Does your job fulfill you?  Are you enjoying what you do?  This is a tough area  for many people.  I remember years ago I taught some classes on being healthier.  One of the ladies did not like my class on work.  She was an executive at an industry here in New Ulm.   The basic take-home message is this: “get a new job if you are doing something that you hate”.  Here is an email she sent me from her new life:

“The 3 of us females(She and her 2 daughters) in my family have all learned the hard way of how the corporate world devalues you and it eats away at your very life.  I seem to remember one of your classes with a similar message that I wasn’t ready to hear at that time,  but I did come around!!

My entire family has learned from what you have passed on to me and the ripple keeps going!   I gave up my stressful job almost a year ago, a lot less money, but the difference I feel is amazing and apparent to everyone.  I’ve taken up yoga which has done wonders for me, and getting 8 hours sleep and no shift work is also a great treat after over 30 years of that craziness!  It was sure hard to finally separate myself from that job and I did go through a “mourning” process and needed counselling. Now I look back and I’m amazed I survived as long as I did.  When my classmate died of a heart attack on my old crew last month, I thought that could have been me if I hadn’t left.”  .

Are you meeting the people you wanted?  

Do you have the friends you want, or the spouse of your dreams? “Fireproof” is an excellent movie on marriage.

Are you spending the time with the people you want to?  

Do you go to the bar instead of playing with your kids?  Are you missing their sports activities for an extra hour of overtime?  If you are doing what you want, then great.  But if not, sometimes it is as simple as saying no to the extras.  If work is a problem for time, here is a quick tip:  Give yourself short deadlines.  It will push you to get things done faster.  Kind of like when you are going on vacation, it’s amazing how much you can get done beforehand.  Also, observe Paretto’s Law of 80/20.  Only 20% of your work/clients/time is valuable.  Find the 80% of waste and cut it.  Believe me, it’s there.

Are your relationships positive and productive?

Are there some energy vampires hanging on you?  There are people in the world who suck.  Yes, they suck the life out of anyone near them.  Stay away.  I can tell fairly quickly whether patients are going to stick around or not.  I repel energy suckers.  I don’t allow negative people in my life or as patients.  Their negativity and lifeless energy is never worth any monetary exchange.

It is a new year and simplicity is a necessity, otherwise burnout is inevitable.  Here are seven ways to simplify.

#1 Eliminate just one of your commitments.  Get rid of the one that stresses you the most.

#2 Organize your desk.  Be ruthless, clutter fragments the mind.  It wastes time with unproductive distractions.

#3 Don’t be late for any more appointments.  It stresses everyone.  Leave 10 minutes earlier than you think.

#4 Avoid stressful people.  Energy suckers.  It is hard when they are in your family, but do it anyway.

#5 Just SLOW down.  Drive 55 mph, walk if you can, look around at the world, call a friend, CHEW your food (meals should last at least 20 minutes).

#6 Exercise…major stress reducer.

#7 Make your to-do list shorter and put some open unscheduled time in there.

Our lives in money!

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?” Hands started going up.

He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you, but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the $20 dollar bill up. He then asked,“ Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air. “Well”, he replied, “What if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” Still the hands went into the air. “My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson”, he said, “No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.”

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless…. and especially to those who love you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or whom we know, but by WHO WE ARE.

You are special - Don’t EVER forget it.

-Mark Victor Hansen

Last night Dan Buettner was in New Ulm talking about his book the Blue Zones.  He was the keynote speaker for the kick-off of New Ulms Heart health project.  They are sure this is going to be followed nationally and possibly internationally.  They want New Ulm “to be a model for the world” -Lori Wightman

Here are the highlights of my notes in case you did not make it there.  I saw a few of you there.

…According to the CEO of Allina hospitals, the U.S. healthcare system costs 2.5 times more than any other country and we get to be #24 on the list of countries for longevity.

Basically our medical money is wasted.  The nice thing is he recognizes the problem and wants to do something.  They are looking to “focus upstream on wellness.”

According to the CEO, 60% of the resources are wasted in chronic diseases like heart disease.

And I thought this was shocking!

The hospitals don’t get any payments for wellness visits, only for E.R. visits.  Basically there is no financial incentive to promote wellness.  I have no idea how they intend to solve that one.

Wait, wait, wait they answered this question on KARE 11.  They are getting 40 million for the project.

The next speaker was Dr. Kevin Graham, Cardiologist and President, Minneapolis Heart Institute .

“1/3 of the people with a heart attack never make it to the E.R.”

“1/3 of the deaths in Brown County are from heart disease”

We could create a dramatic  reduction in risk if “everyone took an aspirin and 2 fish oil capsules a day”  I couldn’t believe that they would recommend something besides a drug.  I have to give them a lot of credit, that’s a big jump.  This time a year I will argue that cod liver oil would be a better choice, so if you aren’t taking any everyday, get down here and get some.

85 people died last year of Heart attacks in New Ulm.  They are trying to get that down to zero.  A very noble effort, but I think they have the wrong focus in HOW to do it.

Dr. Graham is looking to make heart disease a “medically treated disease”  He talked about this on KARE 11 last night.  They are looking for a magic drug to treat heart disease or to early detect people to get them on a drug cocktail that will hopefully prevent heart attacks.

One thing I found impressive was that Dr. Graham talked about calcification  (plaque) in the arteries as being a MORE important indicator of heart disease than cholesterol.  It “trumps” cholestrerol.  I loved it.  Maybe the great cholesterol myth will finally die.  Plus, Dr. Graham said that diabetes makes it all worse.

Well if diabetes makes it all worse, we can also focus on preventing diabetes.  Which is purely a nutritional issue.

Now, stay tuned to my emails because I am going to fill some gaps for you on plaque, on cholesterol, on heart attacks and ways to prevent them and ironically the next Bruce West newsletter (which you will see shortly) has a lot of these very issues in there.

PART 2 of New Ulm’s Heart health project was a lecture from Dan Buettner on the BlueZones.  Areas in the world that outlive the rest.  This is very similar to the work Dr. Weston Price did in the 1930’s.  There were more places back then that hadn’t had modern influences.

Here are some of my notes from the BlueZones.

The 4 BlueZones are Loma Linda, California;Okinawa, Japan; Saldinia, Italy; Northwest corner of Costa Rica.

In Sardinia, the cheeses were very high in omega-3 fatty acids (decreases inflammation and pain) compared to our cheese which is higher in omega-6 fatty acids (pain, inflammation).  Why?  Because their animals are still grass-fed.  Most of ours are grain fed.  Products from grass-fed animals are healthier for you.  They also drink wine regularly.

In Okinawa, they have a saying they say before every meal kind of like our Grace.  I couldn’t repeat the Japanese, but this was the rough translation.  “Stop eating when your stomach is 80% full”  they say that before each meal.  It takes 20 minutes before your stomach realizes what you have eaten, so the message here is eat slowly.  If you remember to stop at 80% you will consume about 400 calories less per day which = about 8lbs. a year.

Also, they have a social circle that is setup when they are 5 years old.   Basically given friends that they are expected to take care of for life.  Dan had slides of a group of ladies that had beengetting together regularly for 96 years.  They all were 101.

They also have an “ikigei”  .  The rough translation is “why I wake up in the morning?”  What is your purpose?

Off the cuff he said the longest lived people sleep 7 hours a day.

In Loma Linda, they were only the 7th day Adventists.  They took their diet from the bible.

Grains, seeds, nuts, green plants, no meat, and some fish.  They had regular routines they followed and they focused on keeping the sabbath.  They focused on God, family and going for nature walks together.

In Costa Rica, they had a special diet, very hard water, family focused, a light dinner, dry climate, strong social network, worked into older age and had a strong PURPOSE in life.

Dan Buettner summed up his findings for living to 100 and beyond in a few simple terms.

#1 Move naturally.  They didn’t run marathons or any other extreme.  They all lived inn walkable communities.

#2 They had the right outlook.  They had positive attitudes and lived a downshifted life.  They either prayed everyday, or napped, or meditated.

#3 They didn’t diet.  They eat wisely.  They ate a lot of plants.  They followed the 80% rule and ate slowly.  This may surprise some of you.  They had a few alcoholic drinks / night.  Mostly wine.

There has been a long association between alcohol and a decrease in heart disease.  2 drinks max.

#4 They put their family first.  All of them.  Grandparents on down.

#5 They had a strong sense of belonging.  All but 5 of them believed in God.  Being religious adds 4-7 extra years to your life.

#6 The hung out with the RIGHT people.  Positive people like them.  He noted that you are your peer group.  Smokers tend to be with smokers.  Overweight people cluster together or influence others in the group to gain weight.  BBC NEWS

For some fun 
Take their longevity test.  Here was mine.

Now realize that telling the future is impossible, but it is still a fun look at your lifestyle.  See how you are doing at bluezones.com

My Biological Age and life expectancy from the BlueZones.com

If you are looking at the above numbers and thought, “Dr. Altman could squeak out 2.2 more years.”  Well, I have a few nit-picks with their questions.  So I don’t think this is perfect but it has many admirable qualities.  They don’t differentiate between salts.  They just assume all salt is bad, and that isn’t true at all.  They also want people to regularly consume whole grain bread, and I don’t, and you shouldn’t either.  3-6 servings of grain a day is no way good for you.

#1 Grains have omega-6 fatty acids that contribute to inflammation and heart disease.

#2 Grains are considered simple carbs for all practical purposes.  The more carbs you eat the easier it is to gain weight.  Every extra 1lbs. of fat takes 100 miles of blood vessels to support that.  Simple math tells you that isn’t good for your heart.

So that is where I got docked some points for their scale.  But, I thought I’d share it with you
Have fun,

There was a potter who needed a pitcher for the milk she poured over her cereal every morning. She went to her studio, chose the clay she thought best and sat at her wheel. She made a shape pleasing to her eyes–after all it was her pitcher. She brushed on her favorite color of glaze, fired it and was delighted with the results–she had created a beautiful pitcher.

She took it home, filled it with milk, put it in the refrigerator and went to bed. The next morning the potter poured a bowl of cereal, opened the refrigerator, and reached for her new pitcher.

The pitcher suddenly shouted, “Oh, no you don’t! Keep your hands off!”
The potter responded, “I was just going to pour some milk on my cereal.”
“No, you’re not!” Replied the pitcher. “I worked hard to get this. I started out with no milk at all, but through hard work and careful stewardship, I am now full of milk. No one’s going to come along and pour out all that I’ve wanted so long to achieve!

“Hmmm,” pondered the potter. “I don’t think you understand the real story here. You see, I created you and I made you for the express purpose of filling you with milk so that I could pour it out each morning on my cereal. You were made to pour not to store!”
“A nice story, but I don’t get it,” said the pitcher.

Well, I see you are in need, and I am a generous pitcher. I will give you two tablespoons of my milk. That should wet the cereal nicely. Everything in Moderation — that is what I think!”

The potter looked deeply into the heart of the pitcher, “You’re afraid,” she said, “If you allow me to pour out the milk you will find yourself empty, that you will then be poor, and that I will throw you out and find another pitcher. You don’t realize that if you allow me to empty you, I will have found you to be a priceless pitcher. Then I will continue to fill you to the top over and over and over again, and we will become partners in emptying and refilling you. Perhaps, if you are willing to be emptied more completely and more often, I will find many other bowls of cereal who are longing to be drowned in the love of your giving.”

“And what if I don’t believe you and want to play it safe and just keep the milk I’ve got?” The pitcher inquired.

“You are free to make that choice,” the potter said with a sad voice. “Then I will make another pitcher who is willing to be my partner. I will have to set you on the back of the refrigerator shelf. You can keep your milk. But after a time, your odor will keep everyone away, and you will have missed the greatest job for which all pitchers are created — the joy of being poured out!”

Keep the sour milk out of your fridge on the next page

Don’t Let Your Milk Stink.

You were made to pour not to store!”

I think we are all inherent givers. It feels good to give. If you don’t give of yourself or work to help others, you start to feel like the old milk in the back of the fridge. I think we all know some stinky milk.

I was in church last Sunday and there was a significant plea for food shelf donations. Nine more families have signed on for help. The need for food is greater than any years past. Sometimes giving falls by the wayside because it is easily forgotten. So I hope to inspire you and reward you for giving.

Most of you have food you don’t need and often times should replace with an organic variety or something of that nature.

Bring Food Shelf donations to the office.

You get $1 off for every food item you bring in. Yes, I’ll give you a $1 off adjustments or supplements for each item you bring in by November 26^th, 2008.

As a bonus: If you bring in something you are looking to replace with an organic counterpart, I’ll tell you what to replace it with and where you can buy it.

I really want to make a huge office donation to the food shelf with a card with everyones name on it. I would like them to see how many people are trying to help make the world a little better.

On a side note. Raw, non-pasteurized milk goes sour and is still healthy and used as such throughout the world. Pasteurized milk rots and becomes toxic. Something to ponder?

For Higher Enlightenment and Good Karma.

Here is where the wheat is separated from the chaff. Can you make a difference in someones life who is suffering from physical ailments.

You get 1 free visit for every person you share chiropractic with and bring into the office as a new patient.

This is what can happen

This Thanksgiving give thanks for your health and follow in the footsteps of local guardian angels and embrace helping others.

One of our patients shops at Barnes & Noble fairly often and has come to know one of their employees. After seeing and hearing about the numerous health problems this employee had, our guardian angel encouraged over and over again for her to come to the office and talk to me. Our patient (guardian angel) didn’t quit after one “I’ll think about it” or “I can’t afford it”. Our guardian angel knew she needed help so she kept on. Many times people with chronic problems have been given the “there is nothing we can do speech” and assume that is true. Our patient knew better. This is what can happens when someone puts their whole heart and faith into getting better.

“In a nutshell… Dr. Altman saved my life. When I first came to Dr. Altman 6 weeks ago I felt hopeless. I’m 36 years old and I truly felt that I was dying. I was so deeply entrenched in medical problems and worries since I was 6 years old, but I didn’t care what medications I took just as long as I could temporarily feel better. After all I thought didn’t have much longer to live, even my body support this feeling.

I was lethargic, depressed, forgetful, and had pain everywhere. I was taking 2 to 10 Ibuprofen a day. I was going through a bottle of antacids per week. This was in addition to my prescription. For asthma allergies and high blood pressure, but I was still having health problems.

I was referred to Dr. Altman and after my first adjustment I felt like new and I could actually move around without being stiff or in pain. I was put on a special diet with supplements. Each week that passed, I was able to ween myself off, of different medications and I didn’t have any more problems with heart burn or body aches, and I have more energy and can even work out without using my asthma rescue inhaler. I even lost 10 pounds without even trying.

So, now I am down to one medication and a standby asthma inhaler, which I rarely use. A big triumph was getting off the prednisone, which I have been on for almost a year. It was indeed killing me.

No, it’s not easy avoiding food, I crave, Nor is it a simple thing to force myself to exercise on certain days, but the results are worth it. I still have work to do. But with Dr. Altman’s everlasting kindness and knowledge we’ve accomplished so much in so little time, and we’ll continue to see results. I am hopeful and I feel alive. People have noticed this at work. I’d have at least 10 different people mentioned how good and healthy I look. I am and forever grateful to Dr. Altman for saving my life.”

- Monica Spees ,Mapleton, October 2008

..According to the CEO of Allina hospitals, the U.S. healthcare system costs 2.5 times more than any other country and we get to be #24 on the list of countries for longevity and useful years..

…Basically our medical money is broken.  The nice thing is he recognizes the problem and wants to do something.  They are looking to “focus upstream on wellness.” Too bad they aren’t trying to tap into chiropractic, we’ve been doing it for over 100 years.

…According to the CEO, 60% of the resources are wasted in chronic diseases like heart disease.

…The hospitals don’t get any payments for wellness visits, only for E.R. visits.  Basically there is no financial incentive to promote wellness.

...Americans Spend $27 Billion a Year on Herbs, Massages, and Other Elective Treatments -HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES

…In 1997, the study found, people in the United States made more visits to alternative medicine practitioners than to primary care doctors. The score was 629 million to 386 million.

-HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES

…people turned to alternative help most frequently for such chronic conditions as back and neck pain, anxiety, arthritis, and headaches.

-HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES

…If this is you or someone you know, come in and let us help you. Drugs are not a long term solution.