Today, we’re going to discuss ways to radically increase your “brain power.” First, exercise can keep your brain sharp as you age. A new study has demonstrated that a program of exercise can, over the course of a year, increase the size of your hippocampus, the part of the brain that is involved in memory forming, organizing and storing. The hippocampus often shrinks in late adulthood, leading to memory impairment.

Regular exercise can also improve the ability of overweight children to think, plan and even do math. Tests have shown that previously inactive children who start to exercise, experience increased brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, an area associated with complex thinking, decision making and correct social behavior. The more they exercise, the better the result. About two-thirds of all Americans are now overweight or obese, and about one-third of all our children. This alone should motivate people enough to get moving, but the statistical numbers keep going in the wrong direction year after year.

Not only are we as Americans growing larger, we're also suffering more disease and degeneration as a result of this. Nearly 25 percent of adults suffer from type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes is now one of the most common chronic conditions affecting children below the age of 20. We can now add a decrease in brain power and brain function to the list of afflictions directly related to the fattening of America. Not only does cognitive function rise in both children and older adults when they stick to an exercise program, but your blood sugar stabilizes and your insulin levels also normalize.

Simply put, normalizing your insulin levels is an important factor for optimizing your overall health and preventing disease of all kinds, from diabetes, to heart disease, to cancer, and everything in between. I actually view exercise as a drug, because of its power to effect beneficial change on a diseased body. While the consensus is no single cause can be blamed for the alarming increase in neurological diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's or age-related dementia, or Attention Deficit Disorder or Autism-spectrum disorders in our children, a sedentary lifestyle now appears to be at least a contributing factor.

There are some suspected contributors to the rise in neurological disorders. First and foremost are some common and widespread man-made chemicals lurking in your food supply, including artificial sweeteners like aspartame, pesticides and MSG. Avoiding these and other synthetic chemicals as much as possible will help to lower your chances of becoming one of the unfortunate people who suffer from a neurological disorder. But one of the best things you can do for your brain as a preventative measure is to keep active through exercise. According to other research, those who said they had engaged in moderate exercise such as brisk walking, aerobics, yoga, strength training or swimming in their 40s, 50s and beyond were less apt to have mild cognitive impairment. As you age, you don't want to find yourself facing cognitive impairment.

New studies show that moderate exercise can reverse normal brain shrinkage by two percent, effectively reversing age-related hippocampus degeneration by one to two years. Also the people in the control group who didn't exercise saw an average of 1.4 percent decrease in hippocampus size. When these researchers say the hippocampus region of the brain increases in size as a response to exercise, they are talking about a powerful tool to fight the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The hippocampus, which is considered the memory center of your brain, is the first region of your brain to suffer shrinkage and impairment at the onset of Alzheimer's disease, leading to memory problems and disorientation..

Besides reversing the normal shrinkage of aging brains, exercise also helps younger brains grow stronger in the first place. Researchers hypothesize that the human brain responds to exercise by increasing growth factors that lead to more blood vessels, more neurons and more connections between the neurons, all of which can lead to a healthier brain. According to these new studies, this lack of exercise in our schools might be producing not only less active brains in our children, but also less developed brain regions that control complex thinking and social behavior. Getting our children moving again might be just what we need to help turn the tide on the alarming rise of attention deficit related disorders currently afflicting our youth.

There are many different types of exercise to let you start immediately, and they all provide benefits that extend well beyond benefitting your brain. When you're planning your exercise routine, try to incorporate the following types of exercise:

• Aerobic: Jogging, using an elliptical machine and walking fast are all examples of aerobic exercise. This is the most common type of exercise being done and the one I would caution people if you are aging and arthritis is a factor. If this is your case get your doctors permission for aerobic exercise.

· Interval training or burst type training, can dramatically improve your cardiovascular fitness and fat-burning capabilities. So, short bursts of activity done at a very high intensity can help you reach your optimal weight and level of fitness, in a shorter amount of time.

· Strength Training: Rounding out your exercise program with a 1-set strength training routine will ensure that you're really optimizing the possible health benefits of a regular exercise program. You need enough repetitions to exhaust your muscles. The weight should be heavy enough that this can be done in fewer than 12 repetitions, yet light enough to do a minimum of four repetitions. It’s also important NOT to exercise the same muscle groups every day. They need at least two days of rest to recover, repair and rebuild.

In closing, you also want to keep your brain active and engaged, because the saying "use it or lose it" really does apply when it comes to keeping your brain fit. An example of keeping your brain engaged is reading a daily newspaper, doing a weekly crossword puzzle, solving Sudoku or other brain teasers..

Your brain is meant to last you a lifetime, but it will degenerate and decay if you fail to take the proper steps to care for it. Getting enough exercise, keeping your brain active and protecting it from the wrong kinds of foods while feeding it the foods it thrives on should keep your brain active and healthy well into your senior years and help you avoid common brain diseases. Exercise can keep your brain sharp as you age.

Regular exercise can also improve the ability of overweight children to think, plan and even do math, according to other recent research. MRIs have shown that previously inactive children who start to exercise experience increased brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, an area associated with complex thinking, decision making and correct social behavior.

The more they exercise, the better the result.

Today, we’re going to talk about one of my favorite subjects – exercise. I’ve discussed exercise before, so we know I enjoy it. I started my sophomore year in high school as a very skinny kid. I wanted to begin exercising to get stronger and gain weight,, which I know is the last thing most people want hear.

Of course, exercise is one reason for maintaining your proper weight. Exercise is important and crucial for weight loss, but this is not only because it helps you to burn calories. About 80 percent of your ability to achieve an ideal body weight is related to your food choices, and new research shows that exercise may make it easier for you to make healthy food choices

Many benefits of exercise include prevention of heart disease, diabetes and depression.

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One of your brain's many responsibilities, or "executive functions," is referred to as "inhibitory control." This is what helps you to keep inappropriate or unhealthy behaviors under control, such as making you think twice before eating a gallon of ice cream for breakfast. Since we are all inundated with temptations around the clock, this function is under constant strain. Plus, it has only limited capacity and will grow fatigued with overuse, similar to your muscles. The end result is reduced will power to control impulsive behaviors, such as binging on junk food.

Exercise significantly affects your brain., Exercise, it turns out, helps to enhance your brain's resources for executive functions like inhibitory control, making it easier for you to resist unhealthy food and instead choose healthy options that will further your weight loss goals. Exercise to your brain is also like food for your stomach. Your brain and body need exercise.

Exercise enhances your brain's control center, making it easier to eat healthy. Often regular exercise and a healthy diet go hand-in-hand, and this may not be a coincidence. I believe once you start exercising and seeing the results it definitely makes you want to continue and see further progress. You won’t be able to do that while eating Big Macs.

I believe that there is not one exercise for everyone. Some people are runners and some people are yoga people and some people are weightlifters. If you just starting out try everything and see what works best for you. I am a firm believer of varying your routine as much as possible just to you work muscles in different ways. For example running twice a week, swimming twice a week and doing yoga twice a week would be a great way to really vary your exercise regimen. There's also helps prevent burnout. People would choose to do one exercise over and over tend to get bored and may not push it is hard as they should. I also recommend varying the intensity of your workouts. For example if you are a runner, take one workout per week and do a tempo workout or sprints. Really get into the high heart rate area and stress that heart and lungs really well. This also works with weight lifting. Take one day per week and lift short repetitions with high weight. This gets your muscles used to very heavy weight and is a good way to varying your workout.

There are several foods that can sabotage your workout efforts. First of all, I want to dispose of the lie that because you exercise doesn't mean you can go out any junk food. So many people think that if you exercise on a regular basis that gives your permission the horrible foods. That is not the case. If you want to see a drastic change in your health make sure your exercising regularly and eating well. Things that sabotage your workout efforts would include junk food, high fructose corn syrup especially drinking soda, excessive sugar, excessive carbohydrates and trans fats. Especially stay away from those energy drinks .Just make sure you’re getting plenty of organic meats, organic fruits and vegetables and a panic nuts and seeds And keep in mind the best thing to drink is plain water.

What you do eat after your workout is crucial to stop the catabolic process in your muscle and shift the recycling process toward repair and growth. If you fail to feed your muscle at the right time after exercise, the catabolic process will go too far and can potentially damage your muscle. So ideally you should EAT within 30 minutes after your workout, and your meal should include fast-assimilating proteins, such as high-quality protein. Your meal after your workout should be the best meal of your day. Make sure your getting high-quality fruits and vegetables and organic protein. Personally, I have an apple, a sandwich with organic turkey and some nuts.

If you really want to be successful in an exercise regimen it is best to find a partner and do it together. This can be a spouse or a friend. Keep in mind you don't have to do every workout together every day but it is best to do a few workouts together each week to keep yourself accountable and keep it fun and interesting. If you look at the show, “The Biggest Loser”. That's one of the ways it makes it so successful. They get many people working out together and actually have weekly contests and challenges that the contestants participate in. This, of course, will be successful in seeing who will lose the most weight during that week.

For more information about diet and weight control, email corbettchiro@gmail.com or contact the office at 507.645.8846.

Today, we’re going to revisit the subject of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. With the tremendous growth in technology, almost everyone is susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome since we use a computer keyboard, whether it’s at home, at work or both. When we use a keyboard, we receive micro-traumas to our hands and wrists. Vibration and repetitive motions, when combined with spinal problems and other joint dysfunction, can result in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be caused by the cumulative damage of repetitive wrist and hand motions. Symptoms include pain, numbness, tingling in the thumb and index finger and middle finger, weakness or a loss of strength in the hands. The major nerve controlling the thumb, index, and parts of the middle, and ring finger is called the median nerve. The median nerve runs from your spine and neck area all the way to your first three digits. Problems can develop in one or more of these areas.

The “carpal tunnel” is formed by bones in the wrist and a ligament. Like a bow and a string. The bones are like the bow and the tendon is like the string. The median nerve, tendons, and blood vessels pass through this opening. If one or more of the bones forming this tunnel should "collapse" this reduces the amount of space in the tunnel and nerve pressure, and painful symptoms can result. Or chronic use of the tendons that go through the tunnel can get inflamed and swell up. This also reduces the amount of space in the tunnel and puts pressure on the median nerve and causes the symptoms as well.

Many people believe that “carpal tunnel” was pain running down the arm as well, but that would not be considered carpal tunnel syndrome. That would most likely means a “double crush injury. This is where the nerve is pinched in more than one area including the neck, shoulder, elbow or wrist.

The diagnosis for carpal tunnel includes A careful consultation, examination, x-rays and possible an MRI scan. Chiropractors are experts in the care of the bones, nerves, muscles and connective tissues that make up about 60 percent of your body. All of the joints in your body are part of this muscular-skeletal system and its optimal function is necessary for overall good health.

To begin a diagnosis, first, I would do a thorough examination. Depending on the findings, I would perform adjustments where needed to help normalize structure and reduce nerve irritation. Other options may include specific spinal adjustments, the Graston technique, cold laser, exercise recommendations, nutritional advice or other conservative methods of care based on your health history, age, current condition and lifestyle. Specific chiropractic adjustments can also help return malfunctioning joints to a more normal motion and position. When given time, conservative chiropractic care has produced excellent results with carpal tunnel problems - without drugs or surgery.

Today, we’re going to talk about flying. That’s right – flying. Because flying offers many opportunities to get sick or fee bad, I want to give you several tips that will keep you well and have a nice, healthy family visit instead of a miserable one.

Today, we’re going to complete the discussion we began last week on “Fluzone High-Dose," a new high-­powered influenza vaccine that was created specifically for seniors, 65 and older. We talked about some of the vaccine side effects and why seniors were vaccinated with a significantly higher dosage that the regular flu vaccine flavor of the day, “Fluzone.” Let’s discuss some alternatives to the vaccine.

One solution lies in maintaining a robust immune system. Most of our listeners know that getting adjusted on a regular basis helps keep your immune system strong and healthy. So I certainly recommend getting your spine checked and getting adjusted regularly.

To help avoid the flu at home, I would really recommend washing your hands often throughout the day is a good idea. Especially if you been in contact with someone who has been sick. But more importantly, do not touch your face after being in contact with someone who has been sick. Overall, your hands are very poor environment for a virus to survive. Virus is love oral cavities that are warm and moist, your mouth, nose and eyes. If you're in contact with someone who is sick and you shake their hand don’t pick your teeth because that is a good way for you to get the virus inside your body. A good rule of thumb, don’t touch your face.

There are also two dietary things that I would recommend. First, I’d certainly recommend reducing or eliminating sugar and reducing or eliminating dairy. Dairy is a natural mucous enhancer. If you are stuffed up, the last thing you want to do is eat anything that will make you more stuffed up. So avoid dairy as best as possible.

Most people are aware of the fact that sugar suppresses immune system. This is very true but most people do not understand the mechanism of how this happens. There are receptors on membranes of every cell that allow sugar to get into the cell. Vitamin C and glucose (sugar) are almost identical. Consequently, the vitamin C uses the same receptor as sugar to get into the cell. Vitamin C is very important in the phagocytosis or the destruction of a virus. However, if all the receptors are filled out with sugar trying to get into the cell then vitamin C can’t get into the cell and you're going to be sicker longer. So I would certainly recommend a diet that is low in sugar and high in vitamin C.

Second, on a preventive measure, I recommend high doses of vitamin D to all our listeners. The best form of vitamin D is sunlight. However, in the fall winter and spring the sun is further away and we are not getting the amount of vitamin D our body needs. Consequently, vitamin D supplementation is an absolute must. I recommend getting about 35 IU (International Units) per pound of body weight. I weigh 200 pounds so I need about 7000 IU per day. Most people need a least 5000 IU per day. The best form of vitamin D has cotton liver oil. I also carry vitamin D in a liquid lanolin form. I also have a 5000 IU capsule.

The other dietary supplementation I recommend on a regular basis is probiotics. Most people have 3 to 4 pounds of good bacteria living in their digestive tract. This “flora” of good bacteria helps you digest food and fight infection. If you are eating sugar, drinking alcohol or eating nonorganic meats or on antibiotics of any kind this flora of good bacteria can be suppressed and consequently suppressing your immune system. Probiotics is a capsule filled with billions of good bacteria that help your body fight infection and digest food. Taking probiotics on a regular basis is a great way to prevent any type of cold or flu.

If you happen to get the flu, I would certainly recommend rest and get plenty of fluids. The most beneficial would be plain water. Again do not start drinking pop because most pop or soda is loaded with sugar. I don't know where it started, but for some reason when people get the flu they think 7-Up is the best thing did give. It's not what I recommend. Obviously, I would recommend getting plenty of rest. If you get the flu in most cases you don't have enough energy to stand up and get the phone. So listen to your body and just rest. I also recommend upping your vitamin D intake. Because most people don't like eating too much when they have the flu, a liquid vitamin D is very beneficial. The liquid vitamin D I recommend there is 1000 IUs in just two drops. Consequently, most people can get a few thousand international units of Vitamin D by taking this liquid drop form.

We also have a product called Ilex Formula which is an herbal remedy to help patients get over virus.

Also when you do get a fever, do NOT take anything to reduce it. I’ll repeat this. when you do get a fever, do NOT take anything to reduce it. Do you know why your body produces a fever?

Virus’ love 98.6 degrees temp. That is the temperature of your body right now. In order to reduce or kill a virus your body elevates its temperature to a 100, 101, 102 degrees. That elevated temperature kills the virus. So if you do something to artificially lower your temperature what does that do to the virus in your body? If you do get the flu and you treat it correctly, it should not last more than a day or two. I have many patients who get the flu and tell me they were sick for a week. This is certainly an indication that whatever they were doing to treat the flu was incorrect. They were most likely taking Tylenol or Advil to reduce the fever and prolonged the flu.

In closing, just remember, get plenty of fluids especially water, wash your hands often, don't touch your face, don't eat too much dairy or sugar, get adequate probiotics and vitamin D levels and get adjusted. This is all a very good recipe to stay healthy and avoid the flu this winter.

If you want to learn more about the flu and how to prevent it, call the office at 507.645.8846.

It’s flu season again, and I think it’s appropriate that we begin to discuss a new high-­powered influenza vaccine called "Fluzone High-Dose." This new flu vaccine was created specifically for seniors, 65 and older. In today’s blog, in part one of two, we’ll first examine the side effects of “Fluzone High-Dose” and next week we’ll examine alternatives to the vaccination and the flu.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been quick to reassure seniors that Fluzone is just as safe as regular seasonal flu vaccines. However, if you read the details on the CDC websiteHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, you will quickly realize that Fluzone may not be as safe as claimed.

Fluzone appears to cause more side effects, including fevers. According to the CDC and this is a direct quotation from the CDC website, "The safety profile of Fluzone High-Dose vaccine is similar to that of regular flu vaccines, although adverse events (which are also reported after regular flu vaccines) were reported more frequently after vaccination with Fluzone High-Dose. The most common adverse events experienced during clinical studies included pain, redness and swelling at the injection site and headache, muscle aches, fever and malaise.

One of the primary differences between the 'regular' Fluzone vaccine and Fluzone High-Dose for seniors is that the latter contains four times as much microbial antigen—the lab altered flu viruses - that prompt your body to produce antibodies to the three different influenza strains contained in the flu vaccine. The idea is that seniors need more antigens in order to provoke the desired immune response, because studies have found that the flu vaccine creates only a weak immune response in the elderly. In essence, they've realized that the flu vaccine does not work in the elderly, and the belief is that upping the dose will do the trick.

Fluzone High-Dose among persons age 65 years or older indicate that a stronger immune response (i.e. higher antibody levels) occurs after vaccination with Fluzone High-Dose. Whether or not the improved immune response leads to greater protection against influenza disease after vaccination is not yet known.  An ongoing study designed to determine the effectiveness of Fluzone High-Dose in preventing illness from influenza compared to Fluzone is expected to be completed in 2014-2015.

What this means is that for the next four years or so, seniors receiving this much more potent dose of the flu vaccine are participating in what amounts to an uncontrolled experiment. There is already admission that nobody knows whether it will actually prevent seniors from getting the flu or not!

According to the manufacturer's safety studies, compared to the regular Fluzone vaccine, the high-dose version not only resulted in more frequent reports of common adverse reactions, it also caused slightly higher rates of serious adverse events. A total of 6.1 percent of seniors injected with the regular Fluzone vaccine experienced a serious adverse event, compared to 7.4 percent of those receiving the high-dose version. Again and again, the data has concluded that flu vaccines do not appear to have any measurable benefit for children, adults, or seniors.

Take a look at these five “Cochrane Database Reviews,” published between 2006 and 2010, which call into serious question the claim that flu shots are the best way to stay healthy during the flu season.

The Cochrane states that "Over 200 viruses cause influenza and influenza-like illness, which produce the same symptoms (fever, headache, aches and pains, cough and runny noses). Without laboratory tests, doctors cannot tell the two illnesses apart. Both last for days and rarely lead to death or serious illness. At best, vaccines might be effective against only influenza A and B, which represent about 10 percent of all circulating viruses. Each year, the World Health Organization recommends which viral strains should be included in vaccinations for the forthcoming season. Each year, the World Health Organization recommends which viral strains should be included in vaccinations for the forthcoming season. Authors of this review assessed all trials that compared vaccinated people with unvaccinated people. The combined results of these trials showed that under ideal conditions (vaccine completely matching circulating viral configuration) 33 healthy adults need to be vaccinated to avoid one set of influenza symptoms.

In average conditions (partially matching vaccine) 100 people need to be vaccinated to avoid one set of influenza symptoms. Vaccine use did not affect the number of people hospitalized or working days lost but caused one case of Guillian‐Barré syndrome (a major neurological condition leading to paralysis) for every one million vaccinations."

Is it really worth risking the health and well-being of 100 people in order to prevent ONE case of the flu, which may or may not result in serious illness or death in that one individual to begin with?

That’s a good question and a good place to stop. Join us next week for part two, when we will examine alternatives for flu prevention. For questions or if you need more information about Fluzone High-Dose, contact our office at 507.645.8846.

Today, we’re going to discuss the increasingly controversial breast mammograms as well as introduce you to another technology not as well known, but one which can also help save lives. To give this discussion some context, keep in mind that cancer is now the number one killer in America. It passed heart disease as the number one killer a few years ago. And if you are a woman, breast cancer is the type of cancer you are most likely to get.

First, let me emphasize that mammograms have saved or prolonged thousands of lives. With rewards¸ however, come risks. Many believe that mammograms are the ideal screening tool to give you a warning stage before the cancer becomes far more difficult to treat. However, mammograms could potentially increase your risk of breast cancer.

That's why I’m cautious about recommending mammograms, despite what you may hear from other medical sources. Mammograms expose your body to radiation that can be 1,000 times greater than that from a chest x-ray -- this makes you unnecessarily vulnerable to further risks of radiation-induced cancer.

Additionally, mammography compresses the breasts tightly (and often painfully), which could lead to a lethal spread of any existing malignant cells. There is some research showing that adding an annual mammogram to a careful physical examination of the breasts does not improve breast cancer survival rates over getting the examination alone.

Fortunately, you now have some very effective options based on finding inflammation -- the precursor to many of these types of cancers. For the longest time, it wasn't well-known that inflammation was the culprit responsible for many chronic diseases. However, we now recognize that inflammation is a precursor to many diseases, such as cancer, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

And here's some good news. Early detection of inflammation may help you prevent many negative health conditions from developing. I want to emphasize that though this is of particular interest to women, men will also find it extremely helpful.

There's a new diagnostic high-tech tool that specifically measures inflammation. It's called thermal imaging, or thermography. In a nutshell, this tool creates a digital map of your body that illustrates heat patterns -- patterns that may detect some condition or abnormality. It uses a scanning-type infrared camera that measures your body surface temperature, presenting the information as a digitized image.

First, it’s reliable and accurate information for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Second, it provides precise and objective data from accurate measurements of thermal information. And third, with thermography considerable financial savings are realized over conventional investigations.

And unlike most diagnostic tests, thermal imaging is not painful and non-invasive. It makes no contact with your body and there is no body part compression such as what you experience with mammograms. Also of extreme importance is that thermography emits absolutely NO radiation!

There are basic differences between thermo-grams and mammograms. Thermo-grams provide you with early diagnosis and treatment assistance in such problems as cancer, inflammatory processes, neurological and vascular dysfunction and musculoskeletal injury.

Mammograms look at anatomical changes in the breast, as they detect masses or lumps in the breast tissue. Breast thermography is a diagnostic procedure that images the breasts to aid in the early detection of breast cancer.

Thermo-grams benefit all women. It’s well known that early detection is the best defense for breast cancer, and if treated in the earliest stages, a 95 percent cure rate is achieved. Thermo-grams may be particularly useful for young women who want to monitor their breast health before the recommended age of 40. I believe your breast cancer prevention should start as early as possible.

If you are a woman, you need to take your breast health seriously. One in eight women will get breast cancer at some point in their lives. Proper breast self-exams, physician exams, and now thermography together provide you with the earliest detection system available.

A very important area of consideration is the category of women under age 40 because routine mammograms are usually not given to this age group. We don’t hear very much about it, but there are 20,000 cases of breast cancer annually in this younger group in the US. When cancer occurs in this under age 40 population group, it is generally much more aggressive and less likely to response to treatment. Thermography is a perfect test for these women because there is no radiation involved.

In response to the growing confusion regarding the current accepted role of thermography for use in breast cancer screening and detection, the International Academy of Clinical Thermology says breast thermography is a complimentary screening and detection procedure, which when added to a woman’s breast health examination substantially increases the sensitivity in detecting pathologies associated with the breast:

There is no one test that can detect 99-100 percent of all cancers. Therefore, no single test exists that can be used alone as an adequate screening or detection method for breast cancer.

A physiological imaging procedure (thermography) cannot replace an anatomical imaging procedure (mammography). The two tests are “looking” for completely different pathological processes.

Thermography is far more sensitive than mammography. However, some slow growing non-aggressive cancers will only be detected by mammography.

The cost difference is not too significant; Theromgraphy will range around $160-170 while mammograms wider range of $100-250. How often should women get theset really varies. Initial scan then may recommend a follow up in 3-6 months. Then yearly.

There are several clinics that thermo-grams can be done. I recommend two places. The first is Diane Rother at “NorthStar Wisdom” in Bloomington at 952-944-6006. Her email address is northstarwisdom@qwestoffice.net. She has been in holistic health for 30 years. She not only does the scan but also offers advice to her patients including acupressure points and lymphatic massage of the breast as well as lifestyle modifications and dietary recommendations. The second contact is Terry Murphy at Mind, Body and Soul Wellness Center at 2201 Lexington Avenue North, Suite 103, Roseville, MN 55113. Her phone number at 651.330.0022

In closing, it's been my nature not to over-recommend too many diagnostic tools, tests and procedures because many of them do nothing to help you prevent disease and enhance your health. So you know that when I endorse thermography, I've looked long and hard at the benefits to you -- and found them significant. Even if you're feeling okay today, it's good to have a baseline thermo-gram done now, so you'll have something to compare to if anything ever pops up down the road. And if you're female, please consider thermography part of your annual health prevention regimen.

You may want to listen to a replay of Dr. Corbett’s show, “Words of Wellness” on KYMN 1080-AM radio under archives. Also, there’s a lot of information on the website -- An excellent and thorough website - www.breastthermography.com.

Most of us don’t give too much thought to all those mercury fillings in your mouth as being a significant health hazard. Today, we’re going to discuss the chemical element mercury and the harm it can cause your body. Mercury is a potent, heavy metal toxin that can poison your brain, central nervous system and kidneys. Children and fetuses, whose brains are still developing, are most at risk, nearly anyone can be impacted. This issue is just too important, too critical to your health and the long-term health of your children. In fact, just one drop of mercury in a lake would poison the lake to the extent that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would ban it from fishing. Yet, unbelievably, they let you carry around a mouthful of this toxic metal and would have you believe it somehow loses its capacity to do harm if installed in your teeth. The average person in the U.S. has eight amalgam fillings. Clearly, this is no small problem and calls for urgent action.

Well, this should come as no surprise, but our friends at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have long been the world's number one protector of mercury fillings. And believe or not, the U.S. is lagging behind the rest of the world, and even behind some third world countries, in protecting its citizens from this toxic product: In fact, in the United States, four out of five dental specialists still use amalgams, and the material continues to be endorsed by the American Dental Association. The FDA's determination to protect mercury fillings has no doubt had something to do with its commissioner. The new commissioner entered the FDA through the revolving government/private industry door after allegedly making millions as the director of the largest seller of dental amalgam (mercury fillings). The FDA has a history of stacking the deck of its advisory panels so that the pro-industry, pro-mercury position is upheld.

There is some relief on the horizon. Most recently, the U.S. State Department has called for a "phase down" of mercury fillings, followed by an "eventual" phase out. The State Department also called for:

· Educating patients and parents (about amalgam) in order to protect children and fetuses

· Training of dental professionals on the environmental impacts of mercury in dental amalgams

This is a very encouraging turn of events that brings us one step closer to mercury-free dentistry for all. Even though the FDA signed on to this statement internationally, they have yet to change the rule at home. According to a recent poll, 77 percent of consumers would willingly pay more to opt out of dental amalgam in favor of safer dental fillings. If this opt-out occurred, it would effectively reduce the number of patients your dentist could funnel through his office on any given day.

Although mercury fillings are quick and easy to put in, it isn't that composite materials cost more—they just take longer to make. Not only can dentists buzz through a lot of mercury amalgam fillings each day, but these amalgams also require the destruction of quite a lot of good tooth matter, which sets you up for more dental problems down the road… meaning, more dental work, including root canals. It's the gift that keeps on giving, from a dentist's perspective. So, the perceived profitability of mercury fillings has led to what is referred to as the "drill, fill and bill" mentality. Fewer patients coming through the door each day isn't the only issue striking fear in the heart of the mercury-loving dentist. Many dentists are also wary of the possibility that thousands, if not millions, of lawsuits could arise if they -- or the FDA -- admitted to the damage mercury amalgams have done to public health. Litigation and class action lawsuits could deliver an incapacitating blow to the dental industry.

If we are to gain the support of government regulators and the American Dental Association (ADA), then some protection from liability must be addressed. This is why the environmental approach is ideal, because it offers some insulation from liability on the part of the dental industry, hopefully making new regulations a bit more palatable and easier to get passed.

The ADA and other pro-mercury proponents have always claimed that mercury fillings are a very cost effective way to treat dental decay. But is this true? NOT when you examine the true cost to human health and the environment.

Mercury from dental offices is actually the largest source of mercury found in wastewater. According to an article, at least 40 percent of mercury flowing into municipal water treatment plants comes from dentist offices! And urban water treatment plants are not set up to remove it, so eventually this dental mercury will end up in the fish on your dinner plate. The risk doesn't end there, however.

Mercury fillings in the teeth of someone who dies actually pose a risk to the living. Emissions from the combustion of mercury fillings during cremation are a significant contaminator of air, waterways, soil, wildlife and food. Seven to nine metric tons of mercury per year escapes into the atmosphere during cremations, and it’s estimated that, left unchecked, crematoria will be the largest single cause of mercury pollution by the year 2020. When you factor in environmental costs and cleanup costs, amalgam is actually the MOST EXPENSIVE dental material in the world! It makes perfect sense to approach legislative change regarding amalgams from the environmental perspective, which is why the mercury treaty has made environmental cleanup its central focus.

“Drilling and filling" is not the only option for treatment of dental caries. For minor cavities, a less invasive and less painful technique called Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) has proven quite effective, especially in underserved populations in both developing and industrialized countries. ART involves manual excavation of the decayed area with hand tools, eliminating the need for expensive drills and anesthesia. Since ART is noninvasive, it’s tolerated very well by patients, who experience less pain than with traditional fillings. The dental industry has been less than eager to hop on board, afraid this would cut into their exclusive cavity-busting monopoly. However, dentists would still make plenty of money from more complicated dental work. In fact, they would probably earn even MORE because the work

What can we do to help? Tell your family, friends, and neighbors the truth about dental amalgams. Don't let your dentist talk you into one for yourself or for your child. It's not your dentist's mouth—it's YOUR mouth. And YOUR pocket book—which holds a great deal of buying power. If your dentist insists mercury is safe, you may want to seek mercury-free dentist.

Today, we’re going to discuss something that affects all or at least most of us – stress – and talk about some of the things we can do to help reduce stress. Workplace stress is defined as the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Although most of the journals and articles focus on workplace stress, there are similar situations at home. Are you feeling pulled in many direction or are you feeling stressed out about life? Well you’re not alone.

Here are some guidelines or suggestions for reducing stress so that we can enjoy your life more.

First of all, take a break each day and do something for yourself. For example, try mediation or prayer, take a nap or read a book. Exercise, go for a walk or do some yoga. These are ways of reducing stress and energizing the body. You don’t need to overdo it, but take a little “self time.”

Your diet can affect stress. Eat properly and drinks lots of water. Don’t use stress as an excuse to over-eat. Although we’re all tempted by sweets and junk food, particularly when we get together for family outings or picnics where food is the focus, remember, just because someone offers you something, you don’t have to accept.

Establishing a lifestyle routine is extremely helpful when it comes to stress. Develop your regular exercise routine and get to bed at your usual time or earlier. Please watch your alcohol consumption carefully. Although some people believe alcohol decreases your stress, it’s only a temporary solution. When the alcohol wears off, the stress remains.

Moderation is the key. Don’t overdo work, eating, drinking, exercising, Overindulging in any of these areas is draining afterward and can actually exacerbate your stress. Another good idea is to plan ahead and allow extra time for doing errands or projects. There’s nothing more stressful that waiting to the last minute.

As strange as it sounds, another suggestion is breathing.-Breath is great for reducing stress and anxiety in the moment especially when dealing with difficult people, crowds or standing in line. Breathe in your nose and out your mouth. Place one hand on top of the other resting them on your chest or belly as you feel the breath under them. .

Getting a massage is a great way to reduce stress and relax. There’s nothing more therapeutic for me. We have one of the best massage therapists at our clinic, Cassie Chavis. An hour with Cassie will do wonders.

In closing, I suggest you make an appointment to see me for a healthier spine and to improved nerve energy flow. A chiropractic adjustment helps relieve stress, improves function and increases energy.

If you have more questions about stress, you can contact me at 507-645-8846 or email at corbettchiro@gmail.com..