MORE BAD NEWS FOR SODA DRINKERS

     In earlier posts, I have reported on some of the health risks of drinking sugar-sweetened sodas and low and no-sugar sodas.  Studies first linked consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas to increased risk for diabetes, coronary artery disease, weight gain, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  In 2012 researchers at Harvard University and Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute reported on a study of soda consumption of more than 100,000 men and women over more than 20 years.  This study found that regular consumption on a daily basis of either sugar-sweetened or diet sodas increases stroke risk by about 16%.

    Adam Bernstein, MD, one of the authors of the study noted that the researchers really don't have a good explanation for the biological mechanism causing the finding.  He did note that one study suggested that the caramel coloring in some sodas might be contributing to the problem though the findings are preliminary.

    If you're worried about giving up caffein, coffee and tea do not increase stroke risk.  This may be because of the antioxidants in those drinks.  So now you have another reason to think about substituting some other drink such as water, skim milk, coffee or tea instead of sodas. 

    I have had several clients come in over the years who were concerned about the health risks of sodas and used hypnotherapy to quit drinking them.  Hypnosis can be a valuable tool to help you quit drinking sodas and BE WELL.

HYPNOTHERAPY CAN HELP WITH PHOBIAS

     Do you know what the most common anxiety disorder is?  The answer may surprise you.  Phobias are the most common affecting up to 14% of Americans during their lifetimes.  The word phobia comes from the Greek word phobos which means mortal fear.  If you are extremely anxious about flying, being in an elevator or exposed to heights, your life may be limited by these fears.  A phobia is considered to be an unreasonable and persistent fear that limits the person's ability to freely socially interact, work or play.  Sufferers with phobias will often make unreasonable or irrational choices in order to avoid that fear.

      Some people suffer with phobias by simple avoidance which often limits their lives.  Others become so uncomfortable by the physical symptoms that often often occur with phobias.  When such symptoms as shortness of breath, trembling, rapid heart beat and the strong desire to flee become too strong, they take medications like alprazolam (Xanax)  or clonazepam (Klonapin).  

     Be aware there are other treatments to reduce the severity of a phobia or even help it to disappear.  Therapy can be a non-medication way to treat phobias.  Your medical doctor may be able to recommend a mental-health professional who works with clients suffering from phobias.  There are a number of different therapies, including talk therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and exposure therapy.

      Hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool to alleviate or eliminate your phobia. You can free yourself from the limitations caused by phobias.  Hypnotherapy is brief therapy.  I work with most phobics only one time and allow the client to record the session for reinforcement at home.  Get the help you need, free yourself and Be Well. 

HYPNOTHERAPY EASES IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)

      Magnus Simren, MD, professor of gastroenterology, The Sahlgrenska Academy of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, reported on research to test the effectiveness of hypnotherapy as a treatment on 346 IBS patients.  The study found that symptoms were reduced for 40% of patients receiving one hour of hypnotherapy once a week for twelve weeks.  In addition, this positive effect was reported to last for one to seven years.  It is believed that the hypnotherapy is of value because IBS patients learn to control their symptoms through hypnotic suggestion and deep relaxation.

     I believe that most hypnotherapists will require a medical referral before beginning sessions for IBS.  Talk to your medical doctor, find a qualified hypnotherapist and you, too, may be able to ease IBS with hypnotherapy and Be Well.

SMOKING AND HEALTH - THE LATEST SURGEON GENERAL'S REPORT

       The latest "Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health" came out a couple of weeks ago.  It's been fifty years since the first report came out citing smoking as a cause of lung cancer in men.  The new report expands the list of disorders caused by smoking to include everything from tuberculosis to erectile dysfunction.  Dr. Boris D. Lushniak, the current acting surgeon general, commented that "smoking remains the leading preventable cause of premature disease and death in the United States."  And, Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, reported that "this year alone, nearly one-half million adults will still die prematurely because of smoking."

     Today, almost 42 million Americans are still smoking cigarettes.  You may be one of them.  If you are one of the 70 percent of smokers who have said they want to quit, hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool to make that happen. Don't give up - give yourself the best chance at having a long, full healthy life as a non-smoker.

    If you would like more information on using hypnotherapy to quit smoking, check the other articles in this blog or go to my website, www.BeaHealthyNonsmoker.com

LIFESTYLE CHANGES THAT CAN PREVENT ALZHEIMER'S

      If you have a family member or friend suffering from Alzheimer's disease or have anxiety about developing this disease, changing or eliminating risk factors, the work of Deborah Barnes, PhD, MPH, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, may give you insight for prevention.  Dr. Barnes was the leader of a comprehensive review published online in THE LANCET NEUROLOGY.

     In the review she reported that more than half of Alzheimer's cases could be prevented with lifestyle changes such as treating health issues like depression, diabetes, midlife obesity and midlife hypertension, stopping smoking and increasing physical activity   By eliminating or changing these risks, Dr. Barnes reported, it would potentially be possible to prevent 2.9 million cases of Alzheimer's disease in the United States.

     Good medical care for aggressive treatment of the health issues is a must.  If you need motivation to stop smoking or increasing physical activity, hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool to get you going, keep you going and BE WELL.

HALVE YOUR RISK FOR CORONARY HEART DISEASE WITH HYPNOTHERAPY

      It's the new year.  Is this the year you decide to become a nonsmoker?  A study by researchers at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, Loyola University Health System, Melrose Park, Illinois, found that former smokers have lower blood pressure and heart rates just twenty minutes after smoking their last cigarette.  Within twelve hours, the carbon monoxide levels in their blood had dropped to normal.  And, one year later, the risk for coronary heart disease had been halved.  You know it's time to get rid of the dangerous habit of smoking.

    Hypnotherapy can be a great tool to become a nonsmoker.  Check out my web site www.BeaHealthyNonsmoker.com and the many articles in this blog for more information to give you the help you need to have the best chance at a long full healthy life.

NEW YEAR - ACHIEVING NEW GOALS

      Happy New Year everyone.  The best thing about a new year is it provides us a way of looking forward.  The past year is now behind us and it's time to dream about what you would like to achieve in 2014.  Have you been hoping to lose some weight, quit smoking, get moving, or deal with the myriad stresses in your life?  Take a few minutes to dream about how you would like this year to end - perhaps you see yourself as healthier, more active, calmer.  Now get specific - what would have to happen for you to reach your goal?  For example, you might say to be healthier you would need to lose thirty pounds.  Or you might say to be more active you could go to a gym. Or to be healthier you would stop smoking cigarettes.  Once you have a clear long-term goal, work out a plan for how you will reach it through attainable short-term goals.  Short-term goals for losing weight might include healthy and conscious eating and regular exercise.  Work the short-term goals and the long-term goals can be attained.  Hypnotherapy is a great tool for motivation in working those goals.  Now is the time to dream to have a really great 2014.

BEST WISHES OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON

     This is the last weekend before Christmas and the beginning of a busy holiday season for all of us.  I will be in the office on Monday and then will not return until Jan. 6.  I will check phone messages.  If you want to schedule an appointment early in the new year, please call at 703 323-0690 and leave a message and I will return your call.  January usually gets very busy as people reinforce their new year's resolutions, so call early to get on the schedule.  Thanks to all those for the interest and support of all who have followed this blog.  I wish you the very happiest of holidays and a wonderful 2014.

U.S. LIFE EXPECTANCY AT ALL TIME HIGH

     There is good news to celebrate as 2013 comes to a close.  Life expectancy is at an all time high in the United States,  The mortality statistic branch, division of vital statistics at the National Center for Health Statistics reported that preliminary figures indicate that life expectancy in the U.S. was at 78.7 in 2010. Good news was that ten of the fifteen leading causes of death had significantly decreased between 2008 and 2009.  Those causes included:  cancer, homicide, accidents and heart disease.

    The second good news is that the choices we make about how we take care of ourselves and our general lifestyle can definitely affect the possibility of those causes affecting your life.  Avoiding cigarettes, drugs and alcohol, eating well, getting good medical care, exercise and living consciously to avoid dangerous people and situations can help you to lower your risk of those causes.  Sometimes people just need motivation to take care of themselves and make those positive choices.  Hypnotherapy can be a great way to get motivated to improve your life style.  It's not enough to live longer we also want to have a high quality of lifestyle during those years. Live well, live longer and BE WELL.

QUIT SMOKING AND DROP RISK FOR HEART DISEASE

     A study sponsored by the American Cancer Society done at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, Loyola University Health System in Melrose Park, Illinois, found that one year after quitting smoking, former smokers had cut their risk for coronary heart disease in half.  The researchers reported that within twenty minutes of having their last cigarette, former smokers had lower heart rates and blood pressure.  Within twelve hours after quitting smoking, former smokers' blood levels of carbon monoxide had dropped to normal.

    If you have been thinking about quitting smoking, check my website www.BeaHealthyNonsmoker.com.  Hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool to help you become a nonsmoker and lower your risk for coronary heart disease.  Quit smoking - BE WELL.

THANKSGIVING 2013

     Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  How quickly we seem to move from one holiday to the next.  I just want to let each of my followers know how much I appreciate you.  I am very thankful for the interest you have shown in the blog, hypnotherapy and in my practice.  This is a wonderful time of the year to truly think about those things for which we are thankful.  I know that some of you are going through very difficult times.  It can be hard to focus in the middle of pain.  But, please, take a moment to reflect on your life and things for which you can be thankful.  If you are reading this, you are alive and you are literate - certainly things for which to be thankful.  Examine your life for all the positives, rather than focusing on the negatives.  Thinking of you with hopes you will BE WELL and have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

BETTER SLEEP? LOSE WEIGHT

     Another reason to get a good night's sleep - a study published in 2012 in ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE reported that you need to get a good night's sleep if you are trying to lose weight.  The researchers found that dieters who got only five and a half hours of sleep per night lost 55% less fat than those who slept for eight and a half hours.  It is believed the reason for this is that dieters who slept fewer hours had a higher level of ghrelin which is a hormone that promotes hunger. 

     Insomnia and weight loss are two issues often treated with hypnotherapy.  If you are dealing with a chronic lack of sleep or are trying to lose weight, hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool to make those changes.  Sleep well, lose weight, and BE WELL.

ONE WEEK AS A NONSMOKER

   When I work with a client to become a nonsmoker, I always ask them to call me on their first anniversary so we can celebrate together.  I just got off the phone with a gentleman who came in last Monday to quit smoking. He said, "I know you said call me on my first anniversary, but I just wanted you to know in an hour and a half, I will have been a nonsmoker for one week.  It was much easier than I had thought possible." I reminded him that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis and that this was something he had done by using a powerful tool.  If you are thinking about getting free of cigarettes and smoking, remember hypnotherapy can be that tool. Stop smoking and BE WELL.

KEEP YOUR HEART HEALTHY

     Do you sit for long periods at a time?  A century ago most men and women had very active daily lives.  Many men worked on farms or in factories and physically demanding jobs requiring a lot of movement.  Many women were homemakers with much more demanding housework than most of us do today.  Today a great many people sit for long periods of time.  Many have desk jobs at work where they sit in front of a computer for many hours a day.  Others, like myself, sit with a client hour after hour with little movement except to walk one client to the door and greet the next.  Evenings are often filled with more computer work or relaxing with a book or television.  This lifestyle will not keep your heart healthy.

       A study of 4,512 adults by researchers at University College London and University of Queensland, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and Edith Cowan University, all in Australia was published in JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY. The researchers reported that those who spent at least two hours a day sitting in front of a screen compared with those who had less than two daily hours of screen time, were twice as likely to have some type of cardiovascular event such as a heart attack.  The findings were even more frightening for those who sat at a computer or in front of a television screen for four or more hours a day.  It was reported that those people were 48% more likely to died during the four-year study regardless of how much exercise they did.

    Exercise is simply not enough to keep our hearts healthy.  We need to take frequent breaks at work and when we are sitting at home watching tv or on the computer. Hypnotherapy can be used as a tool for motivation to add frequent breaks and movement into our lives daily so that we can Be Well.

INSOMNIA AND HEART DISEASE RISK

    A 2011 study at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, indicates still another reason to find ways to deal with insomnia.  The study, published online in CIRCULATION, was led by public health researcher and internist Lars Erik Laugsand, MD, lead author of the study conducted at the university in Trondheim.  The study found that there is a 45% higher risk for heart disease for people who have trouble falling asleep most nights than those who don't have trouble falling asleep.  The study of 52,610 people also showed a 30% higher risk for developing heart disease in those who have trouble staying asleep.

   The study concluded that the reason for the increased risk of heart disease in those with insomnia may be associated with increase stress hormones, inflammation and blood pressure issues.  Each of these can increase the risk for heart disease.  Check out some of my earlier blogs about insomnia, its symptoms and causes and how you can help to relieve the symptoms.  Do not give up - remember hypnotherapy can be another tool in dealing with insomnia and protecting yourself from the risk of heart disease. 

WEIGHT LOSS AND HYPNOSIS

      Sometimes people who are curious about hypnotherapy as a tool for weight loss will ask me "well, exactly how many sessions will that be?"  It's a very good question and almost impossible to answer with a number.  I suggest to my clients that we start with two sessions.  The first session is a comprehensive clinical interview in which I ask about what they are doing right, what they are doing wrong and what they feel they need to do to reach their goal weight.  The interview also includes everything from family history to health history to their weight loss and weight gain history.  After identifying overeating triggers and exercise patterns, the clients creates a weight-loss plan that they believe will work for them.  The second session is the actual hypnotherapy session based upon all the information and the plan they created.  Then the clients go out and work their plan.  I ask no commitment beyond the two sessions.  But I do tell clients, it takes a long time to get significant amounts of weight off so they may need an occasional session of hypnotherapy for reinforcement.

      Yesterday, a client came in who I first worked with for weight issues on August 28, 2013.  Yesterday was October 22, 2013.  In less than two months, she had lost twenty pounds.  Incidently, this is well above what I suggest is likely to happen.  I suggest that a pound to a pound and a half per week is good weight loss.  When she got motivated, it just came off faster than that.  So why was she back?  She had decided she wanted to get ahead of the curve on holidays.  She was afraid of all the candy available during the holiday as sugar was one of her challenge areas.  And she wanted to stay focused on her goals through the holidays and not slip back into all bad habits.  We planned that session in about 35 minutes and then we did a 45 minute hypnosis session.

      All hypnotherapists have their own ways of assisting weight loss and different programs for helping you.  With hypnosis as a tool, weight loss can happen and be maintained.  Use hypnotherapy and BE WELL.

FRIENDSHIP, HAPPINESS AND WELLNESS

      Those of you who have followed my blog posts for some time know that most of the time I am exploring ways to BE WELL - physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.  I often report on studies about wellness and how hypnotherapy can be used as a tool to achieve that goal.  Today I am simply reflecting on how fortunate I have been in the wonderful number of friends in my life.  This came to mind because I have just come back from a five day trip up to Niagara Falls, Canada, with a couple who have been a part of my life since 1981.  Although it had been a number of years since we had been together, we climbed in the SUV and immediately started chatting as if we had seen each other recently.  During the trip, we toured, we ate, we went on the "Maid of the Mist" boat tour of the falls and we ate some more.  But most of all we talked, reminisced and laughed together.  We parted yesterday - they fly home on Saturday.  I'm back to work today.  But each one of us, is likely feeling good today because of that time we shared together.  Give yourself the best chance at wellness by enjoying old friends, making new friends and reconnecting with those who have been lost along the way because of busy lifestyles.  Friendships can help you to BE WELL.

REDUCE STRESS AND GET RID OF BODY FAT

     In 2011, J. Daubenmier, et al., researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, presented a study in the JOURNAL OF OBESITY.  It was called "Mindfulness Intervention for Stress Eating to Reduce Cortisol and Abdominal Fat Among Overweight and Obese Women: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Study." In the study, one group of  chronically stressed and overweight or obese women were taught how to reduce stress and the technique of mindful eating where they focused on the sensations of eating such recognizing fullness. The control group did not learn those techniques.  The study found that the more healthful eating women with the greatest reduction in stress lost the most deep belly fat.

     Learning stress reduction and mindful eating techniques helps reduce the stress hormone cortisol and thus aids in losing belly fat.  Hypnotherapy can be used to assist in learning these techniques and reinforcing them in hypnosis.  Reduce stress, eat mindfully and Be Well!

GET FIT AND LIVE LONGER

     What is the best predictor for longevity?  Many people may guess that weight is the key predictor.  They assume that people who are thin will live longer than those who are overweight.  Dr. Mark Stengler has reported on a University of South Carolina study in which researchers found that the best predictor of longevity is fitness level rather than weight.  The best way to improve your fitness level is by regular aerobic activity.  If you are having trouble getting motivated to exercise, see a clinical hypnotherapist for an exercise motivation session.  Get fit, Be Well, live longer.

HYPNOTHERAPY FOR MOTIVATION

     Many of my clients are surprised to learn that hypnotherapy can be a great tool for issues besides quitting smoking, losing weight and reducing stress.  I recently received a thank-you note from a client who had come to me feeling depressed and unmotivated after she lost her job when the executive she worked for left the company.  She just wanted to get on with her life.  This is the note I received, "Hi, Dr. Johnson    You are amazing!  when my phone rang during my session yesterday, it was from a company asking me if I was interested in interviewing for an Executive Assistant position next week:)  when I got home, I started cooking up a storm - pasta with meat sauce and spice cake with frosting.  This morning I got up at 6:15 and went for a two mile walk with my husband then I went to the office and packed my office and my executive's office.  I feel good today.  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!"

     Congratulations to her and all the people who have used hypnotherapy to improve their lives.  Personal issues such as motivation, anxiety and depression can also be addressed with hypnosis.