How do you deal with anger? Do you consider anger to be a bad emotion to experience? Feeling the emotion of anger is a completley normal response to a stressful situation. Anger is a warning well that something is wrong. The destructive component of anger is how we phsyically or verbally show that we are mad.
Here is a test to gauge how you handle being angry:
http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=1298
Good new everyone, its almost Friday! Here are a few quotes that i have some across this week.
“Strength shows not only not only in the ability to persist or the ability to start over”-Undefined Author
“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace”-Buddha
“I have become my own version of an optimist. If I cannot make it through one door, I will go through another door – or I will make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present”- Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less”- Marie Curie (1867-1934)
“Being the richest man in the cemetary doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, thats what mater to me.”-Steve Jobs
I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. Take a moment to hug those you love, help someone who is in need, and always be grateful for what you have, not upset about what you don’t:)
-Adam
Sunday afternoon, I went out with a close friend of mine and enjoyed a round of disc golf at a park in Fairborn, OH. I am always excited to see what kind of conversation will arise while walking through the woods hurling discs at chain baskets. We started with the usual work chatter and life stress chatter, and then the conversation turned to how the game of disc golf was invented. While we were not sure of its origins it reminded me of a funny comedy bit Robin Williams did on how the game of gold was created. My pal had never seen the clip so after we returned home I pulled it up on Youtube and we both had a good laugh.
When I heard the news Monday that the actor had taken his life early that morning, I was a bit shocked. Here is a guy who’s spent so much time making others laugh and smile. He gave so much of himself, despite dealing with bouts of depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and what was later disclosed, early stages of Parkinson’s disease. He pushed all of these issues aside every day to make others laugh and smile. He traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to perform in front of troops, called friend Stephen Spielberg daily when his spirits were down to tell him jokes, and despite being voted least likely to succeed by his high school rose through the ranks of show business.
“Somebody needs what you have to share. Somebody needs your smile. Somebody needs your love. Somebody needs your friendship. Somebody needs your encouragement.” While I’m not sure of the origins of this quote it was brought to my attention by Dr. Peltier recently at our weekly staff meeting. I find myself wondering if this was a quote Robin Williams would have lived by. From what I have read he always took time out of his day to make someone smile, laugh or just to lighten their mood. We never know what impact we are going to have on others. A simple comment, gesture or smile could provide someone with a little light to help them get through their day. Give it a shot, and see if it adds to the quality of your life.
I cant help but wonder, if Robin Williams couldn’t have benefited from the same care in his life, that he gave others,
Until next week,
Adam
I have three questions for you today:
My first question is how is performance measured? Well, I suppose that depends on what activity/task you are trying to benchmark performance on. As a runner, my success is measured in distance or a time goal I set. A marksman’s success is determined by how many shots/arrows land in the bullseye of the target. In baseball, football or basketball, the team with the highest score is the winner, thus meaning their performance was superior to the competition.
My second question is how is disease diagnosed? If you go into the doctors office and you have high blood pressure, the doctor attaches a blood press cuff, squeezes it tight and uses a stethascope to listen to your heart rhythm and then records the numbers. If you think you have strep throat the doctor uses a swab to take a sample of your throat and then tests it, for a negative or positive result.
Now what about a chemical imbalance. How is a chemical imbalance in the brain diagnosed? They draw blood and run it through a battery of tests and it comes back with a reading of the chemicals, right? Wrong. Well the doctor must use a X-ray then to look at the brain and measure the chemical levels that way? False. CAT scan? Nope. MRI? No dice again. Well how is a chemical imbalance measured then? The truth is there is no scientific test with a quantitative result to measure how much of one chemical is produced or not produced in the brain!!
So, if a doctor can’t prove through a medical test that a chemical balance exists, how can we monitor the performance of the drug they prescribe to fix the issue? “Well i feel better when i take the medicine”, some say. Well thats great, but in 2010 issue of JAMA, placebos were proven to be just as effective at relieving symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. So with this information, and no way to prove the imbalance existed in the first place, how do we know if the drugs are balancing out the chemicals in the brain or just having a placebo effect? Psychotropic drugs have side effects that can be very dangerous and detrimental to your health. These drugs have helped many people in tough situations, but in my opinion these drugs are prescribed far to often when a lifestyle change could result in a more natural cure for the symptoms. In many cases a lifestyle choice can be the cause or cure to a mental health issue. Many studies have shown that decreasing sugar intake, eating fewer processed foods, increasing B12 intake, sleeping 8 hours a day, staying properly hydrated and exercising regularly can help reduce the signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety and panic disorders. Hmmm……..
Im not advocating not taking drugs that are prescribed to you. What I am advising is to be careful of what you put in your body. Ask questions when you go to see any doctor, and if the doctor is not willing to answer them, then find one who will. After all, it’s your body and no one can control what you put into i but you:)
Everyone have a great weekend and enjoy what little time we have left of summer!
Yours in health,
Adam
“Don’t worry, about a thing, cause every little thing, gonna be alright”
Yea right Bob, what world are you living in? Let me paint a picture for you. You’ve just left the office after a demanding day and your boss is leaning on you to turn in the project before the deadline and its just not doable. What is he thinking? It must be nice to sit in that office all day doing nothing!! The babysitter has to leave your house by 5:30 and your 30 minutes away from home and traffic slows to a stand still. So, you pick up your phone, dial your wife/husband and it goes straight to voicemail. Then you remember that he/she left their phone sitting on the counter and didn’t take it with them. You take a deep breath, sit back and turn up the radio and hear a advertisement for a discounted oil change and then suddenly remember that your tags expired a few days ago….arghh. Then your phone rings, its the baby sitter, little Johnny just fell and cut his head open on the coffee table and in the commotion of trying to round up the kids, Roofus the family dog, got out and hasn’t been seen!!!
Does this remind you of anything? The details might be different, however this story of someone’s day and your day probably have something in common….STRESS. What is stress exactly? Its a term we use almost daily but do you really know what it is? Stress is defined as “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” While stress can be positive, when we experience large amounts of stress it can start to effect the body negatively. Some negative effects of stress are high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain/loss, asthma, arthritis, depression and anxiety just to name a few. An OSHA report states that stress costs Americans more than $300 billion dollars annually. Web MD also states that 75-90% of all doctor visits are for stress related ailments and complaints.
So, now that we all know that we deal with stress and the effects of it, how do we deal with it? There are a few standard answers; work out, talk, rest, breathe…the list goes on and on. But, if i told you that there was a way to help reduce stress levels right now, or anywhere for that matter, no matter what you are doing, what would you think? You would probably call me crazy. But I am going to tell you anyway……the answer is SMILE:)
Now I want everyone to take a moment and smile. Not a forced, closed mouth smile. I want you to smile like when you were a child and you were ripping open gifts on Christmas morning. One of those big, cheesy, oh-my-goodness my face hurt smiles. Now how do you feel? Better I hope. When you smile it floods your brain with endorphins and neurotransmitters that make you feel good. Its contagious too! Walk into a room and smile at everyone. I guarantee you that no matter how bad of a mood everyone is in, most everyone will smile back by the time you leave. A smile is infections. But don’t just trust me, check out this article on livestrong.com: http://www.livestrong.com/article/18859-health-benefits-smiling/
Next time the kids are going bonkers, the meatloaf is burning in the oven, the phone is ringing and your head won’t stop pounding because you had to skip lunch to meet your dead line just take 30 seconds and smile!! If you are not happy, then fake it till you make it and smile! I promise that doing this will add a ton of joy to your life.
Love and Peace,
Adam:)
At Peltier Family Chiropractic we are always excited to see smiling faces in our office. If there are any health issues that are keeping you from smiling, fill free to give us a call @ 937-818-5873 or visit our web page http://www.poweronwellness.com to schedule an appointment:)
This week I had the opportunity to participate as a coach at the Professional Business Institute at Wright State University. This was a four day camp, that allowed some of the top high school students in Ohio to work alongside local businesses to come up with viable solutions to their marketing and business needs. I made it a point to really challenge my campers and push themselves to change the way they think, especially on a second and third tier when it came to analyzing their solutions. The results were outstanding, and although we came in second, the growth I saw in these teenagers was remarkable. The changes they were able to make in their thoughts, decisions, communication skills and work ethic were worth more than any first place prize! (We finished second)
Change: Some of us embrace it, while others resist it, kicking and screaming, avoiding it at all costs. Where do you fall? I myself fall some where in the middle. I like change when it makes my life more comfortable or makes my life easier. However, when the change causes me to increase my work load, or make me uncomfortable I buck against it. How many of your actions are out of habit? Really think about it, how often do we do things because they have always been done that way. Could any of our actions/attitudes be changed to make our life better?
I recently read this blog post on the NY Times website, http://nyti.ms/1nVTH8V. This article discusses how two-thirds of adults suffer from back pain and continue to just self medicate, taking acetaminophen. A double blind study showed that the drugs provided no relief! As long as I can remember, my mother or father gave me acetaminophen when I was in pain and I had a fever. This habit carried over into my adult life, but after reading the article this is a habit I must change. By taking the drug, I am not making the pain go away. In fact, the drug is only providing a “comfort” similar to eating a food you enjoyed when you were a child!
I want to challenge everyone this week to look at your habits. Which habits are helping you and which of your habits are holding you back? Make a change in your life, but not one that is comfortable. When we are uncomfortable we are growing the most. Make a change in your life that takes you outside of your comfort zone and embrace it. I promise that you will look back on it and be glad you did:)
Love and Peace,
Adam
If we can be a part of this change at Peltier Family Chiropractic & Wellness Center let us know. Visit our newly re-designed website, http://www.PowerOnWellness.com, Facebook Page, Peltier Family Chiropractic & Wellness Center, or give us a call 937-236-0464.
In the past month I have gone through quite a few changes in life. A big move, transferring universities, a new job and a new home. Diet and exercise flew out the window. High calorie junk food snacks and the library quickly took place of my balanced diet and work out regiment. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked when I stepped on the dreaded silver box on the floor, known to most as a scale, and saw i had put on quite a few lbs. At first I asks myself, “How could this have happened? The scale must need new batteries.” Then i started to think about the life choices I had made and it became clear how all of the weight was gained.
Obesity is a growing problem in the United States. Government subsidies on corn and other products have forced farmers to grow with genetically modified organisms or GMO’s instead of whole, organic seeds and plants. These GMO’s drive the prices of food down making grocery store selections more affordable for singles and families facing financial stress during tight economic times. But, are we really saving any money in the long run? The food that we are eating is the fuel that our body uses to rebuild cells. All of the cells in your liver are replaced every 30 days. Would you want a liver made of whole grains, fruits, anti-biotic and steroid free proteins or pop, french fries, chips and cookies?
A recent article on cnn.com, http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/18/health/firefighter-obesity/index.html?hpt=he_c2, states that even fire fighter obesity has become a issue. Firefighters are known for their physical shape and ability. The fact that obesity is starting to plague places known for health and wellness should be a huge sign to everyone that we have a real epidemic on our hands here!
I want to issue a real challenge to everyone to start watching what you eat and exercising more. Read your labels, and if you can’t pronounce the ingredients, chances are, you shouldn’t be eating it either. Rule of thumb, “if you cant get the word out of your mouth, it shouldn’t be going in your mouth.” Studies have shown that getting your heart rate up to 80% of target level can reduce your risk of obesity and heart disease by as much as 150%!!! Count me in! Let’s grab obesity by the horns and help put an end to this pandemic.
It’s time for me to stop pecking away at this keyboard now and go for a run.
Love and Peace,
Adam
