wellness today

How does the Well Care Membership Benefit You

2011-03-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

Online Wellness Assessments
The WEF Online Portal has over 40 online assessments, and the Health Risk Manager is our most popular. This state of the art, online health risk assessment is administered securely and confidentially, and generates both personal and administrative reports that identify key areas of health and wellness concerns. Recommendations are then generated to achieve optimal health.

The Health Risk Manager HRA covers key health issues including:
• Heart Health
• Nutrition
• Weight Management
• Fitness
• Cancer
• Smoking
• Stress
• Safety

When you complete your Health Risk Manager – you are entitled to a complimentary Health Risk Review with your Network Provider. Your Survey Results will be reviewed, and you will be given a “Next Steps” Outline to reduce your Health Risks and help you meet your goals to a Healthier Life!

Interactive Health Risk Assessments
The Interactive Health Risk Assessments are written so that end users may evaluate their risk for different conditions and learn how to reduce it. There are several types of assessments and profiles available. The individual Risk Assessments allow users to determine their risk for specific diseases. Note that the assessments recognize key warning signs and will direct users to the appropriate health professionals when needed. Users are then given specific instructions on how to lower their risk for each health condition. Recommendations may include:
• Self-treatments options
• Lifestyle suggestions
• Recommendations to see specific health practitioners
• Natural health products that may be of benefit
• Recommendations to take specific additional assessments
• A suggestion to participate in an online health improvement program

Interactive Behavioral Health Assessments
These Behavioral Health assessments seek to provide the user with the helping hand of a digital psychotherapist. THE WEF and its online health partners give users the tools and support that they would expect from the country's most experienced behavioral health benefits providers, along with current information for health professionals, consumers, researchers and advocates.

There are several types of behavioral health assessments available. More general assessments cover broad areas such as emotional health or stress, while condition-specific assessments address narrower clinical areas such as post-traumatic stress and depression. Behavioral lifestyle assessments look at areas ranging from career burnout to sleep. Each assessment provides detailed results and specific actionable recommendations, including self-care, conventional and alternative therapies, and practitioner referrals. Extensive links to more information about mental health conditions and treatments, other relevant health assessments, behavioral health organizations and practitioner databases are included in the output of each assessment.

Interactive Disease Management Assessments
The use of disease management has grown rapidly in the past several years, while online disease management tools have become the cutting edge of modern medical management.

Our web-based disease management tools help providers save time while retaining personal involvement with their patients. Users can learn a great deal about what their symptoms mean and how to care for them, both on their own and with professional help when needed. Physicians will not only have a more educated patient, but can also access their patients’ assessment responses, even as they change over time, along with a sophisticated computerized analysis of these symptoms.

Interactive Self-Care and IM Assessments
Users will discover things they never knew about themselves with these unique assessments and profiles.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices and products. Scientific evidence exists regarding a number of CAM therapies, often indicating that they can be effective on their own or when combined with conventional medicine. Integrative Medicine is a field that specifically combines mainstream medical approaches with CAM therapies for which there is scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.

Our CAM assessment recommendations are evidence-based and focus on how various therapies—such as massage, nutrition, chiropractic, acupuncture or herbal medicine—can be used in conjunction with mainstream medical care. Each CAM assessment provides detailed personalized results and actionable recommendations based on one or more CAM disciplines. Available modalities include mind-body medicine, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, herbal medicine, nutrition, massage and bodywork, movement therapy and others.

Interactive Life-style and Work-style Assessments
Critical areas of everyday work and home life, including diet, sleep; fitness, stress and work-life are addressed by these assessments. Users learn whether their habits are healthy or not, what are the best approaches to improved health for their particular situations, and how to deal with common issues that occur on everyday life. For example, “Why do I sleep poorly and how can I improve it?” is one of the questions specifically addressed by the Sleep Assessment. Users who take several of the Lifestyle and Workstyle Assessments and follow the detailed, personalized and actionable recommendations will find that their daily lives, along with their overall health and well-being, are greatly improved.
My Health Features
The My Health tools enable users to track their health and wellness data while identifying important trends, further personalizing the user experience. The “FOCUS ON” feature presents users with timely and relevant health information they can access with a single click. My Health Journal enables users to log information about their health and use colors to indicate their mood or wellness level; the latter can help them spot trends early so they can be acted upon. Users can maintain a journal and keep track of meetings and events with My Health calendar. My Healthy Life allows users to plan and track their diet, nutrition and fitness needs. Topics include losing weight, getting fit, releasing stress, managing blood pressure and cholesterol, eating healthy and managing The change.

Multi-media Center
The Multimedia Center provides for over 50 files of streaming audio and video information on health and wellness topics. Our library listing makes it simple for users to find information that interests them. While watching a video or listening to an audio file, the users will also see related information in the dynamic link list.

Site Search
The Site Search permits the end user to search multiple databases simply by typing in a search term on any health and wellness related topic. Our proprietary search engine then returns all matches from all areas within the client-customized THE WEF website, as well as from outside databases such as the National Library of Medicine. In addition, all results (including those from outside sites) are categorized by subtopic for easy browsing.

Dynamic Link Library
THE WEF Dynamic Link Engine is particularly powerful. On each content page that utilizes this feature, from static article to constantly changing assessment output, the Dynamic Link Engine provides the end user with a specific list of additional information directly related to the content they are viewing. These dynamic links are always easy to find on the right side of the page: no more searching to find what is important. In addition, when the end user rolls the mouse over a link, a brief summary of the related link appears, providing a “sneak peak” of what the link contains without needing to go to the referenced web page. This license for this feature is limited to the specific use with the content THE WEF provides.

You Benefit from Self Help Works Programs:

Living Lean
This no nonsense workshop is designed to put people in control of unhealthy and compulsive eating habits. Participants change their relationship with food and eating to lose weight, keep it off naturally, and experience lasting lifestyle change. Living Lean focuses on breaking free from an emotional dependency, as opposed to focusing on dieting, pills, packaged food, or feelings of deprivation. No matter how long a person has been overweight or whether they have struggled with diets, plans, or meetings, he or she can succeed with Living Lean.

The workshop consists of 12 sessions, an orientation. A typical daily session will include a self-evaluation survey to assess the individual’s current emotional state, four five-minute segments utilizing engaging video and audio, interactive exercises following each segment, and personalized coaching. Also available to participants is access to an online manual, access to a course review for easy reference and support when needed, recipes and food guides, an exercise planner, community message boards for support networking, personalized emails and reminders.

Living Free
In this workshop participants become ex-smokers in just three weeks. This workshop has among the highest success rate of any other smoking program on the market today. The workshop consists of 8 sessions, an orientation, and an introduction.

A typical daily session will include a self-evaluation survey to assess the individual’s current emotional state, four five-minute segments utilizing engaging video and audio, interactive exercises following each segment, and personalized coaching. Also available to participants is access to an online manual, access to a course review for easy reference and support when needed, community message boards for support networking, and take-away items such as a series of creed cards, personalized emails and reminders.

Living Fit
Participants learn how to make exercise a regular part of their life and for it to be an activity that they eagerly anticipate.

Habits and patterns rule. Most of what we do on a daily basis is a function of habit and that is both good and bad. Some of our habits are productive and some do not provide well-being. Three common features of all habits is that once a habit is established it is easy to do, becomes automatic and is hard to break.

Using our technology, your organization can quickly and easily assess the individual or aggregate health or your population with an assessment and prevention system that seamlessly integrates with your Company Website or Intranet.

Remember your WEF Wellness Portal can become your Wellness support center to help you stay healthy for a lifetime.

Email drwade@wellnesseducationfoundation.org for appointment to review your “NEXT STEPS” Wellness Program.

My Personal Wellness Plan -- Worksheet

2011-03-21T11:00:00.001-07:00

To be completed by the healthcare professional and patient.
DATE: _____________________________________________________
PATIENT NAME: _____________________________________________
Email Log In (User Name)_____________________________- Password __________
HEALTH OVERVIEW
1. Have you (the patient) been diagnosed with any of the following chronic health problems or diseases?
Hypertension pre-diabetes arthritis cancer type: ________
heart disease type 1 diabetes type 2 diabetes osteoporosis
stroke other ________
2. What is your (the patient’s):
a. Weight_______ Height ___________
b. Hip Measurement__________
c. Waist Measurement ________
d. Blood Pressure Laying ___________; Standing ___________
READINESS AND SUPPORT
3. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being least likely and 10 being most, how likely are you to consider a couple of small lifestyle changes, specifically to increase physical activity and eat healthier, to improve your health?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being least supportive and 10 being most, how much support would you receive from your family and friends if they knew you were trying to increase your physical activity and eat healthier?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being least receptive and 10 being most, how much support would you like to receive from me should you choose to increase your physical activity and eat healthier?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The purpose of this tool is to allow you to have a baseline set of answers (Health Overview) to which to compare at the next patient visit. In addition, the “Readiness and Support” section will give you a basic idea of this patient’s readiness for change.

People who are successful at making lifestyle changes take time to write out specific goals and a plan of action. Use this work sheet to write out your goals and action plans. Review the various area of your health. Decide in which areas you would like to make improvement. List your present situation and specify your goals (what you want to accomplish) in measurable terms.

Keep track of your progress. Review your goals regularly. Get help from others as needed.

Personal wellness plan for: ___________________________
Start date: _____________
Weight Goal: Present weight________ Weight goal in 6 months: ________
Action plans:

Blood Pressure (BP): Present BP ______________ BP goal in 6 months: ________________
Action plans:

Blood Cholesterol: Present Total cholesterol level ________ HDL cholesterol level _________
Goals: Total cholesterol level ________ HDL cholesterol level _________
Action plans:

Lung Volume:____________ Specific things I want to do to improve my maximum volume.
Action plans:

Healthy Eating: Specific things I want to do to improve my eating habits.
Action plans:

Physical Activity: Number of days/week I currently get 30+ min of physical activity ________
Goals: Active 30+ min ______ days/week Kinds of activities: ___________________________
Action plans:

Stress and Coping: Ways I can improve mental/emotional health and coping skills such as daily
relaxation, recreation, hobbies, social interaction, and avoid habits that waste productive living.
Action plans:

Preventive Exams: Health tests and exams I want to do to keep current in my preventive exams:
Action plans:

Addictive Behaviors: Habits I would like to change that seem to control me such as smoking,
alcohol, drugs, gambling, binge eating, excessive work that damages my health and family life,
or excessive TV viewing.
Action plans:

Spiritual Health: Values, virtues, or service to others I would like to incorporate into my life
that would provide meaning, purpose, peace, and enrichment to my life and to others.
Action plans:
Other Changes:

Commitment: I choose to implement these wellness goals to the best of my ability. I agree to allowing this report to be submitted to my PCP.
______________________________ ________________ ________________________
(Your signature) (Date) (Wellness Coach)
.

Tips to Prevent Overweight Children

2011-01-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

Tips to Prevent Overweight Children
1. Place limits on TV, computer games, and other sedentary pursuits
2. Encourage physical activities - 1+ hours/day
3. Make physical activity a family affair – take hikes, ride bikes together, go to the park…
4. Plan birthdays around fun activities rather than at fast food restaurants
5. Encourage the habit of eating at meal times and limiting snacking
6. Avoid eating in front of the TV – it conditions people to eat when they watch TV
7. Eat most meals at home. Restaurants serve too much for adults let alone children
8. Pack lunches -- with planning they can be much healthier than what they might buy at school
9. Provide wholesome meals and snacks that your child enjoys while introducing new foods
10. Emphasize rewards for healthy eating rather than punishment
11. Explain that you eat healthfully because you value good health

Interested in more information about Raising a Healthy Drug Free Child? Go to www.wellnesseducationfoundation.org

A GUIDE FOR LIVING IN 2011

2011-01-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow ON trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured IN plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2010 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep at least 7 hours.
10.Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts on things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes in the past, that will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:

25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70, and under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
37. The best is yet to come...
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

WEIGHT LOSS:
40. Learn the "Plate Look" eating pattern
41. Make quality protien a part of each meal.
42. Never eat more quantity of "Starchy Carbs" than protien.
43. Fill up on "Smart Carbs"
44. Learn what "Starchy Carbs" and "Smart Carbs" are!
45. Attend my Breakthrough Weight loss Seminar
46. Find out what my "Will-Power in a Bottle" can do for you.
47. Detox your body
48. Add a quality pro-biotic
49. learn about food combinations and timing your meals to reset and recharge your metabolism.

Last but not the least:

40. Consider forwarding this guide to those you care about.

to learn more go to http://www.wadechiropractic.com.

The Luck of the Draw

2011-01-04T09:55:00.001-08:00

Some people do all the right things and still develop serious health problems. Others flaunt their bad habits and are able to live long lives, dying peacefully in their sleep at the age of 95. For example, high blood pressure (hypertension, HTN) is a common chronic disease in the United States. With HTN a person's heart has to work much harder, all the time, to pump the blood needed by the rest of the body. HTN is associated with heart attacks and stroke, and hypertensive heart disease is a leading cause of death. 1

HTN is often described as a lifestyle disease. 2,3 Those who are overweight and/or obese (this characterizes two-thirds of American adults) are at increased risk for HTN, as are persons with diabetes. People who don't exercise regularly are more likely to develop high blood pressure, as are those who smoke cigarettes. In fact, overweight/obesity, lack of exercise, and tobacco use are the top three causes of HTN.

Obviously, achieving an average weight, exercising regularly, and stopping smoking (or never starting) are three main lifestyle actions related to decreasing one's risk of developing HTN. But some people who are slim, have exercised all their lives, and do not smoke may still develop high blood pressure. In such a case, HTN is termed "essential hypertension". The person has a very healthy lifestyle, there are no risk factors for HTN, and still they become hypertensive. That is the luck of the draw, otherwise known as a genetic predisposition to this disease.

In a contrasting example, a few people may smoke two packs of cigarettes a day since age 15, drink a quart of gin every few days, and never get really sick. They don't develop lung cancer or liver cancer and have no problems with HTN or heart disease, and live lives that fly in the face of all received wisdom in the field of public health. They continue to thrive well into their 80s and beyond and love to tell their well-meaning friends and relatives, "I've never been sick a day in my life" while lighting up another cigarette. Such persons are described by epidemiologists as outliers, those whose health parameters represent an outlying 2.5% or less of the standard values. Their luck of the draw lies in possessing an indestructible constitution.

Of course the exceptions only prove the rule. Their existence does not suggest that rules for good health should not be observed. Regular vigorous exercise and a healthful diet containing plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables are important for all of us, young and old. Chiropractic care is an important component of the lifestyle mix. Chiropractic care helps people, young and old, achieve the best health possible. This natural form of health care helps take the "luck" out of the equation. We can make our own luck and chiropractic helps us do that in the arena of health and well-being.

For more information go to my web page www.wadechiropractic.com. Or if you have an interest in reports or additional information go to www.ALPainRelief.com.

1Zhang WW, et al: Hypertension and TIA. Int J Stroke 4(3):206-214, 2009
2Schmid AA, et al: Current blood pressure self-management: a qualitative study. Rehabil Nurs 34(6):223-229, 2009
3Pascual JM, et al: Body weight variation and control of cardiovascular risk factors in essential hypertension. Blood Press 18(5):247-254

Sleep Deprivation Affects Memory, Mood, Weight Gain, and Appetite

2010-09-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

The quality, depth and amount of sleep influences our mental, emotional and physical health. Sleep deprivation has been linked to the following:
• Shortened life span
• Inflammation
• Strained Relationships
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• Chronic irritability
• Memory loss
• Depression
Sleep is just as important to good health as a good diet, hydration, and exercise. Studies have shown a connection between sleep deprivation and weight gain. Essentially these studies show that people who do not get enough sleep are at risk for becoming overweight or even obese. This may seem illogical; that increasing our most sedentary activity (sleep) would help to prevent weight gain. How can sleeping more help to lose weight? The answer rests in the hormonal and metabolic changes that occur with sleep deprivation.

The stress of sleep deprivation causes our bodies to produce a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol inhibits muscle building and increases the production of insulin. Insulin in turn accelerates fat storage. In other words sleep restriction can contribute to a reduction in muscle size and can increase fat accumulation. Chronic sleep restriction alters the blood sugar metabolism and can contribute to diabetes later in life. Another potential source of weight gain is related to the molecule leptin. Leptin is secreted from fat cells signaling satiety, “We have had enough to eat.” It regulates body weight through appetite suppression and is also linked to having adequate sleep .With lack of sleep this signal is inhibited, so that people crave more food than they need. This in turn will lead to overeating and additional weight gain.
Aside from these factors there are other aspects of weight gain. When you are tired, you are not in the mood to exercise. When you are tired your willpower may be compromised and lead to unhealthy eating choices. You may drink more caffeine to stay awake resulting in increased cortisol and insulin production. Caffeine may interfere with normal sleep patterns resulting in a cycle of sleep deprivation and caffeine consumption. A vicious cycle is established, resulting in a downward spiral.

A good mattress is the essential to healthy sleep. The Wellness Education Founation has arranged for our members and friends to obtain a significant discount from the the Bed Boss. Determine which mattress you want to purchase (I sleep on the King Heir ET), and upon check out use the coupon code wef1. When you see the discount we have arranged, it will put a smile on your face. http://www.thebedboss.com/

The Benefits of Ergonomically Correct Workstations

2010-02-20T04:28:00.000-08:00

There are advantages of making ergonomic adjustments, plus four recommendations, to minimize work-related medical complaints using the chiropractic physician. The chiropractic physician has a broad knowledge of model mechanics and can easily spot employees with poor posture, abnormal mechanical loading or ergonomic stress from the workstation.
The Phenomenon of CTDs and RSIs
Cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) and repetitive strain injuries (RSI) are words used synonymously to describe a phenomenon that is becoming prevalent in the industrial world. CTD and RSI are described as a variety of musculoskeletal disorders relating to tendons, ligaments and joints. They also include nerve-entrapment and vascular syndromes. The injuries usually occur with repetitive motions associated with certain job tasks, awkward positions and other work-related conditions.1
A common CTD is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Atcheson et al report that work-related CTS now account for more than 41% of all repetitive motion disorders in the United States.2 Some common occupations associated with RSI are mail services, health care, construction workers, assembly line workers, fabrication workers, repair services and transportation workers.3 Sometimes one gender is affected more than the other. For example, CTS is more common in the female population.4
There is currently an increase in the trends and prevalence rates of these disorders in relationship to the economics of CTD. For example, in the field of dentistry, dentists in the State of Nebraska were surveyed regarding altered sensations in their hands, arms and forearms. Twenty nine percent of the dentists said they felt pain followed by paresthesia. The prevalence rate of this survey suggests the possibility of an occupational concern.5
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics and Liberty Mutual Group workers' compensation claims demonstrate that the trends of CTD in the upper extremities are rising. The data reveals that the injury claim rates are increasing from 1% in 1986 to 4% in 1993. According to Melhorn, CTDs account for 56% of all occupational injuries and occupational injuries currently affect 15%-20% of all Americans.
The US government is predicting that by the year 2000, 50% of the entire American work force will have occupational injuries annually. One study revealed that 80 cents of every Worker's Compensation dollar is spent in the treatment of common injuries in the workplace.5-8
An answer for the industrial community is difficult to establish. There is limited research to specifically inform employers on how to help reduce CTD and RSI. However, prevention is a key issue in which employers should focus their attention. There are different methods of prevention; one is the study of ergonomics.
Prevention: Key to Ergonomics
Ergonomics in the workplace has been shown to be an effective way for prevention of repetitive motion disorders. There are different definitions of ergonomics, including one by Thibodeau that ergonomics is a scientific, interdisciplinary study of individuals and their physical relationship to the work environment. Ergonomics maximize the production of the workplace while still maintaining the health and well-being of the worker.
Another author writes that ergonomics is the study of the relationship of the body to the machine. It is based on "information from the fields of engineering, biomechanics, physiology, anthropology and psychology. The goal of ergonomic intervention and design is to develop a good "fit" between an individual and a tool, improving comfort, health, efficiency and productivity of work."9-10
Ergonomic Advantages for Patients
The topic of ergonomics for educational purposes among health care providers is frequently overlooked. However, a great source for information concerning ergonomics can be found among the third largest health care profession in the worldthe chiropractic profession, of course. Doctors of Chiropractic are known throughout the health care community for their knowledge and expertise in the biomechanics of the body's muscles and joints.8
Consequently, the majority of patients seen in chiropractic clinics have musculoskeletal disorders, many of which may be attributed to poorly designed work-stations or work-habits. In dealing with these types of patients and their complaints, chiropractors utilize ergonomics as a part of their treatment regimens. Patients who return to work with the ability to adapt poorly designed workstations to ergonomically correct designs have better prognoses concerning their health problems.
For example, a patient presents in a chiropractic clinic complaining of dull, nagging neck pain. The patient's history reveals the person spends several hours of the day in front of a computer screen. The computer monitor sits on the desk approximately eight inches below eye level. This scenario produces poor posture, which promotes an overuse syndrome of the neck and shoulder musculature.
Usually one of the chiropractor's first questions of the patient is about their work environment. As in this case, the patient may be asked to recreate his or her workstation for demonstration purposes to the doctor. Most often it is discovered that improper workstation design is a major contributing factor to the patient's primary area of complaint. A simple change in the workstation, such as moving the computer monitor up to eye level, may be one way to dramatically reduce complaints such as headaches and neck pain (Figure One).10
The Benefits to Employees and Employers
As a result of ergonomic adjustments, employees will feel better and visits to health care providers will subsequently decrease over time. In addition, absenteeism of employees is most often reduced and there are fewer complaints among co-workers, which usually results in a better work morale. All of this can be an added economical benefit for the employer. Although this is a simplistic example of what employers can do in their businesses, often these types of alterations in the workstation design are overlooked or ignored.
In addition, there are recommendations the employer can implement that may help minimize work-related medical complaints. There are four ways to do this as explained by Khalil et al.
Model One: Stress Reduction
The first model is stress reduction, which can be accomplished in many different avenues. For example, stress can be lessened by improving poorly designed workstations and resolving conflicts between work colleagues and family. Stress can be a major catalyst for the development of occupational injuries.
Model Two: Proper Design
The second model is to design equipment, workstations, tools and so forth for the worker's maximum level of comfort, safety and efficiency.
Model Three: Match Capabilities
Model three is to always match job demands to each individual. To enhance comfort and safety, the physical capabilities of the employees need to closely match the work environment. For example, machinery should be designed to be operated while standing stationary. A mismatch can result in injury, health problems, disability and impairment. In consideration of models two and three, the employer should ask these three questions before implementing a program to help combat the national trends of increasing occupational injuries.
1. How often will the machinery or equipment be used?
2. How long will the tool, chair, etc. be used?
3. Who will use the object or equipment?
Model Four: Educate and Train
The fourth model is to educate and train personnel to improve their knowledge of the work environment. Familiarity of the work environment has been shown to decrease occupational injuries, and training increases tolerance levels of stress.11-12
Conclusion
In summary, the trends and prevalence of occupational injuries shows they are on the rise. This can be discomforting for the employer. However, there is help available for employers who are interested in reducing the aforementioned trilogy that is beginning to have dramatic effects on the employees who are involved.
A wealth of knowledge is available to the chiropractic profession concerning proper biomechanics of the body. This can be used as a great resource to employers for the purpose of developing ergonomically correct designed workstations. In addition, an added benefit employers can offer valued employees is to have an active program designed to help reduce work-related health complaints in the workplace, thus promoting a much friendlier working environment.
Acknowledgment
Wade B. Browne, RN, DC and Joseph E. Goodman, DC are Assistant Professors at Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas, Texas. Please contact the authors by calling 214-350-1620 or e-mail wbrowne@parkercc.edu.

References
1.Yassi A, Repetitive strain injuries. Lancet 1997;349(9056):943-947.
2.Atcheson SC; Ward JR; Lowe W, Concurrent medical disease in work-related carpal tunnel syndrome. Archives Internal Medicine 1998;158(14):1506-1512.
3.Tanaka S; Wild DK; Seligman PJ; Halperin WE; Behrens VJ; Putz-Anderson V, Prevalence and work-relatedness of self-reported carpal tunnel syndrome among U.S. workers: analysis of the Occupational Health Supplement data of 1988 National Health Interview Survey. American Journal Ind. Med. 1995;27(4):451-470.
4.Dunphy FR; Mannello DM, Chiropractic technique: carpal tunnel syndrome. JACA 1998;35(7):58-61,69.
5.Stockstill JW; Harn SD; Strickland D; Hruska R, Prevalence of upper extremity neuropathy in a clinical dentist population. Journal of the American Dental Association 1993;124(8):67-72.
6.Brogmus GE; Sorock GS; Webster BS, Recent trends in work-related cumulative trauma disorders of the upper extremities in the United States: an evaluation of possible reasons. Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine 1996;38(4):401-411.
7.Melhorn JM, Cumulative trauma disorders and repetitive strain injuries. The future. Clinical Orthopedics 1998;351:107-126.
8.Chiropractic News Service, Occupational safety programs can reduce workers' compensation costs through chiropractic. Journal of the Kansas Chiropractic Association. 1998;35(3):23,40,42.
9.Thibodeau PL, Ergonomics in the electronic library. Bulletin Med. Libr. Assoc. 1995;83(3):322-329.
10.Gassett RS; Hearne B; Keelan B, Ergonomics and body mechanics in the work place. Occupational disorder management. 1996;27(4):861-878.
11.Khalil T; Abdel-Moty E; Rosomoff R; Rosomoff H, Ergonomics In Back Pain: A Guide to Prevention and Rehabilitation. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York 1993
12.Lewis M, Tooling along safely. American Machinist April, 1998.

Automated Corporate Wellness Partner

2010-01-26T16:17:00.000-08:00

Become A Strategic Business Partner With the Dr David Wade & the Wellness Education Foundation

"I Want To Invite You To Become A 50% Partner In My Wellness Business That Will Make Over Five Hundred THOUSAND Dollars This Year" If You Can Answer Yes To These 3 Simple Questions...

In the next few weekss I'll Be Accepting 10 New Strategic Business Partners... To Be Considered, You Must Reply to this blog And Submit Your Application Immediately to drwade@wellnesseducationfoundation.org!

VERY IMPORTANT: Review my personal letter below right away. After doing so... if you believe that you and I are a right fit for each other, reply to this page ASAP and submit your application immediately.

Dear Friend,

Congratulations on your interest in becoming my newest Strategic Business Partner in Corporate Wellness.

If you qualify, you're going to have the opportunity to start making money fast – with NO previous wellness experience, NO existing business, NO website, NO subscriber list, NO product, NO risk, NO headaches and NO money out of your pocket.

But…

I've got to give you fair warning.

I'm only accepting applications for a VERY limited time.

Review the information below, and if you qualify to be my partner in this project, return to this page on Friday morning at 9am Pacific time (12 noon Eastern time) and submit your application immediately.

I'll then get back in touch with you next Monday to let you know if you've been accepted as my newest Strategic Business Partner.

If accepted, you'll be paid a whopping 50% commission (up to $595.00) for every sale we make.

________________________________________

Not too long ago I met my long time friend, Jeff, for lunch and we got into a VERY interesting conversation.

Shortly after our meal arrives, he says to me…

"Dr Wade, I read your article in Chiropractic Economics on Corporate Wellness you're the only guy I know personally who's makes a whole lot of money on Automated Corporate Wellness Programs.

I've watched as your business has grown like crazy over the past couple years, and while I'm a little bit jealous, I figure that you could probably show a guy like me how to do what you've done.

In fact, that's why I wanted to take you to lunch today. I was hoping you could help me.

Can someone like me really do the same thing that you've done?

You know me – I'm busier than a one legged man in a kicking contest and I don't have a lot of time on my hands. I don't have a days worth of corporate wellness business experience, I don't have a product to sell, I don't even know how to set up a corporate wellness website.

I'm starting from ground zero.

Is there REALLY hope for a guy like me?

Could you really show me how to do what you've done?

Cause let me tell you, if there were a way to make it happen, I'd be willing to do whatever you told me to do, as long as it was ethical"

After hearing this, I've gotta say, it was an ego boost.

Most of my friends know what I do, and how successful my business has become, but none of them have asked me to show them how I did it.

This was certainly a first.

And being that I've known Jeff for so long, I wanted to help him.

In order to prove that I could show him how to make money, and LOTS of it, I did something that I've never done before.

I decided to take Jeff under my wing and make him a partner in my business.

I gave him access to my 17 years of research and the entire tested and proven system that I've been using for more than 3 years now.
And By That I Mean – I Gave Him EVERYTHING!

He didn't have to:
• Do any market research.

• Find or create a product to sell.

• Build a website.

• Get a merchant account.

• Write any sales copy.

• Build a subscriber list.

• Fill any orders.

• Deal with any customer service issues

He didn't have to do ANY of that.

All he had to do was collect the survey from the comanies he wanted to work with and give away tickets to my free seminar-by-phone.

In short, I handed him a complete "done-for-you" business package, and I handed it to him on a silver platter.

By setting Jeff up as a business partner, it was impossible for him to fail.

In fact, in less than a month, he made a whopping $2,777.00, and he barely even had to do any work.

BUT - make no doubt about it, I benefited from our arrangement as well.

I too made an extra $2,777.00 that I wouldn't have made if it weren't for Jeff.

After seeing this, it got me thinking, "wouldn't it be awesome if I could find a few more business partners that were motivated like Jeff was?

I could do the same thing for them, and it would be a win-win situation for both of us.

And that brings me to the purpose of this letter.

But…

Before I go any further, I've got to let you know - what I'm about to tell you about is a SERIOUS partnership opportunity in my business.

There are 3 conditions that MUST be met in order to become my partner (which I'll tell you about shortly).

Needless To Say, You May Not Qualify For This Offer

In fact – MOST people will NOT qualify to be my partner in this venture.

But…

If you consider yourself a serious entrepreneur who's open to a sensible, rational, very attractive opportunity, then read on.

If you've been with me for any period of time, you already know most of my story.

I went from owning a business I used to hate, where I was working 14-16 hours a day, 7 days a week and getting paid next to nothing for my efforts… to being a respected corporate and small business authority on wellness where I regularly get paid $30,000.00, $40,000.00… and NOW… $50,000.00+ a month.

GONE are the days of hating life and working hard.

I now get paid for doing what I LOVE, which is helping other Wellness coaches, chiropractors, physical therapists and medical doctors and their staff achieve the same kind of success in their own practices.

So, you're probably wondering, if things are going so well in my business, why would I be willing to offer YOU the same kind of partnership opportunity I gave Jeff?

The answer is actually quite simple.

Over the last several years I've been successfully marketing my core product - the Automated Corporate Wellness System – to entrepreneurs in private practice who are looking for a way to start a corporate wellness business center of their own, without having all the hassles and headaches that come with a "typical" business.

These special folks also benefit through becoming known to decision-makers and are invited into business to assist in implementation of the Wellness System.

The sales system for this product works like gangbusters. In fact, it's currently providing me with more NEW sales – than I can personally handle - EVERY single month.

But here's the problem:

There's no way I can possibly reach all of the potential customers for this product on my own.

Every year economic benefit of implementing Automated Corporate Wellness Systems, and they would gladly invest in this product, if they only knew it existed.

The Fact Is, Over The Last 3 Years, I've Barely Scratched The Surface Of This Market

And my little experiment with Jeff has proven this to be true.

I could keep doing what I'm doing for years to come, and there's no way I'd be able to contact ALL these folks on my own.

I've been trying to figure out a way to reach and help more people, and Jeff helped me find the answer I was looking for.

And if that weren't enough…

I recently had another experience that let me know I was on the right track with this idea of taking on a few select business partners.

Recently I was on Amazon.com buying a new book – and that's when it was staring me in the face… BIGTIME!

As you know, Amazon.com has become a HUGE company.

What's so interesting about their success is the fact that they don't do everything on their own.

They have thousands and thousands and thousands of business partners, and every one of these partners gets paid for telling other people about Amazon.

Amazon starts their partners out at a 4% commission rate.

So let's analyze this for a second.

Let's say that I were one of their business partners and I told you about the Amazon.com website.

You then decide to go there and buy a book, or a movie, or any of the other products they offer.

Because I was the one that told you about them, Amazon would pay me a 4% commission on whatever you bought from them.

Let's say that you decided to buy a book for $29.95.

Amazon would then pay me $1.19, because I was the one who told you about them.

After visiting their website, it got me thinking…

"If these guys have thousands and thousands of business partners who are excited to tell others about the Amazon.com site when they only get paid a 4% commission, and the average price of a product is about 30 bucks, I wonder how many people would jump at the opportunity to become a business partner with me when I give them a 50% commission – and the price of my hottest selling product is $1,191.00?"

I mean seriously...

You'd Get A Lot More Excited About Making $595.00... Wouldn't You?

Wouldn't you rather get paid $595.00 for a referral - instead of $1.19?

Of course you would!

And you'd get more excited if I gave you the same opportunity I gave Jeff, and let you become my business partner… for FREE!

Of course you would!

And what if I were to give you EVERYTHING you needed, a complete tested and proven system that made it impossible for you to fail?

You'd get even MORE excited – WOULDN'T YOU!

You know that you would!

Well let me tell you - that's exactly what I'm going to do – when you're qualified like Jeff was (and I'll be telling you more about that in a minute).

Yes, I'm going to invite you to become my business partner, at absolutely NO cost to you.

Because the truth is, I don't need your money.

What I need is your help.

As I mentioned before, I already have a successful business that supports my family and I very nicely.

I've got a product that corporations are clamoring to buy, and for the last 3 years, my system has been selling this product like hotcakes.

What I'm offering you is a tested and proven, "done-for-you" business partnership where all you have to do is give away tickets to my FREE seminar-by-phone.

I'll then do EVERYTHING else for you – and you'll get paid a whopping 50% commission (Up to $595.00) every time we make a sale.

Oh, and just in case you're thinking to yourself, "This all sounds fantastic Dr. Wade, and I'd love to become your business partner, but how in the heck could I possibly make money from this when I don't even have a list (and I don't want to spend a bunch of my own money)?"

The GREAT news is – I've got you covered on that as well.

So let me tell you what you're going to get if you're chosen to be my business partner.

Here's Everything You'll Get... For FREE!

Instant Access To My Automated Online Wellness
Website - $5,000.00 Value

This is the secret behind the entire system, and it took over 5 years of testing and fine-tuning, at a cost of $67,985.87 in order to develop it. The biggest asset that any entrepreneur can have is a tested and proven sales system that can be used over, and over, and over again. As my partner, you get instant access to my ENTIRE tested and proven sales system.

The Lead Capture & Follow Up System - $699.00 Value

Most professionals & Wellness coaches make the grave mistake of trying to sell their products to EVERYONE. The fact is, not everyone is going to be interested in what we have to offer. Our goal is to weed businesses out so that we only spend our time communicating with companies who are pre-interested and pre-disposed to buy our product… people who have raised their hands and said, "Yes, I'm interested in what you have to offer". My Wellness & Injury Prevention Survey & Follow Up System collects the contact information of these people so we can give them the information they requested, while simultaneously giving them multiple buying opportunities for the wellness product & services they came to us for in the first place.

The "Sell… Without Selling Report" - $299.00 Value

When you think back on the last time you had a GREAT buying experience, it dawns on you that you never "felt" like you were being sold. Every successful entrepreneur, myself included, has mastered the art of Selling… Without Selling. When a prospect raises their hand and requests more information about our products and services, they're immediately sent this special report that moves them toward the buying decision they naturally want to make.

The "Sales Stampede Seminar-By-Phone" - $799.00 Value

This is the heart and soul of my automated sales system. This is where all the action happens. This unique event is a finely-tuned sales presentation that delivers consistent results… EVERY time. Each component of the automated sales system is designed to get the prospect to participate on this free seminar-by-phone. By participating in this event, they have the opportunity to get their questions answered, discover that I'm MORE than qualified to help them achieve their goals, and as a result, they're compelled to invest in the Automatic Wellness System. And like I said, each time we make a sale, you'll get paid a whopping 50% commission, up to $595.00.

Seminar-By-Phone Handouts - $200.00 Value

Once a prospect registers for the Seminar-By-Phone, they're given a set of handouts to print out and have ready for the seminar. These handouts are specifically designed to arouse curiosity and further compel them to join us for the big event.

Pre-Seminar Reminder System - $150.00 Value

Each prospect is sent several email reminders prior to the seminar. Knowing that so many product sales are made on this seminar, I REFUSE to leave anything to chance. I want everyone who's registered for the seminar to be sure and join us.

Voice Mail Reminder System - $150.00 Value

Most business owners don't make use of a complete marketing system like this, and those who do make a half-baked effort will limit themselves to "internet only" tools. As I said before – I REFUSE to leave anything to chance. That's why every seminar registrant also gets a personal message from me on their answering machine, congratulating them on registering for the seminar, and offering them an added bonus when they join us for the event.

Post-Seminar Follow Up System - $299.00 Value

At the conclusion of the Seminar-By-Phone, each participant is given the opportunity to invest in my product, which is the Automatic Wellness System. As I've said, this seminar is structured just like the most successful infomercials you see on television. As a result, it creates a stampede of people – racing to get their copy of the product. But… there will always be some folks who need some time to think it over. That's why I send out this series of emails for 3 days after the event. By doing so, we're able to pick up all those additional sales.

Post-Seminar Voice Mail - $150.00 Value

Once again, I want to maximize our sales from the seminar-by-phone. That's why each registrant receives a personal message from me on their answering machine two days after the event, congratulating them on participating, and offering them yet another added bonus when they place their product order by the deadline I told them about on the event.

Personalized Wellness Web Page - $4,500.00 Value

It's long been known that many massively successful (and profitable) businesses have been built on one good sales letter. And let me tell you, my business is no exception. The sales copy on this hidden web page has sold thousands and thousands, and thousands of dollars worth of the Automatic Wellness System. It literally STOPS the reader in their tracks and forces them to read the entire message, which results in them buying the product we're offering.

Ready-To-Go Product (The Automatic Wellness System) - $3,500.00 Value

As you know, this product has been selling like hotcakes for the last 3 years – so you won't have to spend one minute of time creating a product of your own. The market for this product is already HUGE, and it continues to grow every year as more and more corporations make the decision to break out of the healthcare cost spiral and start an Automated Wellness System of their own. As my partner, you'll be able to tap into to this red hot market by offering these businesses this valuable product that virtually sells itself.

Order Fulfillment System - $2,000.00 Value

My company will do all the order fulfillment for every sale you generate. This means that you won't need to set up a merchant account, deal with any paper work, stock any product or talk with any customers.

Customer Service System - $2,000.00 Value

One of the biggest reasons for my success is the ongoing help I provide my clients after the sale has been made. I firmly believe in taking good care of my clients, and as a result, I've got an INCREDIBLE customer service system in place, and you will NEVER have to deal with a single corporate wellness service issue. Like I said, I do everything for you.

24-7 Management Software - $499.00 Value

As my partner, you'll be given a private website where you can login and see your strategic reports and all the wellness statistics anytime you like. You won't have to wait until the end of the month to find out how big your commission check is going to be. You'll be able to access this information at the drop of a hat, whenever you want – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

How To Get Started With No List - 298.00 Value

I realize that you're probably thinking to yourself, "This all sounds fantastic Dr Wade, and I'd love to become your business partner, but how in the heck could I possibly make money from this when I don't even have a list of companies(and I don't want to spend a bunch of my own money)?"

For the first time ever, I'm going to reveal one of my jealously guarded secrets.

This is my favorite method for making money FAST, because you don't need a list, and you don't need to spend any money.

This audio recording & power point training will show you how to use a little-known resource that you'll find at the public library, and get access to ALL the lists you want… for FREE.

As you can see, the total value of everything you'll be getting when you qualify to be my partner is $20,543.00.

And the truth is...

I Could Easily Offer It At That Price
And It Would Be A Bargain
But You Get EVERYTHING... For FREE!

Where else can you get a complete "Done-For-You" tested and proven wellness business for such a small amount?

Nowhere!

When starting my very first business back in 1984, which was a chiropractic services company that I ran – I invested $60,000.00 just to open the doors. My second practice purchased in 1985 cost $250,000.

And make no doubt about it, there was no tested and proven system in place for me when I started that business.

There was no guarantee that I would succeed.

But things are going to be much different for YOU.

As I promised you earlier, when you're selected to become my business partner, you're going to get EVERYTHING I've told you about, the entire system - at absolutely NO cost to you.

Like I Said, I Don't Need Your Money
What I Need Is Your Help

There's no way I can possibly reach all of the potential customers for this product on my own.

Also, you will be established in your area as the local Wellness Coordinator for the Automated Corporate Wellness system, and you will be the professional who develops the relationship with the company’s employees & their families. These corporations would gladly invest in our Wellness product, if they only knew it existed.

The fact is, I've barely scratched the surface, and my little experiment with Jeff has proven this to be true.

I could keep doing what I'm doing for years to come, and there's no way I'd be able to contact ALL these folks on my own.

But…

With YOUR help, we can reach a lot more people and it will be a win-win-win situation.

YOU'LL win.

I'll win.

And the people who invest in our wellness product will win.

That being said, I need to tell you what's required of you in order to become my partner.

You see, I'm not willing to work with any "Joe-Blow" who happens to find out about this offer.

I'm ONLY going to partner with people who are serious about working with me and making a positive and lasting impact on people's lives – just like Jeff was.

To find out if you and I are a right fit...

You Must Be Able To Answer "YES" To These 3 Questions

Indicate your "YES" answer by clicking the box to the left of each question

1. Are you committed to following directions and doing what I tell you to do - in order to make this a massively profitable partnership for you, me and everyone we offer this product to?

2. Are you an ethical person who who will use the automated wellness system in the way that I have intended, and you refuse to make use of illegal business practices?

3. Are you the kind of person who can be accountable - when you say you'll do something, you make good on your promises?

Congratulations!

If you answered yes to all 3 questions, then you're the kind of partner I'm looking for, and the two of us are going to have a long and profitable relationship together.

Your next step is to let me know that you're seriously interested in moving forward.

As I mentioned before, I'm simply not willing to work with any "Joe-Blow" who happens to find out about this offer.

There are many who will say they want to have the kind of income I've talked about, who'll say they want to be my partner, who'll say they want to have the kind of lifestyle most people only get to dream about - but when it comes right down to it, they aren't really serious.

In Order To Weed Out All The "Wanna-Bees"...

I've put up a small barrier to entry.

This small barrier will speak volumes about the kind of person you are, and I hope I'll get to see you on the other side, and welcome you as my partner.

If I don't see you on the other side, it simply means that you and I aren’t a right fit for each other, and I wish you the very best in your endeavors.

As I said, there's No cost to you to become my partner, but you will need to include a small deposit of $497 when submitting your application.

This deposit will let me know that you're serious about working with me, and it will be refunded back to you when we make our first sale together.

That's right...

I'll refund your $497 deposit when we make our first sale!

The truth is, it costs me considerably more than $497 to cover all the expenses of setting you up as my partner, and I'm simply not willing to invest my time or finances in anyone who's not going to be as committed to this partnership as I am.

Oh, and by the way…

This opportunity is only available to the first 10 who qualify.

Like I said, it takes a considerable amount of time (and money) to get you set up as a partner, and that's why I'm putting a cap on this.

So...

At this moment, we're at a turning point. If you feel that you're the kind of person I'm looking for – I invite you to submit your application so I can review it.

I look forward to a long and profitable relationship with you.

Dedicated to your success,

David Wade

"The Head Wellness Coach of Automatic Corporate Wellness Program”

P.S. Submitting an application is NOT a guarantee that you'll be accepted as my partner. I'll be reviewing your application personally, and if I don't believe we're a right fit, I'll refund your deposit immediately.

P.S.S. Once your application has been accepted, I'll send you everything you need to get started.

P.S.S.S. I'm only accepting 10 partners, and that means that time is off the essence. If your interest has been piqued, you must return to this page on Friday morning at 9am Pacific time (12 noon Eastern time) and submit your application immediately.

Submit Your Partnership Application Here...
On Friday - January 29th at 9am Pacific Time (12 Noon Eastern Time)

Yes... Yes... YES!
David, I want to be a partner in your business and get paid a 50% commission for every sale we make together. I understand that if I'm accepted, I'll get instant access to your ENTIRE automated wellness system. All I'll have to do is put people into your tested and proven plug-and-play sales system. You'll show me how to get started, even if I don't have a list and don't want to invest any of my own money. I understand that my deposit will be refunded in full as soon as we make our first sale together. On that basis, please accept my application and get back in touch with me as soon as possible to let me know if I qualify to be your partner.

Order online by clicking the button above,
or fill out and FAX or mail the order form below.
Payment Method (choose one):
Charge My (circle): Visa ~ Mastercard ~ American Express ~ Discover
Card Number: ____________________________________
Expiration Date: _____________________
Signature: __________________________________________
Print Name: __________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________
City: _____________________________________________
State: ___________________________
Zip Code: _______________________
Country: __________________________________
Telephone: __________________________________________
Fax Number: __________________________________________
E-Mail: __________________________________________
NOTE: Supplying your FAX number and E-mail address grants permission to deliver product updates and notifications by that medium.
FAX this order form to:
256-237-6007
Or mail it to:
Wellness Education Foundation
620 Quintard Dr, Suite 201
Oxford, AL 36203 USA

© Copyright 2004-2010, David Wade, Online Wellness & Wellness Education Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved
620 Quintard Dr, Suite 201 ~ Oxford, AL 36203 ~ USA
Phone: 1800-287-9488 ~ FAX: 256-237-6007
Email: drwade@wellnesseducationfoundation.org

Worksite Health Promotion Activities

2009-09-05T03:57:00.000-07:00

The Scientific Research That Supports
Worksite Health Promotion Activities
(Adapted from The Health Promotion First Act prepared by David Anderson, Ph.D.)
Employee Lifestyles Impact Employee Health
 Approximately 40% of all deaths in the United States are premature (at least 900,000 deaths annually) and are due to unhealthy lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, misuse of alcohol and drugs, and accidents. Other contributors to early death include genetic predisposition (30%), social circumstances (15%), poor access to quality medical care (10%), and environmental exposures (5%).
 Unhealthy lifestyle is the primary contributor to the six leading causes of death in the U.S. – heart disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, accidents, and diabetes – which collectively account for over 70% of all deaths. , , ,
 People with healthier lifestyles live an average of 6 to 9 years longer, postpone disability by 9 years and compress disability into fewer years at the end of life.

 The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults rose to 30% in 1999-2000, a 33% increase from a decade earlier, and the prevalence of diabetes also rose by 33% during approximately the same period (1990 to 1998).
 About two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese,8 55% do not get enough physical activity, 26% are completely inactive,10 and only 25% eat recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables If diet/physical activity patterns continue worsening at their current rate, these behaviors will soon surpass tobacco use as contributors to mortality.3
 Among young people, the prevalence of overweight has more than quadrupled in the past 20 years to 16%, daily participation in high school physical education classes has dropped from 42% in 1991 to 28% in 2003, more than 60% eat too much saturated fat, and almost 80% do not eat recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables.
 Lifestyle diseases disproportionately affect women, racial and ethnic minorities, the poor and seniors:
• The prevalence of diabetes among African Americans is about 70% higher than among white Americans, and the prevalence among Hispanics is nearly double that for white Americans.
• Women comprise more than half of the people who die each year of cardiovascular disease.
• Chronic conditions significantly limit daily activity for 35% of persons over 65 years of age.
Financial Impact of Lifestyle
 It is estimated that lifestyle-related chronic diseases account for 70% of the nation’s medical care costs, which translates to over 11% of the entire U.S. gross domestic product.
 Two comprehensive scientific reviews identified 83 peer-reviewed studies reporting that people with unhealthy habits have higher medical costs. ,
 Research conservatively estimates that high health risks (high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc) account for at least 25% of total medical costs.
 Recent research indicates a direct relationship between modifiable lifestyle risks and lower worker productivity, , and relevant data suggest that the costs to employers in lost productivity due to poor employee health may be substantially more than the direct medical and disability costs. ,
 Unhealthy lifestyles often lead to chronic disease, many of which cannot be cured and require years or decades of expensive treatments. Below are estimated annual costs of selected unhealthy lifestyles and chronic diseases including obesity, , smoking, hypertension, diabetes, stress, and inactivity.

Worksite Health Promotion Improves Health and Yields Major Savings
 Comprehensive scientific reviews identified 378 peer-reviewed studies showing that worksite health promotion programs improve health knowledge, health behaviors, and underlying health conditions.
 Research has demonstrated that lifestyle modification may often be more effective and cost-effective than medical intervention in reducing morbidity and mortality.
 Several scientific reviews indicate that worksite health promotion programs reduce medical costs and absenteeism and produce a positive return on investment.20, , , The most definitive review of financial impact reported that:
• 18 studies indicated that these programs reduce medical costs, and 14 studies indicated that they reduce absenteeism costs.20
• 13 studies that calculated benefit/cost ratios all showed the savings from these programs are much greater than their cost, with medical cost savings averaging $3.48 and the absenteeism savings averaging $5.82 per dollar invested in the programs.20

 Medical costs are expected to exceed 16 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2005 and to grow at 7.2 percent annually through 2015, when medical expenditures will account for 20 percent of GDP: ,
• Per capita medical costs in the U.S. are the highest in the world and more than double the median for OECD countries (see chart below), yet the United States ranks 26th in terms of healthy life expectancy.
• Medicaid is the second largest item in most state budgets, and its portion of the total budgets is increasing each year.
• Rising medical costs for U.S. employers continue to outpace general inflation, averaging 12 percent per year for the past 10 years. This trend is causing a tremendous financial hardship on U.S. employers.

References, upon request
For more information contact the Wellness Education Foundation call 1800-287-9488

Wellness Today, for a Better Life Tomorrow

2009-09-05T03:42:00.000-07:00

The Wellness Education Foundation, Inc (WEF) was founded 1992 by Dr. David Wade and is governed by the laws of Alabama. It is an IRS approved 501-c3 non-profit corporation focused on improving the health and wellness of the individual and the dissemination of wellness knowledge to management and workers of all organizations and businesses.

WEF is positioned to become a major provider of Wellness services in this soon to be $1 trillion dollar a year Wellness Industry in the US. Specifically, WEF works closely with employees and their families to reduce the health risk factors that drive rising insurance costs for companies and ruin good health. It is provided online and at the worksite by company workers and WEF affiliated providers (doctors). The providers working with the WEF program share the vision of Wellness Today, For A Better Life Tomorrow.

WEF also sells products and services discounted directly to the public. through the affiliated Buyer's Club WEF will receive revenue from many sources. Dr Wade is the Director of WEF and dedicated to assisting companies and their employees, municipalities, government organizations, chambers of commerce and church groups and individuals with wellness, health and injury prevention programs. Through online tools and professional volunteer members nation-wide, the WEF disseminates health and wellness information to the public.

The Internet site is www.wellnesseducationfoundation.org, which is the outreach and educational tool for reaching the world with wellness education. Dr Wade also owns Online Wellness, www.onlinewellness.org which provides specific subscription based online wellness tools through contractual strategic alliances such Convergence Health, Health Risk Assessment, Comprehensive Stress Survey, and Health e Campaign.

Healthy People 2010, the US Department of Health and Human Services set of health goals for the nation for the first decade of this century, has two primary objectives:
" Increase quality and years of healthy life.
" Eliminate health disparities among different segments of the population.
Healthy People 2010 challenges all --professionals, communities, and individuals, to take specific steps to ensure, that good health and long life are enjoyed by all.
WEF has the programs to meet the Challenge of Healthy People 2010, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, educational programs, and injury prevention.

The WEF Members in Alabama were able to obtain credentials as part of the Poly Clinic Medical Staff for the 1996 Olympic Village in Birmingham for the Quarterfinal Soccer Games. WEF Members have presented educational programs at governmental agencies, schools, churches, corporations. WEF Members are assisting and in many cases coordinating monthly themed health fairs at Wal Marts in conjunction with the Vision Centers and Pharmacy across the US.

Internet and e-commerce training services show constant growth rates. For the United States where the company operates, the Internet training industry expects significant growth rates to persist in the near future, so that investments in that segment tend to be very profitable. The goal of this operation is to offer a wide range of services. Online health and wellness products will also be offered like a shopping mall. In addition to this core business, the company offers a selection of consulting services through their professional providers and health coaches which will help to increase sales revenues and utilize personnel capacity.

The wellness programming is also packaged for sale to individuals, fitness centers, patients of Wellness Coaches, other physician's patients, associations, and other non-employer based groups.

WEF accepts memberships as Corporations, Professionals and Individuals each with their benefits. It has plans to offer memberships or sponsorships to suppliers of products and services that are aligned with the mission and goals of WEF. The WEF's offering includes:

Corporate Membership Benefits:
Health Risk Assessment for behavioral & lifestyle risk reduction programming, i.e. "wellness program"
" healthier workforce resulting in lower health premiums and costs
" reduced compensation claims
" reduced absenteeism
" increased productivity
happy and healthier employees
group perks program and discount buying

Professional Membership Benefits:
Access to key public sites & companies through affiliation with this national non profit organization (WEF)
Increased opportunities to develop corporate relationships with long term benefits
Increased access to expanding potential patient base in each providers practice
Provide additional wellness services to patient base as individual WEF members, including HRA, Self Help- Programs, Wellness Center, Buyers Club
Expand Wellness Services to business and the community - be recognized as the responsible provider of this unique service
Become a Corporate Wellness Coach - new income opportunity
Increase Income through wellness programs presented
group perks program and discount buying

Individual Program Benefits
Determine Wellness Score to stay healthy for a lifetime - Health Risks identified so person can take action to protect and improve health
Remove the disparaging wellness educational information presented to diverse population groups
Ongoing management of diet & exercise program to prevent illness and injury
Proactive involvement of individual health and often with discounts for services and care.
group perks program and discount buying

WEF appreciates the life giving intervention that conventional medicine can offer in cases of acute injury, life threatening conditions or end stage disease. Conventional medicine, however, has not recognized that it fails to provide a foundation for wellness. Screening for early manifestations of disease, while necessary, is not sufficient. It is our hope that by integrating wellness knowledge, services and products along with certain complementary healthcare approaches into the traditional medical model, all concerned (individuals and organizations) will experience greater savings, improved health and get health and healthcare under control. And by making these services readily available to the public will help remove the health disparities among different segments of the population.

Without this approach, wellness experts predict by 2030 government expenditures on healthcare are projected to reach 50% of government revenues. Much of this could be lessened by employers and employees adopting wellness principles into their daily lives. Companies are facing the same crisis: Starbucks for example reportedly spends more on employee healthcare than coffee. Proven fact: when business leaders and their employees understand the principles of good health and act according to those it leads to increased wellness and prevention of injury and disease. This will impact productivity, decrease health care costs, and `reduce injury rates. Teaching Wellness has been shown to have the unique ability to reduce medical claims even in the first year of implementation.
WEF has a business approach that uniquely provides value to Employers, Individuals, Health & Wellness Providers, Organizations, Insurance Professionals and TPA's.
" Employers benefit by having access to an affordable and effective means of developing a healthier workforce resulting in lower insurance costs, higher productivity, lower absenteeism, and reduced turnover.
" Individuals receive the tools, education, assessments, and incentives to pursue healthier lifestyle choices resulting in the avoidance of many chronic conditions and diseases. Employees and dependents with behavioral and lifestyle risk factors enter the WEF Program with the goal of affecting change. The less effective medical model focuses more on treating symptoms.
" Organizations such as associations, colleges, and universities benefit from our services by offering members/students an opportunity to address lifestyle and behavioral changes.
Health & Wellness Providers enjoy the opportunity to educate clients and, as a result, grow their practices.
" Insurance Professionals & TPA's will be supplied with the WEF proactive solution to the problem of increasing insurance and claims costs creating a marketable differentiation in a competitive marketplace as they add the WEF solution. This results in an increased ability to develop and attract clients.
Phamaceutical companies will benefit as we seek to educate the disease management group in long term strategies to control the progression of disease through maintaining their prescribed treatment guidelines.

WEF has the potential to become an instrument of real change in the way people worldwide maximize their life by improving the knowledge base and assisting individuals in accepting responsibility for their health potential.

What is a Subluxation?

2009-08-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

Subluxation - “The Silent Killer”

Your Nervous System is responsible for controlling and coordinating all other systems and structures in your body. The Central Nervous System consisting of the Brain and Spinal Cord is responsible for sending and receiving messages to and from every tissue, organ and system in your body. This communication is made possible by your spinal neurological network. This vast communication network is in charge of virtually every function in your body and determines whether you enjoy good health or suffer with ongoing malfunction or disease. The central nervous system is so important that nature build a protective case around it, your skull and spinal column. However, even with this “inborn Protection” your nervous system can experience interference, injury or disturbance. We call this damage to our nervous system a Subluxation.

Your examinations have determined that you have one or multiple subluxations that exist in your spinal neurological network. This is a very serious threat to your continued overall health and well being. Many people have subluxations and do not even know that a problem exists. Early subluxation development causes a loss of function in the body, but in the early stages create few symptoms. Most people overlook the early warning signs until significant damage occurs.

Subluxations are often called the “Silent Killer” because of their nature of causing a progressive loss of function, while initially not causing any pain until they are quite progressed. Subluxations usually go undetected for years before they are diagnosed, and frequently have caused progressive deterioration to your overall health potential.

Subluxations have devastating effects on your overall health and wellbeing. Our primary goal is to detect and correct subluxations that are interfering with your nervous system and health thereby allowing your body to heal and establish a healthier you.

Since there is such a hidden nature to the Subluxation, we recommend all individuals be checked for this significant threat to your health. The earlier the subluxation is identified the less likely damage is to occur, so children especially should be checked for interference or subluxation early. Call Wade & Associated Chiropractic and schedule an evaluation, 256-237-9423.

Wade & Associated Chiropractic
A Partnership To Better Health

217 East 7th Street
Anniston, Al
Phone 256-237-9423

FREE HELP VIDEO

2009-08-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most expensive of all work-related injuries. Over his or her lifetime, a carpal tunnel patient loses about $30,000 in medical bills and time absent from work.

CTS typically occurs in adults, with women 3 times more likely to develop it than men. The dominant hand is usually affected first, and the pain is typically severe. CTS is especially common in assembly-line workers in manufacturing, sewing, finishing, cleaning, meatpacking, and similar industries. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, according to recent research, people who perform data entry at a computer (up to 7 hours a day) are not at increased risk of developing CTS.

What Is CTS?
CTS is a problem of the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand. CTS occurs when the median nerve gets compressed in the carpal tunnel-a narrow tunnel at the wrist-made up of bones and soft tissues, such as nerves, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. The compression may result in pain, weakness, and/or numbness in the hand and wrist, which radiates up into the forearm. CTS is the most common of the "entrapment neuropathies"-compression or trauma of the body"s nerves in the hands or feet.

What Are the Symptoms?
Burning, tingling, itching, and/or numbness in the palm of the hand and thumb, index, and middle fingers are most common. Some people with CTS say that their fingers feel useless and swollen, even though little or no swelling is apparent. Since many people sleep with flexed wrists, the symptoms often first appear while sleeping. As symptoms worsen, they may feel tingling during the day. In addition, weakened grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist or grasp small objects. Some people develop wasting of the muscles at the base of the thumb. Some are unable to distinguish hot from cold by touch.

Why Does CTS Develop?
Some people have smaller carpal tunnels than others, which makes the median nerve compression more likely. In others, CTS can develop because of an injury to the wrist that causes swelling, over-activity of the pituitary gland, hypothyroidism, diabetes, inflammatory arthritis, mechanical problems in the wrist joint, poor work ergonomics, repeated use of vibrating hand tools, and fluid retention during pregnancy or menopause.

How Is It Diagnosed?
CTS should be diagnosed and treated early. A standard physical examination of the hands, arms, shoulders, and neck can help determine if your symptoms are related to daily activities or to an underlying disorder.

Your doctor of chiropractic can use other specific tests to try to produce the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. The most common are:
• Pressure-provocative test. A cuff placed at the front of the carpal tunnel is inflated, followed by direct pressure on the median nerve.
• Carpal compression test. Moderate pressure is applied with both thumbs directly on the carpal tunnel and underlying median nerve at the transverse carpal ligament. The test is relatively new.
Laboratory tests and x-rays can reveal diabetes, arthritis, fractures, and other common causes of wrist and hand pain. Sometimes electrodiagnostic tests, such as nerveconduction velocity testing, are used to help confirm the diagnosis. With these tests, small electrodes, placed on your skin, measure the speed at which electrical impulses travel across your wrist. CTS will slow the speed of the impulses and will point your doctor of chiropractic to this diagnosis.

What Is the CTS Treatment?
Initial therapy includes:
• Resting the affected hand and wrist
• Avoiding activities that may worsen symptoms
• Immobilizing the wrist in a splint to avoid further damage from twisting or bending
• Applying cool packs to help reduce swelling from inflammations
Some medications can help with pain control and inflammation. Studies have shown that vitamin B6 supplements may relieve CTS symptoms.

Chiropractic joint manipulation and mobilization of the wrist and hand, stretching and strengthening exercises, soft-tissue mobilization techniques, and even yoga can be helpful. Scientists are also investigating other therapies, such as acupuncture, that may help prevent and treat this disorder.

Occasionally, patients whose symptoms fail to respond to conservative care may require surgery. The surgeon releases the ligament covering the carpal tunnel. The majority of patients recover completely after treatment, and the recurrence rate is low. Proper posture and movement as instructed by your doctor of chiropractic can help prevent CTS recurrences.
How Can CTS Be Prevented?
The American Chiropractic Association recommends the following tips:
• Perform on-the-job conditioning, such as stretching and light exercises.
• Take frequent rest breaks.
• Wear splints to help keep the wrists straight.
• Use fingerless gloves to help keep the hands warm and flexible.
• Use correct posture and wrist position.
• To minimize workplace injuries, jobs can be rotated among workers. Employers can also develop programs in ergonomics-the process of adapting workplace conditions and job demands to workers" physical capabilities.

FREE CARPAL TUNNEL HELP VIDEO

14 Fruits and Vegetables That Provide

2009-08-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

14 Fruits and Vegetables That Provide
the Best Protection Against Arthritis

According to the Arthritis Foundation, nearly one out of three Americans has arthritis. Of these 66 million adults, 43 million have been diagnosed with arthritis and another 23 million live with chronic joint symptoms that have not been doctor-diagnosed.
In fact, arthritis is one of the leading causes of disability among Americans over the age of 15, and costs related to the disease cost the U.S. economy over $86 billion a year.
Further, half of the people with arthritis do not believe anything can be done to help them. They are wrong. Chiropractic can help, and read on for more help.

There are more than 100 different types of arthritis.
However, new research into just that is finding that for arthritis protection and relief you may need to look no further than your neighborhood grocery store. A study from the University of Manchester's Medical School, published in the August 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that antioxidants called carotenoids in brightly colored yellow/orange fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders.
How Does it Work?
Oxidation, which produces free radicals in our bodies, is known to play a role in joint damage, such as that seen with rheumatoid arthritis. Antioxidants help to combat free radicals, and by doing so may suppress inflammation along the way, researchers said.
Out of the 25,000 participants in the study, 88 developed cases of inflammatory arthritis. These 88 people had:
• 40 percent lower intake of the antioxidant beta-cryptoxanthin than those who did not develop the disease
• 20 percent lower intake of another antioxidant zeaxanthin
"Those in the top third for beta-cryptoxanthin intake were only half as likely to develop inflammatory polyarthritis as those in the lowest third, and vitamin C was also found to be an important factor," said Dr. Dorothy Pattison, the lead researcher of the study.
According to this study and many others, increasing your intakes of certain fruits and veggies does appear to be a sound way to protect against and fight arthritis. Here are the top 14 fruits and vegetables to consider:
1. Oranges: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that a modest increase in the antioxidant beta-cryptoxanthin intake, equivalent to one glass of freshly squeezed orange juice per day, is associated with a reduced risk of developing inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.
2. Berries: Berries are all great sources of antioxidants and vitamin C. Blueberries have been ranked number 1 in terms of antioxidant concentrations, but cranberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries are good choices too.
3. Kiwi: One kiwi provides almost double the vitamin C of an orange, according to the California Kiwifruit Commission. Vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of arthritis.
4. Apples: Cornell University researchers found that apples contain antioxidants that fight inflammation (along with allergies, cancer and viruses).

"It is known that phytonutrients and antioxidants [in fruits and vegetables] have a role in minimizing inflammation," says Carol Henderson, PhD, a registered dietitian.
5. Cherries: According to Eve Campanelli, PhD in Prevention magazine, after drinking two glasses of black cherry juice (four ounces of juice with four ounces of water) twice a day, 85 percent of her patients experienced at least partial relief from their arthritis pain. Further, the effect continued even after the patients stopped drinking the juice.
6. Parsley: Parsley contains beta-carotene, making it a useful ingredient for those with arthritis, says Cherie Calbom, M.S., a certified nutritionist in Kirkland, Washington.
7. Prunes: These dried plums are antioxidant powerhouses. Researchers at the Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston found that prunes had more than twice the antioxidant power than any other fruit or vegetable in their study.
8. Carrots: They're rich in the antioxidants vitamin A and carotenoids.
9. Broccoli: Calbom says broccoli is helpful for arthritis because of its beta-carotene content. It's also a rich source of vitamin C.
10. Pineapple: Pineapple is rich in the enzyme bromelain, a powerful and natural anti-inflammatory agent.
11. Beans: "The protein in beans helps to replace body proteins broken down by inflammation," says Denise Cedar, a Salem, Oregon-based dietitian.
12. Red Grapes: Red grapes are loaded with antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation associated with arthritis (as well as fight heart disease and cancer).
13. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been found to help fight degenerative diseases (and reduce the risk of prostate and other cancers). Cooked tomatoes (tomato sauce or paste, marinara sauce, ketchup, etc.) are best when it comes to lycopene.
14. Sweet Potatoes: These are loaded with antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. One half-cup serving provides twice the Recommended Daily Amount of vitamin E.

Juice Plus provides 17 fruits and vegetables to help supply the essential enzymes, phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants to your body for reducing inflammation and assisting your body with the sufficient quantity of nutrients for optimal functioning. See one of the staff to get your Juice
Plus information.

ORDER JUICE PLUS

10 Natural Highs

2009-08-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

In previous corespondence we've looked at evidence showing that feeling happy is good for our physical health. But what are the conditions for happiness? In our next few newsletters we will look at particular aspects of our lives and examine how they can enhance – or detract from! – psychological wellbeing.
An obvious place to begin is with the workplace – after all, most people will spend a significant proportion of their lives at work. And whilst statistics suggest that that levels of absenteeism due to stress now number 13 million working days each year and are on the rise, unemployment has consistently been shown to have a devastating effect on people's wellbeing, over and above the impact of earning loss.
More than this, however, good work can be one of the most positive drivers of wellbeing. Firstly, jobs provide opportunities to mix with other people and can help to give us a vital sense of identity. Secondly, one of the key strengths of working environments is their ability to engage our interests and abilities, which in turn leads to a sense of purpose, self-worth and satisfaction. US psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has coined the term “flow” to describe the experience of being so immersed in an enjoyable activity that we lose track of time; at its best, work can provide these experiences.
Of course, finding a job exciting and challenging is most likely to occur when there is a good fit between the tasks set by an employer and the skill level of the employee. Results of a recent survey have shown that employees who have a positive view about their managers are “those who are most engaged with their work, perform better and less likely to quit their jobs”. Leadership styles that are supportive, offer constructive feedback and encourage autonomy are important for wellbeing at work.
So, the research indicates that work can make us happy. But it is a complex cocktail of job characteristics and management styles that, in reality, holds the key to our wellbeing.
10 Natural Highs

WARNING: Below are extremely powerful substances. Once you get a taste you will be hooked. They can boost your heart beat, send electric tingles up your spine, cause you to grin and give you the ultimate buzz of your life. Prepare to pop a dose of life's ultimate trip of natural highs.
The good news is you can take as much as you want without having to go through the misery of a hangover. The only side effect you will feel is enthusiasm for life. You will wake up alert, inspired and feel more alive than ever before. There's a reason they say mother knows best. When it comes to feeling maximum intoxication, there are no greater thrillers than those created by Mother Nature.
Too many times we waste our energy searching for titillation in artificial substances when the most potent adrenaline rushes of all are right in front of us. In the quest for spine-chilling excitement we often overlook and ignore all the incredible rushes available at our fingertips free of charge.
There's a reason we crave heart-stirring excitement. It's because our bodies were built to enjoy these experiences. It's remarkable how powerful our four senses are especially, when we maintain perspective on their functions.
Have you ever been punched so hard with enjoyment by listening to your favorite band play live? Have you ever traveled back in time by taking a bite of a home-cooked meal or had your breath taken away from the beauty of a sunset over the mountains? Have you ever started to shake with nervousness when someone you like, smiles back?
These moments are continuously happening. All you need to do is awaken your senses, stop searching and open your eyes. Here's a dose of 10 natural highs that will keep your senses stoned with excitement.
1. Falling in love
2. Appreciating natures beautiful landscape and playing on it
3. Creating something and sharing it with others
4. Performing in front of a crowd
5. Accomplishing a long-term goal
6. Accidentally hearing someone say something nice about you
7. Seeing someone you love accomplish their goals
8. Laughing so hard with your best friend that it hurts
9. Meeting someone you admire
10. Having a really good conversation

That Something

2009-05-26T13:00:00.001-07:00

The Story of
That Something

Written By Dr. B.J. Palmer, D.C., PhC.
or possibly by W.W. Woodbridge

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then Randolph turned to me.
"Man, write that story you’ve told us. Write it so that every man may read. Send that message out into the world. If men will read that story, read and re-read, until it is written on their memories, if men will believe the message you bring, and then if they will but awaken that something within their souls that now lies asleep – I say if you can make men do this, you will have done more for mankind than any man or any thousand men have done in many, many years. Write it, man, write it word for word as you have told it here, so every man may read. Write it, man, write it."
And so it has been written.

______________

This happened a long, long time ago.
I never see a man limp without thinking of that day.
The sky wept.
No rift of brighter color broke the drabness of it.
I thought the universe wept.
That was my outlook.
The very times were in misery.
Men were out of work.
I was one of them.
I had slept the night before on the cold, cement floor of the city’s jail. I slept as a tired dog sleeps, a dog worn out with a fruitless chase. All of the night before, I had walked, walked, walked – my pride keeping me from this place. And so the day had found me walking, aimlessly, looking only for food, shelter and work. This could not last forever, so that night I had stumbled down the low, narrow hallway of the jail, and been let into a barred cell with a hundred others. And there I had lain as one dead, on the cold, hard floor.
But it is of the day that followed that night in jail that you shall hear.
For that was the day of my life.
It was then I found "That Something."

______________

My feet were very tired. My soul wept with the sky.
I stood, as in a wilderness alone, on the corner of a great thoroughfare in a great city.
And then a man stopped by my side. He was of my height and build. I caught a glimpse of his face. I thought that this man might have been myself, if . . .
But my present need drove out reflections. I laid my hand on his arm. "I am hungry," I said simply.
He turned slowly and looked at me. First his gaze took in every detail of the outer man, from my water-soaked cap to my poor, cracked shoes. And then, through my eyes, he seemed to search my soul.
I stood there ashamed. I laugh when I think of that now, but it was different then.
"Well," he said presently, "suppose you were fed. What then?" I shifted my weight from one tired foot to the other. "I’d try to get a job somewhere," I muttered after a moment. "You’d try?" he asked. "Yes, try," I answered, "although there is little chance. Nobody wants men now. I'll try, sir. But I don't care for that now – it's food I want. I'm hungry. Can you help me?"
"No," he answered, a note of pity in his voice. "I cannot help you. No man can." "But you could feed me," I said, with some petulance in my voice. "It is not food you need!" "What then?" I asked. "That Something," was his reply.
A man joined him. They began talking of matters of mutual interest. I was shuffling away through the drizzling, miserable rain, when he called me back and handed me his card. "Man, go find ‘That Something’," he said, "and when you’ve found it, come to me." "Come to you for what?" I asked. "To thank me," was his answer, and he and his friend passed on.

______________

There were two words that stuck in my memory. "That Something!" I fell to wondering. I turned into a pool room, and found a seat. I sat there thinking. The balls on the tables before me clicked nickels away from men who could ill afford the pleasures of the place. I sat there a long, long time. There was nowhere else to go.
Ahead of me I saw another night in jail. Yet the day seemed longer than the night. It was warm in there. The hum of voices, the regular click, click, click of ivory, the occasional thumping of cue on marble floor – all this in time developed into a dull chorus of monotony. And then I fell asleep.
I believe in God. I believe in miracles. I believe in visions as well. But it is only natural that I should have dreamed of "That Something" – so perhaps it was neither miracle nor vision.
You will think it is a foolish dream; yet it changed my life. That’s reason enough for the telling. You may laugh at it scornfully; then my dream will do you no good. You may see in it what I saw; then you will take your place with the masters of men.

______________

This was my dream: I dreamed that I awoke! That is the most wonderful part of the dream; for in my dream I realized that I had been asleep – a long, long sleep from the very beginning of things – and I saw myself, there in the pool room, asleep. Then I saw myself start, my eyes opened, and I dreamed that I saw.
"What awakened me?" I asked in my dream. "You awakened yourself," answered a voice nearby. I turned about, but no one was near. "Who are you?" I asked. "I am 'That Something'," came the reply. "But where are you?" "I am hidden in your soul."

______________

For some moments I thought over what was said. Then I stammered, "How – how did you get there?" "I was born there." "Why have I not known you were there before?" "No man knows it," answered the voice, "until he awakes." "Are you in other men’s souls, as well?" "There is 'That Something' in every man’s soul, which can move the mountains or dry the seas." "Then you must be Faith!" "Yes," came the answer, "I am Faith, but I am more – I am that which makes men face the fires of hell, and win." "Then you must be Confidence, as well." "Yes, I am more than Confidence – I am that which makes the babbling brooks lift worlds upon their wavelets." "You are Power," I cried. "Yes, I am more than Power," answered the voice. "I am that which makes the wretched failure lift up himself and rule the world." "You are Ambition – I know you now." "Yes, I am all you say – Faith, Confidence, Power, Ambition, and more. For greater than all is ‘That Something.’ I am that which every man must find in his soul or else he will be but a clutter of the earth on which he lives."
"But how can man find you?" "Even as you are finding me now. First you must awaken, then seek, and when you have found you must learn to control . . ." "Control what?" I asked, confused. "‘That Something’ . . . borrow it from your soul and baptize your life with it. Anoint your eyes, that you may see; anoint your ears, that you may hear; anoint your heart, that you may be!"
"But tell me," I cried frantically, for the voice was trailing off to almost nothing, "how can I do this? How? How?" "This is the secret," came the voice to me as the whisper of a gentle breeze, "these words – 'I will'."
And then I awoke with a start. A man was shaking me roughly. "Clear out of here! We ain't running no free rooming house for bums. If you want to sleep, take a sleeper, but get out of here." "I will," I answered unthinkingly, as I turned towards the door. "I will."
My words brought back the dream vividly. I stood in the doorway, peering out into the rain. A boy with a dozen bundles stopped near me to shift his load. "I’ll help you, son," I said, and laughed gladly as I took half his load and started with him down the street. "Gee, mister, dat’s pretty square of you, all right. How far are you going this way?" "Where are you taking these things?" I asked. He told me. "Why, that’s right where I’m going," I answered in mock surprise. And so we hurried on our way.
It was then the clouds overhead began to break. Before we had gone half way, the sun peeped out and the boy laughed with pure delight of it. "By golly, mister, she’s going to be some handsome day tomorrow, ain’t it?" "I will," I answered absently. He looked up at me, startled by my answer, started to ask a question, thought better of it, and, giving me another queer look, trudged on in silence.
When he had delivered his packages, he turned back towards the thoroughfare; and he asked me, with the innocent impertinence of boyhood: "Say, mister, where do you work?" "Why, I’m working for you right now. It’s good to work, don’t you think?" "But ain’t you got no steady job?" "Yes," I answered firmly, "I will." Again he cast a queer look and quickened his pace.
We went together to the store at which he worked. It was the largest in the city. We hurried through a doorway at the rear, and I found myself in a large room. A man stepped up to me and asked me what I wanted. "I have come here to work." "What department? Who sent you?"
There were many men in there, packing boxes. Before I could answer his question, someone called him and he hurried away. I took off my coat, hung it on a nail, and started to work, following the example of those near me. A half hour later, the man who first accosted me passed. "Oh," he said, "so they put you at it while I was gone, did they?" "I’m doing my best, sir," I answered as I drove a nail with a bang.
And so I worked until six o’clock. The sun was very bright outside. When the six o’clock bell rang, the men began filing by the clock. "What about the clock?" I asked the man in charge. "Didn’t they give you a number?" "No." Then I told him my name, he gave me a number, and I punched out.
The boy was waiting for me at the door. "How’d you get the job?" he asked curiously. "That was secured for me before I showed up there." "Who got it for you?" "‘That Something’," was my answer. "Aw, quit stringing me. How’d you get on? I seen a dozen men trying to get on that work this morning and they was all turned down." "But," I explained with a smile, "they had never found 'That Something'." He again favored me with a queer look.
"Where do you live?" he asked finally. "I am going to find a place now." "Well, my maw keeps a boarding house – why don’t you come up to my place?"
There was but one other boarder. He was a professor of a number of ology branches at a nearby denominational college. He was a little man, with unreasonable hair on his face and very little on his head. He wore thick glasses perched on a beaked nose. His eyes were small and black like shoe buttons. He watched me as I ate. When the meal was finished, he invited me to sit with him in his room.
"I hope you don’t mind my prying," said he, "but I have been trying to figure you out." "Yes?" "I have come to the conclusion that you are a student of sociology." I laughed. "Bobby tells us you are packing boxes down at his store." I nodded assent. "Then of course it is for the study of the conditions of the working masses that you are down there." "Yes," I admitted, "I am very much interested in conditions of the masses right now." "Then you can help me; I am writing a series of papers on that very subject. Will you answer me this, please. What is it that keeps the underdog down? What is it that the upper ten possess that the under ten thousand do not have?" "Why, it’s ‘That Something,’" I answered. "What do you mean? Education? Environment?"
Before my mind was flashed the picture of my boyhood. I saw my room on the top floor of a city block building. I saw myself sleeping in the drygoods boxes in alleys, and by the boilers in boats on the river. Yes, I was an alley-cat and a wharf-rat. I saw myself placed at the mercy of five stepmothers and a father engrossed in his science. I saw myself working, gaining little or no schooling. And then, in the twinkling of an eye, the scene changed and I saw that awful room, with a hundred men lying around me on the cold, hard floor.
"No," I answered thoughtfully, "it is neither of those things. ‘That Something' is entirely different. I don’t know just what it is, but I am going to find it, pin it down, and then I will tell you more of it."
As I looked into his face, I noticed the same puzzled expression the boy had worn. So, by mutual consent, the subject was changed and we talked of trivial things.
For a week or more, I packed boxes and drove nails. I was a good packer. I made 'That Something' work with me all the time.

______________

One day, I noticed the shipping clerk had more work than he could handle. There were idle men in the department. They could do nothing until he checked up to them.
I laid down my hammer, walked over to where he stood, and said, "I am to help you this afternoon." He looked up with a start. "Oh," he exclaimed. "Well, that’s good. I’m glad they have sense enough to give me somebody to help out, at last." He handed me a bunch of papers and made room for me at the desk.
The superintendent of the department was out of the room at the time. Presently he returned and glanced at me curiously. "So they’ve got you helping Dickey?" he said. I shrugged my shoulders without looking up, and continued figuring.
When I left the room that night, the superintendent of the department joined me. "Say," he said, "I never did get onto how you were put in there. What’s the idea? Working through to learn the business?" "Yes," I answered with confidence, "just that. I am to learn every detail of it." "I thought something of the kind. To which one of ‘em are you related?" "I do not think it wise to discuss that at this time," was my answer. "Oh sure," he hastened to say, "I don't mean to be inquisitive. Anything I can do to help you, let me know." And then he left me.
The shipping clerk was a bright young fellow. I liked him, and he liked me. One day, shortly after I had received my first raise in wages, he came to me with a problem. That night I stayed down with him and we worked it out together. We soon got in the habit of staying down one night each week, working over his systems.
He lacked originality. I helped him. He had been doing things just like the fellow before him. The business had been growing rapidly – practically doubled. We worked out an improved system. We drew up forms; planned out every detail. One day he carried our plans to the man in authority.
There came up a question which the shipping clerk did not quite understand, so they sent for me. My approach was far different from that of the sniveling beggar who had asked the man on the street corner for food.
The man in authority looked at me in surprise. "Who are you?" I handed him my card. "You are packing boxes?" he asked in surprise. "I am in the packing room – temporarily."
Then he went over the shipping clerk’s plans in detail. "I think they’re all right. I’ll have these forms sent to the printer in the morning," said the man in authority.
As we turned to leave the office, he called me back. "How long have you been in the packing rooms?" "Sixty-three days," I answered. "You’ve been there long enough. There is nothing more for you to learn there, is there?" "No." He studied me for a while in silence. "Funny neither of them has said anything about you," he said at length, speaking half to himself. "I suppose the old man’s idea was for you to work out your own salvation – is that it?" "In a way," I replied. "What any man accomplishes must eventually come from ‘That Something’ within him."
He pondered this for a moment. Then he scrawled a few words on a piece of paper. "Hand that to Perkins in the Auditing Department tomorrow morning and we’ll see how you show up there." I thanked him and turned to leave the room. "And say," calling me back; "better forget about my having said anything about your relations with the old man. After all, you see, it’s none of my business." "Certainly," I answered, and left the room.
Three month’s later, I left Bob’s mother’s boarding house. It hurt me to do this. She had been almost a mother to me. There was a home life about the place which I had learned to love. Even the little hairy Ology Professor and his fanciful theories had become dear to me. But ‘That Something’ demanded that I move on. So I moved on up the hill.
I arranged for a room at a quiet boarding house. It was at the suggestion of the man in authority that I chose his boarding house. So we became acquaintances, then friends; and never once did the man in authority mention the fact that I was "learning the business."

______________

And so a year rolled ‘round. It was the time Perkins took his vacation. I was given the place until he returned. One day the old man came into the office. He looked at me keenly. Soon the man in authority came in; the old man called him aside. I overheard a portion of their conversation. "Who’s the man at Perkins’ desk?" the old man asked. The man in authority mentioned my name. "Funny I never heard of him before." The man in authority gasped. The rest was spoken in guarded tones, and I heard no word further.
That night, the man in authority came into my sitting room.
"Say," he began, "you’ve certainly got me locoed or something of the sort. I have been figuring you all along as a ward or a long lost cousin of the old man. Now, today he comes in and jumps on me about putting you in this place of responsibility without first knowing all about you. Of course, I know you’re all right but, by Jupiter, I’m placed in a deucedly unholy kind of light."
"What’s all the trouble?" I asked. "My work going wrong?"
"I should say not; but that’s aside from the question. What’s got me going is how the dickens you did it. How you got to hold down the most responsible job on the works without anybody knowing just what you really are. Tell me about yourself, will you?"
"I was born of poor but honest parents in a small coal-mining town of What Cheer, Iowa, in the year 1881. My father peddled fish in a wheelbarrow; my mother died when I was one and one-half years old –".
"Oh, cut that bunk. Tell me to whom you are related, or who is backing you up. It’s pull that counts these days. Who gave you your start with the company?"

______________

I leaned back in my leather Morris chair. Memory brought back the picture of that drab day of just one year before. And that brought to my mind the card that had been given me.
I had not thought of it before until that minute. I arose, went to a closet where hung the very suit I had worn on that eventful day. I had kept it as a souvenir of my awakening. As I had hoped, the card was in a pocket of the shabby vest. For the first time, I read the name engraved thereon:

MATTHEW MORRISON RANDOLPH
BONDS

I handed the card to the man in authority. He read it with wandering eyes. Now, Randolph was the silent partner of the business.
Impossible coincidence? You may think so. I know men who believe success is impossible. And to them, success is impossible. And so perhaps you believe this impossible. But I tell you it as it happened.
"Funny Randolph never mentioned your name to the old man. Anyway, I wish I’d known this when he was talking about you today." "I’m glad you didn’t," I answered with a short laugh. "Why?" he asked, puzzled. "Go there to the phone and call up Randolph. I think he’ll tell you why." "But–" he began. "Go on and call him up. I want you to," I insisted.
In a moment, Randolph was on the line.
"Ask him," I insisted. The man in authority did so. I watched the changing expressions on his face. "You-say-you-never-heard-of-the-man!" gasped the man in authority. "Why, he’s holding down the most responsible job on the place."
"Better let me talk to Mr. Randolph," I interrupted. His hand was trembling as he surrendered the phone.
"Mr. Randolph," I said, "I know you do not remember my name, for I am quite sure you have never heard it. You may remember, however, one miserable day a year ago when a beggar asked you for food."
"Well, go on," came a crisp voice over the phone.
"You may also remember telling that beggar that it was not food he needed – it was ‘That Something,’ and that alone. Well, Mr. Randolph, I am the beggar to whom you spoke and I have found 'That Something.’ I have learned to use it, and I want to thank you for having shown me the way. When may I have the opportunity of telling you about it?"
An hour later the story you have just heard was told to a strange trio: the man in authority, the professor of ologies, and Matthew Morrison Randolph. From time to time, as I told the tale, Randolph nodded his head in approval and I noticed a strange light begin to glow in the little professor’s eyes. When I had finished, we sat for a long time in silence, broken at last by Randolph, who said:
"And now tell me just what you think ‘That Something’ really is?"
I shook my head in dismay. "You folks know as much as I do about it," I answered. "But of this one thing I am convinced, through and through. It is real human power, as truly real as the commercial electrical current. It is the power of the inner man, the fuel of the soul machine. It is the one thing necessary. Until we awaken ‘That Something’ of the soul, we bear on our muscles those who have found ‘That Something.’ And we bear them on up the mountain to take their places among the masters of men. ‘That Something’ lies dormant in every soul until aroused. With many, it sleeps until the last great sleep. Sometimes it does not wake until the man stands tottering on the border of the grave. Sometimes it is found by the child playing by its mother’s knee. A man’s success depends alone on ‘That Something.’ ‘That Something’ of his soul. Abraham Lincoln found it when a lad. It warmed the cold floor on which he lay and studied. It added light to the flickering glow of the wood fire, that he might see to read. It spurred him on, and on, and on. ‘That Something’ is an awful force. It made of a puny, Corsican the ruler of the world! It made of a thin-chested bookkeeper the money king of a great country! It made Edison the great man of his age! It made Carnegie! It made Woodrow Wilson! It made Roosevelt! It can make you! It is now in your soul! Awaken it – now! ‘That Something’."

______________

Again the silence followed. I watched the professor of many ologies. I saw the kindled fires in his eyes gradually die out. He shook his head wearily. "No, it can’t be done; it can’t be done," he murmured. "I have drunk deeply of the cup of life and I am now drinking the dregs. The cup is filled but once, and when it is gone there’s nothing left but the dregs of old age and poverty."
"You fool," cried Randolph, leaning forward and shaking the little man roughly. "You almost had ‘That Something’ in your power, and now you sing it back to sleep with your silly song of pessimism. It’s the false philosophy, which such as you sing, which has kept men in the ruts of their own digging for centuries past. Wake, man, wake! Wake ‘That Something’ within your soul!"
The two men sat looking deeply into each other’s eyes. It was the little man who broke the silence. "Thank you, Randolph," he said quietly. "You are right. I will."

______________

Then Randolph turned to me.
"Man, write that story you’ve told us. Write it so that every man may read. Send that message out into the world. If men will read that story, read and reread, until it is written on their memories; if men will believe the message you bring, and then if they will but awaken that something within their souls that now lies asleep – I say if you can make men do this, you will have done more for mankind than any man or any thousand men have done in many, many years. Write it, man, write it word for word as you have told it here, so every man my read. Write it, man, write it!"
And so it has been written.
You who have heard it through, I pray that you may hear it every word again and again until ‘That Something’ of your souls has been aroused, and you have taken your places among the rulers of the world.

THE END
WHICH IS
THE BEGINNING.

What About Listening to your body?

2009-05-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of having your stomach pumped? For years I thought that meant to stick a tube down your throat and suck out the contents??? But, what actually happens is they pump in activated charcoal in a slurry liquid form. Yuck! But the reason they do that is because charchol absorbs what it comes in contact with. So if you've ingested poison, overdosed on drugs, or have been given something toxic - pump in the charcoal. It's part of the "Universal Antidote". The charcoal will absorb the noxious substance.

Okay, so what about listening to your body? So often people are creatures of comfort. If you have an episode of nausea - and let's say you've got a stomach virus, or perhaps a little case of food poison. Your body's natural tendency is to initiate that vomit reflex. Why? to get the yuck out as fast as possible. Vomitting is your body's way of getting something irritating, toxic or noxious out pdq. BUT who likes to vomit? So what we've been conditioned to do is to "take something" to stop the unpleasant vomitting. But, what have you done? Stop your body from doing it's job in the natural recovery process. Now, the vomitting stops, then the noxious substance doesn't get out, but passes a little farther down the tube. Then oh, no! here comes the diarrhea. It may take a week to recover from the stomach "bug".

What About Listening TO Your Body? Recognize the innate intelligence and wisdom of the body in attempting to rid itself of toxins. How can you assist? Instead of interfering? Charcoal! Perhaps keep some activated charcoal in capsule form in your medicine kit. No charcaol - no worries; just burn some toast (black) scrape the charcoal off onto a cup, add a little water to make a slurry & drink it down. What happens is the charcoal absorbs the toxins (virus, poisons, etc) and it will stop the vommitting and will pass within 24 hours out, no diarrhea either.

So next time the nausea & vommiting begins reach for the charcoal. Work with your body instead of against it.

Vitamin C to Reduce Stroke Risk

2008-01-16T12:37:00.000-08:00

I'm passing this along from Agora Lifestyles Newletter

According to the findings of a large European-based study, increased
blood levels of vitamin C may reduce the risk of stroke by as much as
42 per cent.

Increased levels of the vitamin, associated with increased intake of
fruit and vegetables, were found to offer significant cardiovascular
benefits among the 20,649 men and women taking part in the European
Prospective Investigation into Cancer.

The researchers, led by Phyo Myint from the University of Cambridge,
claim that blood levels of the vitamin could be used as a biological
marker of lifestyle used to identify people at high risk of stroke.

Myint said: "An intriguing possibility is that the plasma vitamin C
concentration is a good marker of a wider range of health behaviours,
such as fruit and vegetable consumption, that may be protective against
stroke. It is also plausible that vitamin C may biochemically affect
stroke risk."

Strokes occur when blood clots or an artery bursts in the brain and
interrupts the blood supply to a part of the brain. It is the leading
cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in Europe and
the US.

*************************************
Assessing the results
*************************************

Myint and his fellow researchers followed the subjects for 9.5 years
and documented 448 strokes during this time. The subjects completed a
health and lifestyle questionnaire at the start of the study, and blood
samples were taken to measure vitamin C levels.

The highest average blood levels of vitamin C (greater than 66
micromoles per litre) were associated with a 42 per cent lower risk of
stroke, compared to the lowest average blood levels (less than 41
micromoles per litre), after adjusting the results for potentially
confounding factors such as age, sex, smoking habits, alcohol
consumption, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, BMI, physical
activity, and use of supplements.

When the Cambridge researchers excluded participants who consumed
vitamin C-containing supplements the results were the same, indicating
that the benefits could have been from vitamin C-rich foods, such as
fruit and vegetables.

"We believe that these findings are of interest for several reasons,"
stated the researchers. "First, the strong inverse association between
plasma vitamin C and stroke suggests that plasma vitamin C is likely to
be a good biomarker of whatever causal factors affect stroke risk, most
plausibly the dietary intake of plant foods.

"Second, irrespective of any causal associations, plasma vitamin C
appears to be a good predictive risk indicator of stroke, independent
of known risk factors such as age, BP, smoking, lipids, diabetes, and
BMI.

"Given that about half of the risk of stroke is unexplained by
conventional cardiovascular disease risk factors and that the
predictive validity of traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors
appears to diminish with age, risk markers that may help to identify
those persons at greatest risk of stroke for targeted preventive
interventions with established therapies, such as BP reduction, may be
of interest."
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2008, Volume
87, Pages 64-69

2007-12-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

New Marker for Debilitating Disease

Much news has been made recently about homocysteine levels becoming a new critical marker for heart disease and stroke -- possibly being even more important than cholesterol levels. Now it seems that high levels of this amino acid also have been linked to osteoporosis. To find out more, I spoke with Kilmer McCully, MD, probably the most respected authority on homocysteine in America and author of The Homocysteine Revolution (Keats).

BACKGROUND ON HOMOCYSTEINE

Homocysteine is a naturally occurring metabolite of the amino acid L-methionine used by the body for many functions including detoxification. It normally shows up in the blood at levels of about 6 millimeters(mm) to 8 mm for women and 8 mm to 12 mm for men. As long as the body keeps levels in check, there's not much of a problem. However, homocysteine may be toxic and inflammatory when in excess, and this can lead to serious consequences, including heart disease.

Dr. McCully first became interested in homocysteine back in the 1960s when he came across a few unusual cases involving children with atherosclerosis, a heart disease that generally is associated with much older people. Dr. McCully also found atherosclerosis scattered through the arteries of a boy who had died of a stroke. After some rigorous detective work, he noted that all these children had high levels of homocysteine. In 1969, he wrote his first paper suggesting that homocysteine was causing artherosclerotic plaque. Now, 35 years and a substantial amount of research later, it is well accepted that elevated homocysteine is a risk factor for vascular disease.

LINK TO OSTEOPOROSIS

So the connection to cardiovascular disease is well-known -- but what about the connection to osteoporosis? Could high homocysteine levels really have a correlation with osteoporosis? And if so, what can be done about it?

"Osteoporosis is a prominent feature of children with high levels of homocysteine. About two-thirds of the children with high levels of homocysteine also have severe osteoporosis," said Dr. McCully. "They also get scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, and have an increased risk for fractures. More recently, we've found that adult patients with elevated homocysteine also have an increased risk for osteoporosis."

Dr. McCully explained that the osteoporosis connection was revealed through a rather ingenious study in Japan, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in the spring of this year. The study was done on stroke victims who, for reasons not completely understood, have a much greater risk for hip fractures. The Japanese researchers divided a number of stroke patients into two groups and followed them for two years. One group was given a combination of 5 milligrams (mg) of folic acid and 1,500 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B-12 while the other group received a placebo. Researchers wanted to see if the B vitamins would reduce hip fractures in this high-risk population. The results were dramatic: In the placebo group, 43 people had hip fractures, but in the vitamin group, only 10 did. And, homocysteine levels dropped in the treatment group by 38%, while they increased in the placebo group.

Could homocysteine be the connection? It sure looks like it. "Two other studies, in Germany and the Netherlands, also demonstrated that patients with higher homocysteine have a higher risk for osteoporotic fracture," Dr. McCully said. "It's likely that homocysteine affects the matrix upon which calcium and other minerals are deposited in the bone. This matrix becomes calcified during bone formation. Homocysteine seems to affect the formation of this matrix in a negative way." Dr. McCully also pointed out that men are less susceptible to osteoporosis than women, probably because testosterone maintains the bone matrix better. In women, it's a double whammy since osteoporosis risk goes up after menopause, and -- for reasons not fully understood -- so do homocysteine levels.

GETTING CONTROL OF HOMOCYSTEINE LEVELS

How do we bring homocysteine down?

"Easily," Dr. McCully replied. "It can be done with dietary improvement and by increasing B vitamins. Eliminate processed foods, including flour and sugar, and eat more fresh vegetables, fresh meats, fresh fruits and whole grains." The three vitamins which have been shown to markedly reduce homocysteine are B-6, folic acid and B-12. "Only about 400 mcg of folic acid and 3.5 mg of B-6 are needed," said Dr. McCully.

Vitamin B-12 is another story, since older people have a harder time absorbing it. "About 15% of people over age 65 are deficient in B-12," Dr. McCully told me, "but not because they don't eat enough -- they don't absorb it well." He recommends taking B-12 (at least 1,000 mcg) sublingually -- under the tongue -- as directed on the bottle, since part of it is absorbed directly through the mucous membranes. Make sure that the B-12 is in either the hydroxycobalamine or methylcobalamine form. The conventional cyanocobalamine is poorly absorbed through the mucous membranes. The bottle will indicate which kind it is.

The take-home point: Get your homocysteine checked by a blood test. Improve your diet and talk to a trained professional about B-12, B-6 and folic acid supplements. Assuming proper dosing, taking these supplements is one of the easiest possible things you can do to improve your health and reduce your risk for both heart disease and osteoporosis.

Note: Juice Plus+ has been shown to reduce homocysteine in two separate published studies. These studies are available for review at our website below.

Wellness Today

2007-12-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

Spread the Word about Lifelong Health and Wellness
Edited by David E. Wade, DC, CCSP, CCST
Doctors of chiropractic are recognized as capable, efficient providers of health care services, particularly for their emphasis on preventing illness and promoting health and wellness.
A recent two-part study sought to specify the role and use of maintenance care (MC) within the chiropractic profession. Part I focused specifically on chiropractors' attitudes toward MC and the preferred types of MC provided in U.S. chiropractic offices; part II addressed the frequency of MC use by the elderly.
Results from part I
€ Chiropractors agree that the primary functions of maintenance care are to optimize health, prevent conditions from developing, reduce/relieve conditions, and minimize the recurrence of such conditions.
€ They also agree that MC should combine exercise, chiropractic adjustments/manipulation, and dietary and lifestyle changes.
€ While MC is recommended to nearly 80% of chiropractic patients, only 34% actually receive such care.
Results from part II:
€ Elderly patients make an average of 17 visits per year for chiropractic MC.
€ These patients report making only half the annual number of visits to medical doctors compared with the national average.
€ Stretching exercises, aerobic exercises, dietary advice and other prevention strategies are also recommended for this age group.
The moral to this story is clear: Chiropractors believe in providing well-balanced preventive care that focuses on maintaining wellness and dealing with potential health problems. Many people take advantage of this opportunity, but many more have yet to receive the benefits chiropractic can offer. Do you have friends or family who've never been to a chiropractor? Tell them about your experiences and help them follow the same road to wellness you've chosen.
Reference:
Rupert RL. A survey of practice patterns and the health promotion and prevention attitudes of U.S. chiropractors. Maintenance care, part I. Also: Rupert RL, Manello D, Sandefur R. Maintenance care: health promotion services administered to U.S. chiropractic patients aged 65 and older: part II. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Jan. 2000: Vol. 23, No. 1, pp1-9 and 10-19.

Spinal Decompression

2007-12-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

Spinal Decompression
The New Way to Treat Herniated Discs Without Surgery
By Dr. David E Wade, DC, CCSP, CCST
If you’re suffering from a herniated disc and your current therapy has not yielded sufficient benefit, you should ask chiropractic doctors Cornelius or McManus if you might be a candidate for spinal decompression therapy.

What is spinal decompression therapy?
It’s a non-surgical, traction-based treatment for herniated or bulging discs in the neck and low back. Anyone who has back, neck, arm or leg pain caused by a degenerated or damaged disc may be helped by spinal decompression therapy. Specific conditions that may be helped by this therapeutic procedure include herniated or bulging discs, spinal stenosis, sciatica, facet syndrome, spondylosis or even failed spinal surgery.

Many patients, some with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-documented disc herniations, have achieved “good” to “excellent” results after spinal decompression therapy.
The computerized traction head on the decompression table or machine is the key to the therapy’s effectiveness. The preprogrammed patterns for ramping up and down the amount of axial distraction eliminate muscle guarding and permit decompression to occur at the disc level. This creates a negative pressure within the disc, allowing the protruded or herniated portion to be pulled back within the normal confines of the disc, which permits healing to occur.

Your specific treatment plan will be determined by the doctor after your examination. Based on research and my clinical experience, the best results are achieved with 20 sessions over a six-week period. To reduce inflammation and assist the healing process, supporting structures sometimes are treated with passive therapies (ice/heat/muscle stimulation), chiropractic adjustments (when indicated) and/or active rehabilitation in order to strengthen the spinal musculature. The complete rehabilitation protocol lasts 12 to 16 weeks.
The cost for 20 sessions can range from $3,500 to $5,000 or more. While this may seem like a lot, it is very reasonable, considering the cost and potential adverse outcomes associated with spine surgery.

Spinal decompression therapy has saved many people from spinal surgery. If you are suffering from a degenerated or herniated disc, I encourage you to explore safe and effective spinal decompression therapy before risking surgery. The rationale for treating a herniated disc without resorting to surgery has research support on its side: According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, surgery is no more effective than non-invasive treatments, including chiropractic care, for patients with lumbar disc herniation causing sciatica.

Ask chiropractic doctor Cornelius or McManus for more information about spinal decompression and if you might be a candidate. If they can’t help you, they can refer you to someone who could.

What Does It Mean?
Not familiar with some of the terminology in this article? Don’t worry: Here’s a brief explanation of what these terms mean in relation to your spine.

Anulus Fibrosus: The tough outer ring of a vertebral disc; it encases the nucleus pulposus (see description below) within the disc.
Facet Syndrome: An irritation of one or more of the joints on the back of the spinal vertebrae, which comprise the spinal column.
Herniated Disc: Displacement of the center of a vertebral disc through a crack in the outer layer. Disc herniation can put pressure on spinal nerves and cause pain.
Muscle Guarding: Muscle spasming, often in response to a painful stimulus.
Nucleus Pulposus: A gel-like substance within each intervertebral disc, surrounded by the anulus fibrosus.
Sciatica: Pain in the lower back, buttocks, hips, or adjacent anatomical structures, frequently attributable to spinal dysfunction.
Spinal Stenosis: Narrowing of the spine at one or more of three locations: in the center of the spine, where nerves branch from the spine, or in the space between vertebrae. This puts pressure on spinal nerves and can cause pain.
Spondylosis: Otherwise known as spinal arthritis, spondylosis is a degenerative condition in which spinal discs weaken, particularly with age.

Wellness Today

2007-05-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

I am excited about the opportunity we have to communicate wellness principles. Our office will be co-hosting a Senior Health and Fitness Day along with our local Shopping Mall. We expect 50 plus vendors to share their information geared towards Senior Wellness Concepts: see www.wellnesseducationfoundation.org. We have also partnered with Hands on Volunteer Network, HealthierUS, and Health Care providers across the country to promote wellness to the world. Lot's of idesa out there - what's yours?

Wellness Today

2007-04-15T00:47:00.000-07:00

Wellness Today

April 15th - a good day for starting the WEF Blog. I'm excited about wellness, and I hope by exchanging ideas about the subject we can create an awareness shift towards personal responsibility for decisions that will support better vitality and longevity.