focus???  OK, if watching a YouTube video demonstrating stretching, an exercise or something like that, then I get it.  Useful technology making life more productive...yeah, I'm all for it.

But texting...reading e-mails...facebooking?   D'-or-key...with a capital D!  And dangerous, too: exercise does require focus; in fact, if want to increase your risk of injury in the gym, just lose focus--it's almost guaranteed.

Listen, this ain't new.  People have been doing distracted workouts for years.  Boob-tubes attached to cardio equipment, computers on stationary bikes, and my all-time favorite: reading a novel while huffing on the treadmill.  Whatever.

WTF is so important that you can't sweat your nards off without checking the latest tweets?  (Puff, puff) Oh boy, Justin Bieber's trending right now!

Yep, I'm from the old school: When I go to the gym, I work out--that's it.  Go figure.

*If you're reading this while on the treadmill, pump your fist in the aiy-er.  Oops...sorry.

ADD: Pieces to a Puzzle

One of the biggest messages I try to put forth in this blog is that human beings are amazing self-healing, self-regulating life forms.  We operate under the laws of the universe, and as such, by obeying some very fundamental principles regarding life, our ability to experience great physical health and well-being is magnified.  It doesn't matter whether you have any particular genetic, anatomic or physiologic disposition--you can experience great health, as well as a fulfilling life, by observing basic principles.

This is as true for the "normal" individual as it is for the ADD-labeled person.  Whenever somebody comes to me with this or that problem, my first investigation as a doctor is to find out if they are observing the basics.  So that's what I want to finish off with regarding ADD.  It's of mega-importance that your ADD-labeled child is practicing the healthiest lifestyle possible.  But take note, and do not mistake this very crucial point: What I discuss here is NOT a treatment regimen for ADD.  I do NOT believe that an attention deficit is a disorder, therefore nothing needs treating, especially as we would think in a mechanistic sense.  Instead, what I put forth here will allow any child to thrive physically and mentally, because these are fundamental health principles.

There are no absolutes when it comes to health.  No one practice is more important than another--let's just get that straight right from the beginning.  Instead, health is like a puzzle, and each practice is a piece to that puzzle.  I will for brevity's sake only touch upon each puzzle piece.  If you want more, then I highly recommend reading my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health.  In it you will find most of these points discussed in full detail, along with tips on how to best implement and maximize each practice.

First and foremost is diet and nutrition.  It should go without saying that good nutrition is paramount to a healthy functioning body, but I wonder sometimes.  Too many parents feed their children foods that are, well...suspect.  Here is a basic: foods should be whole and natural.  I'm not saying organic or hormone free or anything like that.  If that's what you prefer, awesome!  But what I mean is "not processed".  Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats and dairy, wholesome grains, minimal sugar, minimal fast food (or none at all, like my kids), and definitely, with no exception: NO SODA!

Soda consumption should be the biggest no-no for an ADD-labeled child.  No, I don't think soda causes ADD.  Soda is garbage for anybody, and that much sugar consistently cannot be conducive to mental sharpness.  Sad fact is that many parents will have to kick their own liquid garbage habit, too, if they want to keep their kids off it.

Next is exercise*.  Kids need to spend time playing and moving!  Period.  It is a standard recommendation for ADD-labeled kids to exercise often, and I couldn't agree more.  Get your kids moving everyday--that's what our bodies (and all life forms) are meant to do.  Don't try operating outside of universal laws and then also expect good health. *Check out this interesting article on children, exercise balls, and focus.

Next, bodywork.  If you haven't taken your ADD-labeled child to see a chiropractor, then you are doing them a great disservice.  Subluxations (misaligned and stuck vertebrae) are extremely disruptive to the nervous system and the mind.  I have seen hundreds of children go into a state of ease and calm following a chiropractic adjustment.  Time to learn more about chiropractic and give it a try if your knowledge and experience of it is limited.

**Throughout these posts, a regular reader and friend, has been kind enough to share her understanding and insight of primitive movement patterns and neurological development.  I am so fascinated and intrigued by this field of study that I intend to investigate it further.  She swears by its benefits, and I respect her knowledge and judgment.  I will keep you informed as I learn more.  Thank you K.O. 

Sleep is next.  But we could just as well call this rest and recuperation.  If your child is not sleeping properly, then they are aging faster and breaking down more quickly.  Sleep is essential to life.  Many metabolic and regenerative processes occur while we sleep.

And don't discount dreaming.  Although we still understand little about this ubiquitous function, I believe it has an important role in our mental brain states (no, I do not think dreams are symbolic).

If your ADD-labeled child is on Ritalin, then I would expect his or her sleep to be disrupted, particularly deep and REM sleep.  Think about that--it's just another way that these dangerous drugs can hurt your child.  If they are also hopped-up on soda...(sigh) heaven help them.

Next is minimizing toxins.  Lot's of things are toxins, but the ones I find most prevalent and damaging are...drum roll please...prescription and over-the-counter drugs.  Nothing wrong these meds periodically when needed, but as a society, Americans are way too over-medicated.  Just look at the Ritalin numbers: 90% consumed in the U.S.  Sad.

Finally is the mental health.  When it comes to your ADD-labeled child, they want what every child (and every person, for that matter) wants--love and acceptance for who they are.  So, again, help them find what they love--they know what it is, because they do it all the time.

Be it sports, be it music, be it socializing, be it fashion--find it, nurture it, and help them be inspired by it.  Pressuring your kid--directly or passively--is not going to help.  When a child senses that you are worried, frustrated, or disappointed, they know it; and trust me this only will add to their stress and inability to perform.  Let them know you love, honor and support them in whatever they love doing, and they will reward you by excelling.  No, they may never excel in school, but plenty of people live amazing lives that were not the result of traditional schooling.

There you have it--like pieces to a puzzle.  Each one important, but neither more-so than any of the others.  In fact, they work synergistically, but I'll leave that topic for you to read in my book.

Once again, I sincerely hope I've helped people facing some tough decisions regarding their own ADD-labeled child.  If I can have helped you see your beautifully unique and gifted genius in a new light, then I am pleased.  If I've influenced you to reject the dangerous chemical poisons that the ADD establishment wants to numb your child on, then I am honored.  If I've given you some ideas on how to inspire your child to be all that they can be, then I am utterly grateful that I could contribute.

Thank you for reading.

Exercise In, Genetic Excuse Out

Short and sweet.  I've never bought the bull that obesity is genetic.  Too easy, removes personal responsibility or accountability, and dishonors all overweight people by telling them its beyond their control.  I make the point in my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, that even if genetics has a role in obesity, one is still bound by the laws of physiology--more calories in than out...weight gain; more calories out than in...weight loss; equal calories in and out...maintenance.  Gene or no gene, that's the truth.

A new British study confirms my point: Exercise cuts a person's genetic predisposition to obesity by 40%.  Well, no freakin' shit-take mushrooms. 

Researchers looked at over 20,000 people in Norwich, England and focused on genetic variants known to increase the risk of obesity.  Most people had inherited 10 to 13 of these variants from their parents.  Those obesity inheritors that exercised had 36% less weight gain per genetic variant than sedentary inheritors, and each additional obesity-susceptibility variant increased the odds of obesity by 1.1-fold.   This risk, however, was 40% lower for active people compared to inactive people.

In a nutshell: Fat genes or not, exercise obliterates obesity.  No more excuses.

Become a Sexual Dynamo

Probably no surprises here, but regular exercisers have more lift to their libido.  So says a recent study out of the VA medical center in North Carolina.  According to the research, men that worked out regularly (and quit or refrained from smoking) reported better sexual function.  This was true even after adjusting for age and race.  Nice.

A related Finnish study showed that women who exercised regularly and quit or refrained from smoking had better urinary health.  These findings are scheduled to be released tomorrow at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association in San Francisco.

Although the benefits of exercise and disadvantages of smoking are pretty evident for most people, many do not realize how quickly they can benefit by just getting started now.  I've done it, quit smoking after twenty years.  I loved tobacco; but without a doubt, my greatest gains have been in my cardiovascular endurance, and that alone was worth quitting.

I do not miss the feeling of being out of breath on the slightest brisk walk or run.  Sure, I continued to work out, play sports and be relatively active, but I was entirely aware of my cardiopulmonary limitations, simply because I'd get winded.  However, since I was smoking from a very early age, I didn't realize how much it effected my endurance until I quit.  To this day I say it's the greatest effect I've noticed, and that benefit alone keeps me from ever restarting.

When it comes to sexual health, the cardiovascular system is everything.  For men to get and maintain an erection, receiving proper blood flow to the penis is imperative.  That's how Viagra works, by increasing penile blood flow.  But you can do it naturally: Kick the nicotine habit, and work out, both anaerobically (resistance training), and aerobically (treadmill, bike, hiking, elliptical, etc.).  I guarantee if you do both these actions (keys #2 and #6 in my book The Six Keys to Optimal Health), you'll feel results almost immediately.  You know they say a hard man is good to find...well, it's good for the man, too.

Couch Potatoes Gone Global

It's not just American children sitting on their rumps these days--children all over the world are chronically inactive. So says a recent study that looked at over 70,000 teens in 34 nations.

Children from Argentina to Zambia are not getting enough exercise, and are spending three or more hours a day watching TV or playing on computers. Whether a country was rich or poor made no difference to the inactivity of their youth; dismal news on the state of modern culture. No knock on technology, but parents of all nationalities need to limit the amount of boob tube and web surfing their children do, and push them more toward physical activity.

The study, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, looking at 72,845 schoolchildren aged 13 to 15 from North and South America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The children were surveyed between 2003 and 2007. Children that spent three or more hours a day watching TV, playing on computers or chatting with friends--outside of school time or doing homework--were considered sedentary. Only 25% of boys and 15% of girls worldwide were getting enough exercise. Girls were overall less active than boys in every country except Zambia.

Some of the numbers:

• Uruguay had the highest percentage of active boys, at 42%, while Zambia had the lowest, at 8%.
• Girls from India were the most active, with 37% meeting exercise recommendations, while girls from Egypt were the least active, with just 4% getting adequate exercise.
• Children in Myanmar were the least sedentary, with 13% of boys and 8% of girls classified as sedentary.
  
• The most sedentary nations were St. Lucia and the Cayman Islands, with 58% of boys and 64% of girls spending at least three hours a day in sedentary activities.

Once again, parents would be wise to get the kids kicking, playing and using their bodies. Technology is a great thing; but with every great thing comes a downside, and in this case it's the risk of becoming couch potatoes. Inactivity and the associated risk of childhood obesity is no longer an American phenomenon--it's gone global. Time to change.

New Way: Breast Cancer Can Be Avoided

Get this: Up to one third of breast cancer cases can be avoided through diet and fitness. You don't say? Yes! Eating less and exercising more can reduce the incidence of breast cancer, said experts at the European breast cancer conference in Barcelona yesterday.

Although better treatments, early diagnosis and mammogram screenings have dramatically slowed breast cancer, researchers estimate that 25 to 30 percent of cases could be avoided if women were thinner and exercised more. The numbers come from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO). In fact, the WHO estimates that one third of ALL the world's cancers are preventable.

Please digest this, people: Cancers are preventable. Hmm. One more time: Cancers are preventable. Geez...

Is this concept a part of our new world health order? Not yet, too avant garde. Let me point out the discrepancy between current medical thinking and the most up-to-date health research and information. This should make us all rest easy since we now have equal access to medical care. Our country's lawmakers have found it in our best interest to give us more of the system that has brought us medical dependence. We'll call our current system the "old way," and the newer, not yet accepted by medical standards (and this includes the Congress and POTUS) approach, the "new way." Here we go.

New way: "What can be achieved with screening has been achieved. We can't do much more," Carlo La Vecchia, head of epidemiology at the University of Milan, said in an interview. "It's time to move on to other things."

Old way: Any discussion of weight and breast cancer is considered sensitive because some may misconstrue that as the medical establishment blaming women for their disease.

New way: Dr. Michelle Holmes of Harvard University, who has studied cancer and lifestyle factors, said people might wrongly think their chances of getting cancer depend more on their genes than their lifestyle. "The genes have been there for thousands of years, but if cancer rates are changing in a lifetime, that doesn't have much to do with genes," she said.

Old way: Tara Beaumont, a clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, a British charity, said her agency has always been careful about giving lifestyle advice. She noted that three of the major risk factors for breast cancer--gender, age and family history--are clearly beyond anyone's control. "It is incredibly difficult to isolate specific factors. Therefore women should in no way feel that they are responsible for developing breast cancer," says Beaumont.

New way: Karen Benn, spokeswoman for Europa Donna, a patient-focused breast cancer group, said it is impossible to ignore the increasingly stronger links between lifestyle and breast cancer. "If we know there are healthier choices, we can't not recommend them just because people might misinterpret the advice and feel guilty," she said. "If we are going to prevent breast cancer, then this message needs to get out, particularly to younger women."

Frickin' duh!

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. A woman's chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime is one in eight. Obese women are 60% more likely to develop any cancer than normal-weight women. Many breast cancers are fueled by estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue, so experts suspect that the fatter a woman is, the more estrogen she's likely to produce, which in turn could feed breast cancer. Even in slim women, exercise can help reduce the cancer risk by converting more fat into muscle.

Drinking less alcohol might also help lower the risk. Experts estimate that having more than a couple of drinks a day can boost the risk of breast cancer by 4-10%.

Further, searching for magic bullets is counter-productive. There is no one pill or therapy that will make you healthy and live forever. Please wake up. Women who jumped on hormone replacement therapy to bypass the down-side of menopause increased their risk of developing breast cancer. In the '80s and '90s breast cancer rose steadily as obesity and the use of estrogen-containing hormones after menopause increased.

A sharp drop in breast cancer rates occurred as women abandoned hormone-replacement therapy due to a discovered link between the treatments and breast cancer. Experts said a similar reduction might be seen if women ate healthier and exercised more.

New way: Dr. Michelle Holmes, the Harvard expert, said changing diet and nutrition is arguably easier than tackling other breast cancer risk factors.

Well no shiitake, Samurai! That's the new way; yet, we're still stuck in the old. But at least we're ALL stuck in it together.

Diet and Exercise Better than Smart Drugs

Some people are driven by their bodies, and others by their mind. Despite the age-old argument of whether the two entities are separate and distinct, we know one thing for sure--working out the body does wonders for mental health. Take that, Descartes!

A recent study out of Duke University showed that regular moderate exercise and healthy diet together can improve scores on cognition tests. The four-month study conducted by Duke's nueropsychology department looked at 124 fifty-two year old men and women with high blood pressure (HBP) who were a minimum of 15 pounds overweight, on average. The study was originally designed to look at diet, exercise, and HBP; but the researchers decided to throw in cognitive function as an interesting side investigation.

One third of the participants followed the DASH--Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension--diet, which emphasizes low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables, in combination with regular exercise. One third, followed the DASH diet along with a weight-management program and aerobic exercise. The final third went about on their regular dietary and exercise regimens.

The exercise conducted was moderate--30 minutes three to four times a week, "enough to put the heart up to 75 to 80 percent of its maximum rate," as one of the researchers said. The weight-management programs were split between two strategies--one centered on reducing portion size and cutting the snacking habit, while the other focused on appetite awareness training, which provided guidelines on food quantity (how much one ate) as well as food quality (types of food). The cognitive tests focused on executive function, learning and psychomotor speed.

Researchers found that the group that exercised regularly and ate well had an overall 30 percent improvement in mental function by the end of the four-month period. They also lost an average of 19 pounds and lowered systolic blood pressure (the higher of the 120/80 reading) by 16 points and diastolic pressure by 10 points. Shazam! All by diet and exercise.

As one of the researchers concluded, “There are neurochemical changes that happen with exercise. There is increased production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which stimulates connection with other brain cells, but also there is some evidence that it helps grow new brain cells.”

On top of that, as I point out in my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, regular exercise increases circulation, oxygen and nutrient transport to the brain; it reduces depression and anxiety; and it leads to increased production of phenylethylamine (PEA), which is the body's natural opiates...so it FEELS GOOD! Oh yeah, give it to me, baby!

There you have it: Another study showing the enormous benefits of diet and exercise. Now, before you say, "Big deal, tell me something I don't know," understand that these finding should shed some light on the notion of mass use of nootropic drugs, otherwise known as smart drugs. When 7% of all college students and 20% of polled scientists using them to enhance memory, problem solving, attention, and mental endurance, I think it's time to start discussing alternatives.

No drugs are free of side effects, and the notion of the world's scientists being tweaked out on designer speed is, well....scary (think Norman Osbourne). So that's why I post these seemingly obvious studies. Yes, we all know that diet and exercise have wide-ranging benefits. But then why isn't everybody doing them?