Depression
 To see where the mind was in the past – look to the body.
To see where the body will be in the future – look to the mind.

Emotions, in their truest sense, are a driving force which often lead to great accomplishments, and again that same driving force may lead to destruction. Emotional problems are real and not always easily solved, but every emotionally sick patient is also physically sick and every physical illness is produced by some type of human distortion. How can emotions transform the body, either creating disease or healing it, maintaining health or undermining it? The answer to the question is: It’s a two way street.

Studies have since shown that emotions can originate in the mind and the body. While it is true the brain can affect the behavior of the gut, the gut can also manage to get along without hearing from the brain in creating emotions. Historically, the endocrine system located in the gut has always been studied separately from the brain, even though the endocrine system conceptually resembles the nervous system.

What we now know is every change in the physiology of your body is accompanied by an appropriate change in the mental emotional state, conscious or unconscious, and conversely, every change in the mental emotional state, conscious or unconscious, is accompanied by an appropriate change in the physiology of your body.

Over 40% of the patients who visit an internist do so for gastrointestinal problems. Half of those have “Functional” complaints. Their gut is malfunctioning, but no one knows why. No anatomical or chemical defects are obvious. Physicians become angry. Patients who present themselves to doctors with problems that are insolvable are perceived as crazy and are often dismissed as mentally unbalanced and prescribed anti-depressant or anti-psychotic drugs.

Anti-depressant drugs and anti-psychotic drugs work by blocking the hormone and neuropeptide feedback loops, forcing a change in a particular message system, making a person feel better. Yet, it doesn’t take into account what else is going on in other parts of the brain and body when these drugs are taken.

Hormones and neuropeptides are the body’s instant messenger system. They work through delicately balanced feedback loops and when the flow of chemical information is unimpeded, it results in homeostasis or balance. Anything that un-balances this delicate system of feedback loops causes change throughout the entire system, moving the body out of homeostasis or balance. Low stomach acid, dysbiosis (fermentation, putrefaction, malabsorption and sensitization), and pharmaceutical drugs create an un-balanced gut.

Enterochromaffin or EC cells located in the walls of the intestines manufacture and contain 95% of the body’s serotonin. Any stretching of the gut wall due to food, gas, or liquid is interpreted as a need to secrete serotonin, causing a contraction to move things on down the line. If this stimulation is strong enough, cramps or vomiting occur. However, babies, small children and old people have very little reserve serotonin. If these reserves, even in an adult, become exhausted, the colon may not be able to contract, resulting in constipation. This contributes to altered serotonin response in the brain and gut, resulting in mood shifts and depression.

What happens when receptor sites in other parts of the body are blocked from receiving information from neuropeptides such as seratonin? An example of this is your intestines are loaded with serotonin receptors. It’s well known that people on antidepressants often have gastrointestinal disorders. And think what might happen to cells in the immune system that also have the same receptors in the gut. Because the hormones and neuropeptides--the molecules of emotion--are involved in the process of a virus entering the cell, it seems logical to assume that the state of emotions will affect whether or not we succumb to viral infections. This might explain why one person will get sicker from the same dose of a virus than another person.

Fiber gives the colon something to squeeze down on while providing no calories and keeps the colon fit and trim. A colon that lacks any exercise from years of the “good old-fashioned meat and potato diet,” obstensively a low-fiber diet, may become as flabby as its owner. The same thing occurs when the serotonin reserves are exhausted. A weak walled colon tends to develop little outpouchings called diverticuli. The disease associated with the presence of diverticuli is diverticulitis.

Wellness Alternatives specializes in caring for “Functional” gastrointestinal complaints and understand the link between altered gut function and emotions. The staff expects you to have certain emotions manifest with altered gut function.

Dr. Dave utilizes Sacro Occipital Technique Viscero- Somatic Reflexes Manipulation to correct the neurology associated with altered gut function. In addition, through Functional Medicine evaluations, achieved through questionnaire and lab testing, specific supplementation protocols can be utilized for continued improvement.

It is not uncommon for someone to have an emotional catharsis as Dr. Dave is working the Visceral-Somatic Reflexes. The goal of the treatment is not to correct emotional issues but through normalizing gut function, emotions often change. An indirect result of normalizing gut function is that the hormones and neuropeptides produced in the gut and responsible for emotions are stabilized, resulting in improvements in moods.

Mind doesn’t dominate the body, it becomes the body – body and mind are one.

If a thought or belief does not serve you, let it go! There is no written law that says that because you once believed something you have to continue to believe it forever. "Should" is the most damaging word in our language. Every time you use "should" you are in effect saying “wrong”.

For more information on depression and altered gut function, we suggest these books. The link below will take you to our recommended reading list.

Heal Your Body A-Z: The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Way to Overcome Them (Paperback)
by Louise Hay

Constant Craving A-Z: A Simple Guide to Understanding and Healing Your Food Cravings (Hay House Lifestyles) (Hardcover)
by Doreen Virtue

The Second Brain
by Michael D. Gerson, M.D.

Molecules of Emotion
by Candace B. Pert, Ph.D.

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 Changing Habits Changing Lives
 The best way to start your day

We did then, what we knew what to do.
But now that we know more, we can do better. - Oprah Winfrey

We are inundated with diets books. Every year brings another fad diet that we try with little success. Changing Habits Changing Lives is NOT a diet book. It is a change your habits book. It's about rediscovering the good health and vitality your body is capable of producing.


An unhealthy lifestyle is merely a series of unhealthy habits. To adopt a 'Wellness' lifestyle you need to change those habits, step by step. Each chapter gives you something to think about and something to act on. The way to use this book is to read a chapter and then make a change. Each habit change is relatively easy if done by itself. Once you've mastered that single change of habit and it becomes a part of your life, go on to the next change. Changing a habit into a good healthy habit might take a week or maybe longer before it becomes as second nature as the bad habit was.

The difference between those who maintain good habits and those who know about them but don't do them is as simple as MUST and SHOULD. Those who maintain healthy habits feel they MUST do the healthy habit. Those who know about them but don't - "should" all over themselves. I should do this. I should do that. But it never happens because for them it is not a MUST. That is the simple beauty of this book. This book assists you in taking one habit at a time and making it a MUST do.
This book is a must for your reference library.


COMMON SENSE IS SO UNCOMMON THAT IT IS OFTEN THOUGHT OF AS GENIUS - ANONYMOUS

This is the best way to describe this book. Each month we will discuss one habit to change. This month is: Eating Breakfast.

The most important question we can ask to determine the outcome of how a person will respond to our treatment protocols is: DO YOU EAT BREAKFAST?
Eating breakfast is necessary to stabilize blood sugar. The longer you stabilize your blood sugar - the longer you will maintain your health or take to fall apart.

Breakfast is where we start our day. So why not make it the first habit you change. If you eat breakfast already - great! If you don't, it is time to start. But you can't eat just anything. You must eat the right kind of food to provide the energy to start your day.

The breakfast habit is not an easy one to change because it will require learning a new morning routine. If you are one of the many Hypoglycemics out there, the very last thing you want to do is eat breakfast. In fact, the very thought of breakfast for a Hypoglycemic is nauseating. This is where that most important question comes into play. If they don't eat breakfast - they won't get better. It takes about three weeks of consistently eating breakfast to change the way a Hypoglycemic feels about breakfast.

Cyndi wrote in the first chapter about a friend that suffered with dermatitis, arthritis and asthma for 15 years. At age 30, they had had enough and were looking for a change. Cyndi suggested changing just breakfast and the results were almost immediate. The arthritis pain changed within two days, the asthma took a little longer.

Her book has several recipes for breakfast. She recommends choosing one of them and sticking with it for a week, then trying another until you get the idea of what provides you with energy and which breakfast or lack thereof robs you of energy.

Action Steps for the Month

1. Choose one of the breakfast suggestions and stick with it for at least two weeks.
2. If you have children, slowly introduce fruit into their morning routine.
3. Enjoy the increase in energy that you will feel.

 

 HOLIDAY EATING TIPS
 

Food is an important part of many holidays, celebrations, family and cultural traditions. In fact, special occasions often center on food. As a result, many people gain a little (or a lot of) weight between Thanksgiving and the New Year. What’s to blame? Perhaps it’s all the tempting treats available during the holiday season or the pressure from family, friends, and co-workers to overeat. Maybe it’s the increased emotional eating (whether it be from holiday stress or holiday joy) or the extreme laxity with eating and physical activity regimens in anticipation for the strict “new diet and exercise plan” you’re going to start January 1st. Regardless of the reason, it is not necessary to avoid holiday festivities in an attempt to maintain your weight. Consider these tips for fully enjoying the holiday season without gaining weight!

Don’t count on cutting back. In a study of people who agreed to overeat for 2 weeks and gain several pounds, the study participants didn’t eat extra lean after the overfeeding period ended. Instead, most returned to their typical baseline caloric intake and shed only half of the weight they had gained. (Researchers speculate that people’s eating habits are more likely to be affected by external cues, such as portion sizes, than by biological signals, such as weight gain or satiety levels.) So if you overeat during the holidays intending to make up for it by cutting back later, your weight may suffer.

Watch your portions. Treat yourself to a nice drink, dessert, chocolate or sweets without guilt, but always watch your portions. Go for small portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key.

Make a conscious choice to limit high fat items. High fat food items can be found in fried food, cream- based soup, cheese-filled casseroles, pies, processed meats such as salami and sausages, pastries and baked goods. There are plenty of low fat and low calorie substitutions that are amazingly tasty. Give them a try and share your cooking creations with friends and family.

Drink plenty of water. Alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body.

Drink with dinner--not before. The holidays are a time to celebrate, and that often means you're sipping far more wine or beer than you would on the average. If you plan on having a few glasses with your meal, stick to water during the pre-dinner festivities. People tend to drink more on an empty stomach than they do once they’ve started eating.

Choose your beverages wisely. Alcohol is high in calories. Liquors, sweet wines and sweet mixed drinks contain 150-450 calories per glass. Water and diet sodas are calorie free. Instead of regular beer, cider, Bailey’s and Kahlua, try light beer, dry wine, Bloody Marys or spirits with diet mixer or water that have fewer calories. Limit your intake to 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks per occasion. Watch out for calories in soda, fruit punch and eggnog as well. Remember: calories from alcohol tend to be stored in the abdomen. People who are overweight actually gain weight more easily when they consume alcohol.

Be physically active every day. Often, our busy holiday schedules bump us off our exercise routines. Physical activity, especially aerobic activities (like brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, rollerblading, and swimming) can relieve stress, regulate appetite, and burn up extra calories from holiday eating. Take nice brisk walks with your loved ones and enjoy their company in the holiday season.

Eat a protein-based breakfast. Make sure you eat a wholesome, protein-based breakfast every morning but especially during the holidays. Even if your main meal is early, try to fit in a small snack or light lunch, again including some protein. If you haven’t starved yourself all day, you blood sugar should be on an even keel, and you’ll be less likely to pack it in when the dinner bell finally rings.

Don’t go to a party hungry. It is not a good idea to arrive at a party famished. Not only are you more likely to overeat, but you are also less likely to resist the temptation of eating the higher fat and higher calorie foods. Try eating a piece of fruit, a small carton of yogurt, or a string cheese before you go.

Make a plan and play favorites. Think about where you will be, who you will be with, what foods will be available, what foods are really special to you (that you really want to eat) vs. those that you could probably do without, what your personal triggers to overeat are and how can you minimize them. Just skip whatever you don’t love (even if it is passed to you half a dozen times) and focus on moderate servings of your favorites. If you are the host, set out small servings spoons to help guests avoid giant portions. Once you’ve thought about all of these things, make a plan of action. It’s much easier to deal with a difficult social eating situation if you’ve already planned for it.

Take steps to avoid recreational eating. While some foods are more calorie-dense than others, no food will make you gain weight unless you eat too much of it. At parties and holiday dinners, we tend to eat (or keep eating) beyond our body’s physical hunger simply because food is there and eating is a “social thing.” To avoid recreational eating, consciously make one plate of the foods you really want. Eat it slowly—enjoying and savoring every tasty bite. Then, when you’re done, pop a mint or stick of gum in your mouth, get a tall glass of water and sip on it throughout the night, or position yourself away from the buffet table or food trays to keep yourself from overeating.

Focus on weight maintenance vs. weight loss during the holidays. If you are currently overweight and want to lose weight, this is not the time to do it. Maintenance of your present weight is a big enough challenge during the holiday season. Don’t set yourself up for failure by making unrealistic goals for yourself.

Plan on NOT dieting after the New Year. Anticipation of food restriction sets you up for binge-type eating over the holidays (“after all, if I’m never going to let myself eat this again after Jan. 1st, I might as well eat as much as possible now!”) Besides, restrictive diets don’t work in the long run. They increase your loss of lean body mass vs. fat, slow down your metabolism, increase anxiety, depression, food preoccupation, and binge eating, and make weight regain more likely.

Fill up on fiber. When you sit down to the big feast, eat a healthy serving of salad, green beans or Brussels sprouts before you load up on everything else. The fiber will make you feel more full and will leave less room for richer dishes.

 

 What is Functional Medicine?
 

The modern-day health care system is in a state of chaos and crisis. It has become extremely costly and, in many instances, ineffective. With each passing year, the diagnostic and treatment procedures are becoming increasingly more complicated and diverse. With overwhelming amounts of new information becoming available on a daily basis, the average individual is often at the mercy of his or her practitioner to determine what they consider to be the best treatment options for that individual. And yet their practitioner possesses only an infinitesimal fraction of the total knowledge and wisdom of the whole health care system.

Over the past few decades, modern Western medicine, a relative newcomer to the health care scene, has predominated in today’s Western society. During its reign, many degenerative diseases, obesity and syndromes have become epidemic, and the shift of attention has moved toward identification and treatment of specific disease syndromes.

On the other hand, the prior two thousand years produced a variety of time-honored systems of healing, all of which eventually reached the same conclusion: the person heals himself, and one must attend to the totality of the individual to produce the most effective healing response. Interestingly, the other newcomers, Functional Medicine and Sacro Occipital Technic, also shares this holistic emphasis. The evidence suggests that there has been considerable covert interest in what is termed “alternative” healing processes by a great number of individuals. Many are now finding that there are a multitude of effective methods to treat most common ailments. With the increasing publicity, alternative therapies are enjoying a resurgence of attention. One hears reports on an almost daily basis of the successes of a variety of alternative therapies. All of these therapies have merit. They all champion cases of success stories as well as miraculous recoveries of even some of the most devastating illnesses. All of them also have their share of failures. Individuals are hard-pressed to determine what modality of treatment will likely be most beneficial for their particular condition.

We consider the human organism as a whole, believing that when one portion of this organism expresses pain denoting trouble, that this pain is merely the manifestation of a systemic derangement rather than a specific involvement. We do not believe a patient ever has just diverticulitis. Rather we believe that the diverticulitis manifests itself as such when the body can no longer endure the osseous and soft tissue distortions under which it labors. We have yet to find a person who suffers only from diverticulitis.

The Prioritization Principles of Functional Medicine, in conjunction with Sacro Occipital Technic, pioneered and developed at Wellness Alternatives, is the first of its kind to provide a logical and scientifically-based procedure for accurately identifying the root causes of individual dysfunction and evaluation measures to determine the most effective treatment of resultant conditions. Based on splanchnology (the study of organs) and a neurological model of the interrelationships of the body by the late researcher, M. B. DeJarnette, D.C., the process utilizes a flexible and detailed methodology for suiting the needs of almost any individual.

The intent of the process is to determine quickly and efficiently as possible an effective treatment program tailored to the needs of the individual goals set by the patient. The simplest diagnostic treatment procedures are first utilized. If successful attainment of goals is realized, the process has been successful. Non-response or incomplete results dictate the need for further evaluations through blood or saliva testing. Constant and precise monitoring of the physical condition by a variety of means allows the doctor to determine the effectiveness of any treatment implemented.
In simple cases, effective response is typically realized very quickly, with changes in assessments are often observed in the first 30 days. It takes time for the body to rebuild and rebalance and may take six to nine months to restore normal function. To enable us to stay in sync with the body, monthly assessments are done. In more complicated cases, direction increasingly becomes more focused as more information is gained through specific lab testing. At all steps along the way, the patient and doctor are co-authors of the individual’s program and make informed choices together.

Often the specialized treatment procedures utilized result in a quick and speedy recovery from an individual’s condition. This of course is not always the case. Lifestyle changes, dietary changes, etc. may be determined to be essential in the complete and optimal recovery of an individual. In addition to the team approach of a chiropractic physician, nurse, nutritionist and massage therapist, we offer training in the Solution Method, the skills to decrease emotional, relationship, behavorial, and addictive issues such as obesity, smoking, depression, and substance abuse. We help you make these changes during the restoration process to enable you to maintain your health after completing the process. In these circumstances, patient participation is elicited, if not demanded.

The Prioritization Principles of Functional Medicine has been in utilization and ongoing development since approximately 1994. Since then, it has been found to be effective for many individuals in a wide variety of situations. The multiplicity of uses and the range of effectiveness have demonstrated impressive results. Athletes have been documented to experience greatly enhanced performance. Professional artists have found significant development of their talents and mental, emotional and physical complaints from low back pain and fatigue to immune system dysfunctions, earaches and almost any other conceivable organic internal complaint have been effectively eliminated.

The Prioritization Principles of Functional Medicine are designed to use only safe and natural therapeutic interventions. Although all the doctors are licensed physicians, no drugs, surgeries or other potentially dangerous interventions are utilized. When the appropriate indications are present, patients are referred to other health professionals for specialized treatment. This may include counseling, drugs, surgery, etc.

Modern-day health care is a very complex and complicated challenge for the professional. A chiropractic physician, for example, typically has a minimum of nine years of college-level study followed by a host of national and state examinations. All of this training is incredibly time-consuming and rigorous. The practitioner has little-to-no time to gain in-depth experience in specialized treatment procedures and other forms of therapies. It is therefore no wonder that physicians in need of starting a practice and paying off hefty loans rely mostly upon that training received in their traditional methodologies. It is also no wonder that they often specialize in a given area of patient treatment because of the much greater complexity in the evaluation and treatment of the whole individual.

 

 CAN FOOD ALTER YOUR MOOD ?
 Eating to be happy and energetic

Food has long been suspected of affecting moods. Three thousand years ago Indian sages observed that many people felt irritable and fatigued in the afternoon, which is reflected today in the traditional “tea time,” coffee break or visit to the nearest vending machine. Recently, research has focused on how the food choices people make affects their moods and energy levels.

Neurotransmitters are the biochemical messengers of the brain and central to the theories about how food affects mood. The neurotransmitters most sensitive to diet are serotonin and dopamine, along with dopamine’s offshoots norepinephrine and epinephrine (adrenaline). These neurotransmitters are synthesized from the amino acids in proteins.

Serotonin is believed to produce feelings of optimism, relaxation and well-being—the “feel good” neurotransmitter. Low levels of serotonin may cause depression, sleep difficulties, poor concentration, and food cravings. Sugar & starch in carbohydrates (such as breads, cereals, pasta, fruits and starchy vegetables) boost serotonin levels.

Dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine (adrenaline) are believed to create feelings of alertness, excitement and mental acuity— the “energy” neurotransmitters. Low levels can cause depression, fatigue and poor concentration, while too much can lead to aggression and anxiety. High protein foods (such as nonfat dairy products like cottage cheese, yogurt or milk, beans, peas, nuts and soy products) help with dopamine and those transmitters responsible for quick reactions, alertness, and energy.

So will eating a meal high in protein help get you going? Experts say protein will help provide the amino acids needed to produce dopamine, but a high protein meal also actually lowers serotonin. Eating a lot of protein, therefore, is not a good simple answer.

Eating carbs with your proteins will change the chemical dynamic. The reason is that carbs trigger a process that allows tryptophan to flood the brain, where it’s converted into serotonin and provides for that sense of well-being.

It sounds simple: just eat protein for mental energy and carbohydrates for relaxation. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Much is theory, as researchers can’t measure neurotransmitters like serotonin in the brain and instead rely on subjective data like asking people how they feel after eating certain foods. Also, foods are often composed of several nutrients that interact to affect neurotransmitter production.

For many people, highs and lows in mood and energy can be linked to blood sugar levels. Sugar, particularly refined sugar, gives a real high. There’s almost no digestion that needs to occur, so it is absorbed in minutes. This causes the pancreas to release insulin to get the sugar into the cells. The energy high occurs quickly but because there is little digestion, there is a rapid rise in blood sugar, so you get a real spike, then it quickly wears off. Many get a rebound effect and experience low blood sugar after their high and are low energy again. Many are back at the vending machine in an hour or two looking for another boost.

A better solution is to eat slower digesting carbohydrates, especially those high in fiber and nutrients, which slows the rate of digestion. These include whole-grain breads, cereals and pastas, brown rice, fruit and vegetables.

Another consideration for food and mood is fat. Fat slows digestion and is believed to release morphine- like chemicals called endorphins that stimulate a sense of euphoria. Some fats, like drizzling olive oil on whole grain pasta, can help keep mood constant. Fat, however, is often combined with high amounts of sugar to create treats that can give susceptible people mood swings.

A recent survey of 200 people by the Food and Mood project, which is backed by the mental health charity Mind, reported a number of food “stressors” that people found helpful to cut back on and food “supporters” that have a beneficial effect on mood.

The food ‘stressors’ were: sugar, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, wheat-containing foods, additives, dairy, and some saturated fats.

The food ‘supporters’ that were helpful included: water, vegetables, fruit, oil-rich fish, nuts & seeds, whole-grain foods, fiber, protein, and organic foods.

The two amino acids that matter most and most often affect mood are tryptophan (for serotonin) and tyrosine (for dopamine and its cousin adrenaline). Foods high in tryptophan include turkey, milk, oil-rich fish, avocados, pumpkin seeds and bananas. Foods high in tyrosine include meat, eggs, fish, milk products, beans, nuts and soy products. So including these foods in your diet can be helpful.

Can some foods help to alleviate the effects of stress-related tension? When the U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers studied the physical and emotional impact a high-stress week had on people eating adequate diets, they found that blood and tissue levels of certain vitamins and minerals dropped by as much as 33 percent. In the long-term, this depleted nutrient supply can translate into a weakened immune system and lowered resistance to ailments ranging from colds and infections to cardiovascular disease, asthma and perhaps cancer.

The remedy? Supplements of vitamins and minerals that are especially vital to nourishing the body when it’s under stress. These include: magnesium, antioxidants (especially C, E, and beta-carotene), and B-vitamins. To ease stress, avoid caffeine, alcohol and high-fat, high-sugar, low-nutrient sweets that can send your blood-sugar levels plummeting and leave your brain chemistry in disarray.

Let’s look at these three—caffeine, alcohol, and sweets (such as chocolate)--to see their effects on the body.

Caffeine is a mood stimulant found in coffee, some teas, and sodas. In the U.S., 50 percent of people drink more that 300 milligrams daily, which is about three six-ounce cups of coffee or six cans of caffeinated soda. Caffeine works by binding to receptors and increasing brain neural firing. The body assumes an emergency state and releases adrenaline. So one or two cups can make a person more alert, but too much can cause the jitters. You get a burst of energy, then crash, and then you repeat, which is very stressful to the body.

Prolonged alcohol abuse can cause the brain to atrophy and impairs activity in the receptors needed for memory and learning. Many alcoholic beverages also contain sugar, which causes a spike so its best to have it with food like wine with a meal.

Many people have chocolate cravings, with North Americans consuming $700 million weekly. Chocolate is a delectable combination of sugar and fat, with other mood-stimulating chemicals. One chemical, phenylethylamine, releases energy-pleasing endorphins. Chocolate also contains a substance similar to caffeine that can give chocolate lovers a coffee-like buzz. However, chocolate can cause mood swings as the sugar is quickly digested.

So what can people eat to feel good? It is probably best to eat a combination of foods that improve mood throughout the day. You really want to balance the neurotransmitters. Don’t overstimulate with energy highs and mood swings. Try to eat protein with high-fiber, nutrient-dense carbohydrates throughout the day. Combine high- fiber carbohydrates with protein and quality fats like olive oil. Avoid refined carbohydrates that spike blood sugar.

Not everyone will respond to food similarly. Plus, how sensitive people are to food affecting mood may change. A personal stress like a divorce or a physical stress like menopause or pregnancy may change how a person responds to food and mood.

To find out if diet changes can help your mood, make small changes and keep a record of how you feel. Also, give the changes a week or two and make one or two at a time so you can see exactly what helps and what isn’t of use.

Also, try not to get too hungry. Try to eat every three hours during the day. Eat breakfast, avoid refined products and focus on things like nuts and whole-grain cereal. Snack on complex carbohydrates and protein throughout the day which will keep your mood and energy up and keep you from overloading at night

Lastly, don’t forget about exercise. Exercise releases endorphins. Even going for just a 15-minute walk can improve your mood.

What we eat definitely can affect our moods. The goal is to use your eating habits to gain more control over your moods, and in the process, enhance your daily performance.



by Pat Koebbe, D.T.R.

 

 Kneading Relief
 Americans control pain with massage

More than one out of every six Americans gets a massage each year, which is 25 million more Americans than 10 years ago, according to an annual survey commissioned by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). In the past, relaxation was the leading motivator for massage but increasingly, Americans are looking to massage therapy for medical reasons, such as injury recovery, pain reduction, headache control and overall health and wellness.

"About one third of Americans still think massage is a luxury, but our latest survey shows that 40 percent have had a masssage to relieve pain," says Mary Beth Braun, president of the AMTA. " And while we have seen a strong interest in massage therapy for health reasons from all age groups, there's been a real increase in understanding of the value of massage among Generation Y. It looks like their interest will grow stronger as this group ages."

In fact, 72 percent of Generation Y respondents disagree that massage is just a luxury. Ninety-two percent say they believe massage can be an effective way to relieve pain, while 48 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds have already had a massage to relieve pain.

"Younger people are telling us that massage can be a valuable part of their personal health routine," says Braun. "As they come to rely more and more on massage for therapeutic reasons, as well as for stress relief, they'll need to know how best to find a professional massage therapist who can be relied upon to provide the best possible service."

Finding a professional massage therapist who is well- trained and knowledgeable can make or break a persons's massage experience. Wellness Alternatives recommends asking massage therapists specific questions regarding the type of massage they are recieving.

Get in touch

Confused by all of the massage types out there? Here is an explanation of four common kinds:

• Swedish: A gentle, relaxing massage using a system of long strokes, kneading and friction techniques
• Deep tissue: This is beneficial for muscle damage from an injury, such as whiplash or back strain
• Sports massage: helps prevent athletic injury, keeps the body flexible and may aid in healing the body from an injury
• Chair massage: A massage of the upper body to relax and improve circulation

 

 Smart Discipline
 What would you pay to teach your child how to live positively?

Smart Discipline. Just what does that mean? A new way of thinking? A new way of acting? A new way of parenting. No, what it is, is a way to continue implementing the positive reinforcements already being taught to today's children.

Each issue we like to support our friends that provide services we feel you should know about. All too often, families come in where the children are out of control in the office and control the parents. These kids are diagnosed as ADD/ADHD because they are out of control. The children being in control don't want to come in for Sacro Occipital Therapy and the recommendations for the home are very seldom followed. Medication seems to be the only alternative, making it difficult to help these families when things are so out of control.

For several years, Angie Chaudoir has brought her family in for healthcare. One of the things that impressed me was the way her children always behaved while in the office. Another was the way Angie responded to her children when they were whinny and not feeling well. Angie shared the secrets of managing a blended family, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. "It's my way of giving back to the community," says Angie. "I don't charge for the workshops. Parents don't have to buy anything. In fact they can go on my website and download the charts for free."

As a twenty-year veteran in the arts of personal development, Angie has consistently empowered both individuals and teams alike towards the many sensible realizations that are hidden not so deeply inside each and every one of us.

Chaudoir says that she has used the Smart Discipline program successfully in her own home with her own children for the last 10 years.

"Five easy steps to get kids to cooperate," she says. "How to instill positive belief systems in your child." According to Angie, today's parents operate on the "negative parenting theory" - we just do it because that's what our parents taught us. We use the criticism factor as the number one strategy to motivate change in our children. Angie offers steps through Smart Discipline to conquer these negative parenting styles. Like a professional athlete who lands in a slump, you don’t need to learn anything new about your sport. But you may need some adjustments to get back into the swing of things. Those adjustments come from the careful eye of a skilled trainer who cares about your success and well being.

The premise of Smart Discipline is establishing rules for changing unwanted behaviors and setting up charts to provide age appropriate loss of priveleges when the rules are not followed. The basis for the rules and consequences is that they only go from Sunday to Saturday and keeping in mind that the rules and consequences are not about you, the parent, but teaching your children.

Angie Chaudoir contributes a sensitive wisdom encompassing much more than any seminar, workshop, or mere motivational meeting could ever possibly communicate. Her Practical Colloquium Series shares with us an awakening of knowledge already known. Team Building, Training the Trainers, Health & Wellness Coaching, along with Parental aids such as Love Languages for Kids, Meal Manners, Money is Fun and Cooperation is Cool, all provide a solid foundation for liberating the conscious mind to explore every available advantage.

Sixteen rewarding years as a Top District Retail Manager, serves to personify her myriad opportunities for overcoming recognizable obstacles through the thoughtful processes of sincere acuity. This keenness of character consistently liberates bottom rung teams from the ashes of defeat, launching them into the sustainable stratosphere of top status for years to come. These years of success has enabled Angie to compile the latest work titled “The TEN Most Powerful Phrases for Leadership Success”.

As a mother of five in a blended marriage of 13 years, Angie eagerly conveys the veracity of performance living in the real world. A welcome expansion to the popular Smart Discipline System, the Training NOW Institute becomes the first practical resource ever put forth based upon the combined observations of successful technique alongside our human propensity for victory.

“The way you do anything is the way you do everything!”

Embrace Life,

Angie Chaudoir

 

 Recipe for those on the go!
 The Nutrient Packed Shake.

Ingredients
1 organic banana
1 cup strawberries or fresh fruit in season
½ cup organic milk (not homogenized) or coconut milk
2 TBS honey
1 TBS organic oats
1 TBS organic nuts
2 TBS plain organic yogurt
1 TBS colloidal minerals (Wellness Alternatives stocks Colloidal Minerals, Dr. Dave uses it for fertilizer on his herb garden)
1 TBS organic flax seed oil
Add frozen fruit or ice cubes if you like a cold drink or water if you want a thinner drink.

Method
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth
Drink this nutritious shake throughout the morning.
If you cannot drink milk, replace with coconut milk or a fresh juice
This will make you bounce out of your skin.

 

 Changing Habits Changing Lives

Basically, Changing Habits, Changing Lives is a book that educates you about food, then asks you to make a choice about what you are willing to eat. Is margarine really the answer to heart disease or is it a major contributor to obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease? Are artificial sweeteners the low calorie bonus food or deadly neurotoxins causing debilitating diseases of the brain and body? Are food additives safe or are they causing an array of learning difficulties in our youth? If milk is so good for us why does it have to be pasteurized, homogenized, defatted, skimmed, trimmed, reved, shaped and so on?

Our Price: $24.95 USD

S & H: 4.95

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