Month: April 2014

Dr Beecher’s April 2014 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter

To download Dr. Beecher’s Monthly Newsletter, please click here!

“At 18 our convictions are hills from which we look; At 45 they are caves in which we hide.”

~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

Amazing Technology Lets Doctors See Cancer Cells With High-Tech Glasses!

 

Why This Breakthrough May Improve Cancer Treatments and Save Lives…

 

Also this month:

• World’s oldest father has son at age 96: Guess what he eats!
• Does eating too much sugar DOUBLE risk of heart disease? New Research might make you think twice about consuming processed food and drinks loaded with sweeteners.
• Eating this might help you lose weight and live longer: Many people think this food makes you gain weight… but research shows the opposite is true.
• Another Janitor becomes HUGE Success! He dropped out of college in 1979 and became a janitor to help his mother support his four siblings. The amazing story of how he went from janitor… to teacher… to principal!

Houston – In just a moment, you will read about a fascinating pair of glasses that allows surgeons to actually see cancer cells while they’re in the operating room.  It’s pretty awesome and has the potential to dramatically improve the outcome of many cancer surgeries.

But first, here is something fascinating…

It has been reported that Ramjeet Raghav is the world’s oldest new father.  Mr. Raghav lives in India, he’s 96 years old, and he just welcomed his second son into the world!

Mr. Raghav fathered his first son back in 2010 and was recognized as the world’s oldest new father at that time too.

Just imagine not only being alive but having enough energy to be that active at age 96!

What is his secret?  No one knows for sure, perhaps not even Mr. Raghav, but it’s probably a mixture of great genes and lifestyle.  Mr. Raghav is a former wrestler and lives on a diet of milk, butter, and almonds. Perhaps the almonds he eats are magical. J

On a more serious note, almonds and other “tree nuts” appear to be very healthy foods.  Many people think nuts are fattening and not healthy because of their fat content, but this is not true.  There is “good fat” and there is “bad fat.”  Tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, filberts/hazelnuts, Macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts, and are high in “good” healthy fats.

In fact, a large-scale 30-year-long study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people who regularly ate a small handful of nuts at least seven times per week were 20 percent less likely to die for any reason during the length of the study compared with those who largely avoided nuts in their diet.

Here is a quote from the study as reported in the Washington Post: “Even those who ate nuts less than once a week had a 7 percent reduction in risk.  Consuming nuts at least five times a week corresponded to a 29 percent drop in mortality risk for heart disease, a 24 percent decline for respiratory disease, and an 11 percent drop for cancer.”

One thing should be noted:  People in this study who ate more nuts also ate more fruits and vegetables and were leaner.

This is important for a couple of reasons.  First, it takes more than just doing ONE THING, like eating nuts, to be healthy.  There is no silver bullet.  Good health (and the vibrant energy and awesome feelings that come with it) is the end-result of doing a lot of little things correctly for years and years.

Secondly, it is no shock that the people who ate more nuts also ate other healthy foods.  These were probably not just “nut lovers.”  They were likely people who were into eating healthy and nuts were one part of what they considered to be a healthy diet.

While we are on the subject of eating correctly for optimal health, yet another study has shown the negative effects of eating too much “bad” sugar.  “Bad” sugar is sugar used to sweeten processed foods.

According to Bloomberg News:  “High sugar consumption may double the chance of dying from heart disease, according to a study that adds to evidence that high levels of the sweetener in processed foods and drink is bad for a person’s health.

            “People whose sugar intake is about a quarter or more of their total daily calories had twice the risk of dying from heart disease than those whose intake was 7 percent, according to the research today in JAMA Internal Medicine.  For those whose intake of added sugar was about 19 percent, their risk of dying from heart disease was about 38 percent higher.”

About 37 percent of added sugar in American diets comes from sugar-sweetened beverages, while the rest comes from grain-based desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, and candy.  Sugar from fruits and vegetables is not considered added sugar.

Here is something worth writing down:  Processed food is generally not good for you.  Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide and is believed to cause an estimated 600,000 deaths per year in the United States alone.  Making an effort for you and your family to stay away from processed foods may literally save your life and the lives of your family members.

A Common Food that Can Zap You

of Energy and Make You Gain Weight…

One food that many people mistakenly think is healthy is the bagel.  Many bagels are processed white bread and they often contain about 40-50 grams of refined carbohydrates that can spike blood sugar levels, setting off a chain of events that result in the release of hormones like tryptophan into your brain to make you feel tired. Not only that, if you don’t burn off those extra calories, your body may convert them into fat!

Does Yogurt Lower Your Risk of Diabetes?

It looks like it just might.  New research published in the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes shows that higher consumption of yogurt, compared with no consumption, can reduce the risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes by 28%.  Scientists found that higher consumption of low-fat fermented dairy products, which include all yogurt varieties and some low-fat cheeses, also reduced the relative risk of diabetes by 24% overall.

Okay, now for some amazing medical technology that just might…

Blow You Away!

Cancer cells appear to glow blue when viewed through new high-tech glasses designed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine.  This may help surgeons visualize cancer cells while performing surgery to remove them.  The first surgery performed while wearing these glasses was conducted on February 10, 2014 at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.

This is important because cancer cells are very difficult to see, even under the greatest magnification.  These glasses have the potential to almost ensure that no cancer cells are left behind during surgery.

Surgeon, Julie Margenthaler, MD, is very optimistic, “Imagine what it would mean if these glasses eliminated the need for follow-up surgery and the associated pain, inconvenience, and anxiety.”

 

 

            Don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us at 281-286-1300 with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in providing you natural pain relief.

Inspirational Story Of The Month

(Names And Details May Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)

 

 

Another Janitor Becomes

A HUGE Success!

He dropped out of college in 1979 to help his mother raise his four siblings.  The amazing story of how he went from janitor… to teacher… to principal!

 

Not too long ago we told you about how Richard Montanez went from mopping the floors to calling the shots as the Executive Vice President of PepsiCo of North America.  Now, here’s is another incredible success story involving a janitor.

His name is Joseph “Gabe” Sonnier and his story starts with very humble beginnings.  Sonnier was attending Southern University but decided to drop out and get a job as a janitor to help his mother, a housekeeper, financially support his four siblings.

As you know, time flies.  Before he knew it, he was 39 and still a janitor at Port Barre Elementary School.  That’s when the school’s Principal pulled Sonnier aside and told him he should be grading papers instead of picking them up off the ground.

That’s when Sonnier decided to finish his education.  “I would come to work at like five in the morning and leave at seven, go to school all day, and then come back and finish up my eight hours of work here, and then go home and do homework,” said Sonnier.

He earned his Bachelor’s Degree, and in 2008, he went from janitor to teacher at Port Barre Elementary.  He later earned a Master’s Degree in Education through Arkansas State University.  Last November, he was promoted to Principal of Port Barre Elementary.

His incredible journey has several very important life lessons for anyone and everyone, especially if you are unhappy and your life is not where you would like it to be right now.

Sonnier is known for saying, “Don’t let your situation that you’re in now define what you’re going to become later.  I always tell them it’s not where you start, it’s how you finish.”

After reading this, one thing is abundantly clear:  It has nothing to do with being a janitor and everything to do with what these two janitors, Mr. Sonnier and Mr. Montanez, thought.

Neither one of these guys has any “special inborn skill.”  They are not dramatically smarter, or better looking, or luckier than anyone else. What they ARE is super ACCURATE THINKERS.

They both fully understand that hard work beats talent when talent does not work.  Sure, some people are born gifted and if they work hard, then they will probably come out ahead of those who are not as naturally capable.  But we do not live in a vacuum, and many gifted people simply do not work hard.  That makes it easy for hard-workers to blow right by them.

Accurate thinkers understand that there is plenty of opportunity out there.  They do not falsely believe that they are condemned to a life of struggling and lack of success simply because there is no other way.  They know there is another way simply because so many other people… just like them… have done it already, and are doing it every day.

They clearly understand that it takes HARD WORK to succeed.  Nothing worth anything comes easy.  Most people simply do not want to put in effort.  Sonnier was up a 5 a.m. every day and worked until late at night.  He did this for years and years to reach his goal.  How many others are willing to make this kind of sacrifice?  Are you?  Only you know the answer to that question.

 

We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and

getting them feeling better!  We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger!

Don’t be a stranger.  You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!

Did You Know?…

Eye Charts and Vision

 

The Snellen eye chart was created by Herman Snellen, a Dutch eye doctor, in the 1860s. Another popular chart used during eye exams is the Tumbling E chart which features capital letter E’s facing in different directions.  This chart comes in handy when young children who don’t know the alphabet are being tested, or for people who don’t know the English alphabet.  Rather than say a letter, they can pick the smallest line of E’s that they can see, and say or point which way the “arms” of the E in that line are facing.  Numerous studies have shown that this chart and the Snellen chart come up with nearly the same results.

Around one million people aged 40 and older in the United States (US) are considered legally blind.  To obtain a driver’s license in the US, you need to have at least 20/40 vision or better.  If you can read the fifth line of text on the Snellen chart from 20 feet away, you are considered to have 20/40 vision.

Cataracts, the clouding of the lens inside the eye which leads to decreased vision, affects 22 million Americans aged 40 and older.  Around half of Americans will have suffered from cataracts by age 80.  The medical costs relating to cataract treatment nationwide is estimated at $6.8 billion every year.

 

Tip Of The Month

New Research: How Video Games Change You In The Real World! 

 

If you play video games, you are not alone.  According to the Entertainment Software Association, as of 2013, 58% of Americans play video games.  There is an average of two gamers in each game-playing household in the United States (US).  The average US household owns at least one dedicated game console, PC, or smartphone.  Fifty-one percent of US households own a dedicated game console, and those who do, own an average of two.  The average age of a game player is 30 years old and there are more people over the age of 36 playing video games (36%) than between the ages of 18-35 (32%), with 32% being under the age of 18.  With so many people playing, and with such a wide age group, the finding of a new study could be very important.

The study reported by the Association for Psychological Science found that how you represent yourself in video games may affect the way you behave and treat others in real life.  They reported, “Our results indicate that just five minutes of role-play in virtual environments as either a hero or villain can easily cause people to reward or punish anonymous strangers.” One experiment studied 194 undergraduates.  The participants were randomly assigned to a villain, hero, or neutral avatar in the game.  They played the game for five minutes.  During that five minutes, their avatar (their identity in the game) fought against enemies.  After the five minutes ended, the participants took part in a taste test that they believed was not part of the study.  In this taste test, they were asked to taste both a chocolate and a chili sauce and then decide which one and how much to give to the next participant.

According to the Association For Psychological Science, “The results were revealing:  Participants who played as [the hero] poured, on average, nearly twice as much chocolate as chili sauce for the ‘future participant.’  And they poured significantly more chocolate than those who played as either of the other avatars.  Participants who played as the villain, on the other hand, poured out nearly twice as much of the spicy chili sauce than they did chocolate, and they poured significantly more chili sauce compared to the other participants.” 

A second, similar experiment of 125 graduates confirmed these finding.  According to the lead author of the study, “In virtual environments, people can freely choose avatars that allow them to opt into or out of a certain entity, group, or situation… Consumers and practitioners should remember that powerful imitative effects can occur when people put on virtual masks.” 

 

Remember, we’re always here to help your body heal

and maintain the pain free body you deserve.

 

This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice.  Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without a thorough exam or appropriate referral. If you have any further concerns or questions, please let us know by emailing me at [email protected] .

“At 18 our convictions are hills from which we look; At 45 they are caves in which we hide.”

~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

Amazing Technology Lets Doctors See Cancer Cells With High-Tech Glasses!

 

Why This Breakthrough May Improve Cancer Treatments and Save Lives…

 

Also this month:

• World’s oldest father has son at age 96: Guess what he eats!
• Does eating too much sugar DOUBLE risk of heart disease? New Research might make you think twice about consuming processed food and drinks loaded with sweeteners.
• Eating this might help you lose weight and live longer: Many people think this food makes you gain weight… but research shows the opposite is true.
• Another Janitor becomes HUGE Success! He dropped out of college in 1979 and became a janitor to help his mother support his four siblings. The amazing story of how he went from janitor… to teacher… to principal!

 

H

ouston – In just a moment, you will read about a fascinating pair of glasses that allows surgeons to actually see cancer cells while they’re in the operating room.  It’s pretty awesome and has the potential to dramatically improve the outcome of many cancer surgeries.

But first, here is something fascinating…

It has been reported that Ramjeet Raghav is the world’s oldest new father.  Mr. Raghav lives in India, he’s 96 years old, and he just welcomed his second son into the world!

Mr. Raghav fathered his first son back in 2010 and was recognized as the world’s oldest new father at that time too.

Just imagine not only being alive but having enough energy to be that active at age 96!

What is his secret?  No one knows for sure, perhaps not even Mr. Raghav, but it’s probably a mixture of great genes and lifestyle.  Mr. Raghav is a former wrestler and lives on a diet of milk, butter, and almonds. Perhaps the almonds he eats are magical. J

On a more serious note, almonds and other “tree nuts” appear to be very healthy foods.  Many people think nuts are fattening and not healthy because of their fat content, but this is not true.  There is “good fat” and there is “bad fat.”  Tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, filberts/hazelnuts, Macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts, and are high in “good” healthy fats.

In fact, a large-scale 30-year-long study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people who regularly ate a small handful of nuts at least seven times per week were 20 percent less likely to die for any reason during the length of the study compared with those who largely avoided nuts in their diet.

Here is a quote from the study as reported in the Washington Post: “Even those who ate nuts less than once a week had a 7 percent reduction in risk.  Consuming nuts at least five times a week corresponded to a 29 percent drop in mortality risk for heart disease, a 24 percent decline for respiratory disease, and an 11 percent drop for cancer.”

One thing should be noted:  People in this study who ate more nuts also ate more fruits and vegetables and were leaner.

This is important for a couple of reasons.  First, it takes more than just doing ONE THING, like eating nuts, to be healthy.  There is no silver bullet.  Good health (and the vibrant energy and awesome feelings that come with it) is the end-result of doing a lot of little things correctly for years and years.

Secondly, it is no shock that the people who ate more nuts also ate other healthy foods.  These were probably not just “nut lovers.”  They were likely people who were into eating healthy and nuts were one part of what they considered to be a healthy diet.

While we are on the subject of eating correctly for optimal health, yet another study has shown the negative effects of eating too much “bad” sugar.  “Bad” sugar is sugar used to sweeten processed foods.

According to Bloomberg News:  “High sugar consumption may double the chance of dying from heart disease, according to a study that adds to evidence that high levels of the sweetener in processed foods and drink is bad for a person’s health.

            “People whose sugar intake is about a quarter or more of their total daily calories had twice the risk of dying from heart disease than those whose intake was 7 percent, according to the research today in JAMA Internal Medicine.  For those whose intake of added sugar was about 19 percent, their risk of dying from heart disease was about 38 percent higher.”

About 37 percent of added sugar in American diets comes from sugar-sweetened beverages, while the rest comes from grain-based desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, and candy.  Sugar from fruits and vegetables is not considered added sugar.

Here is something worth writing down:  Processed food is generally not good for you.  Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide and is believed to cause an estimated 600,000 deaths per year in the United States alone.  Making an effort for you and your family to stay away from processed foods may literally save your life and the lives of your family members.

A Common Food that Can Zap You

of Energy and Make You Gain Weight…

One food that many people mistakenly think is healthy is the bagel.  Many bagels are processed white bread and they often contain about 40-50 grams of refined carbohydrates that can spike blood sugar levels, setting off a chain of events that result in the release of hormones like tryptophan into your brain to make you feel tired. Not only that, if you don’t burn off those extra calories, your body may convert them into fat!

Does Yogurt Lower Your Risk of Diabetes?

It looks like it just might.  New research published in the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes shows that higher consumption of yogurt, compared with no consumption, can reduce the risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes by 28%.  Scientists found that higher consumption of low-fat fermented dairy products, which include all yogurt varieties and some low-fat cheeses, also reduced the relative risk of diabetes by 24% overall.

Okay, now for some amazing medical technology that just might…

Blow You Away!

Cancer cells appear to glow blue when viewed through new high-tech glasses designed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine.  This may help surgeons visualize cancer cells while performing surgery to remove them.  The first surgery performed while wearing these glasses was conducted on February 10, 2014 at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.

This is important because cancer cells are very difficult to see, even under the greatest magnification.  These glasses have the potential to almost ensure that no cancer cells are left behind during surgery.

Surgeon, Julie Margenthaler, MD, is very optimistic, “Imagine what it would mean if these glasses eliminated the need for follow-up surgery and the associated pain, inconvenience, and anxiety.”

 

 

            Don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us at 281-286-1300 with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in providing you natural pain relief.

Inspirational Story Of The Month

(Names And Details May Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)

 

 

Another Janitor Becomes

A HUGE Success!

He dropped out of college in 1979 to help his mother raise his four siblings.  The amazing story of how he went from janitor… to teacher… to principal!

 

Not too long ago we told you about how Richard Montanez went from mopping the floors to calling the shots as the Executive Vice President of PepsiCo of North America.  Now, here’s is another incredible success story involving a janitor.

His name is Joseph “Gabe” Sonnier and his story starts with very humble beginnings.  Sonnier was attending Southern University but decided to drop out and get a job as a janitor to help his mother, a housekeeper, financially support his four siblings.

As you know, time flies.  Before he knew it, he was 39 and still a janitor at Port Barre Elementary School.  That’s when the school’s Principal pulled Sonnier aside and told him he should be grading papers instead of picking them up off the ground.

That’s when Sonnier decided to finish his education.  “I would come to work at like five in the morning and leave at seven, go to school all day, and then come back and finish up my eight hours of work here, and then go home and do homework,” said Sonnier.

He earned his Bachelor’s Degree, and in 2008, he went from janitor to teacher at Port Barre Elementary.  He later earned a Master’s Degree in Education through Arkansas State University.  Last November, he was promoted to Principal of Port Barre Elementary.

His incredible journey has several very important life lessons for anyone and everyone, especially if you are unhappy and your life is not where you would like it to be right now.

Sonnier is known for saying, “Don’t let your situation that you’re in now define what you’re going to become later.  I always tell them it’s not where you start, it’s how you finish.”

After reading this, one thing is abundantly clear:  It has nothing to do with being a janitor and everything to do with what these two janitors, Mr. Sonnier and Mr. Montanez, thought.

Neither one of these guys has any “special inborn skill.”  They are not dramatically smarter, or better looking, or luckier than anyone else. What they ARE is super ACCURATE THINKERS.

They both fully understand that hard work beats talent when talent does not work.  Sure, some people are born gifted and if they work hard, then they will probably come out ahead of those who are not as naturally capable.  But we do not live in a vacuum, and many gifted people simply do not work hard.  That makes it easy for hard-workers to blow right by them.

Accurate thinkers understand that there is plenty of opportunity out there.  They do not falsely believe that they are condemned to a life of struggling and lack of success simply because there is no other way.  They know there is another way simply because so many other people… just like them… have done it already, and are doing it every day.

They clearly understand that it takes HARD WORK to succeed.  Nothing worth anything comes easy.  Most people simply do not want to put in effort.  Sonnier was up a 5 a.m. every day and worked until late at night.  He did this for years and years to reach his goal.  How many others are willing to make this kind of sacrifice?  Are you?  Only you know the answer to that question.

 

We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and

getting them feeling better!  We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger!

Don’t be a stranger.  You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!

Did You Know?…

Eye Charts and Vision

 

The Snellen eye chart was created by Herman Snellen, a Dutch eye doctor, in the 1860s. Another popular chart used during eye exams is the Tumbling E chart which features capital letter E’s facing in different directions.  This chart comes in handy when young children who don’t know the alphabet are being tested, or for people who don’t know the English alphabet.  Rather than say a letter, they can pick the smallest line of E’s that they can see, and say or point which way the “arms” of the E in that line are facing.  Numerous studies have shown that this chart and the Snellen chart come up with nearly the same results.

Around one million people aged 40 and older in the United States (US) are considered legally blind.  To obtain a driver’s license in the US, you need to have at least 20/40 vision or better.  If you can read the fifth line of text on the Snellen chart from 20 feet away, you are considered to have 20/40 vision.

Cataracts, the clouding of the lens inside the eye which leads to decreased vision, affects 22 million Americans aged 40 and older.  Around half of Americans will have suffered from cataracts by age 80.  The medical costs relating to cataract treatment nationwide is estimated at $6.8 billion every year.

 

Tip Of The Month

New Research: How Video Games Change You In The Real World! 

 

If you play video games, you are not alone.  According to the Entertainment Software Association, as of 2013, 58% of Americans play video games.  There is an average of two gamers in each game-playing household in the United States (US).  The average US household owns at least one dedicated game console, PC, or smartphone.  Fifty-one percent of US households own a dedicated game console, and those who do, own an average of two.  The average age of a game player is 30 years old and there are more people over the age of 36 playing video games (36%) than between the ages of 18-35 (32%), with 32% being under the age of 18.  With so many people playing, and with such a wide age group, the finding of a new study could be very important.

The study reported by the Association for Psychological Science found that how you represent yourself in video games may affect the way you behave and treat others in real life.  They reported, “Our results indicate that just five minutes of role-play in virtual environments as either a hero or villain can easily cause people to reward or punish anonymous strangers.” One experiment studied 194 undergraduates.  The participants were randomly assigned to a villain, hero, or neutral avatar in the game.  They played the game for five minutes.  During that five minutes, their avatar (their identity in the game) fought against enemies.  After the five minutes ended, the participants took part in a taste test that they believed was not part of the study.  In this taste test, they were asked to taste both a chocolate and a chili sauce and then decide which one and how much to give to the next participant.

According to the Association For Psychological Science, “The results were revealing:  Participants who played as [the hero] poured, on average, nearly twice as much chocolate as chili sauce for the ‘future participant.’  And they poured significantly more chocolate than those who played as either of the other avatars.  Participants who played as the villain, on the other hand, poured out nearly twice as much of the spicy chili sauce than they did chocolate, and they poured significantly more chili sauce compared to the other participants.” 

A second, similar experiment of 125 graduates confirmed these finding.  According to the lead author of the study, “In virtual environments, people can freely choose avatars that allow them to opt into or out of a certain entity, group, or situation… Consumers and practitioners should remember that powerful imitative effects can occur when people put on virtual masks.” 

 

Remember, we’re always here to help your body heal

and maintain the pain free body you deserve.

 

This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice.  Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without a thorough exam or appropriate referral. If you have any further concerns or questions, please let us know by emailing me at [email protected] .