Let’s Live Longer and Stronger

What do Seventh-Day Adventists in California, the residents of Sardinia, Italy and the inhabitants of the islands of Okinawa, Japan have in common?  They enjoy the longest, healthiest lives on the planet.

Dan Buettner, world-renowned explorer and a writer for National Geographic, assembled a team of researchers to seek out these “hotspots of human health and vitality,” which he calls Blue Zones, to figure out what they do that helps them live so long.  In these Blue Zones he found a population of people who reach age 100 at rates 10 times greater than in the United States, where people suffer a fraction of the rate of heart disease and cancer than we do, and where people are getting the extra 10 years that we’re missing.  Then he took teams of scientists to each location who know how to identify lifestyle characteristics that may explain longevity.  Here are the nine common denominators – the Power9 that all the world’s longevity all-stars share:

1. Move (find ways to move mindlessly, make moving unavoidable)
2. Plan de Vida (know your purpose in life)
3. Down Shift (work less, slow down, rest, take vacation)
4. 80% Rule (stop eating when you’re 80% full)
5. Plant-Power (more veggies, less processed foods)
6. Red Wine (consistency and moderation)
7. Belong (create a healthy social network)
8. Beliefs (spiritual or religious participation)
9. Your Tribe (make family a priority)

These findings from these Blue Zones are fascinating and simple.  When I read this I immediately thought about how these 9 commonalities fit very well with how our ancestors lived once upon a time.  Can you imagine being a hunter-gather 10,000 years ago before running water, electricity, freezers, and transportation other than your own two feet? Here’s how it may have looked:

• You would always be on alert for predators, food opportunities, and dangerous situations.  You would spend your day moving naturally, testing your physical abilities to run, jump, throw and lift.  You lived everyday constantly being nudged into activity, or else you didn’t survive.  Move your body every single day!
• Everyone in your tribe/community had a purpose and contributed in some way.  Unlike today, the elderly became more counted on and valuable as they aged for their wisdom, teaching, and skill.  The most dangerous years of life today are the day you are born, and the day you retire.  What is your purpose?  If you don’t know, take some time to create a purpose statement today.  It might be the most important thing you ever do.
  
• Most of your diet consisted of plants and green stuff.  If two thirds of your regular diet is not live, whole, nutrient-packed food like vegetables, then you are definitely shaving years off of your life.  Undisputedly, veggies are hands-down the cat’s pajamas when it comes to adding lifespan, health promoting, disease preventing, energy boosting, and calorie crunching.  Get a daily variety of colors and kinds of veggies into your body everyday.
• Food was scarce.  Every day you woke up, there was a chance that you might not eat that day.  You worked hard for your food, and always shared with your tribe.  You filled your belly when you could, usually with plants, lean meat, nuts, berries, seeds, some fruit - and times of starvation were not unfamiliar to you.   Now, with zero effort, you can drive up to a fast-food joint and someone will throw a bag of empty calories in your window.  Forgive me if I’m wrong, but not many people in our society today are worried about IF they are going to eat lunch today– Right?  Our bodies have incredible defense mechanisms against periods of famine, but absolutely no genetic defense against chronic overfeeding.  Eat foods that your ancestors would eat (not packaged industrialized crap) and eat only until you are satisfied- not bursting at the seams.
• Every tribe worked together, ate together, partied together and knew each other well.  You especially spent time with your family every day and connected with loved ones.  We are social beings with innate requirements to feel connected, respected, and accepted –  like we belong.  It feels nice to know we’re not alone.  We all need someone to listen sometimes, or to know that someone cares.  The reason social media has become so powerful is because it can satisfy some of these needs.   Find time today to connect with your family and loved ones.   Find people with common interests and beliefs and spend your time with them.  I believe that you become the average of the 5 people you hang out with the most.  Who are you hanging with?

For the first time in human history, our children are projected to not outlive their parents.  As a nation we’re getting fatter every year…obesity is up 60% in the last nine years!  Chronic disease is on the rise.  Dining room table sales are way down because families do not sit down and connect at dinner time.  Is this because of bad luck?  A massive genetic shift?  I don’t think so.   We are products of our environment.  Every day, hundreds of marketing messages rinse over our psyches–many of them encouraging us to eat things that aren’t good for us.  We have engineered physical activity out of our lives and networked electronics are replacing face-to-face human contact.   We live in environments of sickness.

The key to getting that extra 10 years we’re missing is to follow the lessons from the world’s longest-lived people and our ancestors, and learn to create environments of health.

Live longer and stronger,

Dr. Vince Hassel

 

Pain is Not the Problem

Pain is Not the Problem

Many people begin chiropractic care because of an ache or a pain. Pain can be distracting, debilitating, irritating or annoying. Pain can be chronic, acute, intense or intermittent. Pain can be sharp or dull. And pain can be localized or general.

Pain may be a pain, but pain is not the problem!

Pain is a symptom. A signal. A sign. An indicator. A warning. Pain is no more a problem than a traffic signal or your alarm clock jarring you awake.

If there’s a problem, it’s the meaning we attach to the pain.

When we meet patients who are in pain, our first thought is that they must have exceeded some physical, chemical or emotional limit to which they can no longer adapt. So, while we’re interested in the pain, we’re even more interested in what was the underlying cause of the pain. Did it just happen? Has it been present a long time? What circumstances brought it on? Plus, what change(s) should be made to avoid this in the future?

Do you know someone who thinks pain is a problem? Please send them our way. Because in our practice, pain is never a problem!

Dr. Vince Hassel

 

Obese Children – Not So Cute!

People just love to squeeze chubby cheeks on little babies and young children and tell them how cute they are! But childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic problem. And there isn’t even any agreement on how to measure it!

According to a recent article in theInternational Journal of Pediatric Obesity, by the year 2010, approximately 50% of all children in North and South America, 38% of all children in Europe will be overweight. Dr. Philip James, Chairman of the International Obesity Task Force, states, “We have truly a global epidemic which appears to be affecting most countries in the world.”

Researchers analyzed medical reports on obesity from 1980-2005 and the World Health Organization tracked obesity growth rate trends in pre-schoolers and grade schoolers in 42 countries. Their findings – that the combination of junk food and inactive lifestyles were largely responsible for the alarming growth rate in childhood obesity worldwide.

And since obese children generally become obese adults, you can anticipate a steady increase in many health-related conditions (i.e., heart problems, diabetes, and strokes) that will severely tax public health resources.

Here are a few suggestions to manage obesity in children and adolescents:

• Make better food selections
• Increase physical activities
• Less television and video games
• Control portion size
• Eat meals at the family table
• Avoid using food to reward or punish
• Limit amount of evening snacking

In an effort to help curb this disturbing trend, many schools are removing “junk” food as menu selections and from vending machines. Continuing this in your home, and following the suggestions outlined above, may at least produce a positive effect on your own children.

Ask us for ideas at your next appointment.  Eat all the fruits, vegetables, berries, unsalted nuts, seeds, wild caught fish, free range grass fed meats.  Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water per day.  Stop putting the acidic food in you everyday.  Watch the fat melt off.

Dr. Vince Hassel

 

You must be deficient in drugs.

Heart disease is the leading killer of Americans and many believe high cholesterol levels are to blame.  Despite the fact that cholesterol lowering medications are the number 2 most commonly taken drugs for chronic health conditions (blood pressure lowering medications are number 1), Americans still suffer in record numbers with the life threatening disease.

It begs to questions, are we targeting the right culprit?

What many people do not realize is that we NEED cholesterol to be healthy.  Cholesterol is in every cell of the body and helps to produce cell membranes, steroid and sex hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids.  It is also vital for proper neurological function and for cell repair.  Quite simply, without cholesterol, you’d be dead.

So why the fuss?  Some would argue that “high cholesterol” is an invented disease that only emerged when we learned how to measure it in the blood.  In fact, if your cholesterol is high, it is high for a reason:  inflammation.  Inflammation due to chronic disease damages tissue in the body.  Cholesterol is necessary to repair the damage.  Lowering cholesterol does not cure the underlying cause of chronic disease.

And what happens if cholesterol is too low?  Depression and increased risk of cancer and Parkinson’s disease are some of the dangers that research is revealing.  Despite these findings, doctors who develop cholesterol guidelines, many of whom receive drug company salaries, keep lowering cholesterol guidelines.  This means that many people need 1 or more cholesterol lowering medications to achieve these low levels.

What many do not realize is the risk and side effects of these medications.  They include depletion of the vital nutrient CoQ10 which is beneficial to heart and muscle function, fatigue, muscle weakness, soreness, heart failure, nerve damage, hand and foot pain, trouble walking, dizziness, memory loss, increased risk for cancer, decreased immune function, depression, and liver problems.

And get this:  studies have revealed that these medications don’t even work to prevent heart attacks by any significant degree!

So what is the answer to reducing your risk for chronic inflammation and heart disease?  Eating a diet full of fresh produce, lean meat, fish, and water; reducing processed foods that contain trans fats, corn syrup, white flour, artificial sweeteners and other lab created synthetic chemicals; doing a combination of aerobic and weight bearing exercise; cleansing the body of inflammatory toxins; and getting regular chiropractic care to naturally, safely, and effectively lower blood pressure and decrease inflammation of the body.

In summary, you do not need cholesterol lowering medication to be healthy.  You do, however, need to live a healthy lifestyle and to consult your medical physician before making changes to any of your medications and your wellness physician when lifestyle changes alone do not produce the desired effect on your health.

Your wellness expert,

Dr. Vince Hassel

 

Should I bring Jr. in?

I hope you said yes after watching that!

Most of our problems in our adult years are largely degenerative and could have been prevented, had they been caught earlier in life.  As the saying goes, “as the twig is bent so grows the tree.”  Subluxation, or spinal dysfunction, has a significant impact on our overall health and function, and should never be taken lightly.  Your spine protects your most important organ system – your nervous system.  Take care of it - you only get one of them.    ;)

Get your family in to have their spine checked, it may just change their life.

Dr. Vince Hassel

 

What if you knew what we know?

Have you ever wondered why it is that we do what we do?  I mean, what is it that made us want to become Chiropractors in the first place?Is there something that we know or have learned in the past that made us realize that Chiropractic offered something different?

On Tuesday, January 19th at 6pm you can find out!

Dr. Ross will be giving a 15 minute presentation on his past 15 years of healthcare experience and what it is that took him from working in hospitals and emergency rooms to becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic.

If you have ever wanted to learn the truth about health and healthcare, this is your chance.  There is no cost – AND – as a bonus, all patients who attend and bring a guest will receive a certificate for a free adjustment.  Furthermore, all guests will receive a $100 gift certificate for care in our office just for taking 15 minutes to learn more about your health and how to get the same kind of care we get!!

Call now to get on the list as we have limited space!!

515-224-1111

Dr. Ross

 

Stop Killing Yourself And Get To The Source

For that occasional headache or chronic back pain, going to the medicine cabinet may be the first thing that many do to relieve their symptoms. Acetaminophen or paracetamol are popular pain relievers and fever reducers; they are also the ingredient in more than two hundred different prescription and over-the-counter medications. It’s important to know this because it causes liver injury or even serious liver damage if the dosing recommendations are exceeded.

The recommended maximum adult dosage of acetaminophen is 4000 mg or four grams in any 24-hour period. That’s eight 500 mg “extra-strength” pills. However, if you drink two alcoholic beverages a day, the maximum daily dosage is half of that amount or two grams.

Liver injury is a potential side effect if you take 7 – 10 grams of acetaminophen in asingle dose, even if you are a healthy adult. However, some people have experienced severe liver damage after taking 4 – 6 grams in a single dose. The point is this, if you are taking acetaminophen, you need to be very cautious about following the recommended dosing instructions, and if you drink alcohol, you are even more prone to acetaminophen-induced liver damage. And… acetaminophen and paracetamol overdose is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the U.S. and in the United Kingdom.

More then one a day for a year (365 days) or 1000 in a life time doubles your risk of liver and kidney failure.

Aside from the potential side effects, keep in mind that it treats symptoms, and not the causes, of a condition. Chiropractic care at our office is an all-natural approach (working with the body not against it) that seeks to locate and correct nerve interference that’s often the cause of many illnesses. Our adjustments remove this interference and restore the nervous system to proper functioning. When this happens, the symptoms of many illnesses (dis-ease- lack of balance in the body) are relieved or eliminated altogether.

If you are experiencing any type of pain or symptoms, please talk to us about it. We’re here to help make it easier for your body to heal… naturally.  There is no other way.

Stay Well,

Dr. Vince Hassel

www.hasselchiro.com

www.lose18in10.com

 

“New You” Resolutions

Why is it that so many people enjoy short-term success when it comes to “New You” resolutions?

I’ll suggest that we undermine ourselves right out of the gate.  To start any change effort, reach any goal, or create a new experience for ourselves, we must set ourselves up for success.  We can make change – lasting change – if we know how.

Step One:  Quit quitting. Stop kidding yourself into thinking that you can stop doing something that you WANT to do.  You simply cannot sustain that type of effort.  The first thing that you must do is to address the issue of WHAT do you truly WANT?  And start creating that - don’t try to move away from what you DO NOT want…move toward what you DO want.  Be clear and detailed and get moving.

Step Two:  Don’t start with subtraction. Your body does not like “giving things up.”  Add the good stuff first.  The body and the mind love to add things.  Determine what good things are missing and ADD THEM.  Ask yourself better questions, such as:  What do I need to start doing?  What new rituals would I like to start?  What new habits would I like to form?  What life would I like to create?  How do I want to feel?

Step three:  Behave accordingly. Recognize that there is a very specific set of behaviors that will produce the outcome that you are looking for – embrace them.  You cannot DO an outcome; you can only commit to the behaviors that best predict that outcome.  You can choose to create a culture in your life that will most likely produce what you want.  Culture is never formed by “stopping” behaviors, but rather by starting them.  Eat well, Move well, Think well, and Be well adjusted.

Eventually, you will easily move away from those choices and behavior patterns that are inherently destructive.  You will begin to recognize those toxic and deficient choices for what they are:  interference.  You were made to express health and happiness; do not let your lifestyle choices create interference.

I know that the reality of yo-yo dieting and short-lived results stem from the strategies practiced by some of you is hard on you.  I am sure that some of you are as frustrated by this circular process as the millions that are in the same shoes.

I hope to motivate you to create enough tension to fuel real change.  It’s time for a better way.   www.lose18in10.com

Trying to do my part to help,

Dr. Vince Hassel

 

Stress?

Stress and ideas to deal with it

It’s a new year.  You are working towards your goals and resolutions.  We live in very stressful times. A world-wide economic crisis, declining home values, job losses, financial insecurities, an uncertain future… these and other “real life” events cause a lot of people a lot of stress. And that stress is responsible for all types of health problems, including high blood pressure, strokes, insomnia and an increase in the number of people experiencing back pain.

Chronic stress (emotional, physical and chemical) can affect your nervous system’s ability to function correctly, leading to an increased risk for illness and pain. And… when you’re under stress, your muscles get tense and tighten, especially the muscles in your neck and back.

So what can you do about stress-related back pain?

• Learn how to relax muscles through stretching, take “stretch” breaks at work, walk around your building during break or lunch• Exercise to release stress and endorphins, those “feel good” brain chemicals – brisk walking, cycling, swimming – anything that increases your heart rate and gets you moving is beneficial• Eat healthy meals – avoid empty calories, sugary snacks and comfort foods that pack on the weight and offer little in terms of nutrition.  Make your body alkaline

• Write down your thoughts or talk to a professional counselor – getting the stress out, on paper or in person, helps to relieve stress

• Treat yourself to a massage to ease tense muscles

• Learn to say “no” to anything that will further complicate your life, causing additional stress.  Don’t major in minor things

• Get plenty of rest – it’s hard to deal with the stress that causes chronic back pain when you’re not well rested

And by all means, make sure you’re staying up to date with your chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic care helps to “reset” the nervous system so you are better able to fight the negative effects of stress. We certainly see an increase in stress-related back pain as a result of these uncertain times. We want to help you to weather these times, feeling healthy and pain free, so you can deal with whatever comes your way.

www.hasselchiro.com

www.lose18in10.com

Stay Well,

Dr. Vince Hassel

 

You’re looking sweet!

Everything in the universe is constantly striving for balance. There is evidence of this in the rhythms it creates – light and dark, hot and cold, morning and evening, summer and winter etc, and after the excesses of the Festive Season our bodies are trying to return to a state of balance too. This state of balance is known as homeostasis. Our bodies spend huge amounts of energy trying to remain in a state of balance or to return to a state of balance. Consider for a moment if all it ever did was rain, there would be no sun to help plants grow and no rainbows either!! There would be no balance and life as we know it would cease to exist.

The New Year is the time of year when many people are thinking about making a New Year’s Resolution (often in regard to their health).  Think about this, If we put the wrong fuel in our cars it wouldn’t be long before it was chugging along or stopping completely. Our body is no different. When we put the wrong “fuel” into it there are all sorts of problems and it may just stop short of the finishing line! We know it is our responsibility to make sure our car gets the correct fuel, regular maintenence and oil change. It is also our personal responsibility to ensure we are doing all we can to remain as healthy as possible – this is about making good lifestyle choices.

If we were to make just one resolution,  we could expect to be more healthy next year this time than we are right now! If you want to perform at your best, and this includes intellectually or otherwise, it is imperative to limit, if not completely avoid, sugar. Yes, you read it right! Refined sugar is a poison and highly toxic to your body and because it is so refined it acts like a drug. That makes sugar by far the most common and abundant toxin and drug in the world! Our bodies need small amounts of sugar to function properly but it has the inbuilt capacity to make all the sugar it needs. Ingesting high-sugar foods will disrupt your body’s homeostasis and insulin levels, which may contribute to disease and brain fog. Sugar has such a negative effect on our health. It suppresses your immune system, upsets the mineral balance, causes hyperactivity, anxiety, premature ageing, obesity, contributes to candida growth, feeds cancer cells (cancer loves sugar!), causes hypoglycaemia, weakens eyesight, interferes with absorption of proteins, creates hormonal imbalances, damages your pancreas, plays havoc with the bowel, causes headaches and migraines, contributes to poor complexion and production of pimples, causes premature ageing. The list is endless. In addition to all the side effects, sugar is an addictive substance and can interfere with our emotional stability. Because sugar is devoid of most minerals, vitamins and fibre, and has such a negative effect on the endocrine system, major researchers agree that sugar consumption is one of the three major causes of degenerative disease.

Humans are attracted to sweetness in much the same way that ants are attracted to your picnic and bees are attracted to jam. Sugar provides energy, however in it’s processed state it does not contain all the other vitamins and minerals that help to stabilize it in the body. Our ancestors would have only had access to wild berries and fruits in season – sugars in their purest form. Manufacturers know sugar is addictive and use it to their advantage to make money, at expense of your health! You may have noticed that cereal companies are quick to boast about the “added vitamins”, however they don’t often boast about the added sugar – check the labels – better still, avoid packaged cereals. Sugar is sometimes found in unexpected places like in savoury products such as pasta sauce and baked beans since it is a cheap ingredient and can be added for flavor. It also helps to preserve food and make it last longer on supermarket shelves.

Sugar has so much energy in it that some people even use it to run their cars. In parts of India, Brazil and America, sugar from sugar cane and maize plants is fermented into alcohol for use as fuel for cars.  I think this is the best use for sugar – fuel for your car, not your body!

Dr. Dwight Lundell is the past Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery at Banner Heart Hospital, Mesa, AZ (and has performed over 5,000 open heart surgeries) and he says that when you spike your blood sugar level several times a day, every day, it is exactly like taking sandpaper to the inside of your delicate blood vessels! (No wonder the body complains!) Dr Lundell has seen the damage with his own eyes. There is no escaping the fact that the more we consume denatured foods, and sugar is no exception, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day. The human body cannot process, nor was it designed to consume foods packed with sugars and soaked in omega-6 oils. Eating fresh locally sourced quality carbohydrates will ensure your body has all the sugar it needs, as carbohydrates convert to sugar when consumed and processed by the body. We are a walking chemical factory!!

In order to kick the sugar addiction we need to eliminate foods with added refined sugar and reduce other refined carbohydrates and replace with fresh natural foods like fresh fruits, dried fruits and dates. To help keep your blood sugar balanced throughout the day (and just before retiring) it is a good idea to add a small protein snack such as almonds – this will help to regulate the blood sugar during the night and help you to wake feeling refreshed. Reducing the amount of sugar in your diet may seem difficult at first, but it is surprising just how quickly you can make a positive difference.

There is clear and definitive scientific evidence that proper nutrition plays an important and significant role in reducing the risk of degenerative diseases, and in providing long-term health and longevity and I believe that by reducing and eventually eliminating refined sugar from your diet you will be well on your way to giving yourself the opportunity to experience health and vitality. I recommend that you do not attempt to eliminate sugar immediately, rather begin to reduce and replace it with other foods so that your body does not begin to crave the loss of it. If you drink your tea or coffee with sugar, begin by reducing it (one week at a time) – one teaspoon could become two thirds of a spoon and so on. Alternatively choose a naturally sweet herb tea. It is tempting to try to do it quickly, however more sustainable change is made slowly.  Just do it- and it will transform your life.

Stay Well,

Dr. Vince Hassel