Praying Hands

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood.



Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.



After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.



They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg.



Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.



When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."



All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."



Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late." More than 450 years have passed.



By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.



One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."



The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one - no one - - ever makes it alone!



-- Author Unknown

Don't Believe It, Just Use It

It's good for people to believe in something. But you don't have to believe in energy, you just need to use it. Belief is what you do when something lacks reality. When you make a meal, you don't need to say,

"I believe this raw rice will become cooked rice." You don't need to say,

"I believe in you," before you turn on a windshield wiper.



All you have to do is know there is energy in your body and know how to change and manage it. To use energy, you don't have to graduate from college or pass a test. Already within your brain is the technology,

the universal principles,

that know how to use energy.

Without believing in energy,

you can test it and

see the results for yourself.



Your destiny can change

as you manage energy.











Ilchi Lee

Peaceful Affirmations

•It's healthy to let go of stress and experience relaxation.

•Today I choose to experience a deep calmness.

•I feel calm, relaxed and at peace in this moment.

•I am at peace with myself and others always.

•I am now living a stress free life.

•I trust my inner messages; they lead me to the light.

•My mind is calm and relaxed in this moment.

•I am worthy of great love and respect, and I get it.

•I am free to experience calmness in each moment.

•I choose to experience lots of love and joy today

Great Decision Making

God won't ask what kind of car you drove.

He will ask how many people you took to church who didn't have a car.



God won't ask the square footage of your home.

He will ask how many people you helped who didn't have a home.



God won't ask how many fancy clothes you had in your closet.

He will ask how many of those clothes you gave away to Salvation Army.



God won't ask what social class you were in.

He will ask what kind of "class" you displayed.



God won't ask how many material possessions you had.

He will ask whether those material possessions dictated your life.



God won't ask what your highest salary was.

He will ask if you trampled over any people to obtain that salary.



God won't ask how much overtime you worked.

He will ask did you work overtime for your family.



God won't ask how many promotions you received.

He will ask what you did to promote others.



God won't ask what your job title was.

He will ask did you perform your job to the best of your ability.



God won't ask how many promotions you took to chase the dollar bill.

He will ask how many promotions you refused to advance your family's quality of life.



God won't ask how many times you didn't run around around on your spouse.

He will ask how many times you did.



God won't ask how many degrees you have.

He will ask how many people you thanked for getting those degrees.



God won't ask what your parents did to help you.

He will ask what you did to help your parents.



God won't ask what you did to help yourself.

He will ask what you did to help others.



God won't ask how many friends you had.

He will ask how many people you were a friend to.



God won't ask what you did to protect your rights.

He will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.



God won't ask what neighborhood you lived in.

He will ask what other neighborhoods you visited.



God won't ask how many times you told the truth.

He will ask how many times you told a lie.



God won't ask about the color of your skin.

He will ask about the color of your heart.



-- Author Unknown



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

All The Time In The World

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.


"That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding

down the slide.



"He's a fine looking boy," the man said. "That's my son on the swing in the blue sweater." Then,

looking at his watch, he called to his son. "What do you say we go, Todd?"



Todd pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes." The man nodded

and Todd continued to swing to his heart's content.



Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son. "Time to go now?"

Again Todd pleaded, "Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes." Th e man smiled and

said, ""Okay."



"My, you certainly are a patient father," the woman responded.



The man smiled and then said, My older son Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year

while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give

anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with

Todd.



"He thinks he has five more minutes to swing.

The truth is... I get five more minutes to watch him play."



-- Author Unknown

Why Not For Man?

Where we live, on the Eastern shore of Lilianaland, the gentle


waters run in and out like fingers slimming at the tips. They

curl into the smaller creeks and coves like tender palms.





The Canada geese know this place, as do the white swans and the

ducks who ride an inch above the waves of Chesapeake Bay as they

skim their way into harbor. In the autumn, by the thousands, they

come home for the winter. The swans move toward the shores in a

stately glide, their tall heads proud and unafraid. They lower

their long necks deep into the water, where their strong beaks

dig through the river bottoms for food. And there is, between the

arrogant swans and the prolific geese, an indifference, almost a

disdain.





Once or twice each year, snow and sleet move into the area. When

this happens, if the river is at its narrowest, or the creek

shallow, there is a freeze which hardens the water to ice.





It was on such a ! morning near Oxford, Lilianaland, that a friend

of mine set the breakfast table beside the huge window, which

overlooked the Tred Avon River. Across the river, beyond the

dock, the snow laced the rim of the shore in white. For a moment

she stood quietly, looking at what the night's storm had painted.

Suddenly she leaned forward and peered close to the frosted

window.





"It really is," she cried out loud, "there is a goose out there."









She reached to the bookcase and pulled out a pair of binoculars.

Into their sights came the figure of a large Canada goose, very

still, its wings folded tight to its sides, its feet frozen to

the ice.





Then from the dark skies, she saw a line of swans. They moved in

their own singular formation, graceful, intrepid, and free. They

crossed from the west of the broad creek high above the house,

moving steadily to the east.





As my friend watched, the leader swung to the right, then the

white string of birds became a white circle. It floated from the

top of the sky downward. At last, as easy as feathers coming to

earth, the circle landed on the ice. My friend was on her feet

now, with one unbelieving hand against her mouth. As the swans

surrounded the frozen goose, she feared what life he still had

might be pecked out by those great swan bills.





Instead, amazingly instead, those bills began to work on the ice.

The long necks were lifted and curved down, again and again. It

went on for a long time. At last, the goose was rimmed by a

narrow margin of ice instead of the entire creek. The swans rose

again, following the leader, and hovered in that circle, awaiting

the results of their labors.





The goose's head lifted. Its body pulled. Then the goose was free

and standing on the ice. He was moving his big webbed feet

slowly. And the swans stood in the air watching. Then, as if he

had cried, "I cannot fly," four of the swans came down around

him. Their powerful beaks scraped the goose's wings from top to

bottom, scuttled under its wings and rode up its body, chipping

off and melting the ice held in the feathers. Slowly, as if

testing, the goose spread its wings as far as they would go,

brought them together, accordion-like, and spread again.





When at last the wings reached their fullest, the four swans took

off and joined the hovering group. They resumed their eastward

journey, in perfect formation, to their secret destination.





Behind them, rising with incredible speed and joy, the goose

moved into the sky. He followed them, flapping double time, until

he caught up, until he joined the last end of the line, like a

small child at the end of a crack-the-whip of older boys.





My friend watched them until they disappeared over the tips of

the farthest trees. Only then, in the dusk, which was suddenly

deep, did she realize that tears were running down her cheeks and

had been - for how long she didn't know.





This is a true story. It happened. I do not try to interpret it.

I just think of it in the bad moments, and from it comes only one

hopeful question: "If so for birds, why not for man?









-- Author Unknown

Guess What????

The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal
Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.
Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The
American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and
asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."
The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and
catch more fish?"
The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support
my family's needs."
The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of
your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play
with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into
the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my
amigos, I have a full and busy life."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You
should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a
bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy
several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing
boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would
sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own
cannery. You would control the product, processing and
distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing
village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually
New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."
"But what then?" asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the
time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company
stock to the public and become very rich, you would make
millions."
"Millions?...Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small
coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a
little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll
to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play
your guitar with your amigos."
-- Author Unknown

Smell The Roses

I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose
husband unexpectedly died of a heart attack. About a week after
his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of
students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in
through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she
moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down
there.
With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and
said, “Before class is over, I would like to share with all of
you a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is
very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share,
love, appreciate and give of ourselves…and none of us knows
when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at
any moment. Perhaps this is God’s way of telling us that we must
make the most out of every single day.”
Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, “So I would like you
all to make me a promise… from now on, on your way to school,
or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It
doesn’t have to be something you see — it could be a scent –
perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone’s house, or
it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves
in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn
leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please, look for these
things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to
some, these things are the “stuff” of life. The little things we
are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for
granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at any
time… it can all be taken away.”
The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and
filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more
things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester.
Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what
an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all
of those things that sometimes we all overlook.
Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour
today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on
the way home tonight to get a double-dip ice cream cone. For as
we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret,
but the things we didn’t do.
– Author Unknown

Chiropractic and Work Related-Sciatica

Work-related sciatica is clinically challenging and an expensive problem for our health care systems. One recent study found that workers with sciatica are significantly more likely to be prescribed opioids for their condition.¹ Another study found that workers with low back pain and sciatica showed the highest level of disability of all back pain patients.²
With these issues in mind, the orthopedic medicine department of a hospital in Norway has examined the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment with patients with severe sciatic pain. This new study³ looked at 44 workers who presented at the hospital with severe sciatic pain that required hospitalization. “The patients underwent clinical, neurologic, and radiological examinations as well as laboratory screening, including urine specimens, parameters of infection, and system diseases.”
The hospital chiropractor then performed a chiropractic examination on each patient that included an analysis of posture and gait, passive and active range of motion, and palpation of the lumbar spine. “The main treatment consisted of joint adjustment techniques of the lumbopelvic fixations, usually performed in a side posture position...Joint adjustments in other parts of the spine and limbs were usually necessary as a result of the compensatory dysfunction.” Ice treatment was applied after the adjustment, since there was soft-tissue soreness experienced by the patients.
“Patients were treated daily while they were in the hospital; they were treated for 3 days a week for the first 2 weeks while they were in the clinic. Depending on need, some patients received follow-up treatment once or twice a week for some time. Following Norwegianpublic health regulations, cost refunding is limited to 14 treatments; therefore, the total number of treatments rarely exceeded this number.”
The authors found the following:

• All of the patients had experienced three or more weeks of pain before hospitalization.
• 35 patients underwent MRI and 7 had CT scans; there were no structural changes on any of the imaging tests.
• After the treatment, 40 patients (91%) returned to work full-time within an average of 21.1 days.
• Two patients returned at reduced work levels: one at 80% and another at 50%.

“The positive effects of cooperation between orthopedic surgeons and chiropractors may be measured in the reduced duration of sick leaves.” The study refers to Norwegian public health records that show that the average patient with sciatica is disabled for 72 days; in this study, the time to return-to-work was just 21 days—a 70% reduction.
The authors point to how chiropractic can improve functioning in the spine:
Stimulation of “muscle spindles caused by sprain strain has been shown to be capable of starting a long-lasting train of action potentials in the motor neuron (i.e., long-lasting muscle contraction in the motor unit in question). Similarly, a brief inhibitory impulse, such as that from antagonistic muscles, may stop the signal train in the motor neuron. Chiropractic joint adjustment probably provides a similar inhibitory impulse. The chiropractic joint adjustments must cross the barrier of passive joint motion range to stimulate muscle spindle receptors.”

1. Stover BD, Turner JA, Franklin G, et al. Factors associated with early opioid prescription among workers with low back injuries. Journal of Pain 2006;7(10):718-25.
2. Arana E, Marti-Bonmati L, Vega M, et al. Relationship between low back pain, disability, MR imaging findings and health care provider. Skeletal Radiology 2006;35(9):641-7.
3. Orlin JR, Didriksen A. Results of chiropractic treatment of lumbopelvic fixation in 44 patients admitted to an orthopedic department. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2007;30:135-139

Chiropractic Safe And Effective For Back Pain During Pregnancy

Low back pain can be a serious problem during pregnancy: studies show that over half of women report back pain at some point during pregnancy. Furthermore, as a new study1 explains, many women experience their first episode of back pain during pregnancy:
“The incidence of low back pain with an onset during pregnancy has been reported to be 61%. It has been shown that among women with low back pain of pregnancy, 75% reported no low back pain before pregnancy. In a study of women with chronic low back pain, up to 28% stated that their first episode of back pain occurred during a pregnancy.”
In this report, the authors studied 17 women with low back pain lasting an average of 21.7 days. The intensity of the back pain was 5.9 on a 1-10 scale, and the onset of pain occurred at 20.6 weeks into the pregnancy.
Each study participant was treated according to the particular symptoms that the patient was experiencing. The authors reported the following:

• About half of the women were self-referred, and the other half were referred by their obstetrician.
• The average time to reach clinically significant pain relief was 4.5 days, while the range was from 0 to 13 days after the initial treatment.
• The average number of treatments necessary to reach clinically relevant pain relief was 1.8.
• The pain levels decreased from the 5.9 at the beginning of the study to 1.5 at the end.
• The patients received between 3 to 15 treatments, with the average being 5.6.
• One patient did not experience clinically significant pain reduction.
• There were no adverse reactions reported by any of the patients.

Low back pain during pregnancy may not seem like a serious problem, but it can have adverse affects on the woman’s health, as the authors explain:
“In most instances, the average pain level is moderate, but severe pain has been reported in 15% of cases. Pain intensity often increases with duration and can result in significant disability. Sleep disturbances have been reported by 49% to 58% of women and impaired daily living by 57% in women with low back pain of pregnancy.
“Despite the apparent impact it has on women, many cases of low back pain of pregnancy go unreported to prenatal providers and/or untreated. Wang et al. found that just 32% of women reported their low back pain of pregnancy to their prenatal providers, and just 25% of these providers recommended a treatment. Skaggs et al. found that among women with low back pain of pregnancy, 80% thought that their providers had not offered treatment for their back pain.”
This study shows that chiropractic effectively reduced pain from low back pain during pregnancy, without any adverse effects.
Lisi AJ. Chiropractic spinal manipulation for low back pain of pregnancy: a retrospective case series. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health 2006;51:e7-e10.

Chiropractic For Disc Herniation

Over the last few years, it has been recognized in the medical literature that conservative treatment works best for many cases of lumbar disk herniation. For patients with far-lateral, or extreme lateral herniation, however, the effectiveness of conservative care is less certain. This recent case study looked at the outcomes of nonsurgical management of a client with far-lateral disc herniation.
The 60-year-old male client was physically active, and had been seen at a Spine Specialty Center previously for treatment for lower back pain, which resolved. 15 months later, he presented at the Center again with severe back pain (present for 3 weeks), with pain radiating to his right buttock and calf.
Presenting Symptoms:

• Score of 73 (out of 100) on the Oswestry Low Back Questionnaire, and Numerical Pain Ratings of 6 (best) to 10 (worst) on a 1-10 scale.
• Difficulty transitioning from sitting to standing
• Altered gait
• Inability to assume erect position
• Lateral list to left
• Asymmetric static pelvic landmarks (right iliac crest 4 degrees high posteriorly, 2 degrees high anteriorly with standing).
• Pain on right side with lateral and backward bends

Initial treatment included manipulation, traction, and passive movements. This was followed up by instruction in self-correction exercises to be followed at home.
Follow-up consisted of:
2 days later: More traction/passive movement and gradual increase in weight bearing, and the patient was fitted with a back brace.
6 days later: manipulation was performed and the patient returned to work part-time. A MRI and surgical consult were also requested during this fourth visit.
The lumbar MRI showed a lateral L5, S1 disc rupture with L5 nerve impingement; due to patient improvement, surgery was deferred. The patient was at work full-time, with his primary complaint sitting intolerance. With consultation, 1 week later a CT-guided transforaminal lumbar epidural and nerve root steroid injection were performed. Three days later, leg pain was reduced and the patient was sleeping better, was working full-time, and was driving.
The patient was then referred to physical therapy for further rehabilitation.
By the end of 4 weeks of physical therapy—8 weeks after being seen initially for the herniation—the patient had achieved scores of 0 on the Numeric Pain Scale, and of 2 (out of 100) on the Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire.
During 2 follow-up visits at 14 weeks and 20 weeks after the initial complaint, all scores were 0. The patient was exercising by running or alternatively using a stair climbing machine with no pain, and continuing his stabilization exercises. He was asymptomatic 1 year later at follow-up.
The study authors also note that this patient responded well to nonsurgical intervention, but was very fit, motivated, and compliant with treatment. The case study did demonstrate the fact that a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment seems most effective: from manipulation and passive motion/traction, to epidural steroid injection once the effectiveness of these first interventions had plateaued, followed up by physical therapy and ongoing exercises.
Erhard RE, Welch WC, Liu B, Vignovi M. Far-lateral disk herniation: case report, review of the literature, and a description of nonsurgical management. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2004;27:e3.

Chiropractic and Pain Relief

Low back pain is a very common condition, and one that is very expensive for our health care system. Experts estimate that chronic back pain costs the US about $100 billion each year in direct and indirect costs. As the authors of a new study write:
“One factor explaining these enormous costs is the high rate of recurrence and chronic disability related to low-back disorders…It has been suggested that only 10% of LBP patients generate more than 80% of the total costs related to LBP.”
Because of the enormous costs of treating chronic back pain, prevention is an important goal. This current study set out to examine the role of chiropractic in treating chronic low back pain. The authors studied 30 patients who had back pain for at least six months. All patients were subjected to a one-month control period that consisted of no treatment. This was included so that the researchers could observe the natural course of the back pain symptoms.
After this baseline period, half of the patients (Group 1) received intensive chiropractic treatment consisting of 12 treatments in one month, then no treatments for nine months. The other half of the patients (Group 2) received the same intensive treatment, but also received maintenance chiropractic treatments every 3 weeks for nine months. At the end of the nine-month period, both groups were again examined.
After analyzing the results, the authors found the following:

• Pain levels were reduced in both groups of patients. The intensive month of chiropractic adjustments reduced pain, even without follow-up care.
• Disability levels, however, showed a different response. For the patients with no continuing treatment, the disability levels returned to their pretreatment levels on the Oswestry. The Group 2 patients – who received maintenance care – continued to see improvement in disability scores over the whole nine months.

The following graph illustrates the differences between the two groups on disability levels:

The authors conclude:
“This study appears to confirm previous reports showing that LBP and disability scores are reduced after spinal manipulation. It also shows the positive effects of preventive chiropractic treatment in maintaining functional capacities and reducing the number and intensity of pain episodes after an acute phase of treatment. Maintenance chiropractic care involving spinal manipulation combined with other treatment modalities (exercises, pain management program) should be investigated. Such combined interventions may have a critical influence on pain, disability, and return to work.”
Descarreaux M, Blouin JS, Drolet M, Papadimitriou S, Teasdale N. Efficacy of preventive spinal manipulation for chronic low-back pain and related disabilities: a preliminary study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2004;27:509-514.

Fat Burning

There's not a day that goes by where someone doesn't come to me asking for diet advice confused as to why they're NOT losing weight even though they don't eat "a lot"...and even if they're eating "healthy". The truth is that while "quanity" does matter, it's possible to still overconsume calories if choosing the wrong foods.

Some foods, even though they're considered very healthy, carry loads of calories in a very small amount of food. We call these calorically dense foods and if your diet is comprised of a bunch of them, you can easily gain weight even without eating "a lot" of food.

Here are some "healthy" examples of calorically dense foods:

1. Granola - granola, especially the varieties mixed with nuts can pack as many as 500 cals per cup!

2. Pasta - a moderate 1 and 1/2 cups of most pastas yield more than 60 grams of carbs and almost 350 calories

3. Avocado - avocado is awesome and a great source of monounsaturated fat, but one single avocado is over 300 calories and 30 grams of fat

4. Nuts and Nut Butters - nuts are super healthy, but one of the most calorically dense foods around. A few ounces could mean 400+ calories

5. Fruit Juice and Smoothies - all fruit juices are loaded with sugar and so are most "smoothie" shop smoothies (make your own with whole fruit)

6. Dried Fruit - dried fruits remove the water content which dramatically decreases volume...what's left is high in sugar and very calorically dense

7. "Whole Wheat" Breads - even the 100% whole wheat variety can pack a mean calorie punch if you're eating a lot of grains as part of your diet

8. Whole Grain Bagels - a large "deli" bagel is loaded with carbs and calories, many times over 400 cals in a single bagel

While some of the foods above are only "thought" to be healthy (fruit juice, whole grain bagels, etc), stuff like nuts, nut butters, and avocado are foods that I'd recommend in just about everyone's diet and they are indeed great choices.

That said, these calorically dense foods require that you monitor your intake of them closely. A few ounces of nuts, a couple tablespoons of nut butter, and an avocado is NOT a lot of food, but if you ate all of these every day, you'd be getting close to 1000 calories just right there.

Source: Bio Trust Nutrition

Migraine Heagaches

Migraine is a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent moderate to severe headaches often in association with a number of autonomic nervous system symptoms. The word derives from the Greek ἡμικρανία (hemikrania), "pain on one side of the head",^[1] from ἡμι- (hemi-), "half", and κρανίον (kranion), "skull".^[2]
Typically the headache is unilateral (affecting one half of the head) and pulsating in nature, lasting from 2 to 72 hours. Associated symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, photophobia (increased sensitivity to light), phonophobia (increased sensitivity to sound) and the pain is generally aggravated by physical activity.^[3] Up to one-third of people with migraine headaches perceive an aura: a transient visual, sensory, language, or motor disturbance which signals that the headache will soon occur.^[3]
Migraines are believed to be due to a mixture of environmental and genetic factors.^[4] About two-thirds of cases run in families.^[5] Fluctuating hormone levels may also play a role: migraine affects slightly more boys than girls before puberty, but about two to three times more women than men.^[6][7] Propensity for migraines usually decreases during pregnancy.^[6] The exact mechanisms of migraines are not known. It is, however, believed to be a neurovascular disorder.^[5] The primary theory is related to increased excitability of the cerebral cortex and abnormal control of pain neurons in the trigeminal nucleus of the brainstem.^[8]
Initial recommended management is with simple analgesics such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen for the headache, an antiemetic for the nausea, and the avoidance of triggers. Specific agents such as triptans or ergotamines may be used by those for whom simple analgesics are not effective. Globally, more than 10% of the population is affected by migraine at some point in life.

Source: Wikipedia

To Be 6 Again

To Whom It May Concern:

I hereby officially tender my resignation as an adult. I have

decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of a 6 year

old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star

restaurant. I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and

make ripples with rocks. I want to think M&Ms are better than

money, because you can eat them. I want to play kickball during

recess and paint with watercolors in art. I want to lie under a

big Oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot

summers' day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you

knew were colors, addition tables and simple nursery rhymes, but

that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't

know and you didn't care. When all you knew was to be happy

because you didn't know allthe things that should make you

worried and upset. I want to think thatthe world is fair. That

everyone in it is honest and good. I want to believe that

anything is possible.

Somewhere in my youth... I matured and I learned too much. I

learned of nuclear weapons, war, prejudice, starvation and abused

children. I learned of lies, unhappy marriages, suffering,

illness, pain and death. I learned of a world where men left

their families to go and fight for our country, and returned only

to end up living on the streets... begging for their next meal. I

learned of a world where children knew how to kill... and did!!

What happened to the time when we thought that everyone would

live forever, because we didn't grasp the concept of death? When

we thought the worst thing in the world was if someone took the

jump rope from you or picked you last for kickball? I want to be

oblivious to the complexity of life and be overly excited by

little things once again. I want to return to the days when

reading was fun and music was clean.

When television was used to report the news or for family

entertainment and not to promote sex, violence and deceit. I

remember being naive and thinking that everyone was happy because

I was. I would walk on the beach and only think of the sand

between my toes and the prettiest seashell I could find. I would

spend my afternoons climbing trees and riding my bike. I didn't

worry about time, bills or where I was going to find the money to

fix my car. I used to wonder what I was going to do or be when I

grew up, not worry about what I'll do if this doesn't work out.

I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of

computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to

survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank,

doctor bills, gossip, illness and loss of loved ones. I want to

believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth,

justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind and making

angels in the snow. I want to be 6 again.

-- Author Unknown

Flying Above The Storm

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long

before it breaks?

The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to

come.

When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick

it up and lift it high above the storm.

While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring high above it,

gliding with ease.

The eagle does not escape the storm, it just simply uses the

storm to lift it higher.

It rises on the winds that bring the storm into its world.

When the storms of life come upon us -- and all of us will

experience them -- we can rise above them by setting our minds

and faith toward God!!!

The storms do not have to overcome us.

We can allow God to lift us above them. God enables us to ride

the winds of the storm that brings sickness, pain, tragedy,

failure and disappointments in our lives, and make something good

come from it.

We can soar above the storm.

Remember, it is not the burdens of life which weigh us down, but

it is how we handle them that counts.

-- Author Unknown

Are You Out Of Control?

Does your life feel like's it out of control sometimes?

Did you ever say to yourself, "Why does this always happen to me?"

The decisions we make every minute of the day sometimes come back to us later and we're not always happy with the results.

But an important secret to success s to accept responsibility for every decision we make, not just the good ones.

When you take responsibility for your own actions, positive things start happening in your life.

I don't know what the reason is for that, but as soon as you accept the responsibility for where you are and what you are and what you've done suddenly you are in control of your life.
You realize that all the blame is on you. You are where you are in life because of CHOICES you've made... no one else.

No one else is to blame for your situation. Only you are to blame.

Once you realize that and accept that, you're in control. And once you're in control you can change your situation - if you want.

Does your life feel "out of control" sometimes (all the time?). This is the reason why.


I want you to get this planted firmly in your mind:

"I am responsible for my own actions. I am responsible for the situation I'm in right now. No one else is to blame for it. It's my mess and I'm going to do something to clean it up starting today."

The question you need to ask yourself continually is:

"What am I going to do to change my life right now, for the better?"

Now if you're one of those individuals who has always accepted responsibility for your own actions, then bless you.

You are to be congratulated- you are also rare.

I guarantee you though that re-affirming "you are responsible for you own actions" will be good to remember once in a while.

Start taking control of your life instead of being lead by your fears, insecurities, phobias, hate or other people.

It starts by accepting responsibility for yourself and your actions.


David J Vallieres

Old West Justice

A man in the Old West was being tried for stealing a horse.

You need to remember that stealing a horse in the Old West was a

very grave and serious offense. A person could be hanged if found

guilty of such a deed.

It so happened that the man whose horse had been stolen had

always made it a point to get the best of any person with whom he

had any dealings. He had never tried to do anything good for

anyone other than himself. Consequently, the man whose horse had

been stolen didn't have a single friend in the entire town. The

case was tried and presented to the jury.

The evidence against the accused man was pretty strong. After

about thirty minutes of deliberation, the jury returned to the

court chambers.

"Gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?" the judge

asked.

The chairman of the jury stood up. "Yes we have, your honor," he

replied.

"What is your verdict?" inquired the judge.

There were a few moments of silence and then the chairman spoke.

"We find the defendant not guilty if he will return the horse."

After the judge had silenced the laughter in the courtroom, he

admonished the jury. "I cannot accept that verdict. You will have

to retire until you reach another verdict," said the judge. The

jury went back into their room to deliberate toward another

verdict. No member of the jury had any particular liking for the

man whose horse had been stolen. At one time or another he had

gotten the best of each of them. About an hour passed before the

jury could reach another verdict. They re-entered the courtroom.

They took their place in the jury box and the courtroom grew

silent.

"Gentlemen of the jury," began the judge, "have you reached a

verdict?" The chairman of the jury stood up.

"Yes we have, your honor," he replied. "What is your verdict?"

asked the judge.

The courtroom was totally silent. You could have heard a pin

drop. Everyone eagerly awaited the verdict. The chairman read the

decision reached by the twelve good men, tried and true.

"We find the defendant NOT guilty, and he can KEEP the horse!"

The courtroom burst into laughter! Moral of the story: If you

spend your life trying to take advantage of others, never caring

about them in any way except what you can get from them or what

they can do for you, you will end up a loser, like the man who

lost his horse.

If you desire a friend, then be a friend. If you desire for other

people to help you, then help other people. If you desire justice

at the hands of others, then practice justice toward them.

Regardless of what you may think, the old Biblical admonition is

true. We do reap what we sow.

-- Author Unknown

Chemicals and Headaches

Very clever researchers discovered that certain chemicals, especially MSG added to Chinese food is a strong headache trigger in many people.

 

Foods that contain MSG might not necessarily list “MSG” or “monosodium glutamate” on the label. Instead, you’ll see: hydrolyzed vegetable protein, natural flavorings, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, hydrolyzed yeast, autolyzed yeast, hydolized oat flour, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed protein. Protein isolates of any type may contain MSG, even soy protein. If you eat processed foods, it will be rare for you to see a label without one of these! Every fast food chain uses it in their food ingredients!

 

You may lose to gain. What I mean by this is that you may lose your present life in the meal department to gain a headache-free life. What you gain is learning how to cook and prepare foods from scratch. You gain the freedom to do things you couldn’t do before and you can do them without restriction. You gain the affection lost by family members who didn’t understand your headaches.

 

In a few months, you will have adapted so much to your new diet, that your family and friends will want to come over to see what you’re cooking that tastes so good! Natural foods cooking is different than what it was like a decade ago. It’s easier to find cookbooks, share recipes, and find near ready-made alternatives at the health food stores and whole food superstores.

 

Nutrasweet and aspartame are unnatural sugars synthesized in the laboratory. There have been thousands of reports about headaches and even brain tumors linked to aspartame

Bad Sleep Habits And Headaches

Sleeping on your stomach or with your pillow bunched up is a sure way to a headache. What happens is that your neck becomes twisted for long periods of time as you sleep, putting pressure on the nerves, blood vessels and vertebrae in your cervical (upper) spine. That pressure sends messages to the brain that there’s something that needs to be addressed, and a pain signal is sent to your head. Presto! You have a headache and your neck hurts as well.

 

The solution is sleeping on your back with a pillow that supports your neck fully. You may also sleep on your side, but check with us at the office about the proper sleeping position that won’t create headaches. If you bring in your pillow to our office, I’ll check it to see if it’s part of the reason you have headaches. For example, a pillow that is too thin or too fluffy will contribute to headaches because it doesn’t support the cervical curve in your neck. The cervical curve is a natural S-shaped curve in your neck. If the pillow is too flat, that pillow flattens your cervical curve. If the pillow is too fluffy, it exaggerates your cervical curve.

 

In the past 20 years, chiropractic physicians have used a complete range of cervical pillows to fit the necks of those who are young and old.