Health & Fitness by Epoch Times, February 2014

Health & Fitness FEBRUARY 2014 · FREE

REACH YOUR FITNESS GOALS THE ULTIMATE 16-MINUTE WORKOUT OVER 60 AND FIT

OVERCOMING ADDICTION A PERSONAL JOURNEY HOW ACUPUNCTURE CAN HELP

THE WEIGHT-LOSS LIFESTYLE • 5 KEYS TO MENTAL TOUGHNESS • AMERICA’S SILENT EPIDEMIC

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INDEX 4 5 Keys to Mental Toughness 6 Get Fit Quick 8 The Ultimate 16-Minute Workout 9 Did Our Ancestors Stay Healthy by Doing Cardio?

10 Over 60 and Fit 12 Developing a Weight-Loss Lifestyle 16 A Personal Journey Through Addiction 18 Going Sober 20 Practical Advice to Quit Smoking 22 Prescription Pills: America’s Silent Epidemic 24 Using Chinese Medicine for Overcoming Addictions

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Keys to Mental Toughness Learn how to handle stressful situations with confidence and skill

By Peter Andrew Sacco Some people associate the concept of mental toughness with aggression, violence, or anger. Mental toughness is the ability to stand firm in the positive and proactive thoughts that you have created for yourself and remain determined to follow through into creating positive feelings and actions.

It is a commitment to doing what is right because you know it will make your life better. The truest and toughest battles most people will ever fight are the battles that start and finish in their minds.

The best method for improving mental toughness and maintaining it is to apply these basic yet simple principles.

If you practice these simple suggestions and boost your motivation to discipline your mind because you truly want to see positive change in your life, then you will be able to handle stressful situations with confidence and skill.

1. Don’t blow things out of proportion.

Try to keep things in perspective; don’t magnify them into being worse than they are or have to be.

When things go bad repeatedly over a period of time, we may start to stereotype every bad thing that happens as “Murphy’s law.” Everything bad or unfortunate that can happen will hap-

pen. Do you know why? You are continually using the same negative magnifying glass to look at them.

Some individuals take minute situations and blow them into catastrophes.

Always ask yourself this simple question, “What difference will this make a year from now?”

2. Try to avoid all-ornothing thinking.

When you think in terms of extremes, you set yourself up for failure. Basically, you think you will always need to be perfect to avoid failure.

For example, you want to do well, but when something doesn’t turn out the way you expected, you view the outcome as bad. As a result, you extrapolate the performance into who you are— making yourself a “bad” person because your performance was bad.

In order not to “be bad” you try too hard to be good, leading yourself to make further mistakes because of the added pressure you’ve placed on yourself. Perfectionism makes it hard to be perfect!

3. You can’t please everyone all of the time.

If you try to keep everyone happy, thinking everyone will like you, then

you are in for a major shock. When you try to be a people-pleaser, you submit to others and become passive, deviating from your main goal—being assertive, which helps you accomplish your goals.

As soon as you become passive, you are more inclined to dislike certain people and situations because you have compromised yourself and no longer feel comfortable.

Catering to the needs and whims of others will get you quickly on your way to becoming a procrastinator—not only to their demands, but also for what you would like to achieve.

I heard a statistic that asserts that 10 percent of the people you meet will never like or accept you no matter who you are, what you do for them, and so on. So focus on the other 90 percent, but be sure to never have your rights or needs taken away or compromised.

4. Don’t bog yourself down with “uncertainty questions.”

These include, “Why me?” and “When will things change?” “Will any good breaks ever come my way?” Oftentimes, when things go bad, you seek answers of

If you try to keep everyone happy, thinking everyone will like you, then you are in for a major shock.

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an absolute nature. Let’s face it, not all questions have answers you can understand.

When you question yourself, you sometimes analyze things to death, causing stress. Did you know that when you ask questions of a negative nature, you tend to focus on negative experiences and create corresponding visual experiences? If you believe in the law of attraction and affirmations, this theory will hold true when you are asking yourself a question.

If you are placing your focus on something negative, since “like attracts like,” you will be bringing more negativity your way.

Did you know some experts claim that your memory file cabinets get compromised when you dwell on negative experiences? It takes twice as much energy to dwell on the negative than on the positive. Perhaps that is why you are so tired.

Too many people want instant change.

In fact, we are all changing instantly, because our bodies (cells) and the situations around us are always changing and evolving. People want to see tangible results instantly. But that is not how it works.

The exercise in mental toughness is to develop moment-to-moment awareness. Focus on your thoughts. Hit the delete button whenever a negative one comes on the screen and replace it with a positive one immediately. How does one do this? Keep your thoughts focused on the present. It will take practice, but you will succeed at it with time, but not months or years.

Dr. Peter Sacco has been working with individuals in private practice and support groups since 1995. He specializes in anger-management classes, overcoming addictions, individual coaching, and counseling. He teaches courses in addiction studies, police studies, criminal psychology, and education at universities and colleges in the United States and Canada. Petersacco.com

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5. Take one day at a time.

Enjoy the present moment and be in the moment. There are always enough worries in today, so why spend energy on thoughts of tomorrow?

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Get Fit Quick

Intense training in short bursts gives top benefits

By Zenon Dolnyckyj

H

igh Intensity Interval Training is a fabulous way to help you get fit efficiently.

You can choose any kind of movement to engage in it—running, swimming, stair climbing, jumping, or biking. It does take commitment, focus, and consistency, but it doesn’t take hours to get in shape. »

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High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), also known as Burst Training, is just what it sounds like—short bursts of high intensity exercise (up to 60 seconds), followed by recovery periods of lower intensity exercise. Intensity and recovery time vary depending on fitness level.

What Is Intense and How to Measure it?

1) Heart Rate One way to measure intensity is an aerobic endurance assessment called the Karvonen formula. The formula uses your resting heart rate to calculate 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, which is the intensity to aim for during HIIT. I have conducted many assessments with this formula and found that 90 percent of people were able to accurately perceive when they reached 85 percent of their maximum heart rate.

2) Rate of Perceived Exertion To apply HIIT, I recommend using Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE).

To determine how hard you are working based on your own perception, place your perception on a number scale. Use 1 as your slow walking pace and use 10 to signify your fastest moving speed.

If you can stay at your maximum perceived level of exertion for over 60 seconds, you have to push harder. You want stop the

burst of exertion after 60 seconds.

Keep moving when you have completed the burst of exertion, but move slowly (i.e., if you were running, walk to recover) until your breathing and heart rate are back to a normal state. Repeat the bursts 4 to 6 times 3 times per week.

For beginners, start out your first burst at a RPE of 6 for 30 seconds to a minute. This should feel like work, but easy work. This will help you get acquainted with the 30-second time frame. Gradually work your way up based on your level of comfort and coordination.

Don’t go past RPE 9. That is a different form of training. Allow your rest periods to be as long as they need to be. You need to be able to say to yourself, “I am ready to do that again.” This rest often lasts one to three minutes. The rest time shortens as you get into better shape.

Bursts usually last at least 30 seconds and aren’t longer than 60 seconds. Approach intensity with caution—you can always train harder tomorrow, but you won’t be training if you hurt yourself today.

Benefits of HIIT Although the bursts of high intensity exercise are brief, the list of benefits is not. Studies have shown the following benefits of HIIT workouts:

1) Improves the functional capac-

HIIT for the Elderly

If you can stay at your maximum perceived level of exertion for over 60 seconds, you have to push harder. ity of the heart and quality of life for patients with chronic heart failure.

2) Helps people with coronary artery disease by getting more blood and oxygen to the heart.

3) Increases the efficiency of how muscles draw oxygen from your blood. This is also known as oxygen uptake. When this increases, your muscles have more energy to work longer, and harder.

4) Improves your fatigue threshold, meaning how long it takes for you to begin to feel tired.

5) Can protect against age-related increases in blood pressure and against decreases in thigh muscle strength and peak aerobic capacity.

Put simply, your body functions better when you do HIIT.

Many question whether this intense type of training is safe for the elderly. A study looking at exactly that question was done by researchers at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences in Glasgow Scotland.

After a 12-week training program, 75- to 85-year-old healthy women showed an 18 to 21 percent decrease in energy needed to complete the workout. They also showed a 13 percent increase in maximal walking speed and a 67 percent increase in mechanical power output.

Variety of Approaches to HIIT There are many ways to do HIIT. Bursts can also be done with jumping, squats, lunges, or kettle-bell swings. With proper rest periods, training with high intensity will not only be good for your health, but can save you time. Four to six bursts is usually enough for most people.

Depending on your rest periods and your intensity levels, you can get a solid workout in just 12 minutes.

So with one less excuse, you are now one step closer to fitness.

Enjoy your training.

Zenon Dolnyckyj is the co-founder of Mind Body Pro (www.mind-bodypro. com) and is a certified personal trainer and corrective exercise coach in New York City. For more information, email: info@mind-bodypro.com

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Get in Shape For Spring

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Sprinting, jump rope, stair climbing, and squat jumps are all good cardio options for the Tabata training method.

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By Kevin Mills Is 16 minutes enough for an intensive workout? Is it beneficial? The answer to these questions is—yes. It is called the Tabata training method.

Tabata was invented in 1996 by Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. In six weeks of testing, Dr. Tabata noted a 28 percent increase in anaerobic capacity in his subjects along with a 14 percent increase in their ability to consume more oxygen (aerobic capacity).

The subjects were already physically fit athletes.

Tabata training is an interval training cycle of 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise, followed by a 10-second rest, repeated without pause eight times for a total of four minutes with rest in between exercises. This workout consists of four separate intervals each four minutes long. Hence, the total time for the entire workout is 16 minutes.

Always begin your workout with a warm-up and finish with a cool-down session.

This can be applied to any training, both anaerobically and the aerobically.

To be exact, this is not eight sets of eight.

It is doing as many reps as you can at a high-intensity for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest.

When doing Tabata training, it is good to see a wall clock with a second hand. Watching helps you focus and keep a count of the eight intervals. Tabata timers can be purchased or downloaded via iTunes for five dollars at most.

The Tabata Formula

Do 4 intervals of the following: • 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise • 10 seconds of rest • Repeat 7–8 times There is no set of specific exercises in Tabata training. Any exercise can be applied to the Tabata method. If you do apply resistance equipment to the Tabata training, keep the weight manageable and remember to exercise with a partner for safety.

Cardio Workout Ideas Jumping rope, sprinting, squat jumps, stair climbing, swimming Strength Workout Ideas Push-ups, squats, crunches, jumping-jacks Beginners should check with a physician and take one to two minutes rest between exercises. This will increase the total workout time at first, but the goal is to work up to no rest between exercises.

Tabata training is challenging to people of all types of fitness levels whether you have a little time or a lot.

For best results, a healthy diet and sufficient sleep are a must to be prepared to work hard and stay motivated. This training in very intensive but the results are phenomenal. You usually start to see results and benefits within three weeks after starting the Tabata training. Be prepared to work hard.

Kevin Mills has a MS in Health and Physical Education. He is also a Team Beachbody coach. For more information, please visit: www.tidalwavefit.com

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Did Our Ancestors Stay Healthy by Doing Cardio?

ANTHONY BAGGETT/PHOTOS.COM

By James Goodlatte Since we have the same chemistry and physiology as our hunting-gathering ancestors, one might think that cardio was what they did to stay healthy, but this is not exactly the case.

It seems that people in hunter-gatherer societies would have moved each day about five to ten miles, but not at the static and monotone pace that we think of as “cardio” today. In the midst of their five to ten miles of movement, they would have walked, lifted, carried, climbed, stretched, leaped, and simply stopped along the way.

They certainly did not maintain their heart rates at a stable 60 percent or 75 percent in order to achieve a “fat-burn” or “cardio zone” as we are taught today.

Indeed, it seems primitive societies never had a reason for the kind of cardiovascular exercise recommended today.

Your Body Works in Bursts

The human body is designed to function more in stress-rest cycles rather than continuous periods without rest. For example, hunting followed by cooking and eating; and fighting followed by resting.

If your physiology senses a stressor, your body will increase outputs from your sympathetic nervous system, performing actions like “fight or flight,” speeding up your heart rate, increasing alertness, and releasing energy for your muscles.

However, when you sit down to a nice meal, your sympathetic nervous system is slowed down, since an action like increasing blood flow to the muscles is not only unnecessary but actually hinders your digestion. Instead, your parasympathetic

We have an epidemic of people who are so out of sync with their natural cycles that they can’t remember what it feels like to function optimally.

nervous system cycles upward, and processes like digestion, immunity, cellular construction, and repair are maximized.

These parts of the nervous system have evolved to work together and not fight each other. If our ancestors needed to run for their lives because a tribe was raiding their village, their bodies would turn virtually all resources toward pumping blood and releasing energy so that their muscles could move faster.

To do this most efficiently, our bodies learned to pause the digestion of the food eaten just before the invaders arrived.

After all, they wouldn’t digest anything again if they didn’t escape the attack!

The Cardio Solution

We have an epidemic of people who are so out of sync with their natural cycles that they can’t remember what it feels like to function optimally. These are the people who are sipping coffee because they’re tired during the day, but they can’t sleep at night. Many of them have digestion issues and don’t even realize they’re constipated because they’re stuck in a sympathetic fight or flight all the time.

Of course, long slow cardio is not the only cause of this epidemic. There are plenty of reasons modern man has lost

his natural rhythms, but you can go a long way towards re-establishing flow and rhythm in your daily life by going to bed on time, getting proper nutrition, and cultivating a relaxed outlook on life’s little stressors.

The way exercise can help re-establish rhythm and flow is quite simple: Move like our ancestors and move like our physiology, both of which require cycles or bursts of movement. Yes, consider working your way back toward sprinting.

Also consider making your exercise session a time to practice maximally exerting your output followed by maximally recruiting your recovery. Training to cycle up quickly and then cycle down quickly may be one valuable tool on your road to reestablishing your natural rhythms and your health.

Happy training!

James Goodlatte is a holistic health coach and founder of Fit For Birth. His passion is healing families through natural methods and building a team of fitness professionals to reduce infertility, avoid mechanized childbirth, and lower chronic disease in infants.

James also provides continuing education courses to birth and fitness professionals. PrenatalFitnessCertification.com

A piece of prehistoric Neolithic African rock art depicts a hunting scene.

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Over 60 and Fit Epoch Times Staff When an 80-year-old lady can lift 15-pound dumbbells, do push-ups, squats, planks, and lunges, walk fast, and move around objects quickly, you know she’s aging pretty gracefully.

Jason Greenspan, owner of Silver Stars Fitness, a Manhattan gym only for seniors, has a few clients like this.

Greenspan has been working with older

adults for over 20 years. Epoch Times asked him for insight on what it takes to get fit when you’re over 60.

Q. What misconceptions do older adults have about exercising?

A. You hear a lot of “I’m too old,” “I can’t improve,” or “It’s too late,” but that’s absolutely untrue. Studies show that you can build muscle, you can build strength, and a lot of other aspects of fit-

ness at any age as long as you are consistent and you challenge yourself. It is actually even more important that you exercise as you age.

Q. What exercises do you recommend for people over 60?

A. We recommend an integrated approach. We work on flexibility and mobility, balance, strength, and something that’s called power, which is your

ability to do something fast. We also work on agility, quickness, reaction, and coordination. We put together all these different aspects of fitness into our program to prepare clients for real life.

Q. How can exercise help prevent a fall?

A. For older adults, in order to maintain their mobility and decrease the risk of a fall, the muscles around the foot

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The right exercise program can help prevent frailty and falls, and build confidence.

and the ankle, the hip, and core are the main emphasis.

Power is also important. And flexibility, because if you are very tight, it affects overall movement; then you start to compensate and you are more prone to a fall. Your posture and gait mechanics also go into the plan. If you have poor posture, it changes your center of gravity and you are more prone to falling. All these things combine to help prevent a fall.

Q. What role does fear play in falling?

A. Fear can create a fall. When you

are walking down the street and you are scared of falling, you compensate.

Your strides become shorter and choppier, you walk slower and more gingerly, and everything tightens up throughout your body to avoid the fall, and you are actually a little bit more prone [to fall] because of the compensation.

Q. What do seniors learn in your fall-prevention class?

A. We instill confidence in them,

which helps to take away some of the fear [of falling]. [We] teach them a lot of different techniques: how to fall … how to prevent a fall, what to do if you feel like you are falling forward, [what to do if] you feel like you are falling backward.

We teach them to get comfortable with the floor just in case they fall. It is almost inevitable that for whatever the reason, you might end up on the floor, and you have to know how to get up from the floor.

Jason Greenspan, owner of Silver Stars Fitness COURTESY OF JASON GREENSPAN

Q. How many hours a week should people over 60 exercise to get the

Studies show you can build muscle and a lot of other aspects of fitness at any age.

I don’t recommend that that’s where it stops [because] there are quite a [few] disadvantages to just sitting down.

When you sit down, your hip flexors get very tight, which could put more strain on your lower back; your core is dormant, your buttocks become dormant.

Just plain walking or marching in place [are other options for weight loss].

You can do a strength training circuit, and move from one exercise to the next and make it a little bit cardiovascular without actually putting a lot of strain on the knee or the hip.

Q. What about for those who are overweight?

A. The obvious is they should be maximum benefit?

A. In terms of strength training, two

to three times a week. In terms of a cardiovascular [exercise] that gets your heart rate up, it depends on whether you are looking for a health benefit or to actually increase your fitness level.

In terms of actually increasing your overall fitness level, anywhere between three and five days a week where you actually get your heart rate up and challenge yourself.

Q. What do you recommend for seniors who need to lose weight but can’t necessarily do a cardio workout?

A. The recumbent bike, which is seen

in every gym across America, has back support, so [if someone has] a balance issue or a neurological issue where they can’t stand, it’s a good beginning.

on some sort of cardiovascular program, and nutrition is really the key.

[For] an older adult who is carrying a lot of weight, they have to build muscle tissue; otherwise, their metabolism slows down and it’s very hard to lose the weight. Strength training, whether you want to gain weight or lose weight, it’s the key.

Q. Do you recommend exercise for seniors who are underweight?

A. Absolutely, because the loss of

muscle tissue accelerates with each decade, and when you lose muscle mass, you lose strength, you lose your ability to balance, [and] you are more prone to falling.

If [some]one comes in underweight, usually, it is because they have lost a lot of muscle tissue. A combination of proper nutrition and being on a set strength training program is … ultra important.

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Developing a WeightLoss Lifestyle

By Tysan Lerner Is one of your 2014 New Year’s resolutions to lose weight? If so, how did the first month and a half go?

Did you meet your January target of pounds lost or number of fitness classes attended? More importantly, how do you feel about your weight-loss self?

If you find yourself struggling or feel as if you are meeting your goals by dint of will power that is sapping your enthusiasm, then read further.

Unsuccessful weight-loss attempts often have nothing to do with lack of information or will power, but more to do with not

having the right mindset and not finding the right combination of solutions that work for you.

Oftentimes, people who wish to lose weight think about how they must change their diet or get to the gym, but fail to succeed simply because they never took into account their lifestyle choices, or the underlying patterns that led to their being overweight in the first place.

In order to be successful at getting to your optimal weight, you must build a skill set that supports weight management in four key areas of life: lifestyle, psychology, diet, and exercise.

When you strengthen all four

skills, you will be more successful at losing weight and maintaining your weight loss for a lifetime.

1. Lifestyle

There is a myth that weight loss can be easy, that it doesn’t have to be hard. I’ve contributed to that myth because when I finally got the formula right for myself, weight loss suddenly felt easy.

But the reality is that in order for weight loss to ever feel easy, we must make the commitment to change, and big changes are always hard.

However, once the change is made and you are living it, it becomes so easy that we often forget how hard it once was.

So by broadening your weightloss strategy to include changing other areas of your life, you may very well find that your body will easily transform. Unresolved issues in another area in your life may be the very thing that is inhibiting your weight loss. Although changes in your lifestyle may be tough to make, once you’ve made them, you will reap the rewards of ease and joy.

Start by taking a look at your current lifestyle. Where are the trouble spots? Take a good, honest look at your work, relationships, home, spirituality, and finances. Assess how they interweave with each other and what changes would

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If you aren’t getting enough sleep, you have likely thrown your metabolism out of whack. make your life more balanced and harmonious.

For example, maybe you work long hours and don’t give yourself time to eat during the day, leaving you exhausted and burned out by the evening. You have the best of intentions to get fit and lose weight, but every evening you find yourself exhausted and hungry.

So instead of going to the gym, you

pick up some fast food and eat it in front of the TV. Because you are so hungry by the time you get home, you end up wolfing down your food, which leaves you feeling bloated, tired, and fat.

If this is your situation, then you need to make some changes in your schedule, whether that means going to the gym before work or managing your time at work more effectively so you have more time to eat.

If you aren’t getting enough sleep, you have likely thrown your metabolism out of whack and are susceptible to more food cravings since the hormone responsible for triggering your feeling of fullness is suppressed.

Or maybe you aren’t leaving enough time in your week to shop and prepare home-cooked meals. Home cooking can add a lot of simplicity and love to your life. It’s nurturing, and it is an easy way to maintain control over what goes into your body.

Continued on page 14

In order to be successful at getting to your optimal weight, you must build a skill set that supports weight management in four key areas of life: lifestyle, psychology, diet, and exercise.

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2. Psychology

I remember a time when I was so displeased with my body that I was willing to sacrifice foods I enjoyed and loved in order to lose weight. I was afraid to accept myself because if I did, I thought I would lose the motivation to follow through with my diet and exercise routines.

I carried that belief for years despite the fact that it wasn’t really working for

me. It wasn’t until I started accepting myself and how I looked that I was actually able to succeed at losing weight.

Self-loathing is a stress that ultimately leads us to overeat, quit our diet, and become depressed. Once I insisted on self-acceptance, weight loss no longer became this hard, heavy thing tied to my confidence. Instead, weight loss became something I had a choice about, something I could do without self-defeating mental agony.

So ask yourself how you are being with yourself throughout the day. How are you being when you eat? When you exercise? And when you make wellness choices? Are you being a punisher? Can you be someone who is nurturing and cares for your best self?

So often weight is also tied into psychological factors like protection, security, comfort. For some people, when they lose weight, they can’t psychologically bear it and end up putting it back on.

For example, you may be a woman who had a traumatic experience involving attention from men. When you lose some weight, you get more attention and because this is scary for you, you may end up putting the weight back on to give you a sense of security.

Take a good long look at the history of your psychological relationship with your body. What needs to transform in order for you to approach weight loss with empowerment and pleasure?

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3. Nutrition

Rather than focus on reducing your caloric intake to lose weight, focus on improving your overall diet so you feel healthier, more energized, and more satisfied.

People who develop healthy eating habits are able to maintain or lose weight with much more ease than those who don’t.

So give up your “diet mentality” and focus on sustainability. What will support your weight, health, and energy in the long term? Is it enjoyable? If not, what needs to be done to make it more enjoyable? Maybe you need to look up some good recipes for vegetables or whole grains, or perhaps even sign up for a healthy-eating cooking class.

Emphasize a variety of vegetables, fruits, and legumes while reducing or eliminating all artificial ingredients, sugars, and processed flours. Incorporate some good-quality fat, fiber, and protein into each meal and snack.

Clear out the junk from your pantry and fill it with nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, extra virgin olive oil, and spices.

Finally, slow down. Chew your food well, eat with ease, and eat before you are too hungry. Stop eating when you are satisfied, not full.

If you think you already eat well and yet still struggle with your weight, consider tracking your food intake for a week or two to observe your patterns more carefully. Maybe certain foods you eat actually don’t sit well in your system.

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For example, many people think yogurt is great for them. It is if you can tolerate dairy, but perhaps you are someone who is sensitive to dairy, and eating yogurt daily is causing bloating, gas, inflammation, or extra cravings. Track your symptoms and your diet to start to see what is or isn’t good for your unique body type.

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In order to improve your fitness level, you must challenge yourself. This may mean moving in a way that is different from what you are used to, or it may mean pushing yourself to get your heart rate going.

The more you move, the better your metabolism will be, the less sensitive you will be to certain foods, the stronger you will feel, and more you will be able to intuitively feel what foods and activities your body needs for peak health.

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www.TheEpochTimes.com COURTESY OF AMY HAUSMAN

That is what addiction does.

You find yourself in the same awful situation over and over even though you swear that you will never do it again.

Amy Hausman, L.Ac.

A Personal Journey Through Addiction From cocaine addict to Chinese medicine practitioner

By Amy Hausman, L.Ac. I am only able to write these words because of a profound transformation I made in my life, one that started over two decades ago when I was buried deep in addiction and substance abuse.

Like many addicts, I used drugs and alcohol to suppress feelings of despair and loneliness. These were feelings I had since my early childhood, which was filled with chaos and instability.

In my home, there were always strangers coming around, and I didn’t feel safe or protected. Sometimes they were my older siblings’ friends who’d left their own homes, and I would wake up in the morning to find a total stranger sleeping

on the couch. I often wished I lived with a different family that was more stable and gave me curfews and boundaries like my friends had.

My addictive behavior started to express itself around age 13 when I began to use alcohol and marijuana with my friends.

At first it was fun and exciting to be doing something bad and not get caught. Almost immediately, though, I realized that using these mood-altering substances made all my fears and self-loathing seem to disappear.

This led me to experiment with other drugs, and soon I had a pretty hard addiction to cocaine, which gave me the illusion of being powerful and in control. By the time I was a sophomore in high school, I was a true addict.

For the next few years, I continued to use cocaine and other drugs. At some point, however, the drugs stopped working, and I found that I needed more and more to sustain me or the feelings of despair would come back. So I started to use more drugs, unable to look at myself and see that my life was completely unmanageable.

Then, on June 10, 1989, I found myself alone, scared, and once again in a precarious situation. I started the day telling myself that I was not going to use any drugs. But by the end of the night, I was miles away from my apartment in Greenwich Village, stranded at the home of a complete stranger with a huge pile of cocaine on the table in front of me.

I managed to make it home safely, but after I arrived, I realized yet again that I

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was truly lucky to be alive and that the next time I got into a situation like that, I may not be so lucky.

That is what addiction does. You find yourself in the same awful situation over and over even though you swear that you will never do it again.

At that point, I could not bear the thought of finding myself in another one of those “here I am again” situations, so I called one of my sober friends, who took me to my first 12-step meeting later that day.

At the meeting I was terrified to introduce myself, but I did, and afterward—seemingly out of the blue—people started coming to me to say hello and tell me that I was no longer alone and that I was safe.

I couldn’t believe them at first and thought they were only saying those things to be nice. After several meetings followed by coffees, however, I realized these people were sincerely supporting my recovery, and suddenly I no longer felt so alone.

From Recovery to Service My road to recovery was not an easy one, and I went to 12-step meetings every day, sometimes two or three times a day.

These meetings gave me the support I needed to overcome my obsession.

As I was counting the first 90 days of my early sobriety, this new way of life seemed like a gift from the heavens, and I felt like I had a second chance at life.

An “old-timer,” who had been sober many years, told me that if I wanted to keep this gift then I had to pass it on and be of service.

I took that to heart and immediately became active in the sober community.

I led outreach groups, spoke at meetings, volunteered for different organizations, and visited jails and institutions to help others stay clean and sober. I also sponsored other addicts and alcoholics, helping them to navigate their way on their own path.

These activities lit a fire in my heart and soul. It seemed as though I had found my purpose in life, and I felt profound happiness for the first time.

Chinese Medicine Now clean and sober, I was constantly seeking more ways to connect with my spirit and find my true self.

About five years into sobriety, I joined a group of like-minded individuals close to my home, who were also seeking a greater connection to self while trying to be of service to the world at large. In this community, we considered ourselves philosophical seekers,

searching for the reasons why our patterns of behavior get us into situations and relationships.

The philosophy I studied in this community was rooted in Sufi and Taoist principles, and I tried to practice these principles in all my affairs just as I tried to implement the 12 steps and traditions into my life in early sobriety. It was here that I began to understand the Taoist belief that all things are connected, and I began to have a real conscious awareness of being present and truly listening.

As I became more interested in helping others, I started looking for a medical tradition that was also rooted in the concepts of holistic healing. When I discovered Chinese medicine, I was struck by its understanding of the correspondences between man and the natural world in this ancient healing art.

Today I still use acupuncture detox

When I tell patients I am also in recovery, I see their faces light up because they know I understand. techniques in my private practice along with other Chinese medicine therapies to help addicts recover their lives. When I tell patients I am also in recovery, I see their faces light up because they know I understand. In those moments, it is almost as if we are having our own private 12-step meeting, and the 12-step slogan “It works if you work it” often comes to mind.

This slogan encompasses everything I do in my clinic. If you put in the effort and the time, the rewards will come tenfold.

Amy Hausman is a NYS licensed acupuncturist and is board-certified in Chinese Medicine. She maintains a private practice in New York City and Scarsdale where she utilizes acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Integrative Energy Medicine, and custom essential oil blends to treat all kinds of acute and chronic disorders. Co-CreativeHealingArts.com

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GOING SOBER Epoch Times Staff Once you are addicted to alcohol it is hard to quit. But if you admit you have a problem and want to end the addiction, you have made recovery possible.

Sober for 16 years, Joe Schrank has committed his career to developing the recovery culture in New York City. He works in all levels of addiction recovery from intervention and early recovery, to media awareness. He currently works with the abstinence-based recovery program Rebound Brooklyn and is co-founder of The Fix, a news project that reports on addiction and recovery issues.

Schrank shared with the Epoch Times what to do when you decide to become sober.

Recovery and sobriety are very individual things.

There is no right or wrong way to get and stay sober.

Q. What action steps do you suggest

for a person who has just realized that they need to become sober?

A. Recovery and sobriety are very

individual things. There is no right or wrong way to get and stay sober.

I would strongly suggest a meeting with a medical doctor, be honest with them and let them know what is happening and what you are trying to do.

Too often we forget that substance abuse

is a medical and health issue. They may be able to refer you to a specialist.

An assessment with a social worker who has a specialty in addiction is also a good idea— maybe even a few sessions to craft the best course of action.

Mutual help groups are very helpful— and free. Go to a few meetings of AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] or SMART Recovery as an observer, don’t make any commitments, just see what it’s like, see if it feels like the right fit for you.

For many, an intensive outpatient program can be a good fit and a helpful way to get started. There are many around the city and most healthcare plans cover them.

Again, check them out, go to a few, ask to meet the staff, ask about their basic philosophies, the credentials of the staff. Remember you are hiring professionals to help you with a problem, so do some due diligence.

Q. What obstacles would you caution people to watch out for?

A. There is a lot of proselytizing about

“right” and “wrong” sobriety.

Many people in the recovery community think the best way to recover is the way they did and that may be true for them, but it may not be true for you.

Also, be aware, this is a big change and may not go perfectly—so keep trying, keep at it. Very few people get worse at something the more they do it.

Q. Are

there common misconceptions about overcoming alcoholism people should be aware of?

A. I think people feel that quitting

drinking is a decision, and it is, but it is a process. It takes time, effort, and diligence.

There is also too much messaging in the recovery culture that relapse is failure. It’s not.

If someone drank 17 days of one month and 5 the next, that is pretty good and continuing to work at it will improve results. Many of us will get to “total abstinence” but maybe not as quickly as we would like.

Q. What can family and friends do to help their loved ones make the transition to sobriety?

A. Family and friends can learn about

alcoholism, what it is and what it is not.

They can be honest with their person and ask them what would help them. »

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Many well-meaning people stop ordering wine with dinner around a newly sober person, which may be intended to be helpful, but can also come off as patronizing.

Also, they can participate in their own process. Having a friend or family member who drinks is a problem separate from having a drinking problem yourself, and the solution to the feelings, worry, fear, and attempts to control may not be for the drinker to stop drinking, so family and friends can seek their own help and support.

Q. Which programs in the city do you recommend to help people through the initial detox phase?

A. Al-Anon is a great organization;

there are many family workshops around town. We have an excellent family therapist at ReboundBrooklyn; the Caron foundation has a great one too.

Detox should always be handled by a medical doctor. Many of the hospitals around town have detox units. On occasion people can do an outpatient detox, it is really up to a doctor.

Alcohol by the Numbers • Excessive alcohol intake causes around 79,000 deaths per year in the United States.

MANHATTAN IS OUR HOME

• One out of seven Americans are self-reported binge drinkers.

Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks for women and five or more for men.

• Men binge drink more than women. White people, people ages 18–34, and those whose households earn $75,000 or more per year, are most likely to binge drink.

• Losses in workplace productivity due to binge drinking come to around $160 billion in the United States.

• Cost of excessive alcohol intake is $720 per U.S. citizen (of all ages) and $1.90 per drink.

• Alcohol is a carcinogen, responsible for an estimated 5 percent or more of all preventable cancers.

SOURCES: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL.

Q. Anything else we should know?

A. One day at a time!

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The decision to quit drinking makes recovery possible.

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The stories you need.

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Practical Advice to Quit Smoking Epoch Times Staff If one of your goals this year is to quit smoking, we applaud you. Smoking cessation coach Dawn Pastva, from the New York State Smokers’ Quitline, has some practical suggestions for how to stop smoking.

Q. Where should people start?

A. The best way to break a habit is to replace it with a better, healthier habit.

Putting together a plan can go a long way to succeeding. Pinpointing some of the habits and routines you associate with smoking will allow you to think of something specific you can do instead of having a cigarette. Âť

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Put together a support system. Make your environment one that will support you as a nonsmoker. Set a realistic quit date so you can start getting ready mentally for your major lifestyle change and start practicing some habit-breaking strategies.

it has not been approved by the FDA as a safe and proven method to quit smoking, so we cannot currently support using them as a way to quit smoking.

Q. Anything else readers should know?

Q. What can trigger a relapse?

A. Quitting smoking is a proA. Common triggers can be stress, cess. Most people will make sevalcohol consumption, being around and living with smokers, boredom, and habit.

Q. What quit-smoking products do you recommend?

A. Nicotine replacement medications like Chantix, Wellbutrin, Zyban, Budeprion, and Bupropion.

Q. Can electronic cigarettes help people quit?

A. While the e-cigarette is proba-

bly safer than smoking, at this time

eral attempts before succeeding.

Try to be patient with yourself and remember: You haven’t truly failed until you stop trying.

Use each quit attempt as a great learning opportunity. Use the things that worked in your next attempt.

With the things that got in the way— figure out what you can do differently next time.

You haven’t truly failed until you stop trying.

Dawn Pastva, smoking cessation coach

For putting together a plan and moral support, call 1-866-NY-Quits or visit www.NYSmokefree.com JORDIDELGADO/PHOTOS.COM

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PRESCRIPTION PILLS

America’s Silent Epidemic

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Nearly 70 percent

of Americans take one prescription drug a day, and over half take two, according to a 2013 study by the Mayo Clinic.

Antibiotics, antidepressants, and painkillers are the most commonly prescribed.

While many people take prescription medications without developing addiction—others find themselves caught in a vicious addiction cycle, even though they followed the directions for use carefully. »

www.TheEpochTimes.com

Alesandra Rain started a nonprofit, Point of Return, 10 years ago to help people overcome dependency on prescription drugs. Before founding the organization, Rain spent a decade addicted to prescription drugs, which she said she took exactly as her doctor prescribed.

Lisa Bahar is a licensed professional clinical counselor as well as a certified drug and alcohol counselor. She works with people challenged with chemical dependency, including prescription drug medications.

Q. What kind of prescription drugs most commonly become addictive?

A. Alesandra Rain: Benzodiaz-

epines [drugs that depress the central nervous system—like] Klonopin, Xanax, Valium, and Ativan—are by far the most addictive and overly prescribed. This is the class that I also became trapped on.

Sleeping pills are also horribly addictive, as are antidepressants. These are the main categories we assist with, but we also get [people who are addicted to] painkillers, as opiates can be challenging for many.

to break.

Lisa Bahar: That depends on the effect the individual is seeking. In some cases, for example, people who take stimulants such as Adderall to lose weight are also dealing with an eating disorder, which motivates them to seek out the stimulant drug categories.

I also have clients with severe anxiety who may be more inclined to take medications from a benzo family of drugs.

Emotional pain has the potential to become an addiction, which can lead to dependence on opiates. The euphoric feeling that results with the use of opiates can numb the pain—physically, emotionally, and mentally—and can begin a cycle of dependence that is hard

have to be an addictive person to get trapped on these drugs. I’ve helped too many people who were on tiny doses yet had the same experience I did.

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Q. What misconceptions do people have about prescription drug addiction?

A. Ms. Rain: That you

Ms. Bahar: That there is generally a dual diagnosis involved, meaning the person may have depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, a personality disorder all underlying the addiction.

Continued on page 26 NASTCO/PHOTOS.COM

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Using Chinese Medicine for Overcoming Addictions

By Cynthia Neipris Because it gives both immediate and long-term relief from sometimes debilitating physical symptoms, Chinese medicine is particularly well-suited for treating addictions as part of an overall recovery program.

Chinese medicine works best for treating addictions when integrated into a comprehensive treatment plan that includes group support as well as

psychological and social services.

Acupuncture directly addresses the physical aspects of addiction and detoxification, and it supports psychological and social treatments that are vital for recovery but are not as effective when an addict is suffering from physical cravings, insomnia, panic attacks, and other physical manifestations of detoxification.

These withdrawal symptoms make it very difficult for those who are recovering to take full advantage of program offerings. Imagine an addict with stom-

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ach cramps or cravings trying to participate in group therapy, and you’ll get the picture.

Acupuncture treatments never lead to dependency on other substances, which can happen with medications.

Chinese medicine can also treat some of the psychological aspects of addiction, such as the anxiety and depression that are common when a person faces the realities of life without addictive substances.

As a nonverbal intervention, acupuncture helps those who are resistant to other therapies or who don’t have the ability to comprehend or articulate (due to language barriers, disabilities, or mental health conditions) at the level necessary for many therapies.

Chinese Medicine Perspective on Addiction The perspective of many modern practitioners of Chinese medicine on addiction is that it results not from character weakness or weakness of the will, but usually from pre-existing conditions that cause the addict to self-medicate with drugs, alcohol, or other substances in an attempt to correct them.

In Western terms, addiction can be seen as arising from an addict’s attempt to self-correct for conditions like anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or bipolar disorder.

In Chinese medicine, addiction can be seen as arising from an addict’s attempt to self-correct for the deficiencies, excesses, and imbalances in the body that can underlie those conditions.

One common imbalance that Chinese medicine associates with addiction is deficient or excessive fire. Just as a furnace

doesn’t function without an adequate spark to fire it up, so Chinese medicine posits that humans need a fire of sorts (we call this yang energy) to keep energized and function optimally. However, if this fire burns too hotly, and we have too much yang energy, we find a need to calm down and to become more focused.

A person with deficient fire will usually seek out stimulating drugs such as cocaine, crystal meth, and nicotine, while a person with excess fire will seek for things to calm them such as alcohol, heroin, pain medications like Vicodin and Oxycontin; and benzodiazepines like Valium, Xanax, and Ativan.

A common emotional pattern related to addiction is agitation, anger, and irritability. In Chinese medicine, these emotions are associated with the liver and gallbladder systems, systems whose function is to keep things flowing smoothly. When we become “wrapped too tightly” in these emotions, they either erupt or become repressed, which in both cases hinders the natural flow of the systems in our body. This causes the body to become tight, and we then look for ways to loosen up and unwind.

As the drugs create false highs or states of calm, they disrupt and deplete the body’s natural heating, cooling, balancing, and calming mechanisms, which then need repair.

Chinese medicine helps repair these mechanisms, thus helping to break the addiction cycle.

Using Acupuncture to Detox The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA), which was founded in the 1980s at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, has popular-

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ized the use of acupuncture for addictions in the United States and almost every European country, as well as Russia, the Middle East, Australia, South America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and South and Southeast Asia.

Over 2,000 recovery programs in the United States and 40 other countries now use NADA protocol acupuncture because it has proved to increase their success. Globally, more than 25,000 health workers have completed the NADA training, which can be learned by health care professionals without extensive additional training in acupuncture diagnosis and treatment.

NADA protocol for addictions treats clients sitting up in groups, with ear acupuncture, and focuses on mobilizing the existing internal resources of the client.

While the patterns of deficiency, excess, and imbalance may vary, with NADA protocol every client receives the same treatment, emphasizing that if we support the basic internal organ systems, the body will right itself naturally. This also helps the clients understand that they are

Detox Treatment NADA protocol is a general balancing treatment that calms as it supports the nervous system, heart, kidney, liver, and lungs.

The five acupuncture points used in each ear are: 1. Sympathetic: Calms the nervous system and helps with overall relaxation.

2. Shen Men (or Spirit Gate): Reduces anxiety and nervousness.

capable, with support, of recovery, without an outsider “fixing� them.

The NADA model is empowering for recovering addicts, and it has proved to be more successful than individualized treatments, which are more often associated with Chinese medicine for other conditions.

For more information about NADA treatment or training, go to www.acudetox.com

Cynthia Neipris, L.Ac., is licensed to practice acupuncture in New York and California. She is the director of Outreach and Community Education at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine-NY, sits on the board of directors of Acupuncturists Without Borders, and has been a NADA NY Acu-Detox Specialist since 2001, supervising over 10,000 NADA treatments. www.pacificcollege.edu

3. Kidney: Used for detoxification through the urine, calming fears and healing internal organs, strengthening the body and the will.

4. Liver: Used for detoxification, blood purification, and to quell frustration, irritability, and aggression.

5. Lung: Promotes detoxification through the breath and the skin, and helps clients breathe more easily and let go of grief.

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12 weeks for $12 60 ISSUES

Continued from page 23 Also, the cross-addiction idea—for example, that they are not an alcoholic, and can therefore drink socially is generally a misconception.

gers and talk about feelings in a way that will feel awkward.

Q. What role do you recommend

family and friends play in helping their loved one quit?

Q. What are the most successful tech- A. Ms. Rain: There is a misconcepniques you’ve found to help people quit?

A. Ms. Rain: With these classifica-

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tions we have found a slow taper is best, but the patient needs natural help to minimize symptoms or it’s too painful. This is particularly true with benzodiazepines as the withdrawals are crippling.

Ms. Bahar: Meet a person where they are at, meaning, be there when they break through the denial—which is serving as a way to cope. Remain non-judgmental, and listen.

Have a primary care physician on board and be aware that a person has an addiction, and that they may or may not be ready to address it with a higher level of care.

tion that because these are legal, they are safe. Family often misconstrue the withdrawals as worsening mental illness and then believe their loved one needs the drugs.

Ms. Bahar: Understand that a person needs time to adjust to the reality of dealing with life without the drug, which can have some emotions that are not understandable at first.

Family members need education about their roles in the addiction. For example, the enabler, rescuer, co-user, etc.

Q. What are some of the typical behaviors of enablers and rescuers that friends and family do without realizing it?

Q. What are common challenges to A. Ms. Bahar: Minimizing the drug overcoming prescription drug addiction?

A.

Ms. Rain: If done wrong the withdrawals are so painful that people often reinstate and believe they cannot be free.

Ms. Bahar: How insidious and tricky the addiction can be, learning how to cope with life stressors without the drug, learning how to deal with trig-

use by covering up for the person, calling into work, or doing work for the person to create a facade of functioning, making excuses, rationalizing the behavior to others.

When a spouse, partner, etc. is in denial, this is what they call a defense mechanism due to the anxiety that may result if the issue is directly addressed.

Ironically, it is easier to maintain the exterior of what appears to be functioning.

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Science Attacks Memory Loss The multi-year program called Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neuro-technologies, or BRAIN, will as part of its initiative, target the symptoms premature mental decline, including poor memory, the inability to maintain focus and concentration, mental fatigue, and brain fog.

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‘Pharmacist of the Year,’ Dr. Gene Steiner, recommends a patented, natural memory compound Preventive Gerontologist, Dr. Arnold Bresky, the man responsible for the Medicarereimbursed brain tune-up protocol recommends this prescription-free memory compound as an integral part of his new Four Pillars of Brain Health program.

With more than 45 years behind a pharmacist’s counter, and 25 years in a radio show booth, if Dr. Gene Steiner had a nickel for every time someone asked, “Do you have anything that can improve my memory,” he would be a rich man today.

A Crystal-Clear Memory It’s a question he’s heard many times. “This natural memory pill is to an aging, sluggish brain, what a breath of fresh air is to your lungs,” he says.

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Before prescribing the pill to patients, Dr. Steiner decided to first try it himself.

“Within a few days, I can tell you without reservation that my memory became crystal clear,” he says.

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“I began taking the natural memory compound for two weeks prior to the test, and I passed with flying colors!”

“The recall I personally experienced was fantastic,” says Steiner.

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Alternative medicine pioneer, and retired medical school professor, Dr. Robert Heller, personally uses and recommends the formula.

Perks Up Tired, Sluggish Brains “It’s not a drug,” smiles Dr. Heller, “it’s a nutritional supplement that can help a foggy, sluggish brain become sharper, quicker, and healthier.”

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Anyone who has ever stood in front of a crowd

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“As a professional speaker in front of hundreds of people, I found these senior moments very embarrassing. Plus, it was threatening my career. Since taking this, I can now conduct a whole seminar without relying on my notes. I feel like my old self again!”

You don’t have to spend million of dollars or wait ten years to do what Brain Research Labs has already done for you. If you are ready to do something about your mind and memory, here’s your riskfree chance.

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*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Everyone is different and you may not experience the same results. Results can depend on a variety of factors including overall health, diet, and other lifestyle factors. Doctors Steiner, Heller, and Nemiroff were not compensated for their statements, which attest to personal and professional experience. They were compensated for the right to include their statements here.

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