DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Monday, October 28, 2013 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."~ Maya Angelou

Mental Attitude: Low Self-Esteem? According to a new study, a man is likely to feel worse about himself when his wife or girlfriend succeeds. Scientists discovered that men automatically interpret their partner's success as their own failure, even when they are not in direct competition. The study did not find that a woman's self-esteem is negatively affected by her partner's success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, September 2013

Health Alert: Motorcycle Deaths. Fatal motorcycle injuries in the United States (US) increased 227% from 1998 to 2010. Men face a 7.8 times higher risk of death from motorcycle crashes than women. In 2010, there were 149,992 traffic fatalities in the US, with motorcyclists representing 15% of these deaths. International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, September 2013

Diet: Battle of the Binge. Binge eating, or “the repeated consumption of large quantities of food in a short period of time without some other compensatory activity,” is a problem under-recognized in men. According to researchers, the discrepancy between overweight female binge eaters and overweight male binge eaters is that women gain weight faster and seek a diet sooner. There is also a cultural component that sends the message that men are expected to eat more. Health Behavior News Science, September 2013

Exercise: Exercise, Alcohol Abuse, and Brain Damage. Heavy drinking has previously been linked to brain damage. However, preliminary studies indicate that individuals who drink heavily but engage in regular physical activity can maintain the health of their white brain matter. The study's authors are quick to point out that this finding is not a license to drink as much as you can, provided you exercise. Alcohol abuse can still take a toll on many organs in the body, not just your brain.  University of Colorado at Boulder, April 2013

Chiropractic: Heads Up! If your head is in a forward posture, it can add up to 30 lbs (~13 kg) of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine (neck). In time, this can pull the entire spine out of alignment. Forward head posture may even result in the loss of up to 30% of vital lung capacity. These breath-related effects are primarily due to the loss of the cervical lordosis (the inward curve of the cervical spine), which blocks the action of the inferior hyoid muscle responsible for helping lift the first rib during inhalation.  Rene Cailliet, M.D., January 1996

Wellness/Prevention: Stop Smoking. Smokers are twice as likely to have a heart attack compared to people who have never smoked. Not smoking is the most important thing someone can do to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease. European Society of Cardiology, August 2013

This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.