FOHAC News Stress or Passion? #278a

Published: Wed, 12/03/14

Fair Oaks Health News

Welcome

Dec. 3, 2014

Stress or Passion?

Hi ,

On any given day tens of thousands of people flock to America's theme parks for a day of fun and frivolity. By far the most popular attractions at these theme parks are the roller coasters. People absolutely love them. The modern day roller coasters are totally amazing. They loop around at rocket speeds that were impossible a few years ago. It seems the goal is to experience just how close you can come to feeling like you are about to die horribly without actually being in any significant danger. Your body pumps out a ton of stress hormones for a few seconds. This creates a high that can be very addictive.

So is riding a roller coaster a passion or a stress?

Passion is well known to be a tremendous healing force for the body, while stress is the number one cause of disease - what gives? Typically what gives is the length of time the stress is applied. A brief stress tends to stimulate the system and produce increases in strength and resiliency. It does this by producing a temporary state of inflammation that the body ramps up to deal with. Chronic stress overwhelms the system and produces degeneration.

This pattern of response to stress is easily seen in bodybuilding. Brief periods of extreme exertion, such as lifting as much as you possibly can until your muscles fail, produces an inflammatory reaction in the muscles that signals the body to manufacture more proteins and build more muscle. But for this to happen, there needs to be a period of rest for a couple days while the body does its repair and build thing. If you lift heavy weights every day with the same muscles, you get over-training syndrome and your muscles get weaker as they break down and do not rebuild.

These measurable changes help us understand how to train ourselves athletically. However emotional stress seems to work somewhat differently. Yes chronic stress tends to overwhelm the body and break systems down, but acute stress can go either way depending on certain emotional factors. People can experience a brief traumatic stress, like an assault or an abuse experience, and be devastated for years and years. On the other hand, other brief stress situations may actually bring out the inner hero in a person and build their sense of self from that point onward.

There is a bit of genetics/epigenetics possibly involved. Studies have found that certain people have their brains wired up to be calm during an emergency and freak out later, while others are wired to freak out immediately. This wiring seems to be in place by the time a person is born. It can be changed, but it takes great effort. Brains are very individual and everyone is wired up a little differently. Some brains actually crave excitement and chaos, while other brains are totally terrified by it.

Brain wire-ups aside, there is something more fundamental involved in why stress is experienced so differently in people. Science has spent lots of time and effort on understanding the stress response because of its relationship to health. Unfortunately the nature of science precludes it from understanding the deeper and more individualistic relationships that drive the stress response. Science is a creature made of statistical studies of populations, not individuals. Anything observed on an individual level is called anecdotal and not considered scientific.

This is not to say that science has found nothing of use about stress. The thrust of research is about how to get rid of stress and therefore get rid of the negative effects of stress on health. Research has found out quite a bit about the positive effectiveness of using such things as meditation and non-directed prayer to reduce the harmful effects of stress on people. Hypnosis and creative visualization is regularly used in hospital settings today to help with heart disease and high blood pressure.

One very ancient technique I am particularly fond of is called pranayama, which literally means "extension of the life force." This is a controlled breathing technique that powerfully increases the tone in your parasympathetic nervous system - the opposite of your stress system. It simply involves slowly breathing in for six seconds then completely relaxing as you breathe out for six seconds. Continue this pattern of breathing for several minutes. By slowing your breath down to five breaths per minute, instead of your usual 12 to 15 breaths per minute, you are grabbing yourself by your brainstem and telling yourself to calm down. There are many variations of this technique, but all involve controlled breathing. Try it, you will be amazed at how powerful it is.

As I started writing this article, I was discussing with Ellen the factors that made stress so debilitating for some people and not others. She started talking about clients of hers that had dealt with such challenges as cancer. The common element that she always found underneath significant health issues triggered by stress was the suppression of self. As I thought about what she had said, I could see that the core factor that determined whether stress impacted a person negatively was this suppression of self. In fact I want to say that the suppression of self is the source of the negativity in the stress.

A stress that we do battle with and overcome makes us stronger. But a stress that involves us giving up ourselves or losing ourselves in some way becomes devastating. If you are a victim of an assault in a park, your self-esteem and belief in basic safety may be shattered. But if you are assaulted while having an argument over a bad call in a soccer match and you fight right back, you go home feeling good about yourself - especially if you kick the other guy's butt. If you suppress yourself because you are in an abusive relationship, your health goes down the drain. When you

live in anger and resentment because someone/something outside yourself is not the way you think they/it should be rather than focusing on empowering yourself to be who you want to be will also tank your immune system.

Small amounts of stress that we are able to overcome are actually good for us. Gravity is a beautiful example of this. It is a stress that we have to resist every time we get up out of a chair. If you don't resist gravity regularly, your body and mind will degenerate. Too much gravity - like a house falling on your head - is bad for you.

But the worst stress seems to be when you don't fight back - when you don't resist the stress. We are designed to resist the stresses of life. We are not designed to live a stress-free life. Without some stress, we would rot and die. We are passionate, creative, problem-solving beings, not bumps on a log. We exist to build who we are to better overcome the stresses of living. Without challenge we have no purpose. Without challenge we also have no health. Our body is supremely efficient. Anything we don't regularly use in our body degenerates away as the resources needed to support it are diverted

to areas that are being used. Lack of use is suppression of self in that area. The body needs passion - activation, not suppression to be healthy. "Use it or lose it" applies to mind, body, and soul. Live your passion. Be healthy.

Take care,

David

Inflammation Fighter Chocolate:

Now in the Office!

A full gram of curcuminoids fron turmeric and half gram of 98% resveratrol plus pepper extract to enhance absorption in a dark chocolate base full of brain empowering flavanols. Six pieces/doses per package only $13. Fabulous!

Back in stock the at home make-your-own inflammation fighter kits. This latest batch is less bitter / better tasting!

Also back in stock: Purity Oil Antiseptic Essential Oil blend

- now in larger roll-on bottles.

Ultrasound Physical Therapy

Now available in the office

Tuesday afternoons and Fridays

On the Wire

The Benefits of the Paleo Diet in Post Operative Care - See more at: http://robbwolf.com/category/anti-inflammatory-diet/#sthash.tqCkygPZ.dpuf

The Benefits of the Paleo Diet in Post Operative Care This is a nice article written by an orthopedic surgeon about the benefits he sees in his patients in terms of post surgery recovery rates when they follow a paleo diet. I know a paleo eating lifestyle makes sense for me, but it is nice to get confirmations like this in real world situations with real patients.

Post op care

_____________________________________________

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

- Theodore Roosevelt

__________________________________

Kindness improves health care

Numerous studies are showing what to me is pretty obvious already - that approaching patients with kindness and compassion helps them heal faster, have less pain, and improved immune systems. The article even suggests that simple things like touch, being attentive, and not being rushed communicate kindness.

kindness

"What we really are matters more than what other people think of us."

- Jawaharlal Nehru

_______________________________

Pups Poop Along North-South Magnetic Lines

Doubling saturated fat in the diet does not increase saturated fat in blood

In a well controlled dietary study it has been shown that doubling or even tripling the saturated fat in the diet does not increase the fat in the blood when a person is eating a low carb diet. This study increased the carb content of the diet every three weeks and showed that as the carb levels came up, the level of fat in the blood came up. It is the carbs that raise the blood fat levels and increase the markers for heart disease.

Saturated fat

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop."

- Confucius

________________________________________________

Our address is 9725 Fair Oaks Blvd.

Finding the new location is very easy. Coming from highway 50 up Sunrise Blvd, you turn left and go up a block. We are on the right hand side - the building just past the Subway Sandwich shop. If you are coming down Sunrise from the Mall area then just turn right on Fair Oaks Blvd and up a block on the right.

If you are coming from the Roseville area you could come down Sunrise Blvd, but that is a long trek. It is probably shorter time wise to come down Auburn Blvd - San Juan Ave like you have been for the Sunset office, but instead of turning left at Sunset, keep going straight 3 more lights to Fair Oaks Blvd and turn left. Go down 2 lights to New York Ave, go through the intersection, and immediately turn into the turn lane once the center divider ends. We are on the left.

You are free to reprint this article in your newsletter as long as you include the following statement in the same size type and color:

"This article appears courtesy of Fair Oaks Health News, offering natural and healthy solutions for body, mind and soul. For a complimentary subscription,
visit http://www.fairoakshealth.com"

_______________

Click Here

to check on old newsletters

_______________

About Dr. DeLapp

Dr. DeLapp has been a philosopher, non-force Chiropractor, medical intuitive, and health innovator for over 30 years. He began experimenting with medical intuition in 1972 while studying physics at UC Davis. In addition to physics he designed and completed an individual major in the philosophy and psychology of education. Shortly after he choose to pursue a career in the only truly health oriented profession available at that time, Chiropractic. He graduated with honors in 1981 with his doctorate and opened a private practice.
Since that time he has continued his research into the effects of consciousness and learning on health.
He developed the Biomagnetic Retraining system for correcting movement abnormalities.
Since 1991 he has focused on developing a powerful system for uncovering and assisting the mind-body connection in health and personal growth. The in-depth coaching, guided by the subconscious direction from the body, is called Heartflow and the simpler mind-body retraining for health and unfoldment he has named Gracework. Both are available at Fair Oaks Health.

Fair Oaks Healing
& Arts Center
Staff