Finding your motivation

We’ve all heard, from childhood on, that exercise is good for us. It’s one of those things we never think to question. So let’s question:

Why precisely, is exercise good for us?
 
There are lots of reasons; here are just a few:
 

• CANCER. Exercise helps prevent cancer. Studies now show that regular exercise lowers the risk of 13 specific cancers, including breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer in current and/or former smokers, endometrial cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, myeloid leukemia, and more.
• BRAIN HEALTH. Exercise helps prevent dementia, including Alzheimer’s. Regular physical exercise improves brain function, cognitive clarity and memory.
  • Emotional well-being: Exercise improves mood and alleviates feelings of depression.
  • Exercise improves confidence, promotes a sense of accomplishment and boosts self-esteem.
• SLEEP. Exercise improves sleep, especially the restful, restorative stages of sleep called N3 and REM.
  • Quality sleep improves healthy immune function, minimizing your risk of infection and cancer.
  • Important hormones are released in sleep that help with weight loss.
• SEXUAL PERFORMANCE & LIBIDO. Exercise can put the zip back in your sex life. Studies indicate that physical exercise may enhance sexual stimulation and arousal for both sexes. And for men, it helps improve erections.
• ENERGY, STRENGTH & STAMINA. Certain exercises help with balance, too, minimizing the risk of falls and fractures.
• BONE HEALTH. Weight-bearing, resistance exercise is crucial for building strong bones and preventing osteoporosis.
• DETOXIFICATION. By stimulating blood flow, heart rate, and lung function, exercise delivers essential nutrients throughout the boy and improves the elimination of dangerous toxins through sweat.
• ADD & ADHD. By stimulating dopamine production, exercise improves concentration, focus and attention.
• WEIGHT CONTROL. Of course, exercise helps with weight loss. Given the fact that being overweight increases your risk of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic fatigue and dementia, this may be the single most compelling motivation to get started today.

 
Moving from why to how:
 
So that’s WHY it is important to exercise. For many of us though, the bigger question is HOW to get started. We want to do it. We intend to do it. And, at the end of the day, we feel badly (again) that we’ve not done it.
 
How do we move from intention to action? It’s a timeless question, raised by countless scholars, philosophers and theologians through the ages. It’s only recently, though, that we’ve begun to discover what happens in the brain when it comes to breaking old habits and creating new ones. We’re in the very infancy of understanding the “science of change.”
 
Having said that, strategies that work for many include:

• Write it down. Put your goal down on paper. Keep it in front of you (bathroom mirror, refrigerator door, computer screen).
• Tell a friend about your intention to exercise, someone your trust. Ask them to hold you accountable. (This has long been a foundational strategy and secret success of Alcoholics Anonymous and Weight Watchers.)
• Invite a friend to exercise with you. Again, it’s that accountability thing.
• Set some measurable goals:
  • “I’ll exercise 3 times this week for at least 20 minutes this week.”
  • “I’m going to walk a 5K in August.”
• Schedule time for exercise in your calendar or your daily to-do list.

Written by Emily Miller, Nurse Practitioner

There are many factors contributing to breast cancer, but one of the primary influences is an imbalance of your estrogen levels. Overcoming insulin resistance is the first step in maintaining the estrogen balance. After you eat a meal, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin and signals the brain to absorb sugar from your blood. However, the modern diet that many of us consume is wreaking havoc on our system with sugar being the main offender. Insulin resistance develops when we eat too much sugar, especially in forms of highly-refined and processed carbohydrates and high-fructose corn syrup. Excess insulin increases body fat and systemic inflammation, both leading risk factors for breast cancer.

What can we do about it?
The most important thing you can do to avoid insulin resistance is to eat real, whole, organic foods, participate in daily exercise, and maintain a healthy body weight.

By Stephen P. Elliott, M.D., Medical Director, Living with Intention, Inc.

Here’s an all-too-common scenario:  You go to the doctor because you’re just not feeling well.  Let’s say you’re tired.  Or not sleeping well.  Or having frequent headaches.  Or whatever.
 
So the doctor does what doctors are trained to do.  She orders some tests..  And two or three days later her nurse calls you with the results:   “Everything’s normal!  You’re just fine.”
 
Just one problem:  You don’t feel fine.  You don’t feel “normal”.  Or, more accurately, if this is “normal”, you don’t want any part of it.  “Normal” is actually pretty miserable. 
 
Sound familiar?
 
To see what what’s going on here, it’s important to understand what “normal” means.  In the field of medicine, “normal” has a very specific, technical definition. 
 
When it comes to medical tests, we say that something is “normal” when it falls within a specific “reference range.”  And that reference range is defined to include 95% of all results ever measured for that particular test.  (For those with a mathematical bent, it’s defined to include all results that fall within two standard deviations of the median.)
 
But here’s the rub:  Let’s say 100 people go to the doctor complaining of fatigue, one of the most common frustrations doctors encounter every day.  And now let’s speculate that you’re one of those 100 people. 
 
So your doctor, hearing your story, considers her options.  Maybe your thyroid gland isn’t working right.  Maybe it’s low iron.  Or B12.  Maybe you’re anemic.  Or depressed.  Or have sleep apnea.  Or whatever.  So you go to the lab, do your tests, and sure enough, as if on cue, three days later your phone rings:  “Relax, all is well.  Your tests are all ‘normal.’  You’re fine.”
 
What have you just learned?  You’ve learned that your test results fall within that 95% reference range that defines “normal”.   In other words, your results are just like everyone else who feels tired.   Super.  That’s great. Everything’s “normal”.  (Translation:  It’s “normal” to be tired.)
 
Here’s the point:  There’s an enormous difference between “normal” and “healthy.”  There’s a vast chasm between “normal” and “optimal”.
 
This recognition, that normal and optimal are not the same, is one of the fundamental distinctions separating Functional Medicine from Conventional Medicine.  Conventional Medicine defines health merely as the absence of disease.  Functional Medicine sees it as optimal well-being. 
 
The goal is to feel vital, vibrant, strong, energetic, fit, resilient, emotionally hardy, and so on.  Health is defined not as the absence of negative well-being, but instead as something positive.

Normal vs. Optimal — 2 Examples
 
Obesity

• Fact:  69% of all American adults are either overweight or obese.  Technically speaking, that makes it “normal” to be fat.   Would anyone dare argue that it’s healthy to be fat?  Is that optimal?  Of course not.

 
Toxicity in Newborns

• Fact:  Studies reveal that the average umbilical cord blood of newborn infants contains 200 toxic chemicals.  That’s now the norm.  Is it healthy?  Is it optimal?  NO!   (Source: Environmental Working Group, July 14, 2005)

 
 Dr. Elliott practices Functional and Integrative Medicine at Living with Intention, Inc.  For more information about him and Living with Intention, call 317.863.5888.

By Stephen P. Elliott, M.D., Medical Director, Living with Intention, Inc.
 
What’s the best way to monitor thyroid function?  With a TSH, right?

Not any more.  In fact, TSH hasn’t been the best option for many years now.  Frustratingly, it’s still the reflexive test of choice in most Conventional Medicine offices today.

The problem with TSH is that it’s not a thyroid hormone at all.  It’s a pituitary hormone.  The historical rationale supporting TSH testing is quite simple:  It’s all we had.  For many years, before lab testing technology had advanced sufficiently, TSH really was the best, most accurate thyroid assessment available to physicians.  But that's simply not true anymore.

Today we can actually measure thyroid hormone production with great accuracy.  And when we take the time to do that, we get a much better and clearer assessment of thyroid function.  Here’s what you need at the very least:  Total T3, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, and anti-thyroid antibodies.  Ask your doctor to run those tests.

By Dr. Elliot

The American health care system is broken. 
 
In fact, I’ll go further than that:  Health care in America isn’t health care at all.  It’s “disease care” or “disease management” or “emergency care”.  Call it anything you want.  Just don’t call it “health care”.
 
We don’t promote health.  We treat disease.  Has it always been this way?  Not at all.
 
Over the past generation, medicine has changed.  It’s become big business.  The focus has shifted from patient to profit.  It’s an industry, now. 
 
The result?  Doctors today are frustrated, overwhelmed, and even burned out.  They spend their days seeing too many patients in quick, in-and-out appointments.  They look at and touch their computers more than they do their patients.  They take care of their employers.  They take care of their insurers.  They take care of their documentation.  They don’t have time to care for their patients.  Not the way they’d like to.
 
Not convinced?  Consider this:   When your physician enters the exam room, he or she always wrestles with two questions:  First, “What’s the right thing to do for this patient?”  Second, “What will insurance allow?”  All too frequently, the answers are quite different.  Miles apart, in fact. 
 
Now, there’s a lot to be said for Convention Medicine.  Conventional Medicine is extremely good at treating acute problems:  a sudden illness, a serious injury, a medical emergency.  Where Conventional Medicine falls short, however, is chronic disease.  When it comes to preventing and treating chronic disease, Conventional Medicine fails.
 
Is there an alternative?
 
Yes there is.  Here’s what real Heath Care looks like.
 
First, where Disease Care addresses symptoms, real Health Care investigates and treats the true “root cause” of those symptoms.
 
Where Disease Care reflexively writes prescriptions, real Health Care uses more natural treatments  emphasizing nutrition and life-style changes.
 
Where the Disease Care model treats disease after the fact, real Health Care aims at preventing disease from happening in the first place.
 
Where the Disease Care model divides the body up into parts, each with its own specialist (cardiologist, endocrinologist, etc.), real Health Care embraces the complex interrelatedness of all parts and treats the whole patient.
 
Where Disease Care patients are discouraged from taking an active role in their own care and are often ill-informed about their condition, real Health Care patients are educated by their physician and empowered to take an active role in their journey toward more optimal health.
 
Does real Health Care exist?  Yes it does.  It exists in the world of Functional and Integrative Medicine.  While it’s a small movement today, it’s growing steadily.  It’s the medicine of the future.  It’s medicine done right.

So What Is Anxiety, Really?
Anxiety is a physiological, mental, and emotional response to a stressor; it is a heightened, more extreme response to things that aren’t necessarily threats.   For example, that sensation you might get when meeting someone new:  feeling your heart beating faster, trembling in your hands, dry mouth.  Chances are, the person you are meeting isn’t a threat, but your autonomic nervous system perceives them that way.

What are the Symptoms of Anxiety in Kids and Teens?
Kids experience anxiety in a variety of ways.  Most commonly…

• Moodiness/irritability
• Withdrawal from friends, families or activities
• Headaches or stomachaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Difficulty with transitions from home to school or class to class
• Increased self-consciousness

Back-to-school can be a very stressful time for kids and teens, and can trigger the start of or continuation of anxious thoughts and feelings.  Those with ADD or ADHD frequently also experience anxiety.

How Is Anxiety Different in Adults?
Common symptoms in adults include:

• Worry about work, relationships and finances
• Feeling “keyed-up”, or tired
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Difficulty with concentration and focus
• “Comfort eating” or craving “carbs”
• Feeling irritable
• Difficulty relaxing and “turning off” thoughts

Is It Real or In My Head?
Anxiety is absolutely real. And incredibly common. We live in a 24/7 culture, with stimulation through technology and media coming at us at a pace that is impossible to keep up with.  Imagine a thimble trying to contain a waterfall.  Anxiety is often the result when we criticize ourselves for not being able to keep up, or compare ourselves with others.  And anxiety has strong genetic ties and can worsen when stressful life circumstances occur.
 
What Can I Do To Help Relieve My Anxiety?
ANXIETY IS INCREDIBLY TREATABLE. The first step is to recognize it. Steps you can take on your own include:

• Regular physical activity
• Reading for pleasure
• Watching TV or movies that make you laugh
• Journaling
• Being intentional about your social life
• Limiting caffeine and foods high in sugar
• Eliminate tobacco products

When these steps aren’t enough, seeking help from a professional counselor is wise. They can help you get to the root cause of your anxiety and teach additional skills and techniques to help.

By Stephen Creel, LCSW, LCAC 

The most frequently abused substances by adolescents are alcohol and marijuana (beyond tobacco, which is second). Amphetamines (typically Adderall) and synthetic marijuana (k2, spice) are also popular. LSD continues to be a problem.
 
Early intervention can prevent substance abuse in teens. For adolescents, the likelihood of addiction depends on multiple factors: 

• the influence of parents, peers and other role models
• how much they’re influenced by advertising of alcohol as well as other substances
• how early in life they begin to use illegal substances (including alcohol)
• the psychological need for the substance
• genetic factors

 
If you have a teenager, be alert to signs and symptoms that may indicate a problem with alcohol/drug use:

• Loss of interest in activities and hobbies, as well as in personal appearance.
• Increased unplanned sleep overs with friends.
• Red/bloodshot eyes, slurred speech.
• Problems with coordination and memory lapses.
• Frequent mood changes and defensive behavior.
• Lighters/eye drops found in room, clothing pockets.
• Difficulties or changes in relationships with friends, such as a new group of friends.
• School problems such as slipping grades, increased disruptive behaviors, truancy, tardiness.
• Frequent mood changes and defensive behavior.
• Burning incense often, excessive cologne.
• Clothes smell like burnt leaves.
• Drug-related clothing/jewelry – know their music and what it stands for.
• Increased appetite when returning home – “munchies,” or immediately washes hands or gets in shower (not part of typical daily routine).
• Risk-taking behaviors (high speed driving, fighting, vandalism, shoplifting).
• “Escaping” from events and/or family functions.

 
Risk factors for illegal substance use in adolescents include:

• Family history of substance abuse disorders.
• Recent relationship break-ups.
• Grief and loss (even pets).
• Diagnosis of Anxiety, Depression, ADD/ADHD, ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder)
• Age at first exposure: People who begin drinking at an early are at a higher risk of problem drinking or physical dependence.
• Access to illegal substances – think parents’ alcohol, prescription drugs.

 
As a parent, you can help prevent teenage illegal substance use. Start by setting a good example with your own use. Use legal substances (alcohol) responsibly. Talk openly with your child. Spend quality time together and become actively involved in your child’s life. Let your child know what behavior you expect – and what the consequences will be if he or she doesn’t follow the rules.  And be consistent.

Reference:  www.greenmedinfo.com
“Sucralose's (Splenda) Harms Vastly Underestimated: Baking Releases Dioxin”
Written By: Sayer Ji, Founder
 
Warning:  Avoid sucralose (Splenda®). 
Why the worry?  Several reasons, actually.
 

• When heated, sucralose breaks down and releases many toxic chemicals, including dioxins.
• A 2013 Italian study linked sucralose to leukemia.
• Sucralose inhibits the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut (gastrointestinal tract).
• Sucralose may actually increase blood sugar and insulin levels, thereby increasing the risk of diabetes.
• Sucralose escapes water treatment systems, exposing unsuspecting victims to its toxic effects.
• Sucralose “bio-accumulates”.  It isn’t broken down the way natural sugars are.  Instead, it persists and accumulates over time, increasing the likelihood of toxicity, affecting even those trying to avoid it.
• Ongoing studies suggest that sucralose causes DNA damage (think cancer and birth defects)
•  Sucralose affects important detoxification pathways in the liver.

 
Note: © [March 20, 2016] GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.