August Newsletter
Hi everyone,
I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer filled with all kinds of warm weather fun! I have scheduled several backpacking trips but so far two have been either canceled or full. One involved hiking up and down almost 10,000 feet. I am not really sure I was really up for that, so I am not totally unhappy it was canceled.
This month I wanted to go over some new things with you. First of all there are:
New Things at the office
How’s your posture?
Are you finding that you have the furniture disease? Your chest is falling into your drawers? All kidding aside, go to the mirror and check out your posture. Are there any irregularities? If there are, they could have relatively great importance for you. Posture is one thing that changes as we age. Poor posture can make us look years older. It also has a very negative affect on the rest of the body because the spinal nerves which convey nerve impulses to the rest of the body experience decreased nerve flow due to poor posture. Nerve flow to the whole body is diminished by rounded backs and other than upright carriage.
Fortunately there is a relatively easy way to correct poor posture. It involves a simple posture check and a quick painless correction. Come try it out and see how easy it is. Try it out. You will be impressed with the results.
New machine – The Terminator
I have a new machine with the unfortunate name of The Terminator. I should have a contest to rename it. It makes a lot of noise but is quite effective at breaking up muscular tension. Come and check it out for yourself.
For the rest of the month of August, I am featuring these two services free of charge to introduce you to them. If you would like to experience either or both of them just make a 15 minute appointment.
Women in the Middle years/Men in the Middle years
As we age our bodies, and therefore, our needs, undergo many changes. There is change due to the different stages of life we go through (puberty, pregnancy, menopause, andropause to name a few) and changes related simply to aging (organ systems losing function over time). The middle years are the threshold to later years and can be pivotal in terms of the health experienced during those later years. It behooves us to take stock of our situation early on rather than sliding into later years oblivious and unprepared. I often hear people, who have just turned 40 or 50, say that all of a sudden they are “falling apart”. While I doubt that is truly happening, they are certainly noticing changes relative to their age and previous neglect. I hope you don’t fall into that category.
As a way to evaluate future health, I have developed a checklist of concerns for women in the middle years and one for men in the middle years. They have some features in common, but obviously because of the hormonal differences between men and women, there are differences in the lists as well. If you would like to go over a checklist with me, it will point you in the direction of a healthier older age. You will also experience improvement in the present. Depending on your situation, this might involve some laboratory tests. I can suggest the appropriate time for different forms of testing by your age, previous history and current symptoms. Consider making this investment in your current and future health – you will be glad you did!
Sicko
When I first heard of the documentary Sicko I knew I wanted to see it. I finally got my chance. I have to say it was quite an experience in ways which were totally unforeseen. Being very healthy, I have never had problems with health insurance as I never get sick. When I have, fortunately I have known enough about the medical system to be able to navigate it successfully. Also, fortunately my case was straight forward enough or I was pushy enough/or both, so I achieved the desired outcome at no cost (Kaiser can be great!). However, I became aware, after recently changing to Blue Cross insurance, that I had a plan that is difficult to get as you have to be really healthy. I felt really proud that I had gotten this insurance until I found out that Blue Cross makes their highest profit on this particular insurance product (27%). That was quite deflating as the insurance is after all, just major medical and still costs about $200/mo. I used to pay $65 for the same sort of product and that has been in the last 7 years. The jump in the price of coverage has been phenomenal – which is not news to you. None of this was Michael Moore’s thesis however; he was just looking at our health care system versus that of Canada, England, France, and Cuba. What hit home, though, was the level of care, in general, that the French, for instance, are enjoying: childcare, healthcare, even someone to do your wash, (all free) maternity leave of 6 months, etc. Now, their tax rate is approaches 50% as does Cuba’s and England’s highest is 40%, but ours is 30%. And what percentage of your income do you pay for health insurance, childcare, maternity leave and the wash? Do you have those things? Apparently they do in France.
I must admit to feeling like I would rather be living overseas; probably not in Cuba but France would do. Of course, I don’t know what I could do to practice there. I don’t know that I would be included in the national health care system, but worth checking out.
I experienced, for a short time, a delicious feeling of freedom, of the possibility of a simple, enjoyable life, of assistance for the asking.
As it happened, the commentary in the Perspective of the Sunday paper was written by an ER doctor who worked for a hospital in a poor part of Chicago. The story revolved around a patient who was brought into his ER at 4 am.due to an accident that happened nearby. Because he was brought to that particular hospital, and not the other one close by, (in a more affluent and predominately white area), he was destined to suffer disfigurement due to the death of 2/3rds of his scalp (which arrived separately in a bag). The doctor decried the fact that modern medicine is perfectly capable of reestablishing one’s scalp, but there is a time deadline involved, which passed when his efforts to find an expert to do the job proved fruitless (the expert capable of such a job worked at the other hospital and couldn’t be reached by phone in time). The ER doctor further decried the fact that Michael Moore only fleetingly mentioned the disparity in medical treatment based on race and relative wealth. I think I can understand why Moore did what he did. I understand there have been coffees already set up to discuss this movie and I have seen a billboard put up by a group of nurses. By engaging the middle class (those who can afford insurance, no matter how unsecure it ultimately is) he assured some action would take place. Obviously monetary and race disparity has occurred for years with little or no resolution of unequal medical care. With the middle class up in arms about the insurance industry’s malfeasance, some action is more or less assured.
Where do you stand on this important issue? Have you seen Sicko? I recommend it wholeheartedly. It is much more than a thought provoking movie.
Are you avoiding the “dirty dozen”?
Based on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) analysis of over 43,000 pesticide residue tests of conventional produce, 90% of pesticides can be avoided by shunning the “dirty dozen” foods. These include: peaches (97% were contaminated), apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce and potatoes. The following foods were consistently clean: onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwis, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and papayas. According to EWG senior vice president Richard Wiles “Federal produce tests tell us that some fruits and vegetables are so likely to be contaminated with pesticides that you should always buy them organic. Others are so consistently clean that you can eat them with less concern.” You can download your own wallet-sized shopper’s guide at www.foodnews.org.
Sad News
I am sure you have seen the news about the man who left his baby in the car parked in front of his workplace (Siemen’s) for 6 hours. He had forgotten the child as it was not his normal routine to take the child to daycare, and, being an engineer, he was very preoccupied. Can you imagine the horrendous feeling of finding your child dead in your car, especially if you left him there? When I first read about it I thought it incredibly sad.
As a Stress Management teacher, I see many people who are very stressed. Usually they are stressed by the boss from hell, the job from hell or relatives with difficult situations. It seems as though the Siemen’s workplace is the second category. I can see the situation that my students are in when they fall into that category. They are beset by unending torment. From all accounts this man (Danny Takemoto) was very conscientious and a terrific father. According to relatives and friends he just would not have intentionally harmed his children. And yet this tragedy occurred.
What could be done to prevent a situation like this? I am currently reading a book called Mindfulness and Money, by two Buddhists. It looks at several people who work at Buddhist companies run following the 5 precepts:
Refrain from taking life. – cultivate loving kindness
Don’t take what hasn’t been freely given to you – develop generosity.
Avoid sexual misconduct – cultivate contentment
Don’t lie – be honest.
Refrain from intoxication – be more aware.
The workers also agree to some basic ground rules for their conduct. They pledge to themselves and to the others they work with to:
Speak only what’s truthful and useful.
Refrain from gossip.
Refrain from unnecessary interruptions.
Speak kindly and gently.
Speak humbly not arrogantly.
Now, obviously there are other potential factors involved, i.e. horrendous work load, grueling competition for scarce jobs, or impending layoffs, but what would your workplace be like if these rules were agreed to? Would men like Danny Takemoto be supported in their work, able to live a life with much less stress, thus avoiding the tragedy that occurred recently? I think we would be all better off if we did.
I hope you enjoyed this newsletter and will continue to enjoy the summer!!
All my best to you!
