Last weekend, next weekend and the1-Page Health News

After spending a long weekend with my wife in Santa Barbara, I’m back in the office ready to roll. I didn’t see any unusual wildlife this weekend (1 seal, no sharks). The place was really nice, it’s called the Bacara Resort outside of Santa Barbara.

This Sunday I’ll be heading up to Xterra Lory at Horsetooth Reservoir for my final race of the season. Should be fun!

Mental Attitude: Feeling Sleepy? One third of all workers sleep less than six hours each day, instead of the recommended 7-9 hours. People especially at risk of not getting enough sleep include those in the health care, social assistance, and transportation fields. CDC, June 2012

Health Alert: Cancer and Aging. Why does our risk of developing cancer increase as we age? By the time we stop growing in our teens, we accumulate a large percentage of the mutations we will have during our lifetime. There’s a mismatch between the mutation curve and the cancer curve, meaning that if cancer is caused by reaching a tipping point of mutations, then we should see higher cancer rates in 20-year-olds, as this is when the mutation rate is highest. The body’s healthy cells function best in healthy, younger tissue; however, in older tissue, cancerous cells may adapt better in that environment than healthy cells and more easily propagate. Oncogene, June 2012

Diet: Food Industry Should Be Regulated? “The obesity crisis is made worse by the way industry formulates and markets its products, and so must be regulated to prevent excesses and to protect the public good,” writes Kelly Brownell, a leading food expert. He argues that left to regulate itself, the food industry has the opportunity, if not the mandate from shareholders, to sell more products irrespective of their impact on consumers. Thus, government, foundations, and other powerful institutions should push for regulation of, and not collaboration with, the food industry.

PLoS Medicine, July 2012

Exercise: Good Reasons. Exercise reduces your risk of developing Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, reduces the risk of developing breast cancer and improves mental cognition (a short-term effect only).

Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996

Chiropractic: Joint Friction? The supplement chondroitin sulfate significantly reduces the friction coefficient of articular cartilage, which, in turn, leads to a decreased risk of joint degeneration. Journal of Biomechanics, 2007

Wellness/Prevention: Vitamin D and Fractures. Taking 800-2,000 IUs of vitamin D per day significantly reduces the risk of most fractures in men and women age 65 and older. In a study, the top 25% of Vitamin D consumers sustained

30% fewer hip fractures and 14% fewer fractures of other bones. There was no benefit to taking Vitamin D supplements in doses below 800 IUs. The cost of treating a hip fracture is $26,912. New England Journal of Medicine, June 2012

Quote: “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” ~Unknown

Guess who won Xterra Indian Peaks & What’s that moose doing there?

This past weekend was a busy one for the staff here at Denver Chiropractic Center. I (Glenn) headed up to Eldora ski resort for the Xterra Indian Peaks Off-Road Triathlon on Saturday. As we were lining up to jump into the 60 degree water for the swim, a big ol’ moose came lumbering down to take a drink from the lake.

Luckily the moose just stuck to his or her own business, and the race went off as planned. I took over 37 minutes off of my previous time at Eldora (in 2008, when I finished dead last). I went from 4:01 to 3:24. Far from great, but much better. So I was happy.

My friend, coach, and Xterra pro Cody Waite won the whole darned thing with a ridiculously fast 1:49 (Cody did the whole race in less time than it took me to ride the bike course.)

Cody Waite and his wife Kathy own Endurance Performance Coaching, the official training partner of Denver Chiropractic Center. If you’re looking for a coach, Cody and Kathy are both great athletes and great people. Get more info on their company at their website.

Next up for me (still Glenn) is Xterra Lory at Horsetooth Reservoir on August 26th.

Meanwhile, Dr. Stripling and Keri were hard at work helping out at the Boulder Half Ironman (70.3) all weekend long. Jeff worked on lots and lots of athletes, and assisted at the finish. Keri kept all of the on-site ART tent running smoothly, and also helped out at the finish. Congratulations to our many patients who did this race.

And here is this week’s 1-Page Health Update:

Mental Attitude: Stress and Violence. Children exposed to community violence exhibit a physical stress response for up to a year, suggesting that exposure to violence may have negative long-term health consequences. In the short-term, violence is linked with aggression, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms and academic and cognitive difficulties. Journal of Adolescent Health, July 2012

Health Alert: Health Care Costs For Kids. In 2010, per capita spending on children’s health care increased to $2,123 (an 18.6% increase from 2007), with spending on health care for infants and toddlers being noted as disproportionately high. Even though children below the age of 3 made up 17% of the covered child population, they cost the 31.4% of the total amount for children’s health care, with per capita spending reaching $3,896 in 2010. Health Care Cost Institute, July 2012

Diet: Eating Fish! Regular fish consumption can decrease colorectal cancer risk by 12%. American Journal of Medicine, June 2012

Exercise: Eat Less, Move More, and Live Longer. In a study on dietary restriction (DR) involving fruit flies, the flies that were also physically active experienced longer lives. This study establishes a link between DR-mediated metabolic activity in muscle, increased movement and the benefits derived from restricting nutrients. Flies on DR who could not move or had inhibited fat metabolism in their muscle did not exhibit an extended lifespan. If this finding extends to humans, then simply restricting nutrients without physical activity may not increase longevity. Cell Metabolism, July 2012.

Quote: “If parents pass enthusiasm along to their children, they will leave them an estate of incalculable value.” ~Thomas A. Edison