Category: Studies

A Stress-Dissolving Strategy

‘Tis the season for fun, family, friends…and stress. November and December go hand in hand in with increased amounts of sugar, financial obligations, parties, extended family time, alcohol, vacations, and carbohydrates. Even the things meant for fun and enjoyment tend to bring a certain level of stress. Each and every spike of stress stands toe to toe with the body’s most powerful asset in the war on peace: the central nervous system.

Too often the body’s stress defense system enters the holiday season ill-equipped for the barrage of concerns that come knocking. The nervous system filters and processes stress and hormone-related spikes. An improperly functioning central nervous system tends to become compromised by sickness, fatigue, and general disrepair. The solution starts now.

A proactive approach to health care beats any sort of medicinal reaction after unwanted symptoms descend on the holidays. The key to managing health begins with preparing the body with optimal defense. More people get sick around the holidays than at any other time of the year. Cold weather, poor eating habits, sugar, and stress wipe out even the healthiest and strongest men and women in the room. Yet many people living in those same homes and eating the same foods remain healthy. The reasoning starts at the source of all health: the nervous system.

The brain and central nervous system direct immunity within the body. Immune capacity originates from a group of organs which coordinate and direct specific blood cells to monitor, fight, and clean up areas of concern. The cleaner the body, the lesser the stress on immune fighters. The flip side mirrors a dirty trash dumpster filled with flies and other parasites hunting for a free meal. Toxins weaken the body and sap energy. The key to staying well involves keeping the body clean, strong, and full of energy.

Lifestyle plays a significant role in keeping the body clean and immunity strong. Eating well, exercising, taking good supplements, and working on mental and emotional health prove to be key ingredients in creating a healthy and resilient body. Yet the most pivotal area which directly influences stress levels remains the hub of all bodily health. The benefits of improved spinal health through chiropractic spinal adjustments provide the essential key to overall empowerment.

Research from 2014 demonstrated a link between chiropractic spinal adjustments and stress. The study showed that one adjustment improved blood plasma biomarkers linked to stress response. Blood samples were taken before, immediately after, and two hours after the intervention. Remarkable results showed how chiropractic spinal adjustments improved hormones linked to reducing stress and pain in the body. The landmark study helped explain why so many chiropractic patients experience benefits far beyond back and neck pain relief. Chiropractic reduces stress in the nervous system and subsequently opens a doorway for better sleep, energy, healing, and function.

According to the American Institute of Stress, 44% of Americans feel more stressed than they did just five years ago. Stress presents a significant challenge to men and women of all ages, especially around the holiday season. Chiropractic provides a proactive, stress-dissolving strategy that begins with more people understanding the power within the body. ‘Tis the season for vibrant joy, laughter, and memories. Welcome the season by empowering the whole family with chiropractic!

The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy April 2014
“Changes in biochemical markers of pain perception and stress response after spinal manipulation.”
G Plaza-Manzano, F Molina-Ortega, R Lomas-Vega, A Martinze-Amat, A Achalandabaso, F Hita-Conteras

12 Secret Benefits of Doing Nothing

“Best Life” points out that in our turbulent and complex times, we could all benefit from a little unstructured time to regroup. Our lives are so busy, between work, family responsibilities, and social obligations, with every available scrap of free time eaten up by social media, round-the-clock news coverage, email and hobbies. It’s hard to squeeze in any time at all that isn’t programmed for maximum productivity, yet it turns out that there are significant advantages to doing absolutely nothing.

Think of it this way – your mind and body work together to keep you healthy, and this happens when you are in “up time” the right amount and in “down time” the right amount. This varies from individual to individual, so see how many of these advantages might inspire you to plan a little unplanned time in your busy schedule.

1. You’ll be mentally stronger. While a 2014 study from University of Virginia showed that more people would rather receive electric shocks than be alone with their thoughts, research shows that mentally strong people take time to be alone with their thoughts.
2. You’ll be more compassionate. When you disengage the distractions and stresses of every day, the solitude gives you a chance to consider and better understand the human condition, and delve more deeply into your innermost feelings and convictions.
3. You’ll cope better with change and the unexpected. The HSE Laboratory of Positive Psychology tested 200 students and found that those who felt good about alone time tended to be more mature and more resilient to life’s challenges.
4. You’ll feel more well-rested. A survey of 18,000 participants showed that “spending time on my own” and doing nothing was one of the top choices on how to recharge.
5. You’ll be happier. A 2016 study published in the British Journal of Psychology asked 15,000 adults about their levels of life satisfaction, and found that people who spent more time alone with less social interaction felt more fulfilled.
6. You’ll be more productive. People who take some down time find that when they return to the usual daily activities, they feel rejuvenated and better equipped to get things done.
7. You’ll be more creative. A 2017 study from the University of Buffalo showed that individuals who spent time alone were better able to express themselves creatively.
8. You’ll be better at solving problems. Stepping back and clearing your mind, even sleeping on a problem, is often the shortest distance between you and your best answers.
9. You’ll be more self-reliant. Being fully engaged in our work, family and social circles breeds a dependence on others, while being alone generates self-esteem, self-dependency and self-reliance.
10. You’ll reboot your brain. Seizing some unscheduled time can give you a break to let many thoughts settle, which makes it easier to restart your mental processes.
11. You’ll concentrate better. The influx of email, texts, phone messages and other communications eat our bandwidth and clutter our thinking. Declaring a moratorium on such input makes it possible to take back control of your thoughts and mental capacity.
12. You’ll think more deeply. Our days are so packed with stuff to do and think about, it’s hard to separate out a little time to ponder the most important things in life. Taking a little time out gives you an opportunity to ruminate on your key values, beliefs and organizing principles.
13. You’ll be less stressed. A research project at the University of Rochester in 2017 showed that quiet time slowed down the parts of the brain that caused heightened awareness, which led to easier access to relaxed states.

In this crazy era we live in, take a little time for yourself to be alone with your thoughts – you’ll be healthier, happier and you’ll perform better, too.

Optimism and Longevity

A recent article showed a connection between being optimistic and living a longer life. Derived from the NPR podcast series “LifeKit,” the article proclaimed in no uncertain terms that if you have a cheery outlook, it can add years to your life to enjoy the fruits of that great attitude.

A recent study from Boston University School of Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health, published in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” says that, independent of other lifestyle parameters, optimists are more likely to live past age 85 than pessimists. Apparently, it pays to look on the bright side.

And before you start wondering if somewhat negative thinking may doom you to an untimely demise, it turns out that for those who don’t naturally tend toward a sunny mood, these patterns of thinking and behavior can be learned and instituted by anyone.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that optimists are devoid of problems – they (we) have the same issues and challenges that everyone has to deal with. It’s just that the optimists find a way to frame their experiences so they are not unnecessarily painful or difficult, and theoretically that conservation of emotional energy serves as a mechanism for ongoing function and longer life.

The lead author on the study, clinical research psychologist Lewina Lee, said “We wanted to consider… benefits of psychological resources like optimism as possible new targets for promoting healthy aging. The more we know about ways to promote healthy aging the better.”

Previous research has indicated that optimism reduces the risk of depression, heart disease and other chronic diseases. So, it’s reasonable to expect that longevity would also be influenced, and this lengthy study showed just that. Almost 70,000 women were tracked over ten years, plus an additional 30-year study on more than 1,400 men, correcting for lifestyle choices like smoking, diet and alcohol use, to evaluate the connection between positive perspective and length of life.

The results were measurable and significant. The most optimistic men and women lived 11-15% longer than those who were most pessimistic, dramatically increasing the odds of living to 85 or longer. They also seemed to be more likely to handle the stresses of their lives, suggesting that they will also be less likely to suffer from liver and gastrointestinal problems, traditionally related to a negative or unhappy demeanor.

A related study done by psychologist Judith Markowitz of Northeastern University uncovered eight patterns to increase optimism, including noticing and sharing a constructive event each day, writing a gratitude journal and setting daily goals, focusing on our own strengths and productive qualities, self-reframing, practicing mindfulness and doing nice things for others.

Could it really be that easy? Simple, maybe yes, but easy, well, no. Those who do not naturally lean toward a happy worldview will need to examine their beliefs, values and habits, and explore where they can tilt the odds in their favor. Like a muscle, working out your upbeat emotions will build strength and certainty, and the abovementioned tools will surely help those who need them.

Optimists are generally more fun to be around, but now it turns out that they will often be around longer – if that’s what it takes to increase your lifespan, why not try it on and see what happens next.

Obesity Hurts Your Brain

Most of us inherently know that carrying too much body weight is probably deleterious to our health. But most of us think that it primarily leads to heart disease and diabetes, and to be sure this is a legitimate concern, but it’s not all we need to worry about.

Recent studies are demonstrating that obesity is also bad for your brain, and this may turn out to be the most frightening and insidious consequence yet.

A research project at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine evaluated 1,289 people, average age 64, where 27% were considered normal weight, 44% were overweight and 29% were obese, based on the customary interpretation of Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference. They also ran MRI scans of their brains, to create a baseline so they could track any changes.

What they discovered is alarming – six years later, they found a distinct correlation between overweight and thinning of the cortex, a sign of brain degeneration. And, they found that the bigger the waistline, the thinner the brain.

Neurologist Tatiana Rundek, director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Research Institute, said, “These results are exciting because they raise the possibility that by losing weight, people may be able to stave off aging of their brains and potentially the memory and thinking problems that can come along with brain aging.”

Younger subjects seemed to have a more pronounced impact, suggesting that the earlier we detect and respond to the harmful effects of obesity, the more likely that the person will rebound and restore their brain to more normal status.

Generally, the brain does get thinner with aging, at a measured rate of .01 to .1 millimeters per ten years, so the findings are significant – those who were overweight clocked in at about .1 mm of thinning, in six years rather than ten, almost double the expected rate, while those who were obese more than doubled that rate of brain deterioration. “Our results would indicate that being overweight or obese may accelerate aging in the brain by at least a decade,” Dr. Rundek reported.

This is of course highly distressing, since 60% of our population is overweight and as much as 30% considered obese. This foretells an even more serious neurological epidemic than we presently have, which risks massive suffering, not to mention draining our financial resources, if nothing is done to prevent it.

That’s why the chiropractic wellness lifestyle is more than just a good idea. If you care about a healthy later life, and you want the same for your friends and family, let’s seize this moment to re-route our health objectives to retain a better BMI and waist circumference – it will pay off in a healthier brain, a longer life, and less health expense.

Staying healthy may not be all that complicated, but it requires that we raise our standards, develop better beliefs and choose winning strategies for optimal well-being. Take responsibility now, before it’s too late — spread the word of brain-based wellness, and take action to safeguard your health future and the future of those you care about.