Health Magazine - January 2010

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Jan. 20, 2010 Vol. 5, No. 4

Publisher

Dennis M. DeRossett Executive Editor

Gary Metro Editor

Cara Recine Advertising Director

Abby Hatfield

618-351-5024 • abby.hatfield@thesouthern.com Marketing

Brian Flath

618-351-5027 • brian.flath@thesouthern.com Art Direction/Design/Production

Rhonda M. Ethridge

rhonda.ethridge@thesouthern.com Circulation/Database Marketing Coordinator

Kathy Kelton 618-351-5049

Online Coordinator

J. C. Dart

jennifer.dart@thesouthern.com

INDEX OF Advertisers

The Southern Health Magazine is a monthly publication of The Southern Illinoisan. Contact us via mail at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901, or at PO Box 2108, Carbondale, IL 62902. Copyright 2008 by The Southern Illinoisan. The Southern Illinoisan (USPS 258-980) is owned by Lee Enterprises, Inc. of Davenport, Iowa. All rights reserved. For more information call 618-5295454 or 618-997-3356, or visit us online.

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COVER STORY EVERY ISSUE Cover Story Every Issue

710 N. Illinois Ave. Carbondale, Illinois 62901 618-529-5454 • 800-228-0429 fax 618-529-3774 www.thesouthern.com/health

JAN. 20, 2010 In This Issue Welcome!

Emotional eating Tap into mind and body practices that are proven to facilitate weight loss

Health News Upcoming Events Kids Health Magnesium Senior Health His Health Pet Health Her Health

6 3 4 5 8 9 10 10 11

If you’re trying or have ever tried to reach a healthier weight, you know there can be many things along the way that can sabotage your efforts. We’ve just finished a month of holiday celebrations where food was fattening and plentiful, and the weather in the last few weeks has been cold, which can slow or halt fitness routines. But have you ever thought you might be sabotaging yourself? Metro EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique, can help you literally tap into the emotions that could be getting you off track or completely derailing your efforts. EFT is “based on the connection between your body’s subtle energies, your emotions and your thoughts,” says psychotherapist Annette Vaillancourt, who practices in Carbondale and St. Louis. “Using EFT, you can eliminate the emotional triggers … that lead to emotional eating and sabotaging your weight loss success.” If Recine you’re up for another acronym, in the same story you can learn about PSYCH-K, which stands for psychological kinesiology, practiced by Yolanda Comiskey, a PSYCH-K® facilitator who practices in Carbondale. The program can help you figure out just how you sabotage yourself, says Comiskey. For more help with emotional eating, see the story on Page 6. This month, Bill Atkinson teaches us what we need to know about magnesium, which among its other jobs is to repair wear and tear on our bodies. It’s a complicated issue, but Atkinson helps us understand the importance of this nutrient, tells us how to know if we’re magnesium-deficient and recommends ways to rebuild magnesium levels. As with all and any changes you might be considering, please be sure to check with your physician before beginning anything. It’s always a good idea, especially if you’re being treated for any kind of problem or illness. – Cara Recine

Comments and suggestions?

We look forward to hearing from you. Send an e-mail to HEALTH@thesouthern.com For the latest health and fitness news, pick up Tuesday’s Southern Illinoisan for Mind & Body news. Check out www.thesouthern.com/lifestyles for more features.

Tell your story and ask your questions at www. thesouthern.com/SIForums.

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Southern Illinois Psychiatry_________________ 3 www.southernillinoispsychiatry.com • 618-998-0888

Family Foot & Ankle Center ________________ 11 618-942-3334

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Rehab & Care of Jackson County _____________ 10 618-684-2136

Vitality _______________________________ 9 618-942-8482

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Shawnee Christian Nursing Home ____________ 9 618-942-7391

health news New evidence is in: Dark chocolate helps ease emotional stress The “chocolate cure” for emotional stress is getting new support from a clinical trial published online in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research: Gut Microbiota and Stress-Related Metabolism in Free-Living Subjects. It found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed. Everyone’s favorite treat also partially corrected other stressrelated biochemical imbalances. Sunil Kochhar and colleagues note growing scientific evidence that antioxidants and other beneficial substances in dark chocolate may reduce risk factors for heart disease and other physical conditions. Studies also suggest that chocolate may ease emotional stress. Until now, however, there was little evidence from research in humans on exactly how chocolate might have those stress-busting effects. In the study, scientists identified reductions in stress hormones and other stress-related biochemical changes in volunteers who rated

Find all things health at www.thesouthern.com/healthblog themselves as highly stressed and ate dark chocolate for two weeks. “The study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 grams (1.4 ounces) during a period of two weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers,” the scientists say.

Chinese ‘herbal’ cigarettes are no healthier than regular cigarettes Despite popular belief and some marketing claims, researchers have found that Chinese “herbal” cigarettes that combine medicinal herbs with tobacco are just as addictive and no safer than regular cigarettes. “The public needs to be aware that herbal cigarettes do not deliver fewer carcinogens,” said lead researcher Stanton A. Glantz, professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of California, San Francisco. “We hope our findings will help to dispel the myth that they are a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes; they are not.”

Results of this study are published in the December issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, which has a special focus on tobacco. Chinese herbal cigarettes are becoming increasingly more popular in China and are now showing up around the world.

Mouth is indicator of overall health, says dental school professor One day in medical clinics, the big picture of a patient’s state of health may be found in little pictures from the mouth, says Li Mao, MD, a new professor at the University of Maryland Dental School. The mouth or oral cavity area is an excellent indicator of the whole body’s health, says Mao, who is the chair of the new Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences at the School. Mao recently joined the Dental School to be at the forefront of a movement to retool dental education, he says, to make dentists practice more within the bigger

health care community. Future lung cancer prevention trials, for example, could soon be designed so that surface tissues inside the cheek could be checked to detect tobacco-induced damage in the lungs, according to a study led by Mao last year published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research. “We hypothesized that tobacco-induced molecular alterations in the oral epithelium are similar to those in the lungs,” says Mao. “This might have broader implications for using the mouth as a diagnostic indicator for general health.” University of Maryland Dental School Dean Dr. Christian S. Stohler, a leader in the movement to retool dental education, says, “I feel that dentists should play a major role in prevention of cancer and Dr. Mao is the leading oral cancer researcher in the country. He crosses the bridge between medicine and dentistry. Being a physician helps expand dental health care and he wants to change how patients are being treated because his background is in head and neck cancer.”

We provide General Psychiatric Services Including: Diagnostic Interview Psychiatric Consultation Medication Management Psychological Testing Psychological Assessment

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Jan. 20, 2010

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upcoming events

Southern Illinois Workshops and Seminars

For a good cause American Red Cross blood drives, Southern Illinois

Jan. 20: 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., John A Logan College, East Wing, Carterville Jan. 20: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., SIU Student Center, Carbondale Jan. 20: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., St. Mary’s Good Samaritan, Mount Vernon Jan. 21: 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Rend Lake College, Ina Jan. 21: 2-7 p.m., Bluford Elementary School, Bluford Jan. 21: 3-7 p.m. St. John Nepomucene, Dahlgren Jan. 25: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., SIU Student Center, Carbondale Jan. 25: 2-6 p.m. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Du Quoin Jan. 25: 2-7 p.m., First United Church, Harrisburg Jan. 25: 2:30-6:30 p.m. Fridens UCC, Marissa Jan. 26: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., SIU Student Center, Carbondale Jan. 27: 1-5 p.m., Franklin Hospital, Benton Jan. 27: 2-6 p.m., American Legion 127, Murphysboro Jan. 27: 2-6 p.m., Mount Vernon Christian Academy, Mount Vernon Jan. 27: 3:30-7:30 p.m., Washington County 4H/Addieville Jaycees, Addieville Community Building

Conferences and Workshops Illinois Coalition on Mental Health and Aging Southern Caucus When: 12-3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29 Where: Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce Participants are advised tobring their lunch. Elaine Jurkowski will speak on compassion fatigue.

Culture Change and Quality of Life in Long-Term Care

When: 12:30-3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 Where: Carterville Community Center Information: Rindi Reeves 618-985-3815 Presenter Todd Schackelford will discuss how culture change and person-centered care enhances quality of life for long-term care residents. Management and frontline staff of long term care settings, residents, caregivers, family members, educators and stakeholders of elder care and long-term care are encouraged to attend. Registration will be from 12:30 to 1 p.m. at Carterville Community Center. The workshop begins at 1 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.

Prepared childbirth classes teach relaxation techniques, controlled breathing, offer pain control options as well as an introduction to inductions and Cesareans. The class includes a discussion of infant care and a hospital tour of Labor and Delivery, Postpartum and Nursery. Comfortable clothing is recommended for participants. Call for more information and fee schedule.

Western Baptist grandparenting class

When: 5-6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25 Where: Western Baptist Hospital, Paducah, Doctor’s Office Bldg 2, Atrium Classroom Registration: 270-575-2229 Class prepares grandparents and older caregivers with updated information, safety tips and a refresher on how to care for grandbabies. Free.

St. Elizabeth’s sibling preparation class

When: 6:30-8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25 Where: St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Belleville, OB Classroom, 4th floor Registration: 618-234-2120 ext. 2300 Children 3-10 who are anticipating the arrival of a sibling are invited to attend. The class is designed to provide them the opportunity to develop positive feelings about a new sibling and become familiar with the hospital setting. Parents are expected to attend the class with their children. There is a $5 fee.

SIH childbirth refresher class

When: 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26 Where: Memorial Hospital of Carbondale Registration: SIH Physician Referral and Event Registration, 866-744-2468 For mothers and fathers who already have children but would like to brush up on their pregnancy and birthing skills. Free.

Western Baptist Hospital breastfeeding classes

When: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan 26. Where: Western Baptist Hospital, Paducah, Doctor’s Office Bldg 2, Atrium Classroom Registration: 270-575-2229 Class helps expectant mothers prepare for the breastfeeding experience. Free.

Western Baptist sibling class

Classes, Seminars and Events Lunch with the Doctor: Healthy Weight for Seniors

When: 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 21 Where: SWIC-PSOP 201 N. Church St., Belleville Registration: 618-234-4410 ext. 7015 Speaker is Jennie Rickert from the hospitalist program at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. Program begins at noon; lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. Call for reservation. Seating is limited.

St. Elizabeth’s Saturday childbirth class

When: 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23 and 30 Where: St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Belleville Registration: 618-234-2120 ext. 2300

When: 5-6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29 Where: Western Baptist Hospital, Paducah, Doctor’s Office Bldg 2, Atrium Classroom Registration: 270-575-2229 This class helps prepare children ages 2-9 for the arrival of a new brother or sister.

SIH prepared childbirth course

When: 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 2-23 and 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb 6. Where: Memorial Hospital of Carbondale Registration: SIH Physician Referral and Event Registration Center, 866-744-2468 Mothers and fathers will prepare both mentally and physically for participation, sharing and individual

satisfaction in pregnancy, labor, birth and introduction to parenthood. The four-session classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a one-day version of the class available at on Saturdays. Because of the limited size of the classes, it is important to make reservations.

SIH epidural class

Want to be on this page? If you are hosting a health, fitness or wellness related event, send details to health@ thesouthern.com

When: 7-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3 and 17 and 2-3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10 Where: Carbondale Memorial Hospital Registration: SIH Physician Referral and Event Registration, 866744-2468 Epidural anesthesia is a form of pain control used during labor. Because this is an invasive procedure, the Family Birthing Center feels it is important to learn the benefits and risks. A video presentation will provide expectant mothers information about the procedure, benefits and risks of epidural pain relief during childbirth. There will be an opportunity to ask questions of an anesthesia representative. Because of the size and nature of this class, we ask that children not attend. This class is required if you are planning to have the option of epidural anesthesia for childbirth.

Stroke and Head Injury Support group

When: 2-3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4 Where: Herrin Hospital, Conference Room 1C Registration: Casey Nelson, 618-942-2171 ext. 35312

SIH breastfeeding basics class

When: 3-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10 and 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 Where: Memorial Hospital of Carbondale Registration: SIH Physician Referral and Event Registration Center, 866-744-2468 Learn the benefits that breastfeeding provides both baby and mother. A certified lactation consultant will share information and give suggestions to help get breastfeeding off on a good start. After the basics class, mothers have the option of staying for an additional session designed to help them continue breastfeeding after returning to work, including tips on incorporating breastfeeding their daily life and learning helpful hints when using a breast pump. Free.

Ostomy Support group

When: 3-4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11 Where: Herrin Hospital, Conference Room 1C Registration: 618-942-2171

SIH Big Kids and Babies sibling class

When: 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13 Where: Memorial Hospital of Carbondale Registration: SIH Physician Referral and Event Registration Center, 866-744-2468 Designed for children 3-7, this class offers upbeat information on becoming a big sister or brother. Children develop an understanding of the special needs their new sibling will have. They are encouraged to bring a stuffed animal or doll so they can practice holding and diapering. Parents will want to bring a camera as the children have fun dressing up as a doctor or nurse.

St. Elizabeth’s New Fathers class

When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13 Where: St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Belleville Registration: 618-234-2120 ext. 2300 Taught by a dad, this innovative, one-day class will provide the expectant father with tools and insights into new infant care and the important role a father plays in growth and development.

SIH Life with Baby

When: 6-8 p.m. Monday Feb. 15 and 22 Where: Memorial Hospital of Carbondale Registration: SIH Physician Referral and Event Registration Center 866-744-2468 Gain basic knowledge of baby care. This is a two-hour class that will be taught on two consecutive Mondays starting at 6 p.m. Prospective parents are asked-bring a baby doll and receiving blanket. Free.

Cancer Support group

When: 3-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17 Where: Herrin Hospital, Conference Room 1C Registration: 618-942-2171

Find more support groups and health events at thesouthern.com/health 4

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kids health Fit teenage boys are smarter In the first study to demonstrate a clear positive association between adolescent fitness and adult cognitive performance, Nancy Pedersen of the University of Southern California and colleagues in Sweden find that better cardiovascular health among teenage boys correlates to higher scores on a range of intelligence tests. “During early adolescence and adulthood, the central nervous system displays considerable plasticity,” said Pedersen, research professor of psychology at the USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. “Yet, the effect of exercise on cognition remains poorly understood.” Pedersen, lead author Maria Aberg of the University of Gothenburg and the research team looked at data for all 1.2 million Swedish men born between 1950 and 1976 who enlisted for mandatory military service at the age of 18. In every measure of cognitive functioning they analyzed – from verbal ability to logical performance to geometric perception to mechanical skills – average test scores increased according to aerobic fitness. However, scores on intelligence tests did not increase along with muscle strength, the researchers found. “Positive associations with intelligence scores were restricted to cardiovascular fitness, not muscular strength,” Pedersen explained, “supporting the notion that aerobic exercise improved cognition through the circulatory system influencing brain plasticity.” The results of the study, published in the December issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also show the importance of getting healthier

SENIORS 65 or OLDER

Don’t worry about your thermostat this winter!

between the ages of 15 and 18 while the brain is still changing. — Source: University of Southern California

Added sugar in raisin cereals increases acidity of dental plaque Elevated dental plaque acid is a risk factor that contributes to cavities in children. But eating bran flakes with raisins containing no added sugar does not promote more acid in dental plaque than bran flakes alone, according to research at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Some dentists believe sweet, sticky foods such as raisins cause cavities because they are difficult to clear off the tooth surfaces, said Christine Wu, professor and director of cariology research at UIC and lead investigator of the study. But studies have shown that raisins are rapidly cleared from the surface of the teeth just like apples, bananas and chocolate, she said. In the study, published in the journal Pediatric Dentistry, children ages 7 to 11 compared four food groups: raisins, bran flakes, commercially marketed raisin bran cereal and a mix of bran flakes with raisins lacking any added sugar. Sucrose, or table sugar, and sorbitol, a sugar substitute often used in diet foods, were also tested as controls. Children chewed and swallowed the test foods within two minutes. The acid produced by the plaque bacteria on the surface of their teeth was measured at intervals. All test foods except the sorbitol solution promoted acid production in dental plaque over 30 minutes, with the largest production between 10 to 15 minutes.

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Preschoolers in child care centers not active enough Many young children in child care centers are not getting as much active playtime as they should, according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A study published in the December issue of the journal Pediatrics found only 13.7 percent of child care centers in North Carolina offered 120 minutes of active playtime during the school day. Researchers at the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention observed and reviewed physical activity and playtime practices and policies in 96 centers across the state. An earlier study by the same group developed the 120-minute

benchmark as part of best practice guidelines for promoting healthy weight. “We think that our guidelines are a starting point for child care centers looking to develop physical activity policies,” said Christina McWilliams, a research associate at the center and lead author of the study. “Unfortunately, a lot of the best practice guidelines are not being met in North Carolina.” However, the study also showed positive signs. In 82 percent of the centers, children were not sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time and about 56 percent of centers had a written policy on physical activity.

— Source: National Institutes of Health

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Emotional eating

Tap into mind and body practices proven to facilitate weight loss BY JOANNA GRAY Anyone who has ever made a beeline for candy bars, ice cream or a bag of chips when feeling sad, depressed or angry has experienced emotional eating. Unfortunately, not even the strictest diet will work for long if a person has not resolved the emotional issues behind his or her overeating. The good news is that emotional eaters can literally tap into mind/body practices that are proven to facilitate weight loss, as well as reduce stress and even bring about physical healing where traditional methods have failed. Diets work sporadically, sometimes not at all. So how did psychotherapist Annette Vaillancourt lose 70 pounds and keep it off for three years after years of struggling with self-admitted emotional eating? And how did Yolanda Comiskey, a practitioner of psychological kinesiology, finally lose that stubborn 15 pounds that she had once simply accepted as a normal part of aging? Vaillancourt, who practices in St. Louis and Carbondale, and Comiskey, who has an office in Carbondale, have foregone traditional diet plans for two mind/body practices – Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and PSYCH-K®. Instead of counting calories, tracking points or banishing carbs, they focus on dealing with the subconscious fears and blocking beliefs that sabotage efforts to lose weight.

Banish unhealthy cravings with EFT Vaillancourt describes EFT as a form of “emotional acupuncture.” Don’t worry. There aren’t any needles involved, just your own fingers. EFT is a mind/body therapy that involves gentle tapping on certain points of the body — around the face, neck and on the “karate chop” side of the hands — while

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focusing your mind on a food craving, disturbing thought or anything that is sabotaging your efforts to succeed at weight loss or any other goal. Before you start tapping, determine the intensity of your craving or upset on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the most intense you can imagine. This will help you determine your progress as you tap. As you begin tapping on the side of your hand, you repeat a set-up statement (“Even though I really want to eat this whole box of chocolates, I deeply love and accept myself.”) Then, using a shortened version of the set-up phrase, you tap on the other EFT points until you feel a shift in your energy and/or emotions. Most likely this shift in energy will show up as an urge to yawn or sigh. “At the end of an EFT tapping session, it’s very likely that the intense craving for chocolate will disappear,” Vaillancourt said. “If not, keep tapping until the intensity of the craving is zero. It’s important to be specific and persistent.” So your craving for chocolate is gone, but if you can’t cover up your emotional pain with food, what can you do? Start tapping. “You can deal with the emotional pain more directly using EFT,” Vaillancourt said. “Instead of using food to cover up or numb uncomfortable emotions, you can use EFT to reduce the intensity of the upset. For example, if you eat when you are lonely, you might use a tapping sequence on that. The set-up phrase might be: ‘Even though I’m feeling really lonely and I want to eat this bag of chips, I deeply love and accept myself.’” “EFT clearly demonstrates the principles of mind/body medicine,” Vaillancourt said.

Jan. 20, 2010

“It is based on the connection between your body’s subtle energies, your emotions and your thoughts. Using EFT, you can eliminate the emotional triggers and change the selflimiting beliefs that lead to emotional eating and sabotaging your weight loss success.”

Creating empowering beliefs with PSYCH-K® Comiskey once bought into the limiting belief that weight loss after menopause was next to impossible. Then she saw a video of Robert M. Williams, the originator of PSYCH-K®, explaining and demonstrating this unique mind/ body process. “I realized I had been looking for this my whole life,” Comiskey said. “I not only lost weight effortlessly, but also created other empowering beliefs related to who I am and what I can do in the world. PSYCH-K® opens up amazing opportunities to feel better.” PSYCH-K® stands for psychological kinesiology, a technique that Comiskey, now an Advanced PSYCH-K® facilitator, says “gently rewrites the ‘software’ of your subconscious mind and changes your life.” For emotional eaters and yo-yo dieters, PSYCH-K® can help them change the negative,

defeating thoughts about weight loss — and repeated failures — and “reprogram” limiting beliefs into empowering ones. Like EFT, PSYCH-K® doesn’t involve any needles or pain, just the mystery of the mind/ body connection. As a PSYCH-K® facilitator, Comiskey helps her clients access the subconscious through the body’s muscle system. Read a detailed description of a PSYCH-K® session on Comiskey’s Web site, www.consciousfreedom.net. If weight loss is the goal, some of the limiting beliefs that can be overcome with PSYCH-K often sound like this: “I’ll never be able to lose

EFT is a mind/body therapy that involves gentle tapping on certain points of the body — around the face, neck and on the ‘karate chop’ side of the hands — while focusing your mind on a food craving, disturbing thought or anything that is sabotaging your efforts to succeed at weight loss or any other goal. ART SERVICES

“So I started doing the EFT tapping. By the time I got home the intensity of my hunger had gone down, and I was able to control my food portions and be satisfied.� Using EFT, Collins has also learned to control the chronic back pain that had gotten increasingly worse over the past 10 years. Through EFT tapping sessions, she discovered that her back pain worsened whenever she was suppressing her true feelings or needs. Now, Collins is more conscious of what she really wants and how she feels – and her back pain has subsided for the first time in many years. “With Yolanda and Annette, and between EFT and PSYCH-KŽ, I feel so much more empowered because I can do something to help myself,� Collins said. “Going to doctors just wasn’t doing it for me. Physical therapy helped a little bit, but they can’t get inside your head. EFT and PSYCH-KŽ really changed my life.�

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weight after menopause.� “There’s never enough food for me.� “I need to lose 50 To learn more about EFT and PSYCH-KŽ and get information pounds to look good again.� on upcoming workshops, visit www.gotstressgethelp.com New, empowering beliefs would sound like this: “I easily lose weight even after and www.consciousfreedom.net. menopause.� “There is an abundance of food available to me and I eat what I need to satisfy my hunger.� “I allow my body to PSYCH-KŽ could help her identify and overcome her emotional reach my ideal weight.� issues around food. “With PSYCH-KŽ, you install a new empowering belief,� “I’ve discovered, like many other people, that to me food is love, Comiskey said. “That old belief is still in there, but because you’ve and that’s one of the reasons why I overeat,� Collins said. “I didn’t done PSYCH-KŽ and shifted the energy to create a new neural pathway in the mind, all energy will choose to follow new pathway get much love as a child, and I ate a lot then, but my metabolism instead of the old. It’s just like a path through the grass. If you stop kept me skinnier than a rail. Now, when I overeat I put on a lot of weight. Using EFT and PSYCH-KŽ, I’m learning how to not walking on that path, the grass is going to grow back. Eventually fill that emptiness with food. I have love now and I don’t need to the neural pathways with the older, limiting beliefs become overeat.� inactive.� Collins once believed what the medical profession told her “PSYCH-KŽ helps you answer the question, why do I keep sabotaging myself?� Comiskey said. “The process brings into focus – that it was next to impossible to lose weight because she has hypothyroidism. But PSYCH-KŽ sessions with Comiskey has what is in the way of reaching your weight loss goal, or any life turned around that limiting belief and more. When she works goal. When emotional eating is the issue, you might be surprised with Comiskey on PSYCH-KŽ balancing, Collins noted that to find that what you really want has nothing to do with food. she knows that her subconscious beliefs are shifting in the right Also, sometimes food is just a way of self-medicating.� direction when she feels a slight energetic release, sometimes a deep sigh or a feeling of total relaxation. Maggie’s story “I’ve started to lose some weight, but I’m still working on the Ever since she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, Margaret other reasons why I want to overeat. Yolanda has been able to “Maggie� Collins of DeSoto, has felt that her body has turned bring out those issues in our PSYCH-KŽ sessions, and it’s like a against her. Once active and fit, Collins gained a lot of weight, light bulb comes on over my head. It’s like, yeah, that makes a lot which also contributed to worsening her chronic lower back of sense.� pain. After trying and failing at many organized diet programs, Every day, Collins also uses the EFT practices she learned from she attended “A Better Weigh: Change Subconscious Beliefs that Vaillancourt to help her get past food cravings and stick to her Sabotage Your Success,� a workshop conducted by Vaillancourt new, healthy eating plan that focuses on portion control. “I was and Comiskey last summer. There she learned how EFT and coming home a few days ago, and I was so hungry,� she said.

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A better way to a healthy lifestyle “With EFT and PSYCH-KŽ, anyone can create new beliefs and change their reality,� Comiskey said. “You can reprogram your limiting beliefs into something positive and successful.� In the case of weight loss, Comiskey and Vaillancourt both emphasize that it’s not about will power or dieting, but rather putting your subconscious in alignment with the changes you want to make that will lead to a healthier lifestyle, both emotionally and physically, and allowing those changes to happen effortlessly and automatically. “When I began to change what I thought was possible for me, challenge the old beliefs, deal more directly with my feelings through EFT, and listen to my body’s signals and wisdom, I began to lose weight effortlessly,� Vaillancourt said. “EFT and PSYCH-K can help anyone get in touch with their inner healer and direct their own process for weight loss. You don’t need the guilt and shame or all the external rules perpetuated by diet industry.�

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Magnesium Nature’s body and mind relaxer

The best way to get magnesium is through foods, including fresh green vegetables, fresh nuts and seeds, legumes and unprocessed grains. If you and your doctor decide a supplement is good, make sure it’s a high-quality form of chelated magnesium found in health stores. ART SERVICES BY WILLIAM ATKINSON If you suffer from muscle pain, there could be several causes, but the first to consider is that your body might be low in magnesium. “Magnesium is extremely important for a whole host of enzymatic and cellular reactions,” said Linda Hostalek, D.O., of Holistic Healing Arts in Herrin and Pomona, who, before becoming a physician, was a cellular biologist. “Almost every cell needs magnesium,” Hostalek said. “It is also important for DNA and RNA, which provides growth and repair in the body.” According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, physician and author of “The Miracle of Magnesium,” one important function of magnesium is to relax muscles and thus reduce muscle pain and tension, which is often caused by excess levels of calcium. The body is set up such that calcium helps to tense and contract muscles, so they can provide strength and tension functions for the body. Magnesium, on the other hand, is designed to relax muscles, so they

don’t become chronically tense and contracted. The body’s use of calcium and magnesium is interesting. The bones and the muscles use both minerals. If the body is low in calcium, the muscles will pull calcium from the bones, so the muscles can maintain their strength functions, thus leaving the bones calcium-depleted. However, if the body is low in magnesium, the bones will pull magnesium from the muscles, thus leaving the muscles magnesium-depleted. The result is a common affliction these days: People with muscles that have more than enough calcium but often very little magnesium, resulting in chronic muscle pain and spasms. Magnesium serves other functions. Low levels of magnesium can cause heart arrhythmias. According to Dean, magnesium helps regulate the heart and maintain its proper electrical balance. Proper levels of magnesium can also reduce blood pressure, by

reducing blood vessel spasm, dilating blood vessels, improving blood vessel elasticity and relaxing the muscles around the blood vessels.

Are you magnesium-deficient? While it is difficult to become calcium-deficient because calcium is so abundant in today’s food supply, it is very easy to become magnesiumdeficient. Magnesium has been depleted from the soils of our mechanized farms, depleted in fruits and vegetables that are fertilized with potassium and phosphorus, depleted during food processing and even depleted when food is boiled. According to Dean, sugar and high fructose corn syrup cause magnesium depletion by increasing its excretion in the urine. Alcohol also blocks magnesium absorption. Stress also reduces magnesium levels, because the adrenaline generated by stress flushes magnesium from the body in the urine. Exercise and sweating also

reduce magnesium levels. In general, older people tend to be magnesium-deficient, because they are less able to absorb magnesium than younger people, and they also excrete more magnesium in their urine. You might be magnesium-deficient if you suffer from one or more of these problems: muscular symptoms (tremors, tightness, spasm, pain, cramps, twitching, jerks, or tics); high blood pressure; anxiety; or insomnia. Of course, any or all of these problems could have dozens of other causes, but, until you build up your magnesium levels to normal, you will never know for sure.

Rebuilding magnesium levels The ideal ratio of calcium to magnesium in the body is 1-to-1. According to Dean, though, a common ratio these days is 10-to-1. However, before you go out and start gulping handfuls of magnesium supplements, there are some things to know: The ideal source of magnesium is in foods that naturally contain magnesium. “Obviously, it is always better if

you get nutrition from your foods,” Hostalek said. These include: fresh green vegetables, fresh nuts and seeds, legumes and unprocessed grains, such as barley and buckwheat flour. (As you can see by this list of “unpopular” foods, it is no wonder that most people are magnesium-deficient these days.) Another problem, according to Hostalek, is that food sources, especially if they are not organic, may contain insufficient quantities of magnesium. “Today’s foods have a fraction of the nutrients they did 50 years ago, because the farm soils have been depleted of most of the nutrients that they once had,” she explained. While it is difficult to overdose on magnesium, because the kidneys excrete excess amounts, if you have any kidney problems, you should not take magnesium supplements without checking with your physician first. Even for healthy people, it is not wise to supplement with more than 400 mg. per day. If you do opt for supplements, don’t bother with the cheap magnesium oxide supplements sold in many stores. They are virtually useless. A better form is “chelated magnesium,”

Before beginning any program that will alter your health, you must consult with your physician, especially if you are being treated for any kind of illness or medical problems. 8

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sometimes called “magnesium asporotates.” You may only be able to find these at health food and vitamin stores. Hostalek, who recommends magnesium supplements for some people, prefers those that are in whole food supplement form. “Most supplements contain chemical-based magnesium, which doesn’t provide the benefits you receive from taking it in food form,” she explains. “My favorite form of supplementation is magnesium lactate. One good source is from Standard Process.” Finally, don’t be in a hurry for results. It can take between six weeks and six months before you see results, because, at first, most of the magnesium you take will be used by the bones. Only when the bones have enough will the magnesium be available for your muscles, your heart, and your blood supply.

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Ginkgo biloba seems not to slow cognitive decline

analysis of data nearly two decades old that tracked the activities of more than 1,000 physically active men and women in their 70s who were described as reasonably high-functioning. Those who spent time volunteering were less likely to become frail, a physical diminishing that sometimes happens among the elderly. “Of course, this certainly does not prove that volunteering prevents frailty,” cautioned Dr. Catherine Sarkisian, an associate professor of geriatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. “This was an observational study. But this suggests that maybe there is something about working to help other people — and getting outside yourself — that has benefits for the elderly, both mentally and physically.” Sarkisian, who is also a staff physician with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, and her fellow researchers assessed the degree of frailty among the participants based on five criteria: weight loss, weakness in grip strength, exhaustion, slow movement and low levels of physical activity. About 3 percent of the participants had been classified as frail at the start of the study, and after three years, the number had risen to 7 percent. After accounting for such factors as age, cognitive function and disability, the researchers found that neither paid work nor child care appeared to protect against the onset of frailty. However, volunteering was associated with a reduced risk for becoming frail, they concluded. Their findings were published in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.

Older adults who used the herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba for several years did not have a slower rate of cognitive decline compared to adults who received placebo, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Ginkgo biloba is marketed widely and used with the hope of improving, preventing, or delaying cognitive impairment associated with aging and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease,” the authors write. “Indeed, in the United States and particularly in Europe, G biloba is perhaps the most widely used herbal treatment consumed specifically to prevent agerelated cognitive decline.” However, evidence from large clinical trials regarding its effect on long-term cognitive functioning is lacking. Beth E. Snitz of the University of Pittsburgh and colleagues analyzed outcomes from the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study to determine if G biloba slowed the rate of cognitive decline in older adults who had normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at the beginning of the study. The GEM study previously found that G biloba was not effective in reducing the incidence of Alzheimer dementia or dementia overall. — Source: American Medical Association

Volunteering might keep the elderly stronger longer Volunteering one’s time and energy might help stave off frailty among the elderly. The notion is drawn from a fresh

— Source: HealthDay News

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his health Smoking a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis Smoking is a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a new analysis of 16 studies confirms. The effect is especially strong in men and heavy smokers, the researchers found. And men who tested positive for rheumatoid factor (RF), a self-attacking antibody found in about 80 percent of RA patients, were at even higher risk if they smoked. Research over the past two decades has linked smoking to RA, especially in men, Dr. S. Kumagai of Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in Kobe, Japan and his colleagues write. Men who were current smokers were at nearly double the risk of RA, Kumagai and colleagues found, and the effect was roughly the same in ever- and past smokers. When the researchers looked at RF-positive RA, they found male smokers were at nearly four-fold risk of the disease, while risk was tripled in ever-smokers and about 2.5 times greater for past smokers. Smoking also increased RA risk in women, but to a lesser degree. — Source: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, January 2010

pet health Pet ďŹ rst aid supplies checklist As a pet owner, you need to make sure to have basic first aid supplies for your pets in your household. Carefully putting together a well-provisioned first aid kit will make you more ready to deal with a medical emergency if one confronts you for your dog, cat or other pet. Have this kit in the house and fully stocked with supplies at all times, next to the first aid kit for your family. Many of the items in a family first aid kit can be used for pets, too. Print checklist, phone numbers and your pet’s medical record (including medications and vaccination history) Veterinarian: Emergency veterinary clinic: Animal Poison Control Center: 888-4ANIHELP (888-426-4435) (there may be a fee for this call) You need to know these numbers before you need them. If you do not know the number of the emergency clinic in your area, ask your veterinarian or go to the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society Web site for a searchable list of emergency clinics by state. Gauze for wrapping wounds or muzzling the injured animal Nonstick bandages, towels, or strips of clean cloth to control bleeding or protect wounds

Adhesive tape for bandages for securing the gauze or bandage; do not use human adhesive bandages (eg, Band-AidsÂŽ) on pets Milk of magnesia or activated charcoal to absorb poison. Always contact your veterinarian or local poison control center before inducing vomiting or treating an animal for poison. Hydrogen peroxide (3 percent) to induce vomiting. Never induce vomiting or treat an animal for poison before contacting your veterinarian or local poison control center. Digital thermometer to check your pet’s temperature. You will need a “feverâ€? thermometer because the temperature scale of regular thermometers doesn’t go high enough for pets. Do not insert a thermometer in your pet’s mouth; the temperature must be taken rectally. Eye dropper (or large syringe without needle) to give oral treatments or ush wounds Muzzle (in an emergency a rope, necktie, soft cloth, nylon stocking, small towel may be used) to cover your pet’s head. If your pet is vomiting, do not muzzle it! Leash to transport your pet if your pet is capable of walking without further injury. Stretcher to stabilize the injured animal and prevent further injury during transport. In an emergency a door, board, blanket or oor mat can be used. — Source: National Institutes of Health

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First Response more sensitive than other at-home pregnancy tests A new article published in the peer-reviewed journal Women’s Health emphasizes the importance of early pregnancy detection. Using research conducted on behalf of Church & Dwight Co. Inc., the makers of First Response, the article reviews data that shows not all at-home pregnancy tests are created equal. First Response brand pregnancy tests are more sensitive and able to detect key variants of the pregnancy hormone better than other at home pregnancy tests. “The first days of pregnancy set the stage for healthy fetal development and a safe, healthy experience for mom,� said Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, study author and clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine. “By choosing a highly sensitive pregnancy test like First Response, a woman can confirm she is pregnant very early and begin to make healthy choices for herself and her fetus.� — Source: National Institutes of Health

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month This is the perfect time to remind the women you love to schedule their Pap test. This procedure can help detect abnormalities before they develop into cancer. Because of this test, the cervical cancer survival rate has increased to 70 percent. A well-proven way to prevent cervical cancer is to have testing (screening) to find precancers before they can turn into invasive cancer. The Pap test (or Pap smear) is the most common way to do this. If a precancer is found, it can be treated, stopping cervical cancer before it really starts. Because the HPV vaccine doesn’t protect against all of the HPV types that can cause cancer of the cervix, it cannot prevent all cases of cervical cancer. This is why it is very important that women continue to have Pap tests, even after they’ve been vaccinated. Most invasive cervical cancers are found in women who have not had regular Pap tests. The American Cancer Society recommends the following guidelines for early detection: All women should begin cervical cancer testing (screening) about three years after they start having sexual intercourse. A woman who waits until she is over 18 to have sex should start screening no later than age 21. A regular Pap test should be done every year. If a liquid-based Pap test is used instead, women should be tested every two years. — Source: American Cancer Society, Illinois Division

Women with partner, baby gain more Young women with a weight problem often say the weight started creeping up when they had their first child and they found they had less time to exercise. However, when researchers added up all factors, they found that the fact that a woman is married and has a baby has more inuence on weight gain than being

physically active. That is the key message from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, a 10-year study from the School of Human Movement Studies at the University of Queensland. The findings appear online and in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. “The weight gain appeared to start when they married, then worsened when they had their first child,� said lead author Wendy J. Brown. From 1996 to 2006, researchers periodically surveyed a randomly selected group of 6,458 Australian women ages 18 to 23 at study’s start. Brown said that young women ages 18 to 33 are gaining weight at a higher rate than their mother’s generation.

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The pill oers beneďŹ ts beyond birth control Along with preventing pregnancy, hormonal contraceptives also treat menstruation-related disorders such as severe menstrual pain and heavy menstrual bleeding, according to a new Practice Bulletin issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The bulletin also said that combined contraceptives containing both estrogen and progesterone reduce the risk of endometrial, ovarian and colorectal cancer. Other benefits include prevention of menstrual migraines, treatment of pelvic pain caused by endometriosis and treatment of bleeding because of fibroids. “We’ve known for many years that hormonal contraceptives have health advantages beyond preventing pregnancy,â€? Dr. Robert L. Reid, who led the development of the bulletin, said in a news release from the organization.

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