SMOKING LINKED TO CHRONIC BACK PAIN

  If you suffer from chronic back pain, be aware your smoking habit may be part of the problem.  A study  by A. Vania Apkarian, PhD, professor of physiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, found that smokers are three times more likely than nonsmokers to have chronic back pain.

    Although researchers are not sure why this surprising link between smoking and back pain exists, it is believed that smokers have a stronger connection between the regions of the brain controlling chronic pain and addictive behavior.  In the study, participants who quit smoking showed a drop in the connectivity between those two regions decreasing their risk of chronic pain.

    If you are  smoker suffering from chronic back pain, you have still another reason to stop smoking.  Hypnosis can be a valuable tool to Be a Healthy NonSmoker and BE WELL. 

HYPNOSIS, A GREAT TOOL TO PREVENT NAIL BITING

    You may have never heard of onychophagia but a simple show of hands may reveal you have this challenge.  For onychophagia is the term for chronic nail biting..This behavior occurs in different cultures and on different continents.  Nail biting occurs slightly more in males than females.  It is also very common at all ages.  Studies have shown that nail biting occurs between 28 and 33 percent of the time in children between seven and ten. Nail biting peaks in adolescents with 19 to 29 percent of teenagers. As young adults mature, the incidence of nail biting drops but 10 to 20 percent continue to chew their nails.  

     So why do people bite and pick their nails?  There are a lot of different opinions.  Although the old Freudian view of oral fixation is no longer popular, some older studies still lean to psychological reasons.  Newer studies often identify nail biting as a relative of obsessive-compulsive disorder. While some experts describe this as an exaggerated grooming behavior similar to monkeys and apes, others believe there is a genetic link since the behavior is often seen in families,  Stress relief may be important to some nail biters while for others it may simply be a matter of habit.

     In any case, though it can seem like a fairly unimportant habit, I often see clients who complain about it affecting their lives.  Some complain about the embarassment of a behavior that seems childlike or unprofessional while others talk about the discomfort of sore, raw or even bleeding fingers which makes their hands unattractive. And others are very concerned about nail biting being unsanitary.

     Among techniques people have used to overcome onychophaiga are:  keeping a journal  about the behavior to help identify triggers to nail biting, using a relaxation technique like meditation, keeping hands busy with an activity like playing with a stress ball or even the old Internet favorite of painting the nails with a bitter or hot liquid such as something flavored with peppery flavors like Tabasco sauce.  Be aware that some people actually start to like the hot flavors.  Some medical doctors will prescribe medications such as Prozac when the nail biting is severe.  Hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool to help you overcome this habit.  Stop nail biting, feel good and BE WELL.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT SUGAR ADDICTION

    In recent years, sugar addiction particularly to soft drinks has become a common complaint among my clients.  This is not surprising.  A Scientific Statement in the AHA (American Heart Association) JOURNAL CIRCULATION reported that in the 2000s Americans increased their intake of sugar by an average of 22.2. teaspoons.  That is the equivalent of 355 calories most of it consumed in soft drinks.

    The statement identifies a large number of health problems caused by this excess sugar including:  weight gain, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low levels of HDL cholesterol  which is the good cholesterol and increased risk for cardiovascular disease which includes stroke. Based on research at the University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center who analyzed health and diet data from more than 4,500 people who had no history of high blood pressure, the America Heart Association issued the following guidelines.  1) Women should eat no more than 100 calories of added sugar per day or six teaspoons.  2) Men should eat no more than 150 calories of added sugar or nine teaspoons.  Since one twelve ounce can of cola contains eight teaspoons of sugar or 150 calories even one soda is too much for a woman.

    Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of BEAT SUGAR ADDICTION NOW! (Fair Winds) says, "Eating too much sugar is an addiction.  Sugar gives you an initial high, you crash several hours later, and this leaves you wanting more sugar."  He has several recommendations that can help including: 1) using sugar substitutes such as stevia and erythritol which are combined in the products PureVia and Truvia, 2) Getting seven to nine hours of sleep which he says "optimizes energy, decreases appetite and slashes sugar cravings, 3) drinking water to stay hydrated, 4) cutting out excess caffein, 4) taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement since low levels of nutrients can trigger food cravings and 5) Eating whole foods including vegetables, whole grains, beans and meat which do not trigger sugar cravings

    If you need help making these changes, hypnosis can be a valuable tool. Beat your sugar addiction and BE WELL.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT BELLY FAT

     Did you know belly fat is dangerous even when you have kept your overall body weight under control?  A study of more than 350,000 people published in THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE reported that a large waist can nearly double your risk of premature death.  Excess belly fat results in what we call an "apple" body shape.  Also known as visceral fat, it is stored in the abdominal cavity.  This is dangerous because it can wrap around or even invade internal organs including the heart.

   There are two types of belly fat.  There is soft belly fat and then the hard belly that is often called "having a beer belly."  The hard beer belly is the more dangerous of the two because people with hard belly fat have high levels of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP) which is a risk factor for heart disease.  Among other serious health conditions linked to belly fat are:  diabetes, migraines, cancer, dementia, and lung problems.

   So measure your waist just below the navel.  A good goal for women is 35 inches or less and 40 inches or less in men.  Unfortunately, there are no known ways for spot reducing just visceral fat.  Healthy overall weight loss includes:  1) eating healthy foods and watching portion size, eliminating junk and processed foods.  Void processed carbohydrates such as snacks, white bread, fruit juice and beer.  All these can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar that may increase belly fat. 2) Add aerobic exercise such as a 20 minute walk daily.  This will burn calories, reduce fat and increase metabolism. 3) Set your thermostat lower.  New research finds that sleeping in a cool temperature could increase your body's energy expenditure resulting in weight loss.  

    If you add these behaviors into your daily life, you should boost metabolism and lose weight including  the visceral belly fat that is so dangerous.  If you need motivation to eat well and add the aerobic exercise, hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool.  Use hypnosis, get rid of that belly fat and BE WELL.