What You May or May Not Know About WATER

We all know we should drink plenty of water on a regular basis, yet still, many of us do not seem to make it a priority in our day. Winter months seem to leave us more dehydrated... perhaps because that cool glass of water doesn't seem quite as quenching as it does during the hot humid summer months. The most vivid expression of the importance of water is watching two plants - one with water and one without. A watered plant stands taller, has more dramatic colors and frankly simply looks healthier. Two plants, of the same seed can appear dramatically different in health and age. How does this apply to us? Read on.

The majority of our body consists of water and it is required for many normal body and cell functions. Specifically, bones are 25%, muscles 75%, our brain is 76% and our blood is 82% water! For the body to have such a high portion of water, it must have some important role in health and survival. In fact, water is an essential component for digestion, nutrient absorption, has an important role in circulation, regulates body temerpature, lubricates and cushions joints, keeps skin healthy and removes toxins from the body (www.mercola.com).

Is there more to it than just drinking more water though? There are definitely a few considerations because too much of anything - even water - is not always a good thing. It has been recommended to drink water at room temperature or slightly chilled if that is more appealing to you. Drinking ice cold may alter digestion since it must be warmed in the digestive tract before it is absorbed,causing it to stay in the stomach longer. Drinking large portions of water at one time can also affect the digestive tract by overstraining our internal muscles, so to reach your daily water requirement, best to consume it moderately throughout the day. Remember, as a general rule of thumb, the formula for water intake is:

Body weight (lbs)/2= Daily Water Requirements (oz.)

It is recommended to drink water from a glass or stainless steel container when possible to reduce the amount of toxins you may consume from certain plastic containers. A good general rule of thumb is to look for the #7 on the bottom of a plastic bottle. Anything less than 7 should be avoided. The chemical of concern is known as Bisphenol A (BPA). It has been linked to changes in the reproductive system by mimicking effects of naturally occurring estrogen. Research findings have found a link with enlarged prostate, reduced testosterone, pre-cancerous breast cells, prostate cancer, early puberty onset in females and hyperactivity. It is still likely more beneficial to drink water out of plastic than not at all. If plastic water bottles are the only option for you at a given time, we recommend choosing a popular brand of water. Why? Because these water bottles are replenished more frequently, thus have spent a shorter amount of time bottled on the shelf.

Dr. Jason Plotsky

Are You Healthy, or Just Not Sick?

Are you happy or just not sad? Are you full of energy or just not tired? Which would you rather be? Is there a difference between being healthy and just not sick?

If you lack symptoms does that mean that you are healthy? It's a question we need to examine as society continues to have increased levels of preventable diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. We all know someone who was "perfectly healthy" and then was suddenly diagnosed with cancer or heart disease. Often the first sign of heart disease is death!! The "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory has been proven wrong by the increasing incidence of preventable diseases. If we wait until it is broken, it is often too late.

Most people have recognized that in order to live a long and healthy life, our everyday choices must be congruent with our long term goals. If you are reading this article, it is likely that you take great interest in living a healthy lifestyle. There is a continuum between illness and wellness and the choices we make each and every day affect which direction we are moving along this continuum. Are you healthier today than you were 5 years ago? Which direction along this continuum do you see yourself moving toward?

Our bodies were created from two cells, surely we have the ability to be self-healing and self-regulating. When you cut your finger, do you have to spend any time thinking about it healing or does it happen all by itself? When you are digesting food, do you have to think about the right breakdown or enzymes to digest the different proteins, fats and carbohydrates? There are millions of processes going on constantly. What organizes all these functions?

Your nervous system controls and monitors the functions of your 100 trillion cells at all times. It regulates all all body functions and helps us relate to our outside world. It is the master system and without it, we would not be alive. Your spine protects the nervous system and that is why its function and alignment are integral to good health.

When our x-ray machine was having difficulties, I called our electrician to see if he could find the source of the problem. When he arrived at our building he went straight downstairs to our fuse box. Why did he go there when the problem was with the x-ray machine? He knew that he had to check the power source first and when that was okay, he could check the actual x-ray machine. How is your fuse box? When was the last time you had your spine and nervous system checked?

Why do we brush our teeth? Well that's easy, to prevent cavities, you say. Everyone seems to take good care of their teeth. If our teeth wear out, there are always alternatives. Have you ever thought of the alternative to your spine wearing out?

If you are interested in achieving optimum health you are probably already eating properly, exercising, getting enough rest, maintaining a positive mental outlook, etc. If you want to continue moving toward the wellness side of the health continuum, it's time to get your spine checked.

Dr. Jason Plotsky

13 Key Habits To Help You "Seize the Day"

I believe there are certain habits that will enable us to live life to its fullest, making the most of every opportunity. These habits are not personality traits! They are little choices that we internalize into habits. Here are 13 of my favorite habits that help me seize each day:

1. Be an inverted paranoid: I believe the whole world is conspiring to do only good things to me.
2. Be a quick forgiver: I don't have time to waste in unforgiveness.
3. Be optimistic: Believing the best of people and circumstances is a sure way to find the best.
4. Be thankful: I always give thanks, keep my eyes on God as my provider, and keep a smile on my face.
5. Be an encourager: Encouragers make me feel better, stronger, and more capable of accomplishing my dreams. I want to do the same for others.
6. Be spontaneous: I have a sense of urgency and a do-it-now attitude.
7. Be a giver: My greatest joy is giving!
8. Be positive: Being positive has the potential of turning the worst situations into victories.
9. Smile a lot and laugh at life: Adversity is a steppingstone, not a roadblock. Why not laugh in the midst of challenges?
10. Live life with enthusiasm: I will only live once, so why not give it my all?
11. Enjoy life: I truly enjoy life.
12. Find a hobby you enjoy: No matter where I am, I have something I like to do.
13. Look for people to help: I get up every morning excited about the person I might help that day.

This article is taken from the Success Magazine blog. It is written by Paul J. Meyer.

Make Your Own Flu Vaccine

Winterize Your Immune System

The flu is a topic that comes up a lot at this time of year. We'd like to take a moment to address some of the issues around it that might be of concern to you. First, we would like to discuss immunity. If I had the flu and spent an entire day in an enclosed room with 30 people in close proximity, would everyone in the room get the flu? Most would agree 'no', 'some' maybe but not 'all'. Most people would agree on the reasoning behind why not everyone contracted the flu in this case. It is the state of each individual person's immune system that determines whether or not they contract it. I like the analogy of what came first, the rats or the garbage?

This leads us to the second point which is, how strong is your immune system right now and what are you doing to boost it? This is where we focus a lot of attention in our clinic because it can have a huge impact on whether or not someone will stay healthy and thrive throughout the cold months or merely survive. This year, just like every other year, there will be a flu vaccine that always seems to make the headlines. A lot of fear is instilled in us by the media to run in and get it and make sure our kids get it too. It seems good in theory, if we could have a magical vaccine that would prevent everyone who got it from getting sick and had no side effects, including long term, it would be ideal. That's where we begin to have questions. there are 2 types of immunity: natural immunity which occurs when you are exposed to some type of foreign virus (like in the past when most of us had the chicken pox) and your body has the chance to filter it through the skin, your nose hairs, all the way down into the respiratory tract alerting your immune system to send out the armies to fight the invader. You may or may not get ill from this but because it is natural immunity, your body remembers this invader forever and you will have lifetime immunity to it. The second type is artificial immunity which happens when you get a vaccine. A strain of the invader is mixed into a formula with other ingredients (some which are disclosed and others which are not). This is injected directly into the bloodstream and because of it, your body will produce an artificial response but it is likely that you would need booster shots in the future to keep your immunity to this particular strain.

One of our major concerns about the vaccine is just that, it is injected directly into the bloodstream. I have yet to see a list of ingredients to this vaccine. It is very difficult to deem anything safe especially when it is being injected directly into the bloodstream unless the exact ingredients are known.

That being said, we have chosen not to vaccinate our family and just like every other year, we feel very comfortable with this decision. A friend of mine said it well when he explained that it is a gamble either way. If we have to choose whether we're going to gamble on science or nature, we'll always choose nature. We are taking proactive measures to build our immunity to ensure we have a great winter. This does not necessarily mean that we don not get sick once in a while. In general, it is more uncommon for us to get sick than most other households. Our kids however are two and four years old. Their immune systems are in their early development and for the most part encountering new things e very day so it becomes even more important to ensure we are taking proactive measures. They too seem to be sick far less often than other kids their age.

These are the basics in our household:

Probiotics: it is estimated that approximately 70% of our immune system is found in the digestive tract. It is therefore essential to ensure good bacterial flora. Children need billions of bacteria while adults need trillions. We carry a product at the clinic with a high bacterial count in powder form so we put them in the kids' smoothies. We also have capsules as well. If you need some, make sure they have a high bacterial count so purchase them either from a health food store or come in and get some at the clinic. Make sure to keep them refrigerated. The highest bacterial counts we've found have about 50 billion per dose but on average you should get a brand that has at least 15 billion per dose.

Vitamin D: Jason and I are taking about 4000 IU's in the winter. David our oldest boy likes to chew on the Carlson's gel capsules. We squeeze this gel capsule into Alex's mouth. I would recommend at least 1000 IU's for children per day and at least 2000 IU's for adults (doses are age and weight dependent). You can also take more when you are sick (your body produces 10,000 IU's in 30 minutes of sunlight so there have been tests done to show this is a safe amount to take).

Finally, oil of oregano is a natural antibiotic, anti-viral, and anti-fungal. It's a must around this household in the winter. If you're ever feeling a sore throat or sniffles coming along, just take a few drops (very strong taste but it works). If not, just repeat every few hours until it's gone. Only do it at the onset of symptoms. It can deplete your good bacteria if you take it for prolonged periods. For kids, because it tastes so awful, you can put it on their chest or on their feet (while they sleep) because it has a strong smell. This product is also available at the clinic and at health food stores. we bring it with us on trips in our travel kit, it works well.

We also take multivitamins, greens and make sure we stay away from sugar especially when we feel our immunity is low. One teaspoon of sugar can suppress your immune system for hours.

Jason and I feel very confident with our decision and the steps we are taking toward optimizing our family's health this season. Make sure you feel good about your decision since how you feel affects your thoughts which affect your overall health... more on that at our Law of Attraction Seminars. Stay tuned for more!

- Dr. Cindy Toner

The H1N1 Issue: Flu Pandemic, Fear Pandemic, or Both?

The following is an article that was published in the fall of 2009 regarding the H1N1. It is written by James L. Chestnut B.Ed., M.Sc., D.C., C.C.W.P


The H1N1 issue has become so prevalent that I thought it appropriate to share some factual perspective. I realize that factual perspective is neither newsworthy nor popular when people are in the midst of a mob mentality of fear but I'm willing to risk unpopularity in order to encourage people to be guided by science, reason, and logic.

As you've heard me say so many times the key to finding the truth is asking the right questions. If we don't ask the right questions we will never get the right answers. Irrational fear usually comes from asking the wrong questions or failing to ask the right ones. As I often point out it is not what we don't know that poses the greatest danger, it is what we think we know that is false. We also must be aware of confounding factors creating self fulfilling prophecies. Sometimes fear is rational, sometimes it is not. Regardless, the most important thing is to ACCURATELY assess the threat and then identify an evidence-based, logical, reasonable, and RATIONAL response or course of action.

Let's start with the H1N1 flu virus itself. Clearly this flu virus is a reality and clearly it can lead to illness. The most important question is what kind of illness. The FACT is that the type of illness associated with this virus in over 99.9% of CASES is mild to moderate flu symptoms which include fever, nausea which can include vomiting, and of course general malaise. Not very pleasant to be sure but is this any different than the symptoms associated with the flu viruses that have been the source of the seasonal flu for the past 50 years? No. Aothough, not every seasonal flu virus is associated withvomiting the truth is that vomiting is not considered serious. Seriously uncomfortable- yes, seriously risky in terms of death or severe complications - no.

But what about the deaths from H1N1? We all must admit and understand that even the thought of a child dying is enough to send any parent into hysterics. I can't think of anything more frightening. So let me be clear. I am not suggesting that the threat of harm or death to my child or any child is not something to fear. What I am suggesting is that we RATIONALLY assess the threat and then assess our fear level to see if it is appropriate. Good decisions, decisions that minimize threat and maximize safety, are NOT based on irrational fear. Fear is our worst enemy. Logical interpretation of available facts is our best ally.

Here is what we need to know before we can make a deciion about an appropriate fear level associated with risk of death from H1N1. First we need to know how many deaths have been caused by H1N1 in any given population. The next question to ask is whether or not those who have died had underlying illnesses that made them more susceptible or more at risk. In other words we need to know how many of the deaths ASSOCIATED with H1N1 are actually CAUSED by H1N1.

To assess the absolute risk of dying from H1N1 we need to divide the number of deaths in any given population by the number of people in that given population. In Canada as of October 17, 2009 there had been a total of 1,604 hospitalizations, and 83 deaths associated with H1N1. By the way by this time H1N1 was already being portrayed as a DEADLY PANDEMIC. So, out of a population of approximately 35 MILLION there were 83 deaths. This means your chance of dying of H1N1 up to this point was 83/35,000,000 which is one in 431,687. This means the chance of death from H1N1 was 0.0002%.

To date these risks are similar in the United States and throughout the rest of the world.

It is not easy to get exact numbers on the number of deaths that are caused by underlying conditions or secondary bacterial infections but estimates are that these would represent at least 99% of all deaths associated with H1N1. So, if you do not have an underlying illness your chance of dying from H1N1 is 1% of 0.0002%. Not exactly worthy of widespread panic.

The chances of dying in a car accident, airplane accident, a fall, from complications of air pollution, from complications from industrial toxins or from medical treatment are EXPONENTIALLY GREATER. What is the difference? The media and the health authorities are not focusing your attention on these risks. You have more chance of dying in a car accident on your way toget an H1N1 vaccine than dying from H1N1. Statistically it could be concluded that it is an undue risk to get into a car and get the vaccine! I could not find any published peer-reviewed data to determine whether the H1N1 vaccine is safe or effective. In other words there is no available information that would be required for any other medical intervention that the H1N1 vaccine works or if it is safe. This does not mean it is not safe or effective, it just means we have no data which would be considered scientifically valid to utilize to form our opinions. Even if we assume the vaccine is safe and effective, statistically there is still molre risk of death from the car ride to get the vaccine than from dying from H1N1!

So what is going on in my opinion? Well I think some very well intentioned people are allowing fear rather than science and data to guide public policy. I'm not alone in this opinion by the way. Have a read of the following quotes from a recent article published in The British Medical Journal entitled "Calibrated response to emerging infections" http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/339/sept03_2/b3417. In fact read this entire article, I think it offers a very good perspective and it is very well referenced.

Pay particular attention to how the health authorities have changed the definition of a flu pandemic!

"Since the emergence of novel A/H1N1, descriptions of pandemic flu (both its causes and its effect) have changed to such a degree that the difference between seasonal flu and pandemic flu is now unclear. WHO, for example, for years defined pandemics as outbreaks causing "enormous numbers of deaths and illness," but in early May, removed this phrase from the definition."

Changing views of pandemic flu, before and after emergence of influenza A/H1N1 virus:

One line summary:

Before A/H1N1: WHO 2003-9: "An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness".

After A/H1N1: WHO: "An influenza pandemic may occur when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity".

Virus and immunity:

Before A/H1N1: WHO 2005: "Most people will have no immunity to the pandemic virus".

US CDC 1997: "When antigenic shift occurs, the population does not have antibody protection against the virus".

After A/H1N1: WHO: "The vulnerability of a population to a pandemic virus is related in part to the level of pre-existing immunity to the virus".

US CDC: "Cross-reactive antibody [to A/H1N1] was detected in 6%-9% of those aged 18-64 years and in 33% of those aged >60 years".

Impact (health, social, economic):

Before A/H1N1: WHO 2005: "Large numbers of deaths will occur... WHO has used a relatively conservative estimate - from 2 million to 7.4 million deaths... Economic and social disruption will be great".

CDC 1997: "The hallmark of pandemic influenza is excess mortality".

Canada 2006: "An influenza pandemic results of many people around the world become ill and die from such a [new form of influenza] virus".

After A/H1N1: WHO: "H1N1 has conditioned the public to equate an influenza pandemic public to equate an influenza pandemic with very severe disease and high mortality. Such a disease pattern is by no means inevitable during a pandemic. On the contrary, it is exceptional".

CDC: "There are some pandemics that look very much like a bad flu season".

Canada: "An influenza pandemic does not necessarily cause more severe illness than seasonal influenza".


"But the 2009 pandemic, taken as a whole, bears little resemblance to the forecasted pandemic. Pandemic A/H1N1 virus is not a new subtype but the same subtype as seasonal A/H1N1 that has been circulating since 1977."

"Furthermore, a substantial portion of the population may have immunity. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 33% of those aged over 60 had cross reactive antibody to novel A/H1N1, which may explain why cases have been rare in elderly people." Interestingly a recent report by CBC in Canada indicated that 4 preliminary studies showed that the chance of having immunity to H1N1 is DECREASED if you have regularly been vaccinated for seasonal flu. It will be interesting to see if they pursue this any further and publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal.

"On 26 April, with 20 cases and no deaths in the US, the Department of Health and Human Services declared a nationwide public health emergency."

"The SARS outbreak showed that large numbers of infected people are not necessary to generate concern and fear over disease. The SARS virus is known to have affected only 8096 people globally, but the fear of infection, involuntary quarantine, travel restrictions and subsequent political antagonisms, and at least $18bn in losses were felt by far more. It was not the virus but the response to it that caused these social and economic harms."

So what is my conclusion; is the H1N1 issue a flu pandemic, a fear pandemic, or both?

My conclusion is that at this point it is a pandemic of fear and NOT a flu pandemic. Of course it depends on how you define pandemic! The data available make it clear that we are experiencing an H1N1 seasonal flu BUT that to date this is not associated with significant risk of death or serious illness.

The FACT is that the current level of alarm and fear are not supported by data. However, this could change. What we cannot say is that things will not get worse. There is sufficient data to date to strongly suggest that it won't but data can only accurately tell us what has happened not what will happen. Certainly the odds are that H1N1 will pass with the same overblown fear and unactuated threat as SARS. Only time and data will tell.

I do have some concerns about the fact that testing for H1N1 has not been virtually all but discontinued. The authorities are now assuming that any case of the flu is H1N1. This means we will NEVER have any valid data about incidence, prevalence, or death rates. All such assessments without actual confirmation of infection are, in scientific terms, invalid. The term they will use is speculative. Sounds better than saying we are guessing.

Another concern is that deaths associated with H1N1, as with all previous seasonal flu viruses, are vastly overestimated. The annual published death rates for flu are NOT from confirmed deaths due to flu and in fact even CDC published stats reveal that most deaths "associated" with the flu are actually not from the flu at all but almost entirely from pneumonia. Less than one percent of deaths reported as associated with seasonal flu are actually caused by seasonal flu and even in these deaths the vast majority occur in people with underlying conditions.

Another concern is that it is unlikely that we will ever get any data on whether or not those who have been vaccinated have been protected. If only actually reads the primary research studies (not the news or published summaries by health ministries) on the seasonal flu vaccine what one finds is that the data does not support claims that the regular seasonal flu vaccine significantly decreases the incidence of flu or complications from it. Recently there has been some admission that the vaccines do not prevent the flu and that indeed they only guess correct on which virus to vaccinate against less than 30% of the time. However the health authorities still justify recommending the vaccine by claiming it decreases the severity of flu and complications from it. All i am asking for is to have DATA guide the policy not DOGMA.

One of the sources of controversy is that vaccine benefits are often reported as relative risk reductions not absolute risk reductions so when one applies the results in real life one quickly realizes that the actual reduction of risk for those vaccinated vs not vaccinated is not statistically significant. They often report that the flu vaccine reduces hospitalizations or deaths but they report the relative difference between vaccinated vs unvaccinated not the absolute difference. In other words there might be 5000 people in each study group and there may be 4 deaths amongst those unvaccinated and 2 deaths among those vaccinated. This relative difference is reported as a "50% reduction in deaths in those vaccinated vs not vaccinated". Of course what this really means is that if you are vaccinated, and you get the flu, you have a 2 in 5000 chance of death. If you are unvaccinated and you get the flu you have a 4 in 5000 chance of death. An absolute difference of 2 in 5000 - not even remotely significant and certainly not worthy of the national vaccination campaigns and the billions of dollars spent on vaccines. YES, they do report things this way!!

Some good references on this topic are Jackson et al., Evidence of bias in estimates of influenza vaccine effectiveness in seniors, International Journal of Epidemiology 2006; 35: 337-344 and Jefferson, T. Influenza vaccination: policy versus evidence. British Medical Journal 2006; 333: 912-915 and Jefferson et al. Efficacy and effectiveness of influenza vaccines in elderly people: a systematic review. Lancet 2005; 366: 1165-74 and Simonsen et al. Mortality benefits of influenza vaccination in elderly people: an ongoing controversy. Lancet Infectious Disease 2007 xxx-xx.

But doesn't it seem like we have more flu and more associated deaths this year?

Yes it does SEEM that way. However the truth is that although the flu seems to have come early this year it has not come with any greater incidence or seriousness - at least not yet. The real story is that although death rates are not significantly higher than most years there have been some deaths among children and this is just so tragic that it causes great fear an anxiety. HOWEVER, the risk to otherwise healthy children of dying from H1N1 is FAR less than the risk of dying in a car accident. This does not minimize the importance of these tragic losses, it just puts them in perspective in terms of absolute risk.

But aren't more kids away from school and adults a way from work this year?

Yes, absolutely. However the frenzy of fear this year has changed things significantly and skewed them toward a self fulfilling prophecy. This year if anyone has even a sniffle they are kept home because we have all been told that we are in the midst of a deadly pandemic and that it is our moral obligation to stay home. In past years we have always gone to work with the flu because for the most part we can work through it. We can't logically use the number of people away from school or work as an accurate indicator of the severity of this year's flu pandemic. We have to use the data about illness rates, severity, and death rates. When we use this data to form our opinions and policies our fear level will certainly move away from hysteria.

What is ironic is that the health authorities have started vaccinating those people who have been identified as most susceptible to serious complications. They have also stated that we should avoid close contact in order to avoid spread. Now we have those identified as being most susceptible congregating in close contact waiting for the vaccine! Remember these people also had to put themselves at GREAT risk (relative to risk of death from H1N1) by traveling on the road to get to the vaccination site. Obviously the minute risk of death from a car accident is not a rational reason to avoid driving to get the vaccine if you think this is a good strategy. This is a valid use of risk analysis to help you put your fears about death from H1N1 into perspective. Fear and anxiety cause the release of stress hormones that down-regulate your immune system!

So what should we do; what is a scientific, logical and reasonable strategy?

1. Be rational, put things in proper perspective and ask the right questions.
2. Be scientific and logical. Get the facts and apply them to your strategy.
3. Don't panic if you or a loved one get the flu. Keep hydrated, stay home, eat intelligently and REST. If severe complications arise go to your medical doctor or a walk-in clinic.
4. Be preventative. Eating well, exercising, and staying relaxed (Eat Well Move Well Think Well TM) are evidence-based ways to optimize your immune defenses, to minimize risk of both becoming ill and of complications, and to maximize your recovery should you become ill.
5. Take Vitamin D - this is absolutely one of the most evidence-based interventions available for reducing incidence and severity of seasonal cold and flu. The data is very very strong. See the upcoming Vitamin D newsletter from Innate Choice for more information and for references.

Erica's Fall Reading List

Have A Little Faith

- Mitch Albom

This book, based on true events experienced by the author, invites readers to look at beliefs and how they connect us all(rather than dividing us). It is heart-felt and inspirational, with short chapters, which makes for a quick and easy read. Mitch Albom also wrote, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven", "Tuesday's With Morrie" and "For One More Day".


The Saint The Surfer and The CEO

- Robin Sharma

This book reminds readers what is important in life amid all the hustle and bustle. It is written from three distinct perspectives: a saint, a surfer, and a CEO. Each character provides their outlook on living a full and satisfied life. It is written as a fable, which makes it flow and keeps readers engaged. Robin Sharma has also written, "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" and "The Leader Who Had No Title" (among many others!).


A New Earth

- Eckhart Tolle

This book is a challenging but enlightening read. If you are willing to read a few pages of it a day you will notice how your whole perspective of life changes. It was one of the most influential books I have ever read. If you are open minded and up for it you will see how it will change your life too! Eckhart Tolle has also written "The Power of Now".


The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

- Deepak Chopra

This tiny book holds wisdom for all ages. Deepak Chopra is a medical Doctor from India who combines his knowledge of medicine with his spiritual background from childhood. It provides spiritual insight while also offering practical application for everyday living.


The Way of The Peaceful Warrior

- Dan Millman

This story is a great "starter" for your spiritual path. It is one that many people can relate to. It is easy to read and understand, but the underlying theme is powerful and profound. It has also been made into a motion picture, if you enjoy watching movies! Dan Millman has also written a sequel titled "Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior" and "The Life You Were Born To Live".

Quick Tips for Adequate Rest... Essential for Optimal Health!

Many factors can affect the quality of your sleep. If you find you are not falling asleep easily at night, waking frequently through the night or not waking rested you may want to use one or more of the tips below.

- Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. If you are up in the night, keep your lighting dim so the melatonin production has limited disruption.
- Have as little sound distraction as possible. If you find household noises distracting, a white noise machine may be what you need to dull out the sounds.
- No TV right before bed. TV is over-stimulating and can also disrupt melatonin production.
- Journal or relax for 1 hour before bedtime. If calming your mind is difficult upon bedtime, it may be helpful to keep a journal to get your thoughts on paper. Reading, listening to calm music or taking a warm bath can also help get your body and mind in a relaxing state after a hard day's work. (When reading before bed, choose something with short chapters, or something that is not over stimulating. The purpose of reading is to help you relax and take your mind off your day, not to become deeply engaged in something else.)
- Supplementation. If you feel a melatonin supplement may be beneficial it is encouraged you speak with a Naturopath first.
- Set an early bedtime. Our bodies recharge at night and significant healing can occur while we sleep. Set an alarm to remind you of when you should go to bed (7-8 hours before you will be getting up in the morning.)
- Have a routine. Maintain a regular sleep and waking schedule. This will help your body achieve a rhythm so it needs fewer prompts to fall asleep and wake in the morning.
- Be active. Exercising daily can improve sleep quality, be sure not to exercise too close to bedtime though as the increase in blood flow can make you more alert.
- Stretching. Deep breathing or stretching may help you to relax and unwind at the end of your day.
- Avoid caffeine. Rule of thumb is to avoid stimulating food or drinks after 3:30 pm. This includes soft drinks, coffee, some tea and chocolate.
- Avoid alcohol. You may find you fall asleep easier after a drink or two but your quality of sleep will be affected and you will not reap the benefits of a good night's sleep.
- Be sure to use a quality mattress and pillows. We spend a third of our lives in bed. It is important to be sure we are physically supported while we sleep. Your pillow should provide adequate neck support and our mattress should be firm but comfortable to support our natural curves of our spine.
- Avoid stomach sleeping. Stomach sleeping puts an incredible amount of stress on our upper cervical spines. To provide more support and comfort you may also find placing a pillow under your knees when sleeping on your back, or between your knees when on your side, reduces the strain on your low back and hips.

Dr. Jason Plotsky

A Lifestyle Intervention

Here are some entry-level interventions or "techniques" that can be used for everyone, from each of the three lifestyle categories.

EAT WELL

1. Ingest sufficient amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids.

2. Consume some form of raw fruit or vegetable with each meal.

3. Drink sufficient amounts of purified water each day.

These three simple steps make a huge difference in terms of inflammatory state, symptoms, recovery time and overall health. Also, they are easy and inexpensive to implement.

MOVE WELL

1. Perform daily spinal hygiene and daily postural (core) exercises.

2. Begin each day with some form of aerobic activity.

These hygiene activities for the spine are equivalent to brushing and flossing your teeth for dental hygiene. The cavities (or, in our case, subluxations) require a doctor's intervention but the greatest determinant of your spinal health will be the lifestyle choices that you make.

Movement is very important to energy, brain function, sleep quality and overall health. Start each day with some form of aerobic activity. Even starting with a few steps, and increasing this by just a few steps each day, will result in positive health effects. Morning is best because this is when we have the most autonomy regarding our time and attention. Once the day begins, so does the unpredictability that accompanies the demands on our time and attention.

THINK WELL

1. Practice deep breathing from the abdomen and possibly meditation.

2. Focus on the positive (on solutions) rather than on the negative (on problems).

Chronic stress, whether it is physical or emotional, has a negative impact on our health. Unfortunately most people have never developed a skill set to reduce their stress or take control of their thoughts and emotions. Therefore, it is imperative that we practice deep breathing exercises and meditation.

Focus on positive rather than negative thoughts and emotions; always bring your attention to solutions and away from problems. The research is very conclusive; psychosocial factors are extremely significant when it comes to symptoms and healing. The more positive the focus, the greater the chance of healing.

This article has been modified from Dr. John Minardi's article found in Canadian Chiropractor July/August 2010 issue.

Balanced Living Workshop

This excerpt was taken from one of our balanced living health talks that we do for new patients here at the clinic. One of the topics covered is the concept of 'feeling good' equaling 'health'. Here is some brief footage from one of our most recent classes, sharing our thoughts on this topic.

Blood Type Diet

The blood type diet is a diet advocated by Peter D'Adamo and outlined in his book Eat Right 4 Your Type. Its basic premise is that ABO blood type is the most important factor in determining a healthy diet. Some dietitians, physicians, and nutritional scientists claim the theory lacks scientific evidence.

The cornerstone of his theory is D'Adamo's premise that lectins in food react differently with each ABO blood type. Throughout his books he cites the works of various biochemists and glycobiologists who have researched blood groups, claiming or implying that their research supports this theory. In his book, Eat Right 4 Your Type, "Lectins: The Diet Connection", and in following chapters, "lectins" which interact with the different ABO type "antigens" are described as incompatible and harmful, therefore the selection of different foods for A, AB, B and O types to minimize reactions with these lectins.

D'Adamo bases his ideas on the ABO classification of Karl Landsteiner and Jan Jansky, and some of the many tissue surface antigens and classification systems, in particular the Lewis antigen system for ABH secretor status.

The evolutionary theory of blood groups, which is also used by D'Adamo, stems from work by William C. Boyd, an immunochemist and blood type anthropologist who made a worldwide survey of the distribution of blood groups. In his book, Genetics and the races of man: An introduction to modern physical anthropology, published in 1950, Boyd describes how by genetic analysis of blood groups, human races are populations that differ according to their alleles. On this basis, Boyd divided the world population into 13 geographically distinct races with slightly different frequency distributions of blood type genes.

D'Adamo groups those thirteen races together by ABO blood group, each type within this group having unique dietary recommendations:

Blood group O: the hunter, the earliest human blood group. The diet recommends that these supposedly muscular, active people eat a meat-rich diet.

Blood group A: called the cultivator by D'Adamo, who believes it to be a more recently evolved blood type, dating back from the dawn of agriculture. The diet recommends that individuals of blood group A eat a diet emphasizing vegetables and free of red meat, a more vegetarian food intake.

Blood group B: according to D'Adamo, the nomad, associated with a strong immune system and a flexible digestive system. The blood type diet claims that people of blood type B are the only ones who can thrive on dairy products.

Blood group AB: per D'Adamo, the enigma, the most recently evolved type. In terms of dietary needs, his blood type treats this group as an intermediate between blood types A and B.

Below you will find more detailed information on each of the four blood types. Please feel free to scroll down to your type, or read them all!

Blood Type O

Energetic, optimistic and upstanding, blood type O individuals are best suited to a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. When in balance, they are capable of tremendous bursts of energy. Physically, type O must concentrate on optimizing hormone balance and keeping their weight under control.

What makes a 'Type O' an individual?

Why are some people plagued by poor health while others seem to live healthy, vital lives even late in life? Does blood type influence personality? A single drop of blood contains a biochemical make up as unique as your fingerprint. Your blood type is a key to unlocking the secrets to your biochemical individuality. Foods and supplements contain lectins that interact with your cells depending on your blood type. This explains why some nutrients which are beneficial to one blood type, may be harmful to the cells of another. Dr. Peter D'Adamo, the author of the best selling books Eat Right For Your Type and Live Right For Your Type gives Type O's some tips on leading a healthy lifestyle.

The Type O Profile

Type O was the first blood type, the type O ancestral prototype was a canny, aggressive predator. Aspects of the Type O profile remain essential in every society even to this day - leadership, extroversion, energy and focus are among their best traits. Type O's can be powerful and productive, however, when stressed Type O's response can be one of anger, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. When Type O wiring gets crossed, as a result of a poor diet, lack of exercise, unhealthy behaviors or elevated stress levels, Type O's are more vulnerable to negative metabolic effects, including insulin resistance, sluggish thyroid activity, and weight gain. When you customize your life to Type O's strengths you can reap the benefits of your ancestry. Your genetic inheritance offers you the opportunity to be strong, lean, productive, long-lived and optimistic.

What Makes You Unique

As a Blood Type O you may be predisposed to certain illnesses, such as ulcers and thyroid disorders. In the 1950's it was discovered that Type O's had about twice the instances of ulcers of all kinds than the other blood types. These findings have been replicated many times since then. Type O's tend to have low levels of thyroid hormone and often exhibit insufficient levels of iodine, a chemical element whose sole purpose is thyroid hormone regulation. This causes many side effects such as weight gain, fluid retention and fatigue. Dr. D'Adamo does not recommend iodine supplements, rather a diet rich in saltwater fish and kelp to help regulate the thyroid gland. Bladder Wrack is also an excellent nutrient for Type O's. "The fucose in bladder wrack seems to help normalize the sluggish metabolic rate and produce weight loss in Type O's," says Dr. D'Adamo.

Type O's also have a higher level of stomach acid than the other blood types, which often results in stomach irritation and ulcers. Dr. D'Adamo recommends a licorice preparation called DGL (de glycyrrhizinated licorice) which can reduce discomfort and aid healing. DGL protects the stomach lining in addition to protecting it from stomach acids. Avoid crude licorice preparations as they contain a component of the plant which can cause elevated blood pressure. This component has been removed in DGL. Dr. D'Adamo also recommends Mastic Gum and Bismuth to soothe Type O's common and even frequent tummy troubles.

Type O Personality?

In Japan, blood type has long been associated with personality type. You might well be asked your blood type on a job interview! In an independent study of 45 MBA students, Type O's most often described themselves in ways related to the following characteristics; responsible, decisive, organized, objective, rule-conscious, and practical. Both male and female Type O's reported a higher percentage of the mesomorphic body type when compared to controls. Interestingly, Type O's also scored significantly higher than the rest in "sensing" - using the 5 senses to gather information, and in the sensing-thinking combination, indicating that they are more detail and fact oriented, logical, precise and orderly. "I believe that the tendency to sense and get facts right stems from the inbred hunter-gatherer need to observe and accurately assess the environment in order to insure survival." Says D'Adamo.

Manage Your Type O Stress

The legacy of your Type O ancestry causes an immediate "fight or flight" response in people of this blood type. However, this finely tuned response to stress, so vital in early Type O's, is not always so beneficial in modern times. The Type O response can cause bouts of excessive anger, temper tantrums, hyperactivity and even create a severe enough chemical imbalance to bring about a manic episode. Since there is a powerful synergistic relationship between the release of dopamine and feelings of reward, Type O is more vulnerable to destructive behaviors when overly tired, depressed or bored. These can include gambling, sensation seeking, risk taking, substance abuse and impulsivity. To avoid becoming overstressed, Dr. D'Adamo recommends the following Type O diet, which focuses on lean, organic meats, vegetables and fruits and avoid wheat and dairy which can be triggers for digestive and health issues in Type O. Additionally, he suggests that Type O's avoid caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine can be particularly harmful because of its tendency to raise adrenaline and noradrenaline, which are already high for Type O's.

Energize - The Essential Exercise Component

Type O's benefit tremendously from brisk regular exercise that taxes the cardiovascular and muscular skeletal system. But the benefit derived surpasses the goal of physical fitness. Type O also derives the benefit of a well timed chemical release system. The act of physical exercise releases a swarm of neurotransmitter activity that acts as a tonic for the entire system. The Type O who exercises regularly also has a better emotional response. You are more emotionally balanced as a result of well regulated, efficient chemical transport system. More than any other blood type, O's rely on physical exercise to maintain physical health and emotional balance. Dr. D'Adamo suggests that Type O's engage in regular exercise three or four times per week. For best results, engage in aerobic activity for thirty to forty five minutes at least four times per week. If you are easily bored, choose two or three different exercises and vary your routine.

Live Right!

In addition to exercising and eating foods that are Right For Your Type, here are a few key lifestyle strategies for Type O individuals:

- Develop clear plans for goals and tasks - annual, monthly, weekly, daily to avoid impulsivity.

- Make lifestyle changes gradually, rather than trying to tackle everything at once.

- Eat all meals, even snacks, seated at a table.

- Chew slowly and put your fork down between bites of food.

- Avoid making big decisions or spending money when stressed.

- Do something physical when you feel anxious.

- Engage in thirty to forty five minutes of aerobic exercise at least four times per week.

- When you crave pleasure releasing-substance (alcohol, tobacco, sugar), do something physical.

Dr. D'Adamo recommends that Type O, "Approach this program as a long term strategy. This is not a short term goal, rather a lifestyle that you adapt for a lifetime of health and well being. There is no doubt that there is a connection between the mind and the body. The knowledge that we can do something to change our genetic destiny is powerful."

Blood Type A

Intense and intellectually curious, blood type A individuals are best suited to a plant-based diet. When in balance, they are capable of tremendous bursts of creativity and self-expression. Physically, type A must concentrate on maintaining the health of their cardiovascular and immune systems.

What Makes a 'Type A' an Individual?

What makes Me Me and You You? This is the question that is at the heart of the genetic puzzle. It is also central to our exploration of blood types. The key is genetic heritage - the story line of your life. Even though you are living in the 21st century, you share a common bond with your ancestors. The genetic information that resulted in their particular characteristics has been passed on to you.

People who are A blood type have a different set of characteristics than people who are Type O - they are susceptible to different diseases, they should eat different foods and exercise in a completely different manner. Some believe that personality is influenced by blood type! Dr. D'Adamo, among others, gives us a blueprint for living in his books. Read on to learn more about the Type A individual.

Type A History

The Type A emerges into the 21st century with many more complex challenges than their ancestors could have imagined. The key factor in the development of Type A can be traced to the struggle for survival long ago, when there was a rapidly dwindling supply of hunting game stock. Having exhausted the great game herds of Africa, humans pushed farther out from their ancestral home into Europe and Asia. The cultivation of grains and livestock changed everything. For the first time, people were able to forego the hand to mouth lifestyle of the hunter/gatherer and establish stable communities. Over time the adaptations that produced Blood Type A were based on the need to fully utilize nutrients from carbohydrate sources. These biological adaptations can still be observed today in Type A's digestive structure. Low levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach and high intestinal disaccharide digestive enzyme levels permit the more efficient digestion of carbohydrates. According to Dr. D'Adamo, these are also the very factors, along with low levels of intestinal alkaline phosphatase, that make it difficult for Type A's to digest and metabolize animal protein and fat.

What Makes Type A Unique

Many neurochemical factors in the Type A genetic disposition savor a structured, rhythmic, harmonious life, surrounded by a positive, supportive community. The harried pace and increased sense of isolation experienced by so many in today's society often make these needs difficult to achieve. Type A best exemplifies the powerful interconnections between mind and body. This was vital to the shift away from hunting and procurement to building and growing. However, Type A's more internalized relationship to stress, which served your ancestors well, can be a challenge for the modern Type A. The Blood Type Diet's proactive mix of lifestyle strategies, hormonal equalizers, gentle exercise and specialized dietary guidelines will maximize your overall health; decrease your natural risk factors for cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The result: high performance, mental clarity, greater vitality and increased longevity.

Type A Diet

"When we discuss 'diet', we are not talking necessarily about a weight loss plan, that's a side benefit to following this plan. We are actually discussing diet in the more traditional sense, meaning a way to eat," explains, Dr. D'Adamo. Type A's flourish on a vegetarian diet - if you are accustomed to eating meat, you will lose weight and have more energy once you eliminate the toxic foods from your diet. Many people find it difficult to move away from the typical meat and potato fare to soy proteins, grains and vegetables. But it is particularly important for sensative Type A's to eat their foods in as natural a state as possible: pure, fresh, and organic. "I can't emphasize enough how this critical dietary adjustment can be to the sensative immune system of Type A. With this diet you can supercharge your immune system and potentially short circuit the development of life threatening diseases."

Handling Stress

In this busy, ever changing world, it's almost impossible to avoid every day stress. Type A's have a naturally high level of the stress hormone cortisol and produce more in response to stressful situations. Cortisol is released in 24-hour patterns, typically in the early morning between six and eight AM with a gradual decrease during the day It helps to cue the body's other cyclical rhythms. Due to the naturally elevated cortisol in Type A's, additional stress often manifests in several ways; disrupted sleep patterns, daytime brain fog, increased blood viscosity (thickening), and promotes muscle loss and fat gain. In extreme cases in Type A's, stress can manifest in more serious ways, causing obsessive-compulsive disorder, insulin resistance and hypothyroidism. To help balance cortisol levels, Dr. D'Adamo recommends that you limit, caffeine and alcohol. Don't skip meals, especially breakfast; eating smaller, more frequent meals will also help to stabilize blood sugar levels. He also points out that the following factors are known to increase cortisol levels and increase mental exhaustion for Type A's - be aware and limit your exposure when possible:

- Crowds of people

- Loud noise

- Negative emotions

- Smoking

- Strong smells or perfumes

- Too much sugar and starch

- Overwork

- Violent TV and movies

- Lack of sleep

- Extreme weather conditions (hot or cold)

Calming Exercise - The Critical Component for Health and Well Being

Heightened cortisol levels make it harder for Type A's to recover from stress. Research has demonstrated that overall cortisol levels can be lowered through a regular program of exercises that provide focus on calming effects. Make these activities a regular - and life saving - part of your lifestyle. Dr. D'Adamo recommends, Hatha Yoga, Tai Chi and Meditation and Deep Breathing Exercises. Meditation has been studied for its effects on stress hormones. It was found that after meditation, serum cortisol levels were significantly reduced. Writes Dr. D'Adamo, "While it's fine for Type A's to participate in more intense physical activity when healthy and in good condition, be aware that these intense forms of exercise do not act as safety valves for stress in your blood type. I have seen Type A's excel at weight lifting and aerobic activities, but you have to be careful about not over training, as that will actually raise cortisol levels."

The Personality Connection

Blood Type is a marker of individuality - and perhaps of personality as well. In Japan, it has long been believed that Blood Type is an indicator of personality - in fact, you are likely to be asked your blood type in a job interview or while out on a date with a potential mate! In a study conducted by Dr. D'Adamo in 1999, he found some interesting connections between blood type and personality. Type A's most often described themselves in ways related to the following characteristics: sensative to the needs of others, good listeners, detail oriented, analytical, creative and inventive.

Live Right!

In addition to exercise, stress management and eating the right foods, here are some key lifestyle strategies for Type A individuals.

- Cultivate creativity and expression in your life

- Establish a consistent daily schedule

- Go to bed no later than 11:00 PM and sleep for eight hours or more. Don't linger in bed, as soon as you get up, get going!

- Take at least two breaks of 20 minutes each during the work day. Stretch, take a walk, do deep breathing exercises or meditate.

- Don't skip meals

- Eat more protein at the start of the day, less at the end

- Don't eat when you're anxious

- Eat smaller, more frequent meals

- Engage in thirty to forty five minutes of calming exercise at least three times a week

- Plan a regular screening for heart disease and cancer prevention

- Always chew food thoroughly to enhance digestion. Low stomach acid makes digestion more difficult.

Blood Type B

Vibrant and adaptable, blood type B enjoys many of the benefits of being a 'late model'. These individuals have the great gift of being able to harness the 'mind-body connection'. The Achilles Heel of blood type B appears to be their rather idiosyncratic immune system and a tendency towards weakness of the nervous system.

The Blood Type B Individualized Lifestyle

The mechanics of blood type's influence have to do with the way the genes influence each other, seemingly unrelated, genes located immediately adjacent or near by. This mechanism explains why your blood type can have an impact on such a diverse number of bodily systems - from digestive enzymes to neurochemicals. Many nutrition experts are baffled when they first hear about the link between blood type and digestion. That's because they are only considering the physical significance of blood type as a surface antigen. Actually, it's not your blood type antigen that is influencing the level of acid in your stomach, but rather the gene for your blood type influencing other seemingly unrelated genes located immediately adjacent (or very close) to the ABO blood type gene that can exert an effect on your stomach acid levels. This phenomenon, called gene linkage, isn't well understood yet, but it is well known: Many genes influence the actions of other seemingly unrelated genes. As we explore Blood Type B, we will learn more about this intriguing relationship.

B is for Balance - B Blood Type History

Blood Type B developed sometime between 10,000 and 15,000 BC in the area of the Himalayan highlands, now part of present day Pakistan and India. Pushed from the hot, lush savannahs of eastern Africa to the cold highlands of the Himalayan Mountains, blood type B may have initially mutated in response to climatic changes. It first appeared in India or the Ural region of Asia among a mix of Caucasian and Mongolian tribes. This new blood type was soon characteristic of the great tribes of steppe dwellers, who by this time dominated the Eurasian Plains. As the Mongolians swept through Asia, the gene for Type B was firmly entrenched. The Mongolians swept northward, pursuing a culture dependent upon herding and domesticating animals - as their diet of meat and cultured dairy products reflected.

Of all the ABO types, Type B shows the most clearly defined geographic distribution. Stretching as a great belt across the Eurasian plains and down to the Indian subcontinent, Type B is found in increased numbers from Japan, Mongolia, China and India up to the Ural Mountains. From there westward, the percentages fall until a low is reached at the western tip of Europe. The small numbers of Type B in Western Europeans, the Germans and Austrians, who have an unexpectedly high incidence of Type B blood compared to their western neighbors. Modern sub continental Indians a Caucasian people, have some of the highest frequencies of Type B blood in the world. The northern Chinese and Koreans have very high rates of Type B blood and very low rates of Type A.

What Makes Type B Unique

As a Type B, you carry the genetic potential for great malleability and the ability to thrive in changeable conditions. Unlike blood types A and O , which are at opposite ends of every spectrum, your position is fluid, rather than stationary, with the ability to move in either direction along the continuum. It's easy to see how this flexibility served the interests of early Type B's who needed to balance the twin forces of the animal and vegetable kingdoms. At the same time, it can be extremely challenging to balance two poles and Type B's tend to be highly sensitive to the effects of slipping out of balance.

The primary challenges that can get in the way of optimum health for Type B include a tendency to produce higher than normal cortisol levels in situations of stress; sensitivity to the B specific lectins in select foods, resulting in inflammation and greater risk for developing Syndrome X; susceptibility to low growing, lingering viruses - such as those for MS, CFS, and lupus; and a vulnerability to autoimmune diseases. "If I were to generalize," says Dr. D'Adamo, "I would say that a healthy Type B, living right for his or her own type, tends to have fewer risk factors for disease and tends to be more physically fit and mentally balanced than any of the other blood types." Type B's tended to have a greater ability to adapt to altitude and interestingly, are statistically the tallest of the blood types.

Type B Diet

For Type B's the biggest factors in weight gain are corn, wheat, buckwheat, lentils, tomatoes, peanuts and sesame seeds. Each of these foods affect the efficiency of your metabolic process, resulting in fatigue, fluid retention, and hypoglycemia - a severe drop in blood sugar after eating a meal. When you eliminate these foods and begin eating a diet that is right for your type, your blood sugar levels your blood sugar levels should remain normal after meals. Another very common food that Type B's should avoid is chicken. Chicken contains a Blood Type B agglutinating lectin in its muscle tissue. Although chicken is a lean meat, the issue is the power of an agglutinating lectin attacking your bloodstream and the potential for it to lead to strokes and immune disorders. Dr. D'Adamo suggests that you wean yourself away from chicken and replace them with highly beneficial foods such as goat, lamb, mutton, rabbit and venison. Other foods that encourage weight loss are green vegetables, eggs, beneficial meats, and low fat dairy. When the toxic foods are avoided and replaced with beneficial foods, Blood Type B's are very successful in controlling their weight.

Handling Stress

When it comes to hormones, Type B is closer to Type A, producing somewhat higher levels of cortisol. When a Type B is out of balance, this manifests in overreaction to stress, difficulty in recovering from stress, disrupted sleep patterns, daytime brain fog, disruptive to GI friendly bacteria and surpresses immune function. This leads to increased risks for depression, insulin resistance, hypothyroidism and high stress can further exacerbate virtually all health challenges.

The Nitric Oxide (NO) molecule also has implications for Blood Type B's stress response and ability to recover quickly from stress. NO has emerged as an important substance capable of modifying many biological processes - including the nervous system and the immune system. Nitric Oxide functions as a kind of mediator of certain typse of neurons in the central nervous system. Unlike the other neuro-transmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, NO does not bind to specific sites on the cell, but rather is infused into the cell and works directly at the biochemical level, making it a "rapid response" neurotransmitter. NO also seems to be involved in the regulation of the endorphins produced in the brain. The ability to rapidly clear NO can be highly beneficial to the cardiovascular system, but it also has implications for the activity of neurotransmitters, enabling faster recovery of stress. Scientists found that patients who processed the Type B antigen appeared to clear NO more rapidly than do people of other blood types - the scientists had no clue as to why this might be, however, one of the possible answers lies right next to the ABO gene as the gene that influences the ability to modulate Arginine conversion to NO is right next to the gene that codes for blood type. Remember the gene linkage that was discussed earlier? Does this sound familiar? Dr. D'Adamo has observed that Type B's have a wonderful gift to be able to gain physiological relief from stress and maintain emotional balance through the utilization of mental processes such as visualization and meditation.

Exercise

To maintain the mind/body balance that is unique to Type B's, Dr. D'Adamo recommends that you choose physical exercise that challenges your mind as well as your body. Type B's need to balance meditative activities with more intense physical exercise. "You tend to do best with activities that are not too aerobically intense, have an element of mental challenge and involve other people." Says Dr. D'Adamo. Excellent forms of exercise for Type B's include tennis, martial arts, cycling, hiking and golf.

The Personality Connection

The connection between blood type and personality has long been studied. In an independent study, Dr. D'Adamo found that most Blood Type B's often described themselves in ways related to the following characteristics: subjective, easygoing, creative, original and flexible. In another study, Type B's scored significantly higher on the "intuiting/feeling" combination, indicating that they tend to be insightful, mystical, idealistic, creative, globally-oriented, people-oriented and good at imagining. They also reported that they learned best through listening, then reflecting on and interpreting what they had observed. Perhaps the nomadic life of steppes contributed to long hours given over to talk as well as ample time for meditation and reflection.

Live Right!

Here are Dr. D'Adamos key lifestyle strategies for Type B's:

- Visualization is a powerful technique for Type B's. If you can visualize it, you can achieve it.

- Find healthy ways to express your nonconformist side.

- Spend at least twenty minutes a day involved in some creative task that requires your complete attention.

- Go to bed no later than 11 PM and sleep for eight hours or more. It is essential for B's to maintain their circadian rhythm.

- Use meditation to relax during breaks

- Engage in a community, neighborhood or other group activity that gives you a meaningful connection to a group. Type B's are natural born networkers.

- Be spontaneous.

- As they age, Type B's have a tendency to suffer memory loss and have decreased mental acuity. Stay sharp by doing tasks that require concentration, such as crossword puzzles or learn a new skill or language.

Blood Type AB

Compassionate, empathetic and quirky, Blood Type AB individuals are best suited to a mixed, omnivorous type diet. Physically, Type AB must concentrate on optimizing the health of their immune system and digestive tract.

The Blood Type AB Individualized Lifestyle

AB is for Modern. Type AB blood is rare - it's found in less than five percent of the population. And it is the newest of the blood types. Until ten or twelve centuries ago, there was no Type AB blood type. Type AB resulted from the intermingling of Type A with Type B. Type AB is the only blood type whose existence is the result of intermingling rather than environment. Thus, they share both the benefits and the challenges of both Type A and Type B blood types. Type AB has a unique chameleon like quality - depending on the circumstances, this blood type can appropriate the characteristics of each of the other blood types. Type AB is sometimes A-like, sometimes B-like and sometimes a fusion of both. Today, as we look back at this remarkable evolutionary revolution, it is clear that the genetic characteristics of our ancestors live in our blood today.

Eat Right For Wellness

Type AB reflects the mixed inheritance of their A and B genes. According to Dr. D'Adamo, "Type AB has Type A's low stomach acid, however, they also have Type B's adaptation to meats. Therefore, you lack enough stomach acid to metabolize them efficiently and the meat you eat tends to get stored as fat. Your Type B propensities cause the same insulin reaction as Type B when you eat lima beans, corn, buckwheat, or sesame seeds." Inhibited insulin production results in hypoglycemia, a lowering of blood sugar after meals and leads to less efficient metabolism of foods.

Type AB should avoid caffeine and alcohol, especially you're in stressful situations. Dr. D'Adamo recommends that Type AB focus on foods such as tofu, seafood, dairy and green vegetables if you are trying to lose weight. "Avoid all smoked or cured meats. These foods can cause stomach cancer in people with low levels of stomach acid," recommends Dr. D'Adamo. There is a wide variety of seafood for Type AB, and it is an excellent source of protein for Type AB. A few highly beneficial fish are mahi-mahi, red snapper, salmon, sardines, and tuna.. Some dairy is also beneficial for Type AB - especially cultured dairy such as Yogurt and kefir.

Dr. D'Adamo also recommends smaller, more frequent meals, as they will counteract digestive problems caused by inadequate stomach acid and peptic enzymes. "Your stomach initiates the digestive process with a combination of digestive secretions, and the muscular contractions that mix food with them. When you have low levels of digestive secretions, food tends to stay in the stomach longer." Explains D'Adamo. He also suggests that Type AB pay attention to combining certain foods. For example, you'll digest and metabolize foods more efficiently if you avoid eating starches and proteins in the same meal.

Stress and Exercise

Even though people have different capabilities for accommodating stress, we ultimately all have a breaking point. Given enough stressors of a high enough intensity for a long enough period of time, anyone will maladapt. For a Type AB, when it comes to stress hormones, you most resemble Type O in your tendency to overproduce catecholamines like adrenaline. Yet you also have the additional complexity of Type B's rapid clearing of nitrous oxide, so you suffer the physical consequences of high emotions. Your greatest danger is the tendency to internalize your emotions, especially anger and hostility, which is much more demanding to your health than externalizing it. Exercise plays a critical component in stress reduction and maintaining a healthy emotional balance for Type AB. Dr. D'Adamo recommends a combination of both calming activities and more intense physical exercise to help maintain an optimal balance. For example, three days of aerobic exercise such as running or biking and two days of calming exercise such as yoga or tai chi.

Personality

Type AB often receives mixed messages about emotional health. While you tend to be drawn to other people and are friendly and trusting, there is a side of you that feels alienated from the larger community. At your best, you are intuitive and spiritual, with an ability to look beyond the rigid confines of society. You are passionate in your beliefs, but you also want to be liked by others and this can create conflicts. In an independent study, Type AB's described themselves as emotional, passionate, friendly, trusting, and empathetic. Type AB's are considered some of the most interesting of the blood types, both John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe were Type AB's and although both are long gone, they hold a place in our national psyche to this day.

Live Right!

Here are Dr. D'Adamo's key lifestyle strategies for people with Blood Type AB:

- Cultivate your social nature in welcoming environments. Avoid situations that are highly competitive.

- Avoid ritualistic thinking and fixating on issues, especially those you can't control or influence.

- Develop a clear plan for goals and tasks - annually, monthly, weekly, daily - to avoid rushing.

- Make lifestyle changes gradually, rather than trying to tackle everything at once.

- Engage in forty-five to sixty minutes of aerobic exercise at least twice a week. Balanced by daily stretching, meditation or yoga.

- Engage in a community, neighborhood or other group activity that gives you a meaningful connection to a group.

- Practice visualization techniques daily

- Also carve out time alone. Have at least one sport, hobby or activity that you perform independently of others.

- Break up your workday with some physical activity, especially if your job is sedentary. You'll feel more energized.

This article has been taken from the Forrest Health Clinic website.

www.forresthealth.com

How full is Your Cup? (Part 2)

In the last article we talked about some of the things that can add stress to the body and over time accumulate and eventually "overflow". We talked about the analogy of the "cup" and the three major categories of stressors: physical, chemical and mental/emotional. Each person has a unique background, a unique health history and a unique ability to handle different stressors. I truly believe if you want to create better health over your lifetime it will become imperative how you manage your "cup". My experience is that an over flow can create an assortment of signs and symptoms in the body and eventually become chronic.

OK, so what do you do if your cup is full? Let's start with the physical stressors. Are you your ideal weight? Most North American's aren't so that is a good place to start. Being overweight adds stress to the weight bearing joints of the body and places added demand on the heart, which overtime can create long term cardiovascular problems. Since there are books on weight loss, it seems trivial to talk about it in one line. Most people know that they need to eat less and exercise more, but most people don't take ACTION. How come? Sounds like another article to me...

The body was designed to move, not sit. This is one general rule we can apply to everyone. However, movement can come in many different forms. I have found through personal and clinical observation that different types of people will thrive on different types of exercise. I highly recommend reading Eat (and the new book, Live) Right For Your Blood Type as it takes the idea of different blood types having specific genetic origins and responding differently to exercise. Contrary to my wife who is an O blood type and thrives on running, I am an A blood type and I have always found it to be such a challenge and always felt very tired after running. I tried yoga a few years ago and found that it energized my body so much that if I do it too late at night I have trouble sleeping. Find out what works for your body, but integrate something now. And please don't think you have to go nuts and do something 6 days a week and create a "perfect" workout routine. Just get started. One day is better than none, 2 days better than one, etc. Try something new. Let your body experience different things.

Let's talk about some of the ways you can empty the cup from a chemical perspective. Gotta have your H2O. Sorry but there is no way to detox if you are not hydrated. For foods think of pesticides, additives, coloring, trans fats, MSG, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, etc. Eat organic when you can and avoid the processed foods as much as possible. It's not rocket science but in my experience I have found that if you spend the extra time shopping and reading labels, it makes successive shopping trips that much easier. The next area to pay very close attention to is your personal hygiene products. We personally use natural shampoos, toothpastes, skin creams, deodorants, soaps and feel it is necessary to keep the skin free from toxic chemicals.

The next level or reducing chemical stress would be looking at food sensitivities and/or by eating right for your blood type. Some of the changes recommended in Eat Right For Your Blood Type book are not easy but many prominent health practitioners are using this system with great success. There are also some Naturopaths who test for food sensitivities and these can be hidden causes of digestive and immune problems (a large portion of the immune system is in the gut). Consider a liver cleanse or a yeast cleanse if you really want to step it up. Epsom salt baths and infrared saunas are also excellent for detoxifying (come check out our sauna!!).

How do you empty your cup if it is full of mental/emotional stressors? We cannot control external events, but we can control how we perceive those events and we can control the emotions we have about the particular events. The easy example I like to use is rain. To a farmer in drought it's a godsend, to a bride who has been planning an outdoor wedding for months it's a disaster. The rain is essentially a neutral event but the filter we choose to perceive the rain with will determine if it's joyous or stressful. Perceptions also become important when dealing with people and past events. What we see in other people is a mirror of ourselves. Pay attention to who pushes your buttons and why, there is a lesson there somewhere.

Another area that gives people stress is trying to control things that are uncontrollable. Just let it go. You can control your thoughts and your emotions, that's it!! Some other strategies for stress reduction include paying attention to how you recharge: is it alone or with a group of people? Unwinding for some people could be a good book and a hot bath while for someone else it is a long walk with a friend or meeting your closest friends over a great meal.

If you want to change your mental state, change your physical state! Get up and move. Go for a walk, do some yoga, go to the gym but do something. Another great tip to move your body out of a stress response is to do some controlled breathing. This can be accomplished by taking a slow breath in for 4 seconds, holding that breath for 4 seconds and exhaling slowly for 4 seconds. Repeat this 3-4 times or until you can feel a relaxed response.

Now you have some tools for well-being. Remember that health is a continuum and the daily decisions you make will push you in a direction closer to wards health or to dis-ease. The choice is yours. It's your body and if you invest in it properly it will pay you dividends for years to come. Good luck!!

Dr. Jason Plotsky

How Full is YOUR Cup? (Part 1)

One of my passions has been searching where TRUE health comes from and how to achieve long term wellness. I am not only interested in symptoms, but the reason WHY symptoms are present. If your engine light comes on in your car don't you want to know why it's on, or are you simply interested in finding out which wire to pull so the light goes out? I like to think of the body like a cup with the ability to handle a certain amount of "stress" before it begins to overflow and spill over. I think everybody has a different size of cup, a unique health history and a particular lifestyle that will affect the ability to handle different types and amounts of stressors. In my research, education and clinical experience I have found 3 major categories of stressors that accumulate in the body and ultimately affect your overall health: physical, chemical and mental/emotional. All three categories have the ability to affect your health and the importance of having all three evaluated can not be underestimated. So let's talk about each of these in some detail.

Most people understand physical stressors like accidents and injuries, lifting heavy objects repeatedly, poor postural habits at the computer, repetitive movements, etc. I have many patients that have had a definitive accident at some point in their life that really affected their bodies. Some examples include the birthing process which for many of us is the first injury to our spine, falling down the stairs as an infant, head on car collisions, getting trampled by a horse, falling out of a tree, getting hit by a car, etc. Other less obvious examples such as sitting at a computer all day are not a one time traumatic event but over the years can cause tremendous stress to the soft tissues, joints and nerves in the body. So for these people their "cup" may be mostly full already and they will have very little tolerance for additional stressors. These people will experience flare-ups easily and frequently until some of the cup is "emptied" (more on this process later).

Most people think of chemical stress as exposure to toxic chemicals only, but it could also include foods that a person is sensitive to or foods that don't react will with their particular body or blood type. Another very common chemical stressor is over the counter prescription drugs, the question we all need to ask is which drug is a safe drug? It is shocking to know of all the chemicals that are present in our personal care products like deodorants and anti-perspirants, shampoos, creams, skin care products, toothpastes, etc. I found the book "Ecoholic" was very good at offering suggestions to begin replacing some of the chemical toxins that we are exposed to daily. This category would also include the pesticides and other chemicals in our foods. Choose local and organic whenever possible. There are many people that are sensitive to things like gluten (some sources report an estimated 70% of the population) and we are exposed to a lot of this product in the typical North American diet. Many people are also sensitive to the protein found in cow's milk (casein). Then there are things like chlorine and fluoride in our drinking water. Imagine the typical day of getting up and showering with products that contain chemicals, putting on anti-perspirant with aluminum, skin creams with chemicals, eating a breakfast that for a lot of people is toast and/or cereal (remember wheat and dairy sensitivities) then picking up a Tim Horton's on the way to work (caffeine plus whatever chemicals t hey spray the coffee beans with). You get the point that it is not unlikely we are all bombarded by more chemicals than we are aware of and would like to be exposed to. These all add to the "cup".

Then there are the mental/emotional stressors that consume a lot of conscious time and energy. How much of our days are spent worrying about things we can't do anything about? How much time do we spend fearing the future and/or having guilt or the past? How many of us have "baggage" that weighs us down and holds us back? What I have learned is that even if these issues are not the main cause of the problem, they will prevent healing by continually adding back into the "cup". Another observation I've made in complex cases is that what a person believes about their recovery will dictate how fast they get better. It's like what Henry Ford said, "Whether you believe you can or you can't, you're right." We like to believe that in the right environment, with the right tools, the body has a tremendous ability to heal itself. While it may not be us who addresses these types of mental or emotional stressors it is vital that they are recognized and dealt with appropriately, otherwise it will affect the person's ability to get well.

In closing, all of these things will add to the cup and prevent the body from doing what it was meant to do: BE HEALTHY. We strongly feel that the key to good health will be managing your lifestyle stressors. Everybody has their own cup and we need to be aware of all the things that are adding to our cups. Next time we will discuss some of the strategies to empty the cup once it is full.

Dr. Jason Plotsky