The leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease.  A whopping 26% of all deaths.  The next is cancer.  Scientific studies tell us that to increase all forms of vegetables and fruits will increase our natural immunity, physiology towards health and alkalization.

2. Engage Your Body

Physical activity promotes a healthy, lean, muscular body and studies have now proven that regular exercise also has a causal role on how long and well we can live!  Qi Sun & collegues from Harvard School of Public Health looked at data from 13,535 participants where female nurses reported physcial activity level.  The team found that women who lived to 70 (10 + years after the study began) had higher levels of physical activity and were less likely to have chronic diseases- heart, physical, cognitive or mental imparements.  So find some activity you enjoy and just do it!

3.  Decrease Inflammation

Acute inflammation is a protective mechanism of the body.  Chronic inflammation is a stuck system which leads to the top 60+ diseases in the United States.  The #1 cause of acidosis and related inflammation is toxic negative thinking, the #2 cause is acidic eating.  Abdominal Breathing, EmPower March, Journaling, Forgiveness, other forms of meditative activities (yoga, praying, singing, etc.) all have profound effects on the brain, body-mind connection, neurology and hormones which will shut down the inflammatory cascade.

4.  Brain Plasticity

Science now tells us that when we choose different ways of thinking and behaving our brain literally rewires (disconnects from the old pattern).  Studies at Brandeis University in Massachusets showed increasing mental activity (reading, writing, cross-word puzzles etc) whether an individual has a higher or lower education, increased memory tests.

5.  Improve Your Intimate Relationships

We are relational beings and the deeper we grow together  the healthier we feel!  In a survey of 3,000 men and women ages 57 to 85 years, researchers at the University of Chicago learned that seniors who maintained strong/functioning sexual and intimate relationships generally have better health and well being!

So in the words of B.E.S.T. founder and developer Dr. MT Morter Jr.  Love them more, expect nothing in return and health, happiness and success is sure to follow!

In Health & Service,

Dr. Roland Phillips BA, BS, D.C.

Studies now show when the testosterone pre-curser DHEA (an adrenal hormone pre-curser) drops so does testosterone and libido.  What researchers are not telling you is that when you chronically skip meals, eat junk food, take medication, and stress out – our bodies steal DHEA and Pregnezone to make cortisol (a stress hormone) and not make anabolic sex hormones.

Again, if we continue to choose unhealthy habits (see our 6 essentials) our bodies will do the best they can to survive, and that survival response many times is an adaptation, and not optimal health.  In fact the way we view disease is as an effect of our bodies adapting perfectly to the choices we make!

So you want a better libido?  Here’s a hint

1.  Eat more vegetables, fruits, nuts and omega 3 fatty acids (cholesterol makes sex hormone)

2.  Cut out junk food & drink, sugar, etc

3.  Eat regular meals – no skipping – this stress triggers the need for cortisol (pregnenolone steal and added belly fat)

4.  Every time you get a negative thought or emotion – practice belly breathing and EmPower March

5.  Consider adrenal supplement support – i.e. Adrenergy, Alkadrenergy

6.  Herbal supplements can greatly enhance Adrenal support – Licorice, Reumania, Eletherol (Siberian Ginseng), Ashwaganda, Korean Ginseng, Rhodiola

7. Exercise 30 min. 3x a week for beginners and increase accordingly as fitness level improves.

We check routinely at exams and re-exams for these and other nutritional supplements.

In Health & Service,

Dr. Roland Phillips BA, BS, D.C.

Acid – Alkaline Balance

As we get more dehydrated the body becomes more acidic- slowing enzyme reactions and disrupting normal biochemistry.  This gets compounded when the excretory organs like the liver, kidneys and lymphatic tissue do not have enough liquid to properly do their jobs.  As acid goes up inflammatory conditions follow.  Fungal overgrowth can also occur.

Aging

As we age, cell volume can go down.  This can greatly be accelerated by poor hydration.  Maintaining proper intra and extra cellular fluid balance can also get thrown off.

Joints & Spine

Dehydration of the cartilage and joints leads to brittleness, inflammation and predisposition to damage.  As dehydration increases, toxins that are external & internal in nature can effect joint health and deposit and create gout/arthritis…etc.

Kidneys & Bladder

As we are exposed to many environmental toxins and internally produced toxins, changes in hydration lead to pH changes (acidity) which can lead to viral, bacterial, fungal overgrowth and irritation of the mucous membrane of the kidney.  Excess protein leads to acidosis and as a compository buffering adaptation, ammonia is excreted causing burning in the urine.  Hydration greatly aids the eliminatory systems.

Cell Wall

When we are chronically dehydrated the body puts extra cholesterol in the cell wall to prevent water loss, this overproduction, though helpful to the cell wall, introduces too much cholesterol into the blood stream.

Skin

Dehydration leads to dry, flaky, non-elastic skin.  As we become more and more dehydrated our sweat becomes more concentrated and toxic which can lead to inflammation and skin irritation.

Weight Management

The weight and thirst centers in the brain are closely linked.  Feelings of thirst can be confused with hunger because eating can relieve thirst and thirst induced fatigue is often misinterpreted as a lack of fuel (I want sugar!).  Both can cause overeating and weight gain.  Chronic dehydration also leads to excess fat as a means of sequestering poisons that can not be safely eliminated.

Lungs

The moist mucous membranes of the lungs are protective in nature.  In chronic dehydration dryness leads to vulnerability of attack from pathogens, dust, pollen, etc..

Digestion

Drinking too much water at once can dilute digestive fluids, leading to indigestion.  Dehydration leads to diminished digestive capacity and fluids.  The average adult produces 7 liters per day of digestive fluid.  Mucous produced in the stomach protects the stomach lining from hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes. Dehydration can diminish protective mucous leading to stomach ulcers.

Enzymes & Exercise

Water is essential for enzymatic activity, energy production and metabolism.  Dehydration can slow this process resulting in the sensation of fatigue.

Liver & Blood Pressure

Chronic dehydration leads to a more viscous (thicker) blood and a concentration of blood vessels.  To compensate for “sludge in the blood” the body must increase blood pressure to push the blood through the veins.

Colon Health

The bowels extract fluid from the stools.  Chronic Dehydration leads to a lack of fluids in the stools and hardened stools leads to constipation and body wide toxicity and inflammation.

To keep your body properly hydrated you need to be drinking a minimum of 1/2 gallon of  water throughout the day.  I personally recommend a product called Green20.  This product is a powdered mixture of Chlorophyll, Fulvic Minerals, Chlorophyllins, Resveratrol, Potassium, Stevia and comes in a Lemon or Spearmint flavor.  Green20 is a natural detoxifier, its alkaline pH-balanced and rich in chlorophyllins which come from the leaves of plants.  You can find this product in our online store at www.desertdove.com or call Liv International and place an order through customer service using distributor # 13088.

In Health & Service,

Dr. Roland Phillips BA, BS, D.C.

-Physically fitter (cardiovascular fitness)

-60% less likely to die in 6 years

-lowered stress levels

Green & Colleagues from The National Institute On Aging studied exercise and brain function by studying mice.  They found:

-exercise increased the number of brain cells

-enabled the mice to perform better at spacial learning

-were able to tell the difference between different stimuli at different locations, more efficiently (discrimination)

- increase of brain cell growth in the hippocampus which is in the limbic/emotional center of the brain

Canadian researchers investigated exercise and sex hormones (estradiol, estrone, androstindione and testosterone) all which may have an impact on breast cancer.  320 post menopausal women 50 to 74 aerobically exercised 225 minutes/week.  Results were as follows:

-estradiol and free estradiol were reduced

-sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) increased

These findings were consistent with covering the risk of breast cancer in post menopausal women.

Kemmler from Freidrich -Alexander University & Colleagues analyzed data on 246 older women who exercised.  They found:

-increased density of bone in the spine & hip

-66% reduction in the rate of falls

-fractures were 2x more prevalent in the control group, compared to the exercise group

Herring & Colleagues from the University of Georgia analyzed data of 40 randomized clinical studies involving 3000 patients with chronic medical conditions (heart disease, MS, cancer, pain & arthritis).  Those who exercised were found to have a reduction in anxiety, with exercise of 12 weeks and 30 minutes.

Sattelmair and Colleagues at Harvard School of Public Health studied 39,315 healthy American women older than 45 and the effects of exercise over a 12 year period.  They found:

-a markedly lowered risk of stroke

-there was an inverse relationship between walking, time & pace and related risk of stroke, schemic stroke and hemohoragic stroke

-as much as a 37% reduction, in stroke risk as walking time & intensity increased from 2mph to 3mph

Qi Sun and Colleagues from Harvard School of Public Health studied exercise and improved health among women who had survived to older ages.  In 13,535 women from the nurses health study reported that with physical activity:

-a reduction in cardiovascular disease

-a reduction in heart surgery

-a reduction in any physical, cognitive or mental impairment

So get out there! Find a activity 3-5 x a week, of at least 50 minutes and enjoy the multiple benefits of exercise!!!

In Health & Service,

Dr. Roland Phillips BA, BS, D.C.

It matters not if its musculo-skeletal, hormonal, digestive, immune, blood sugar or cyclic (circadian rhythms/sleep/menstrual/menopause/andropause).   And once you get this symptom or disease, no matter what the symptomatic approach is, if you do not address the cause which in most cases is multifaceted, your just playing musical chairs with yourself…

By multifaceted I mean; the person is a type A personality-driven to success, to be first, the best, etc. and

- there is a stress at home, with kids, relatives and/or spouse

- there is unsettled conflicts at work or with neighbors

- there is unresolved old family of origin issues

- past athletic competition – school pressure/expectations or events

- past physical traumas, surgeries, etc.

These under the surface layers; when combined with intense repetitive exercise can lead to frustration then poor performance and disease.

The endurance community is strewn with athletes who no longer are active due to a metabolic injury.

Remember, just because you can get away with it doesn’t mean you should.  Will you be the next statistic or the person who whips their body like a tired horse?  Or will you listen to life’s lessons and grow and evolve to more self honoring exercise and fitness?

I recommend monitoring your heart rate zone during exercise with this simple formula from Dr. Phillip Maffetone: 180-your age (if you have no physical symptoms) and – 10 ( if you do have any physical symptoms).  This will give you the top # of your ideal exercise zone, subtracting 10 will give you the bottom of your aerobic exercise zone.  Example: 180-50 (age) = 130 to 120 ideal heart rate for aerobic exercise.  Example: 180-50 (age) -10 (physcial symptoms present) = 120 to 110 ideal heart rate for aerobic exercise.

In Health & Service,

Dr. Roland F. Phillips BA.,BS.,D.C.

It is known that a proper diet (see previous blogs), exercise, breathing exercises and forgiveness homework begin to shift how we perceive and respond to life.  When we see life differently (i.e. not from a place of lack or threat, but as of an abundance of choices) our brains get signals from the heart (see HeartMath Institute), so we literally feel different.

It just involves taking steps in personal responsibility and willingness.  The brain will do the rest, i.e. make “Happy Hormones.”

Getting a B.E.S.T. treatment is the first step down that road.  What are you waiting for?   Call today to begin to feel Happy, Healthy and Successful

In Health & Service,

Dr. Roland Phillips

Statistically more than 1 million cases of skin cancer develop in the U.S. each year.  You would think that the ample supply and professional attention to sunscreen would put a dent in this number.  Reducing exposure to the sun may help, yet Mediterranean peoples are often exposed to much more sun than we are and do not suffer the consequences.

Fair skinned people may have a genetic predisposition to skin problems, however the epigenetics of chronic disease suggest it is our choices that impact our genetic expression and that we are not at the mercy of our faulty gene pool.

Since exercise is one of our 6 Essential Choices, as well as diet, it would behoove us to master these choices.  From a spirit-mind-body perspective, individuals who take things personally are thin skinned.  Really what I am saying is to let go of our narcissistic, self limiting beliefs of life and others, revolving around my whims and I can open the door to the Creative Intelligence that made my body and self regulating itself, disease becomes unnecessary.

In Health & Service,

Dr. Roland Phillips Jr., BA, BS, DC

A Danish study published by the British Medical Journal on 5,000 Caucasian males over the age of 40 found that those men who were clinically out of shape and worked longer than the 40 hr work week were 50% more likely to die of heart disease (USA’s #1 killer) than those who worked the same number of hours, yet were in better physical fitness.

Another study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that the more time we spend sitting down, the shorter our lives may be!

It is theorized that while we sit we engage in other behaviors that may not be healthy (i.e. snacking) and omitting behaviors that are healthy (i.e. exercising). 

Sitting for prolongued periods, in women, also showed a greater incidence of cancer while across the board for both genders cardiovascular disease increased; along with various markers for glucose, blood pressure, triglycerides and other cardiovascular disease.  Overall it seems women had a greater early death-rate than men (40% – 20%).  Researchers have not been able to explain this phenomenon. 

In Health & Service,

Dr. Roland F. Phillips Jr., BA, BS, DC

A) Excess protein consumption- reduce protein to 40 grams a day.

B) Increase green veggies for minerals, vitamins and co-factors.

C) Get active- send a jarring stimulus into the joints and bones by weight bearing activities: walking, running, Pilate’s, aerobics.  (studies of professional cyclists is Europe reveal advanced levels of Osteoporosis).

D) Increase oats and rice which are high in silicon to increase bone density.

E) Alka Green, Trace Minerals, Alka Cal and digestive enzymes all increase alkalinity, adding to the alkaline reserve-your internal bank account of vitamins & minerals!

Depression:  There are no biologic markers for depression.  It’s simply a question/answer based upon subjective assessment.

Consider-

A)  Increasing complex carbs (not enough can be decreasing serotonin levels), brown rice, beans, whole grains.

B)  Reduce activities that create hormonal, blood sugar and neurologic imbalances i.e. smoking, therapeutic & recreational drugs, stimulants, junk food, excessive video games, social networking, t.v., etc…

C)  Get out and get active

D)  Ask this simple question and live by it (if you are willing to be well, or is there a secret payoff to being depressed??)

What am I in charge of? Be It, Bring It, Do It.

What am I not in charge of? Let It Go, Let It Go, Let It Go.

You will not die by releasing and accepting life on it’s terms.  Acting on life’s feedback allows for self correction.  This is a large part of being human.  Yet our ego lives in it’s illusion of omnipotence, omniscience and all powerfulness.

Constipation:

A) Take a look at your consumption of certain foods: excess protein, junk food, chocolate and dairy can all shut down the bowel.

B)  Increase water, roughage and fiber with fruits and vegetables.

C)  Exercise- your choice

D)  Make a list of all the “shoulds” you have about yourself, others and life that aren’t going as expected.  Rigid, dogmatic thinking that is guilt related is the #1 negative emotion, according to Oriental Health care, for the large bowel.

Practice asking yourself: Who said so? Is this really the objective truth? Love it , embrace it, release it and move on in your heart, mind and body in the journey.

Headaches:  Vascular headaches, Tension headaches, Hormonal/Blood Sugar headaches etc. are too much energy in your head.  It’s really only personal when you make it so.

A)  Cut down on caffeine, sugar, junk food.

B)  Get out of your head and into your heart:  Sit relaxed, lights out, breathing deeply from the abdomen.  As you breath in deeply, notice any tension and/or any thought or emotion that arises:  Let it go and focus on your breath.  Being this way over time, roots you in the now and frees you from the internal chains that bind, for what is needed will be provided in the now.

In Health & Service,

Dr. Roland F. Phillips BA, BS, D.C.

It seems we can have a negative bias; the predisposition to see the negative in ourselves, others and life.  Thus by the law of like attracting like, I see and attract more of what I don’t want and don’t like in life.

In the book “Awakening Joy” by James Baraz, he explains that our “brains can be like Velcro” for negative experiences.  If you read various philosophers and authors (spiritual, psychological, philosophical) there seems to be a tendency for us to go negative as human beings.  What I believe this means is we all have ego’s that are extremely narcissistic; and the easiest way for my ego to grow is through fixating on the drama of the old story of “not enough”.  Life is never enough, God’s not enough…etc. just observe your mind and you’ll be aware of this familiar jingle.

Here’s some helpful hints on how to re-train your brain (neuroplasticity: new brain pathways by you changing your choices)!

1.  Keep a forgiveness/lesson journal: begin with forgiveness and end with gratitude, then implement the lesson concretely in your life.

2.  Get rest.

3.  Get exercise. Regularly/routinely : breathe (from deep in the abdomen, not shoulders, and in through the nose and out through the mouth) and be thankful/grateful for freely moving physically and mentally through all of life’s moments.

4.  Make a list of 3 passions in your life i.e relationships, finances, health.  Once you know what your passion looks and feels like only take inspired action that will create that passion in your life.  Release and bless all other thoughts, people and activities that don’t fit your passion as meaningless distractions.