LOSE BELLY FAT WITH HYPNOSIS

    If you are carrying extra weight through the midsection and dieting doesn't seem to work, it may help to understand why it's been so hard to lose your belly fat.  Though certainly chronic overeating or lack of exercise causes for an enlarged midsection, the underlying problem may be caused by stress and anxiety. Hypnosis can help with motivation for eating control, to help you exercise regularly and to deal with the stress in your life.

     Stress affects you not only mentally and emotionally but physically as well.  When a person is stressed, chemicals are released by the brain to the adrenal glands.  The adrenals then create their own chemicals including the key adrenal problem behind belly fat, the steroid, cortisol.

     Cortisol increases appetite and keeps blood sugar levels and insulin high which causes the storage of excess blood sugars as fat in the belly.  Unfortunately, diet changes alone do not affect belly fat and often frustrate a dieter when weight loss occurs but the belly still bulges.  In fact, in many cases, fixation on diet may actually increase stress producing even more cortisol and more belly fat.

     So how do you get out of this circle of frustration?  Certainly continuing to eat healthy foods in moderate portions and moving regularly should be part of your plan to lose belly fat.  Hypnosis and self-hypnosis can also be tools to help with those goals.

     Research suggests using Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C.  Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and trout, walnuts and flax.  Supplementation can also be done with omega-3 fish oil supplements.  Be aware that fish oil has a blood thinner action.  So check with your doctor before using the supplement especially if you already take blood thinners.

    In addition, eat vitamin C rich foods which can help with stress and belly fat.  Studies have shown that adrenal glands register vitamin C deficiency as a stress problem and increase cortisol output.  Fruits such as peaches, oranges and strawberries are excellent sources of vitamin C.  Vegetables including sweet red pepper, broccoli, tomatoes and cauliflower also are rich sources of vitamin C.  Supplementing with Vitamin C is also an easy option especially if you are not good about eating your fruits and vegetables.

 But when you are eating right and moving more, what else can you do? Hypnosis and self-hypnosis can be valuable in dealing with the underlying problem of stress.  Hypnosis can help you create new tools to motivate you to build better self-care and to deal with the stress in your life by learning to control anxiety and trigger relaxation. Learn more about how to control stress and anxiety including the use of self-hypnosis scripts to record in THE ANXIETY TOOLBOX available on Amazon in eBook or paperback. Lose that belly fat by making healthy changes and stopping the cycle of stress, cortisol production and belly fat.  Feel better, look good and BE WELL.  

HYPNOSIS FOR LACK OF SLEEP AND OBESITY

When THE ANXIETY TOOLBOX was published in November of 2021, I asked followers what the next TOOLBOX book should be about. Phobias, self-esteem, weight loss were common suggestions. But the number one issue that people suggested was sleep disorders. Common complaints mentioned insomnia, sleep apnea, jet lag and restless leg syndrome. Did you know there are over 100 different sleep disorders that are keeping many of us awake?

So while I am writing THE SLEEP DISORDER TOOLBOX, I will occasionally post a blog on how lack of sleep is affecting our lives. Today’s post reflects how a sleep disorder can affect your waist line.

  According to a study of 1,615 adults by researchers at the University of Leeds, UK published in PLOS ONE,  lack of sleep puts you at greater risk for obesity.  The researchers found that not getting enough sleep was also associated with reduced levels of the "good" cholesterol, HDL, which can help protect you from heart disease.  It's good to know hypnosis can be a valuable tool in dealing with lack of sleep and insomnia.

    If your waist size is expanding, look at your sleep habits.  The study's researchers compared the amount of sleep with waist measurements.  The findings indicated people who slept on average six hours per night had measurements 1.2 inches greater than those who slept nine hours per night.

   If you are struggling with not getting enough sleep or an expanding waistline, call a hypnotherapist to help you sleep better and longer and lose inches around your waist.  Use hypnotherapy to BE WELL.

AMERICAN STRESS IS SPIKING

According to a new survey from the American Psychological Association, Americans are feeling more and more anxious. “Over 80% of Americans said inflation and issues related to invasion of Ukraine are significant sources of stress”, revealed Vaile Wright, senior director of health care innovation at the association. She went on to say that “Typically, our highest levels of stress have been in the mid 60s, so hitting, for example 87(%) for inflation as a source of stress is truly astounding.”

This survey was reported on NPR’s ALL THINGS CONSIDERED on March 10., 2022. After two years of the pandemic, a volatile stock market affected by the war in Ukraine, continued increases at the gas pump due to high oil prices, it is little surprise that Americans are anxious. Wright explained that, “This is the highest number of people who have ever reported feeling stressed about any issue in the 15 years this survey has been conducted.”

The survey also found that almost two-thirds of the respondents felt their lives had been permanently changed by the pandemic. Wright reflected that, “The survey revealed widespread grief, sense of loss, continual hardships for vulnerable populations, including communities of color.” Besides the fear of contracting or a family member contracting the latest variant of Covid 19, concern about the economy and personal finances was also high. Stress from this issue was reported by 65% of respondents.

Unfortunately, people are making unhealthy choices to cope with the stress. Two of the most common coping techniques reported in the survey were an increase in the consumption of alcohol and overeating. Nearly 25% of those responding reported drinking more alcohol while almost 60% said they experienced undesired weight gain. Since stress can impact how people eat in different ways there was dramatic change whether they ate less due to stress with the loss of an average of 27 pounds or they ate more with an average gain of 26 pounds.

Relationships were also affected by the stress being experienced at this time. Relationships under strain or ending were reported by 58% of respondents in the survey. Different views of the pandemic including mask-wearing, cancelling events or gatherings over worry about spreading Covid, vaccines, have affected social relationships at the personal and civic levels.

“We know stress can lead to physical consequences, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertensions, “ noted Wright. “Emotionally, it can lead to things like depression, anxiety disorders, difficulty sleeping, which we’ve seen in the survey as well.”

If you need help to deal with the stresses in your life, go to the home page of this blog and click on Anxiety in the categories offered in the right hand corner of the page. It will take you to several articles on what you can do to relieve stress.. Or check out my book THE ANXIETY TOOLBOX available on Amazon in eBook or paperback.

Medical Uses for Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis is well-accepted in the medical community. Many highly regarded hospitals and medical centers have hypnotherapy departments. The Mayo and Cleveland Clinics have web sites where you can learn more about hypnosis, hypnotherapy and their programs for pain control, hot flashes, cancer treatment side effects, behavior changes such as insomnia, overeating, bed-wetting and smoking and mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress, phobias and anxiety.

HYPNOSIS FOR ANXIETY AND TO LESSEN DEMENTIA RISK

   If you experience high anxiety regularly, you have a higher risk of developing dementia.  Andrew J. Petkus, a PhD research associate at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, reported on a 28 year study of people who reported experiencing high anxiety.  Those people were found to have a 48% higher risk of developing dementia than those who reported low levels of anxiety.

    The researchers noted that chronic anxiety is a precursor to higher levels of stress hormones.  In turn, those hormones can damage the parts of the brain involved with memory.  If you suffer from chronic anxiety, get help.  Your first step is to talk to your doctor about the right treatment for you which may include psychotherapy, anti-anxiety medications or alternative therapies such as acupuncture and herbal treatments.

    Hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool to treat chronic anxiety either as a stand-alone treatment or as an adjunct therapy to medication or psychotherapy. Self-hypnosis can also be useful in dealing with anxiety. I released THE ANXIETY TOOLBOX by Jennifer Johnson on Amazon in November 2020 which includes self-hypnosis scripts you can read and make your own recordings to lessen your anxiety and dementia risk.

QUIT CIGAR SMOKING WITH HYPNOSIS

Some smokers have a very romanticized image of cigars and cigar smoking. They may see themselves as very sophisticated like elegant men in tuxedos shown in James Bond films. Some believe that smoking cigars emphasizes masculinity like that in movies like “Wolverine” and “Iron Man” . While others associate cigars with relaxing places like out on a deck or on a boat. And some women have seen Madonna and Demi Moore puffing away on cigars and consider cigar smoking glamorous. If you are ready to give up the “romance” of cigars, hypnotherapy can help.

Unfortunately, many cigar smokers think that they are at much less risk for health problems than that caused by cigarette smokers. This is simply wrong. Cigar smokers often tell me that it is alright to smoke a cigar because they don’t inhale. Certainly most cigar smokers do not inhale in the same way cigarette smokers do. But cigar smoking is linked to cancers that develop where the smoke traveled - the lip, tongue, mouth and throat as well as the lungs. Smoking cigars also increases the risk of heart and lung disease and pancreatic and bladder cancer.

Secondhand smoke from cigars is even more dangerous than cigarette smoke. This is true for a number of reasons One reason is that cigars are bigger so they contain more tobacco. Because it takes longer to puff through a cigar, a person’s exposure time to the toxic chemicals increases. In addition, a large cigar can contain up to 200 milligrams of nicotine. This is 23 times the amount of nicotine in a typical cigarette.

For all these reasons, smoking cigars is not a good alternative to smoking cigarettes. If you are ready to set yourself free from smoking cigars, hypnosis can be a valuable tool to stop smoking permanently.

HYPNOSIS FOR EXERCISE MOTIVATION

Are you trying to lose weight, boost your mood, get into physically better shape or get your heart beating faster? For those goals, nothing beats exercise. A study done in the U.K. reviewed several years of health research and found that 30 minutes of exercise on most days decreases the risk of depression, heart disease, obesity, certain cancers and type 2 diabetes.

Have you been thinking about starting to exercise? Is thinking as far as you have gone in actually getting started? Hypnosis can be used as a great motivator to get you going.

When you come to a hypnotherapist for exercise motivation, it helps to have thought clearly about what you hope to achieve in a session. Plan in advance what type of exercise you want to do. Make your goals as specific as possible. Rather than thinking, “I need to exercise’, think “I will walk four mornings a week from 9:00 till 9:30.”

Think about where you are going to do exercise, if you enjoy nature, your goal may be to walk in the park or on a nature trail. If you don’t like to get too cold or too hot, grab a mile in the mall. Most morning the mall is still relatively empty.

Set goals for distance. if you walk at a brisk pace for 15 minutes, you should have walked about one mile. A pedometer or electronic device like a Fit Bit or an app on your phone are great ways to keep track of your distance. One mile is about 2,000 steps. Health experts recommend 10, 000 steps a day.

Another tool to use keeping you moving is to keep track of your progress. Writing down weight lifted, reps repeated or miles walked in a log or updating your app can keep track of movement. Draw a happy face on your calendar when you have completed your exercise time. The reason children like gold stars is that they are motivating!

Working with your hypnotherapist you can design an exercise program that meets your needs and schedule. Whether your exercise goals include going to the gym, home equipment or videos, be clear about them so your hypnotherapist can incorporate those specific suggestions into your hypnosis session.

If you are ready to get moving and just need some motivation, hypnosis helps!

HYPNOSIS FOR PHYSICAL PROBLEMS

Sometimes people call asking if hypnosis can be used for a physical problems. My answer is always the same - “sometimes”. I tell prospective clients to see their general practitioner who will diagnose and perhaps refer them on to a specialist. Hypnotherapists are rarely medical doctors and should not be the first way to deal with a health problem. However, hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool in the tool box in dealing with a medical issue.

As I have mentioned before on other blog posts, I always start with a free consultation so people can understand the process and spend some time to be with me and get their questions answered. It is also a time for me to make sure that what they want from their session is an appropriate use for hypnosis.

Hypnotherapy is not a magic wand. I often tell clients that I can’t make them fly by flapping their arms no matter how much hypnosis is done. It can be a great tool in dealing with medical issues. It can be used for everything from treating chronic pain like arthritis to acute pain experienced in childbirth. You can find a whole article on medical hypnosis in another post on this blog if you are interested.

Sometimes a client presents with a medical issue I have not worked with before. Recently, a woman came to me after being diagnosed with cervical dystonia, a painful condition in which the neck muscles contract involuntarily, causing the head to twist or turn to one side. She had had multiple treatments and was still in pain and uncomfortable.

I explained that if she wanted to proceed, we would do one session. The least she could expect was a nice, relaxing session with similar results to a massage. She chose to do one session. Here is the e-mail I received yesterday:

“Dear Dr. Johnson,

I wanted to touch base with you regarding my neck and the session I had with you.

It absolutely did make a difference. I am 75% improved. I can drive, turn my head,

relax easier. I have used the tape twice now. (Note: In actuality, my clients record

on their cell phone) You were right, with each session I am more relaxed. I will

continue to use it and am hopeful I can stay where I am physically. I am eager to

share my experience with you with my neurologist. I will keep you posted.”

Notice she did not say she was 100% cured. She had improvement which was exciting for her.

Notice she was going back to her neurologist. This is important. Hypnotherapy is an an adjunct

therapy to the medical care of her physicians.

If you are having a health or physical problem, ask your doctor if hypnotherapy might be another

tool in your tool box.

SECOND-HAND SMOKE AND CHILDREN

If you have been concerned about how second-hand smoke could affect your children’s health, you have a legitimate reason for that concern. Hypnotherapy can help you stop smoking and no longer worry about exposing your children to the dangers of second-hand smoke.

You may have seen the news about the possibility of laws to make it illegal to smoke in a car which is carrying young children. Some smokers believe this would infringe on the personal rights of the smoker to make choices about one’s behavior on one’s own property and consider this a civil rights issue.

The fact is that if an adult smokes in a car with a young child, that child is also smoking. Poisons from the cigarette include carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and benzene. When a child ingests these poisons through second-hand smoke, the smoke may trigger lower respiratory tract infections, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, decreased lung function and recurrent ear infections.

Allen Eskenazi, M.D., Director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at University of Maryland Medical Center has reported that second-hand smoke is responsible for 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections each year in infants under 18 months. In addition, each year second-hand smoke is responsible for 16,000 new cases of asthma.

Your child deserves clean air and a chance at a healthy life. So do not smoke within the airspace of children. Choose the non-smoking section permanently. Better yet, become a healthy non-smoker so you no longer have to worry or feel guilty for exposing your children to the poisons in cigarettes.

If you are ready to stop smoking and if you do not want to use prescription medications with their side effects, hypnosis can be a valuable tool. Become a healthy non-smoker and you and your children can BE WELL.

HYPNOSIS FOR IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) as been described as “a panic attack of the bowels.” If you have been diagnosed with IBS or told you have colitis, spastic colon or even a “nervous stomach”, you are likely aware how much the syndrome can affect your life.

Unfortunately, IBS affects 15% to 20% of the population. In fact, one in three women suffer from Irritable Bpwel Syndrome symptoms, And these symptoms can very negatively affect a sufferer’s life. Chronic pain, uncontrolled diarrhea, fecal incontinence and dehydration can severely limit a person’s activities. In fact, it is the second most commonly cited reason for missed work days.

The first step in addressing these issues is to see your physician for a conventional medical diagnosis. It is likely if an IBS diagnosis is given that the doctor will prescribe daily medications including prednisone. But researchers have found that IBS only responds to conventional medical treatment 25% of the time.

For those still suffering, hypnosis can be a valuable tool to relieve or even free the patient from symptoms. Hypnotherapy is to be used as an adjunct therapy in conjunction with your physician(s) and is not a replacement for conventional medical diagnosis and treatment. But hypnosis can help alleviate IBS symptoms or even help a sufferer become symptom free and BE WELL>

LOSE BELLY FAT WITH HYPNOSIS

    If you are carrying extra weight through the midsection and dieting doesn't seem to work, it may help to understand why it's been so hard to lose your belly fat.  Though certainly chronic overeating or lack of exercise causes for an enlarged midsection, the underlying problem may be caused by stress and anxiety. Hypnosis can help with motivation for eating control, to help you exercise regularly and to deal with the stress in your life.

     Stress affects you not only mentally and emotionally but physically as well.  When a person is stressed, chemicals are released by the brain to the adrenal glands.  The adrenals then create their own chemicals including the key adrenal problem behind belly fat, the steroid, cortisol.

     Cortisol increases appetite and keeps blood sugar levels and insulin high which causes the storage of excess blood sugars as fat in the belly.  Unfortunately, diet changes alone do not affect belly fat and often frustrate a dieter when weight loss occurs but the belly still bulges.  In fact, in many cases, fixation on diet may actually increase stress producing even more cortisol and more belly fat.

     So how do you get out of this circle of frustration?  Certainly continuing to eat healthy foods in moderate portions and moving regularly should be part of your plan to lose belly fat.  Hypnosis and self-hypnosis can also be tools to help with those goals.

     Research suggests using Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C.  Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and trout, walnuts and flax.  Supplementation can also be done with omega-3 fish oil supplements.  Be aware that fish oil has a blood thinner action.  So check with your doctor before using the supplement especially if you already take blood thinners.

    In addition, eat vitamin C rich foods which can help with stress and belly fat.  Studies have shown that adrenal glands register vitamin C deficiency as a stress problem and increase cortisol output.  Fruits such as peaches, oranges and strawberries are excellent sources of vitamin C.  Vegetables including sweet red pepper, broccoli, tomatoes and cauliflower also are rich sources of vitamin C.  Supplementing with Vitamin C is also an easy option especially if you are not good about eating your fruits and vegetables.

 But when you are eating right and moving more, what else can you do? Hypnosis and self-hypnosis can be valuable in dealing with the underlying problem of stress.  Hypnosis can help you create new tools to motivate you to build better self-care and to deal with the stress in your life by learning to control anxiety and trigger relaxation. Learn more about how to control stress and anxiety including the use of self-hypnosis scripts to record in THE ANXIETY TOOLBOX available on Amazon in eBook or paperback. Lose that belly fat by making healthy changes and stopping the cycle of stress, cortisol production and belly fat.  Feel better, look good and BE WELL.  

HOW HYPNOSIS CAN HELP REDUCE RISK FOR KIDNEY STONES

     Most of us have heard of the tremendous pain that kidney stones can cause.  Whether it is continuous, throbbing pain or extremely severe spasms, no one wants to deal with them if they can be prevented.  Hypnosis can help reduce the risk for developing them by helping you get moving.

     A study of 84,225 women led by researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle reported on a way to reduce risk for kidney stones.  The study was published in JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY encouraging people to become more active.

     The researchers reported that active post-menopausal women were 16% to 31% less likely to develop kidney stones that sedentary women.  The women were followed for eight years and maximum effects were found in the most active subjects.  Best effects were found at the equivalent of four hours of light gardening, three hours a week of walking at a moderate-pace or one hour of moderate-paced jogging.

    So we have still another reason to get moving.  If you are having trouble starting or maintaining an exercise program, hypnosis can help.  Get a hypnosis session to get moving, protect yourself from the pain of kidney stones and BE WELL.    

EXTRA STEPS LOWER HEART ATTACK RISK

    Want to have the best chance at a long full healthy life?  THE LANCET reported on a study of 9,307 adults from 40 countries for six years conducted by researchers at the University of Leicester, UK.  They found that each time a person increased his or her activity by another 2,000 steps per day day, the risk for heart attack went down by another eight percent. Hypnosis can help that be a possibility.

    Just getting started helps, walking the first 2,000 extra steps a day lowered heart attack risk by ten per cent.  Since that is the equivalent of a twenty minute walk, this is a realistic goal for most people.

   So now you have another reason to get up and move.  If you need some motivation, hypnosis can be a valuable tool to get moving and lower your heart attack risk.

EXERCISE HELPS PREVENT ALZHEIMER'S

    Are you fearful of developing Alzheimer's?  If you are trying to figure out what you can do to prevent dementia.  Another study reinforces the need to get moving.  If you need help, hypnosis can be a valuable tool.

   You may not have had genetic testing.  But genes are one of the many risk factors for dementia.  A gene called APOE epsilon4 allele (e4 gene) which is present in approximately ten to fifteen percent of people can influence your risk for late-onset Alzheimer's.  Stephen Rao, Phd, professor and director of Schey Center for Cognitive Neuromanaging at the Cleveland Clinic was leader of a study of 97 people with the e4 gene which was published in FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE.

    The 18 month study found that the brain scans of people with the e4 gene who exercised moderately a few times a week had far less shrinkage in the hippocampus, an indicator of Alzheimers, than those the gene who were not physically active. 

    So once again, we find it's time to get up and move.  If you need help to start moving and protect your brain from shrinking, hypnosis can help. 

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM LATE-LIFE DEMENTIA

   If you are suffering from midlife stress, be aware it is linked to dementia later on in your life.  Hypnosis can help you deal with the stresses and help protect you from late-life dementia.

    Lena Johansson, Phd, researcher at the University of Goethenburg, Moindal, Sweden, reported on a study of 800 women who were tracked for almost forty years.  Researchers discovered that whose who had experienced significant stress, such as widowhood, loss of a child, divorce or mental illness in a loved one, were 21% more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease in late-life.

   It is believed that stress may actually cause functional and even structural changes in the brain.  These changes may last for many years after the stressful situation which triggered them.

    Do all you can to relieve midlife stress including meditation, yoga, psychotherapy and hypnotherapy.  Hypnosis can help you relax and deal with the stresses in your life.  

HYPNOSIS CAN PROTECT AGAINST THE RISK OF DEMENTIA

    If you are suffering from chronic stress, you may be at increased risk for dementia.  Lena Johansson, PhD, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg, Moindal, Sweden, reported on a study of 800 women over a period of nearly 40 years.  The research found that midlife significant stress such as loss of a child, divorce, widowhood or mental illness in a loved one was a predictor of developing Alzheimer's disease.  In fact, 21% of those experiencing midlife stress were more likely to develop dementia.

    Researchers believe that stress may cause functional and structural changes in the brain.  These changes may last for years after the stressful event.  

    If you are experiencing midlife stress, use tools to deal with the stress.  Check this blog for tools for dealing with stress including yoga, psychotherapy and meditation.  Hypnosis can be a valuable tool to deal with stress and help to protect you from the risk of dementia and BE WELL.

STOP SMOKING WITH HYPNOSIS AND PROTECT YOUR PETS

     Has your veterinarian told you that secondhand smoke is dangerous to your pet?  For many pet owners, becoming a nonsmoker will be better not only for their own health but that of their pets as well.  If you need another reason to stop smoking, wanting your pet to have the best chance at a long, healthy life may be it.  Hypnosis can help you be a nonsmoker.

     A web-based survey done in 2009 of 3,293 adult pet owners found that 48% were either smokers or living with smokers.  Love of their animals would encourage 37% to quit or ask the people they live with to quit if there was clear evidence that smoking is harmful to their pets.  That evidence would encourage 14% of the survey responders to only smoke outside away from their animals.

    The evidence is there.  The toxins in secondhand smoke can cause malignant lymphoma in cats and cause lung cancer in dogs.  If your pet already has some re-existing problem, the dangers are even greater.

     Check sites like the ASPCA and the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center and the American Legacy Foundation to learn more about the dangers of secondhand smoking to your animals. If you are considering stopping smoking, protecting your pets is another reason to make that choice.  Hypnotherapy is a great way to get a strong tool to help you and your pets BE WELL!

REDUCE HOT FLASHES WITH HYPNOSIS

    I often tell my clients "Hypnosis is not magic.  I can't help you fly by flapping your arms, no matter how much hypnosis we do."  So then, how can hypnosis help reduce hot flashes?

     Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University published an article in THE JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY on reducing hot flashes.  They found that women who worked out reported 60 per cent fewer hot flashes than women who did not exercise.  And even those who still had some hot flashes found them less intense, were better able to regulate their body heat and perspired less.

     If you are not exercising regularly and are experiencing hot flashes that are making your life miserable, it is time to get moving.  Hypnotherapy can be a valuable to help you get motivated to exercise, reduce those hot flashes, feel better and BE WELL. 

HYPNOSIS AND OTHER NON-DRUG OPTIONS FOR HIGH CHOLESTEROL

    It is likely that if you are over 50, you may have been advised to take a cholesterol-lowering statin drug for high cholesterol.  In fact about 25% of American adults are currently taking a statin.  HIgh cholesterol is considered a major health risk which can lead to heart attacks, blood clots and atherosclerosis.

    Unfortunately, though statins can lower risk for a small number of people who have already had a heart attack, the use of statins for people who had not been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease helped prevent heart attacks by only 1 per cent to 2 per cent.  In addition, statins can cause side effects from myalgia or muscle pain to statin related muscle damage that can lead to kidney failure and even death.

     Barbara H. Roberts, MD, is the author of the book THE TRUTH ABOUT STATINS: RISKS AND ALTERNATIVES TO CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DRUGS and the director of the Women's Cardiac Center at The Miriam Hospital and a clinical associate professor of medicine at Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She writes that sometimes statin side effects are an acceptable exchange for people who have had had a heart attack, cardiocvascular disease or have familial hypercholesterolemia which is caused by a genetic problem.  But for most of her patients, she advises lifestyle changes to increase HDL and reduce triglycerides.

   The first thing she suggested was to really work on having a healthier diet.  She recommended the Mediterranean diet which includes less beef, lamb and pork and more whole grains, vegetables, fruit and fish.  Dr. Roberts specifically recommended eating seafood a few times a week because the omega-3 fatty acids in fish reduce inflammation and triglycerides.  Avoiding simple cards, the "white" foods like white bread, white pasta and white rice was encouraged. A study by The Lyon Diet Heart Study concluded that patients following a Mediterranean diet highly improved their chances of avoiding another heart attack.  Though the LDL was about the same as those in the control group, people following the western diet were 70% less likely to have a heart attack.

    Dr. Roberts also highly recommends the consumption of more extra-virgin olive oil which helps increase HDL and inhibits oxidized cholesterol from stiffening the arteries (atherosclerosis) which can lead to higher blood pressure. Another recommendation was that drinking one glass of a high-antioxidant red wine for women and no more than two glasses of red wine for men can help reduce risk of heart disease.

   If you want to try for a non-drug option for high cholesterol, you have to add in exercise. One of the best ways to minimize your heart disease risk is to move regularly.  Experts recommend at least 150 minutes of movement. You don't have to go to the gym.  Biking, swimming and walking can all help.

   And that is where hypnosis comes in.  I work with intelligent and highly educated clients.  They know what to do.  They just aren't doing it.  If you are hoping to avoid drugs for high cholesterol  and their possible side effects, you need to be following Dr. Roberts' suggestions.  If you need help getting started and getting motivated to make those changes, hypnosis can help.  Get started and BE WELL>

MAJOR ILLNESSES LINKED TO SMOKING. QUIT WITH HYPNOSIS

     A report published in JAMA INTERNAL MEDICINE by researchers at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, was an analysis of data from 2006 through 2012 on data from two national health surveys.  The analysis showed the huge toll of smoking on smokers' health.  At the time of the report, smoking was linked to 14 million cases of major illness in the United States.  The report concluded that for each death caused by smoking in the U.S. at that time, fifteen to twenty people were suffering with a major disease caused by their smoking habit.

   I once had a close friend justify her smoking habit with the comment, "Everyone has to die of something".  Well, she died of lung cancer that spread to her brain.  Major diseases like cancer and heart disease are often side-effects of smoking.  If you have been thinking about quitting smoking, don't wait until you have a bad diagnosis. 

    Recently a message was left on my voice mail, I'd like to share with you."Hi, Jennifer,  This is Elizabeth _____, Today is the first anniversary of quitting smoking with your help.  Thanks to you, I'll never smoke another cigarette.  I feel so much better.  My life is better.  My grandkids get to keep me.  Thank you so much."  Don't wait for a major illness to quit smoking.  Hypnosis can help you stop and BE WELL.