Healing SENSE
Your Monthly Guide to Wellness
January 2008
In This Issue
Sign Up
Quick Links
Dear Alan,

Happy 2008 to you all! With each new year may come a feeling of a fresh start; a new beginning; a clean slate; a time to reboot; etc. Hopefully most of you have established your 2008 goals and are well on your path to accomplishing them. We encourage you to schedule an appointment for your health-maintenance adjustment as well as to discuss how we can help you reach your wellness goals for the upcoming year. We look forward to assisting you!

The sneaky trap of positive emotions

You know from last month why negative emotions are trouble. Now we are going to show you how positive emotions are a sneaky trap. They lure you in by gentle and persuasive tones only to bite you on the back end, like a rabid dog, when you weren't looking.

Positive emotions, like a Trojan horse are just filled with enemies to great health. These enemies are: tradition, habit, expectations, anticipations, judgments, that each lead you to what you want. The key to positive emotions is: This is exactly what I want (for now). We feel positive emotions like happiness, excitement, calmness, politeness, empathy, tolerance, order, yearning, self-control, or stuffing your true feelings. Each of these states are made possible because we have, at least for the moment, what we think we want.

I had a patient once tell me, when I asked him what he wanted out of life, "I just want a roof over my head and three square meals a day." If I guaranteed I would give him that, he would have been "happy", until the other shoe dropped. I could easily guarantee that, for the rest of his life, he would have a roof over his head and three square meals a day. All he need do is kill someone and confess to the crime. Prison, life in prison, will fill his desire. Or not.

Okay, so what did he really want? Happiness is when we get what we think we want, but not what we really want. It happens when we think we are in control. But when things change, we are not happy anymore. Why? Because we are not in control.

All positive emotions are based on being, or at least thinking you are in control and things are the way you want them to be. The problems is, we are never in control. We often think we are, but the reality, we are never quite in control, so positive emotions are always destined to be temporary.

Happiness that transcends circumstances is called Joy. This is not an emotion, it is a virtue. Next month, I will write about virtues and why they are what we must seek, to find true, lasting, vibrant health.

So for now I wish you a non-happy new year.
We have heard for years that MSG is terrible for your health and that it should be removed from all foods and avoided completely. MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a food additive that has an addictive effect on the human body. The more MSG you eat, the more you want. The additive is scientifically proven to cause obesity, and there are published studies that link MSG to diabetes, headaches and migraines, autism, ADHD, and Alzheimer's.

So many foods and restaurants say that their products contain "No MSG." Even though monosodium glutamate is not directly listed under the ingredients, that does NOT mean it's not there. The link below will take you to a list of common ingredients that have MSG hidden inside, and if you would like some more information, you may explore the Quick Links in the left hand column of this newsletter.
-How many glasses of water should you have a day? Eight? According to their research, there is no scientific basis for that claim.

-A study conducted by 2 U.S. researchers took 7 common beliefs or "medical myths" and searched for evidence to support them. What else did they find?

-Myth 2: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight
--Most experts say it will not cause permanent damage, but you may squint, blink more frequently or have trouble focusing.

-Myth 3: Shaving makes your hair grow thicker, faster, and coarser
--Regrowth is no different, no matter how often you shave!

-Myth 4: Eating turkey makes you drowsy
--Yes, it does contain the acid tryptophan, which is involved in sleep and mood control, but the amount contained in it is no different than what is in chicken or beef. Eating too much food at holiday get- togethers is the likely culprit for the zzz's.

-Myth 5: We only use 10% of our brains
--Imaging shows that no area of the brain is completely inactive

-Myth 6: Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death
--Skin dries and retracts after death, which may make hair and nails appear longer, but they do not grow.

-Myth 7: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals
--Studies have shown minimal interference between cell phones and medical equipment

Source: Griffiths, Peter. "Seven Great "Medical Myths" Revealed." Reuters. Dec. 21, 2007.
January 16, 6:30PM--Advanced Acupressure

If you have prior knowledge of acupressure or have attended our Acupressure for Home Use class, sign up today for the 2-hour seminar which delves deep into how acupressure helps heal the body. By exploring acupressure on a deeper level, you will be able to connect and utilize acupressure points for a more complete healing process.

Cost: $10 per person

Where: Olson Chiropractic
1360 Big Bend Square
Manchester, MO 63021

Seating is limited, so call 636-225-2121 to register today!


January 26, 11AM--Ways to De-Stress Your Life

Now that the holidays are past, there is time to refocus energy and take some time to take care of yourself. This 1-hour seminar will teach a unique approach to stress as well as ways to remove it from your day-to-day life.

Cost: $10 per person, but if you bring 2 or more guests, you are all FREE!

Where: Olson Chiropractic
1360 Big Bend Square
Manchester, MO 63021

Seating is limited, so call 636-225-2121 to register today!
-The makers of the common cholesterol drug, Zetia, have conducted studies that indicate that the drug could pose risk to the liver, but those findings were never published.

-Zetia was approved by the FDA after only a 12-week human trial involving only 3900 patients. When Zetia (a non-statin cholesterol-lowering drug) was combined with a statin drug (which is a common combination), safety issues were raised, even during the extremely short-term study.

-Consider natural alternatives to lowering cholesterol and you won't risk your liver in the process.

Source: Hubbard, Sylvia. "Zetia Risks Not Revealed." Dec. 24, 2007.
-U.S. health officials have warned the public about yet another "FDA approved" drug. Desmopressin (a.k.a. DDAVP Nasal Spray, DDAVP Rhinal Tube, DDVP, Minirin, and Stimate Nasal Spray) is a prescription used to control bed-wetting.

-"The FDA has reviewed 61 reports of patients treated with desmopressin who developed seizures related to hyponatremia, when sodium is too low. Two of the patients have died."

-This drug as well as generic versions should be used cautiously or avoided completely because they may cause sodium imbalances that lead to over- hydration.

-(Dr. O's Comment: This is tragic! A symptom such as bed-wetting does not merit this risky drug. Why would the FDA allow a drug on the market that is so dangerous?

December 7, 2007
-In a three-way comparison study, Dr. Ian Paul and colleagues found that a bit of buckwheat honey was significantly more effective at treating a child's cough or upper respiratory tract infection than dextromethorphan or no treatment at all.

Source: Gever, John. www.medpagetoday.com, December 3, 2007.
-A Dutch study involving 120,000 people found that acrylamide (a chemical caused by frying, grilling, barbequeing, or roasting meats and potatoes, as well as in other cooked foods like breads, coffee, and cereals) can double a woman's risk of developing uterine or ovarian cancer.

-They found that eating 40 milligrams a day of acrylamides--the amount found in a single package of potato chips or a serving of French fries--was enough to double a woman's risk.

-They recommend that you avoid burnt toast and French fries as well as cooking at home to lower the amounts of acrylamide.
-Many women have turned against chemical injections to ward off signs of aging. Instead, many have turned to the so-called acupuncture face-lift. Also known as facial rejuvenation or cosmetic acupuncture, the acupuncture face-lift is used to tackle wrinkles, muscle tension which causes unsightly lines, and other issues that prevent your skin from glowing.

-Women who have undergone this type of acupuncture were interviewed and they attest to a decrease in puffiness, a decrease or softening of lines, and under-eye bags have disappeared.

Source: Issacs, Nora. "Hold the Chemicals, Bring on the Needles." The New York Times. December 13, 2007.

Sincerely,
Rand Olson
Olson Chiropractic