I Wish I Could Get My Spouse to Come In!
It's something we hear all the time. If you’ve experienced great results from care in our practice, it’s only natural to want someone you love to benefit too. Here are some approaches you may find more helpful than threats.
Ask questions. Rather than judge their unwillingness to try chiropractic, become curious. Since our behaviors are the result of our beliefs (conscious and unconscious), try to find out what belief(s) are standing in the way. Often it’s some unfounded fear or misconception. Find out what the real issue is.
Supply information. One of the best ways to defuse irrational fears is by sharing information. Let us know how we can help. What could we do to equip you with the information you need to make a difference?
Offer an invitation. We are open and welcoming to skeptics, doubters and cynics! We stand ready to field phone calls—even anonymous ones. Or bring your loved one with you to take a tour on your next visit.
Give it time. Change takes time. Whether it’s making changes to the spine or changing someone’s beliefs. Be patient. Trust that your friend or family member will choose chiropractic if and when the time is right.
Every bodily function, controlled by our nervous system, is the key idea behind chiropractic. And since we experience our lives through our nervous systems, the decision to use chiropractic has huge implications. When you tell others, you’re changing the world. Congratulations!
Is Antibacterial Soap Really Necessary?
By the looks of most bathrooms these days, just about everyone is using antibacterial soaps. In fact, it can take considerable detective skills to locate soap that isn’t antibacterial.
Advertising teaches us to fear germs. You sell more antibacterial soap that way. It’s even marketed as a preventative measure against colds and flu. The problem? Colds and flu are viral, so anti-bacterial products have no effect. Antibacterial soaps contain carcinogens, are no more effective in killing germs than regular soap and are probably responsible for breeding stronger, more resistant strains of bacteria.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control agrees. It recommends that the most effective way to reduce the spread of infectious disease is washing our hands. But anti-bacterial soaps are not necessary. Neither is scalding hot water, since our hands can’t withstand the temperatures necessary to kill germs with heat.
Experts recommend that you use a combination of soap and comfortably warm water. Rub all surfaces of the hands for at least 20 seconds, especially under your fingernails. The soap and scrubbing action, along with the slippery surface created by the soap, do the trick.
How to Catch a Cold
Some people seem to expect a bout with a cold or the flu each year. If you haven’t had your quota yet, here are some things you can do:
Eat a poor diet. If you want to catch a cold, make sure your body lacks the vitamins and minerals it needs. Eat lots of processed foods.
Avoid adequate rest. Deprive yourself of adequate rest. Stay up late and reduce the time you sleep as much as possible. Use tobacco, coffee and other stimulants to fool yourself into thinking you have more than enough energy.
Stop exercising. Unlike the circulatory system, your lymphatic system depends upon exercise and movement to circulate these germ-fighting fluids, so sit on the couch and stare at the TV.
Think negative thoughts. Look for opportunities to imagine having a cold. Pay attention to news reports about outbreaks of the flu and pay close attention to advertising that sells medications for cold sufferers.
Invite stress. Stress yourself physically with extreme temperature and humidity changes. Stress yourself mentally with constant worry.
Become dehydrated. Avoid drinking enough water. Reduce the effectiveness of your natural defense mechanisms by avoiding fluids.
Forget your appointments. Ignore your nervous system, the master control of your immune system. Avoid these preventive strategies and shun our suggestions of periodic chiropractic checkups to help you stay well.
In This Issue
- I Wish My Spouse Would Come In!
- Is Antibacterial Soap Really Necessary?
- How To Catch a Cold
- 10 Reasons NOT to Eat Sugar!
10 Reasons NOT to Eat Sugar!
Sugar, in its many forms, is an increasingly common ingredient in processed foods. Many of us eat the equivalent of 53 teaspoons of white sugar every day!
Here are ten reasons to avoid refined (white) sugar:
1. Sugar contributes to tooth decay because it decreases the effectiveness of a particular type of white blood cell that “eats” harmful bacteria.
2. Sugar causes the body to release more adrenalin, which may explain hyperactivity in young children.
3. Calcium loss in urine occurs when a person consumes a soft drink containing sugar.
4. Ingesting sugar makes the pancreas work harder to produce insulin. Diabetes results when the overworked pancreas can no longer eliminate sugar from the blood stream.
5. Bleached with chlorine, when white refined sugar is exposed to certain organic compounds it converts to dioxin, which is a lethal compound.
6. Sugar can hinder weight loss because high insulin levels (see number 4 above) cause the body to retain any excess carbohydrates as fat.
7. Sugar increases the likelihood of chronic fatigue.
8. Sugar increases mood swings, irritability and anxiety.
9. Sugar compromises the immune system because it lowers the efficiency of white blood cells for a minimum of five hours after ingesting the sugar.
10. Eating sugar can decrease helpful high-density cholesterol (HDLs) and result in an increase in harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
Need to sweeten your food? Raisins, dates or honey are safe and simple alternatives. They're easily available in many forms and can be the perfectly natural way to satisfy any sweet tooth!
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