The title says it all, you will fail at your new year’s resolution, and I guarantee it. That is of course if you are setting the bar high enough. Discouraging? Challenging? Different people will have different emotions to being told that they will fail. But again, it is the truth, you will fail. The average person fails after just 15 days, pretty sad right? So the real question is what are you going to do once you fail? Since we know it will happen. The difference between someone who accomplishes their goals and someone who doesn’t is what they do once they fail. So we already know going in to it that it is going to happen, we know it will be challenging, and that failure is right around the corner. But once you fail are you going to feel sorry for yourself, make excuses, hope for next year, or are you going to get right back on track? On day 15 when you have milkshake or give in to a cigarette are you going to have a meltdown or are you going to recognize the temporary setback. You see every time you fail, you can learn from the failure, and you can get stronger, better, and those 15 day stretches become longer and the failures become further and fewer in between. Whatever and whoever your definition of greatness is, I guarantee you they failed along the way. So we know you will fail, now how are you going to respond? 

   One of my favorite TV shows is Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain. If you haven't seen it, and you like food, travel, and different cultures I highly recommend it. If you don't have a sense of humor or become enviously easily I don't recommend it. Because 5 minutes in to one of these shows you will wish you had Anthony's job. So am I writing this blog to just tell you about one of my favorite shows? No, I don't think that's what you come here for. I am writing this to point out a trend. A trend I notice in almost all of these cultures. You can sum up this trend in one word, FRESH. Everything these people cook and eat is extremely fresh. From Morocco to Granada, Peru to Myanmar, everywhere he goes. All you see is fresh caught seafood, fresh picked herbs, raw foods, and colorful spices. Or I could just say, the complete opposite of what most Americans eat. It's also almost humorous how many of these cultures' staple spices are considered miracle cures here. For example, turmeric is a hot cancer fighting spice right now in the US. You have probably seen a post floating around Facebook on it. In some of these places it's just what you put on your food. And we wonder why we are so sick over here, I will tell you the quality of our food is a gigantic reason.
   I also think that a major factor that is missed in regards to health is the state of the person while consuming the food. What does that mean? Well when you watch this show you will usually see people eating in large groups or families laughing and having a great time. Eating their food by courses and dragging out the occasion. What's the occasion? There is none, just life. Most of our meals are rushing through a drive through, stressed out trying to get back to work, with all courses in one bag. Your state directly affects how your food is digested and stored. For example if you are stressed, your body is in sympathetic dominance, meaning your cortisol levels and other stress hormones are high too. And inversly related good hormones that help you burn fat are down. So with stress hormones high your body will hold on to more food as fat because of being in "fight or flight" mode. 
   I think we can learn a lot from these other cultures, and it also makes for great TV when you throw in Anthony Bourdain's humor. But you don't need to flee the country to be healthy, you can achieve it right here at home.

   One medication that is not talked much about is birth control. I guess it is kind of a taboo thing to talk about. Maybe it implies something, or has social or moral implications. But if you aren’t doing anything wrong why are you worried . Just Kidding. But in all reality it is something that needs to be talked about. Long term birth control use can drastically affect your health. People are often surprised when I tell them this, I’m not sure why, think about it. You are putting synthetic hormones in to your body and eliminating or alternating a process that your body was designed to go through monthly.
   Birth control use can lead to serious health problems like increasing your risk of cervical and breast cancers, heart disease, blood clots, an increased risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia, increased blood pressure, long term sexual dysfunction, and infertility to name a few. More “minor” side effects include migraines, nausea, weight gain, mood changes, irregular bleeding or spotting, breast tenderness, and yeast overgrowth and infection. But those are just “minor” (sarcasm).  
   If you're on one of the hormonal birth control methods, whether it's the pill, patch, ring, or implant, it is important to understand that you are taking synthetic hormones (progesterone and estrogen). These contraceptives contain the same synthetic hormones as those used in hormone replacement therapy, which has well-documented risks. Studies have shown that hormone replacement therapy increases post-menopausal women's risk of breast cancer by at least one percent per year, and hormone replacement therapy with progestin increases your risk by eight percent per year, potentially high as 30 percent after just four years of use! In 2002, one of the largest and best-designed federal studies of hormone replacement therapy was halted because women taking these synthetic hormones had a greater risk of breast cancer, heart attack, stroke and blood clots. So what are the risks for girls who start taking synthetic hormones at an early age and stays on them for up a majority of their life?
   No wonder we are seeing a rise in women’s cancers. Also,  many patients that I see with fertility issues have been on birth control for years. A woman's natural cycle is composed of rising and falling levels of estrogen and progesterone. Birth control pills work by keeping estrogen at a sufficiently high level that they fool the body into thinking it is pregnant, therefore another pregnancy cannot occur. In simple terms, what's wrong with the pill is it promotes continuous high levels of estrogen in a woman's body. Science tells us this is dangerous.
   There is one other aspect about birth control I want to talk about. I usually try to stay away from social issues or politics when blogging and strictly stick to health. But I feel this is necessary to mention this because very few people know that it is a possibility. And no matter what your views are on the topic of abortion I think it benefits everyone to know that this could be a possibility. There is some evidence that oral contraceptives could be causing chemical abortions. Early chemical abortions can be caused by obstructing the implantation of the newly formed human embryo in his or her mother's womb. Many people argue what the actually definition of human life is. I will let you determine that yourself. Most birth control is taken daily, with a portion of the pills being placebo or sugar pills, some researchers claim a woman can get pregnant during the month and the oral contraceptives can result in a chemical abortion. Like I said, I will let you come to your own conclusions but I just thought you should know that this research I out there. 


Birth Control Health Risks
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/29/using-birth-control-pills-alters-womens-mate-preferences.aspx


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/20/the-deadly-side-effects-of-the-birth-control-pill.aspx


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/10/27/birth-control-part-two.aspx


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/21/breast-cancer-young-women.aspx


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/21/is-menstruation-necessary.aspx


Chemical Abortions
http://www.pregnantpause.org/abort/untold.htm

http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Feb/17/short-condensation-does-birth-control-pill-cause-a/

 

If you had a baby today and followed the current CDC vaccination schedule and that baby lived to the current life expectancy of 79 years (78.7)…

At Birth: 
Hep B dose 1 of 3
1 Month: 
Hep B dose 2 of 3
2 Months: 
DTaP dose 1 of 5
Hib dose 1 of 4
Polio dose 1 of 4
PCV13 dose 1 of 4
Rotavirus dose 1 of 3
4 Months:
DTaP dose 2 of 5
Hib dose 2 of 4
Polio dose 2 of 4
PCV13 dose 2 of 4
Rotavirus dose 2 of 3
6 Months
DTaP dose 3 of 5
Hib dose 3 of 4
PCV13 dose 3 of 4
Rotavirus dose 3 of 3
6 to 18 Months
Hep B dose 3 of 3
Polio dose 3 of 4
6 Months or Older
Influenza dose 1 of 2
Influenza dose 2 of 2
12 to 15 Months
Hib dose 4 of 4
PCV13 dose 4 of 4
MMR dose 1 of 2
Varicella dose 1 of 2
12 to 23 Months
Hep A dose 1 of 2
15 to 18 Months
DTaP dose 4 of 5
18 Months or Older
Hep A dose 2 of 2 (6 Months following dose 1)
Influenza
2 Years
Influenza
3 Years
Influenza
4 Years
Influenza
4 to 6 Years
DTaP dose 5 of 5
Polio dose 4 of 4
MMR dose 2 of 2
Varicella dose 2 of 2
5 Years
Influenza
6 Years
Influenza
7 Years
Influenza
8 Years
Influenza
9 Years
Influenza
10 Years
Influenza
11 years
Influenza
11 to 12 Years
Tdap
MCV4 dose 1
HPV dose 1 of 3
HPV dose 2 of 3
HPV dose 3 of 3
12 Years
Influenza
At this point your baby is 12 Years old, and has had 49 shots.
13 Years
Influenza
14 Years
Influenza
15 Years
Influenza
16 Years 
MCV4 Booster
Influenza
17 Years
Influenza
18 Years
Influenza
19 Years 
Influenza
MCV4 booster recommended for incoming college freshmen.
19 to 64 Years
PCV13 1 dose
PPSV23 dose 1
PPSV23 dose 2
19 to 65+ Years
1 dose of Meningococcal
19 to 55 Years
MMR dose 1
MMR dose 2
19 to 65+ Years
Varicella dose 1
Varicella dose 2
Hep A dose 1
Hep A dose 2
Hep B dose 1
Hep B dose 2
Hep B dose 3
Hib dose 1
Hib dose 2
Hib dose 3
20 Years 
Influenza
21 Years
Influenza
22 Years
Influenza
TDaP
23 Years 
Influenza
24 Years
Influenza
25 Years
Influenza
26 Years
Influenza
27 Years
Influenza
28 Years
Influenza
29 Years
Influenza
30 Years
Influenza
31 Years
Influenza
32 Years
Td Booster
Influenza
33 Years
Influenza
34 Years
Influenza
35 Years
Influenza
36 Years
Influenza
37 Years
Influenza
38 Years
Influenza
39 Years
Influenza
40 Years
Influenza
41 Years
Influenza
42 Years
Influenza
Td Booster
43 Years
Influenza
44 Years
Influenza
45 Years
Influenza
 46 Years
Influenza
47 Years
Influenza
48 Years
Influenza
49 Years
Influenza
50 Years
Influenza
51 Years
Influenza
52 Years 
Influenza
Td Booster
53 Years
Influenza
54 Years 
Influenza
55 Years 
Influenza
56 Years
Influenza
57 Years
Influenza
58 Years
Influenza
59 Years
Influenza
60 Years
Influenza
Shingles Zoster
61 Years
Influenza
62 Years
Influenza
Td Booster
63 Years
Influenza
64 Years
Influenza
65 Years
Influenza
PCV13 1 dose
PPSV23 1 dose
66 Years
Influenza
67 Years
Influenza
68 Years
Influenza
69 Years
Influenza
70 Years
Influenza
71 Years
Influenza
72 Years
Influenza
Td Booster
73 Years
Influenza
74 Years
Influenza
75 Years
Influenza
76 Years
Influenza
77 Years
Influenza
78 Years
Influenza
79 Years
Influenza

   Keep in mind additional vaccines may be required depending on occupation, lifestyle, or health. Also this does not include any vaccines that may be recommended for certain travel.
  So now your baby is 79 and has passed. They followed the vaccine schedule perfectly (I doubt someone would make it to 79 if they followed the schedule, at least with their mind) and over their life they had 149 shots.


Madness.

   It's that time of year again, no not the holidays, the time of year when the CDC tells us they guessed wrong with this years Flu vaccines strands. Of course this is only after months of them scaring us half to death to get it. Are you shocked? This happens every single year. This year they even upped the ante, for the first time they put four different strands of flu virus in to a single shot. In the past, only two or three flu strands were put in to the flu vaccine. They reassured us that they had all the bases covered this year. So if you had the flu shot this year you got up to four different viruses put in to your body for no reason, gross. Not to mention all the toxic ingredients that goes along with it. Like I say every year it's the same pattern. Mass hype about the danger of the freaking flu, mass hysteria that there is a shortage of vaccines (even though you cant go anywhere without seeing a flu shot sign there is some how a shortage), it creates supply and demand, you go get your 10 dollar shot, or better yet you find a free shot that is government subsidized, and then after all of the smoke clears we find out it didn't work. Same crap, different year. Go through the archives of this blog, you will see it has happened the last three years the same way. For more info on flu shot side effects click on the media show tab above and listen to one of my radio shows.
And in case you missed it, here it is...
   
CDC says it is too late to make new flu vaccine for this season
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/04/us-usa-flu-cdc-idUSKCN0JI22G20141204

CDC: Flu shot less effective this year because current virus has mutated
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/04/health/flu-vaccine-mutated-virus/index.html?sr=sharebar_facebook

Flu vaccine may be less effective this winter
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/27548968/flu-vaccine-may-be-less-effective-this-winter

CDC says flu shots may not be good match for 2014-15 virus
http://news.yahoo.com/cdc-says-flu-shots-may-less-effective-virus-001054530.html

CDC Warning: Flu Viruses Mutate and Evade Current Vaccine
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/cold-flu/cdc-warning-flu-viruses-mutate-evade-current-vaccine-n261226

   If you read my blog yesterday or you are a patient of mine you know that last week my family and I were on vacation. And like every single one of our vacations, it was at a beach. And like on every vacation I watch almost every single person on the beach lather up with sunscreen or even worse spraying themselves down with aerosols. (I try not to sit next to those people) So why do I not partake in lathering up? 

   Would you say that it is safe to say that more people use sunscreen today than lets say 30 years ago? I would say it is more than safe to say, the use of sunscreen is way more prevalent than it use to be. In fact when I talk to older patients about it, they say the only thing they used growing up was sun tan oil! So why does the use of sunscreen go up every year? What are we all trying to avoid? You guessed it...Skin Cancer. No one wants to "get" that, right? Than let me ask you a simple question. Why are skin cancer rates going up every year if we are using more sunscreen?

   Probably never thought of that right? But it's one that will make you scratch your head! Cancer rates are sky rocketing if you didn't notice, including skin cancer rates, and by 2030 cancer rates are predicted to quadruple! that's right, quadruple. Right now a staggering 1 of every 4 people dies from cancer and it is the second leading cause of death in America. In fact in the next decade, cancer will actually pass heart disease as the number one killer in the US. So isn't it common sense that if the sun was single handedly to blame for skin cancer than skin cancer rates should be going down? So why would they be going up?

   First most sunscreens are extremely toxic! Aerosol spray sunscreen is toxic to breathe! A whopping 84 percent of sunscreens have toxic chemicals in them. Make sure you pick your sunscreen carefully, and choose natrual or organic, and non toxic screens. One of the worst (and most common) chemicals found in samples is oxybenzone, an endocrine disruptor that can affect the nervous system and creates harmful free-radicals when exposed to the sun--meaning every time you use it! Many popular brands of sunscreen contain this ingredient, including Banana Boat and Coppertone. In fact the FDA now recommends against using spray sunscreens in kids. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/07/don-t-spray-sunscreens-on-kids-at-least-for-now/index.htm

   Second, the use of sunscreen may cause cancer itself! While vitamin A's antioxidant properties make for fabulous anti-aging night cream, going out into the sunlight with this stuff on your face is a bad, bad idea. When retinyl palmitate—a form of vitamin A that's found in many sunscreen products—is exposed to sunlight, it can promote growth of cancerous tumors and form free-radicals that damage DNA, according to a 2009 study by the FDA. Avoid any sunscreen containing either retinyl palmitate or retinol. You may love your wrinkle-fighting skin products, but slowing the aging process shouldn't be on your child's list of concerns.

   Third, you may not be getting the amount of Vitamin D that you need and according to Dr Daniel Bikle of the San Francisco VA Medical Center and University of California at San Francisco recently reviewed the biochemical and physiological evidence that vitamin D may prevent skin cancer. Vitamin D is crucial to help kids grow and maintain healthy bones and a strong immune system, and it comes straight from sunlight exposure. The American Medical Association and the Center for Disease Control both report that Vitamin D deficiency is a prevalent issue, with up to 25 percent of Americans being at risk. Breastfed babies, dark-skinned children and overweight children are particularly susceptible, and the highest risk factor is limited exposure to the sun. In fact, the health benefits from the Vitamin D absorbed in any short-term sun exposure (about 15 to 20 minutes) may actually outweigh any risks from those harmful UVA and UVB rays.

   Did you happen to see this study? http://www.realfarmacy.com/scientists-blow-the-lid-on-cancer-sunscreen-myth/ According to a June 2014 article featured in The Independent (UK), a major study conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that women who avoid sunbathing during the summer are twice as likely to die as those who sunbathe every day. In fact, I know someone personally who had stage 4 malignant melanoma and went to a world renowned cancer doctor in Europe, and you know what the doctor did? He put him on a beach because his stress hormone levels were too high! I also have a family member who avoided the sun like the plague and wouldn't leave the house without looking like Casper, and guess what he was diagnosed with a few years ago? That's right skin cancer. So what does this all mean? I think it is safe to say that we can no longer just blame the sun for skin cancer. Maybe it has something to do with all the toxins we are exposed to through cosmetics, food, lifestyle, air, water, etc. Not something that life completely depends on to survive and without it everything as we know it including ourselves would seize to exist. 
 
  Now can you overdue it? Of course, like with anything. But with most people stuck in offices all day and are vitamin D deficient there's not many people who are. Im not a fan of getting burnt, and if I don't use conventional sunscreen what do I do? You have a few options, some are common sense, like I wear a hat to avoid burning my face, and alternate my time on vacation with sun and shade. With my kids they were hats and rash guards (Or what Texans would know as Sun shirts) Your best bets for toxin-free sunscreen products are cream-based brands without oxybenzone or vitamin A. Look for options that use zinc or titanium, such as Badger, California Baby, Aubrey Organics, Honest Co. and Kiss My Face. While many Coppertone products are unsafe, it does have four products that make the EWG's list of safe sunscreens: Sensitive Skin Faces Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50, Kids Pure & Simple Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50, Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 and Water Babies Pure & Simple Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50. Here is a great resource to check the safety of your cosmetic products. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

For information on Cancer and a free consultation on introducing your body to an intense state of healing contact our office.

   You have probably read something somewhere or heard something by now about the "Law of Attraction". And how, in a nutshell, your circumstances, people around you, and life has been attracted literally by you. Whether you believe that this universal law actually exists or not, it is hard to argue or ignore patterns of behavior. We all know someone who attracts the same type of relationship or significant other time and time again, or alcoholics running in families as they watch this learned behavior as they grow up. (That is what is so amazing about the person who consciously decides to break the cycle, they are not only impacting themselves but further generations.) Or on the flip side the millionaire who loses it all, goes broke, and before you know it is a millionaire once again. Luck? I don't think so. There is definitely a pattern going on. And the pattern is mindset. 
   I thought about this as I was laying on the beach this last week, some of you know my family and I were on vacation over the holiday. What I was thinking about is how much my patterns have changed in recent years, specifically when traveling. I love to travel, but I don't necessarily love the process of getting to where I'm going. And I use to dread going to the airport, dread it. I would always be picked for additional screening, I would always go through the pat down because I opt out of getting blasted with radiation before my flight, I would get the TSA agent who thinks he's a radiologist when I do opt out,  I would get the ticket counter employee who hates their job and whoever is standing on the other side of their counter, I would get the "I'm sorry we overbooked this flight, you are on standby", I would get in an argument with the TSA agent who doesn't believe me when I tell him the stroller won't fit in to the xray machine, you get my point.... It was always a HORRIBLE experience. This pattern also happened with me and customer service in general, at restaurants, etc. But a few years ago I had a good friend of mine point out this pattern to me, and very bluntly tell me that I was the one attracting it.
   And thank God he did, because he was right. My mindset every time I went in to these situations was negative before they even started. And who knows how many times the situations weren't even that bad, but because I had such a negative attitude going in that I was literally looking for things. The smallest thing would set me off and ruin the experience. So what did I start doing different? That is what is so amazing about this whole thing, all I had to do was make a decision, it only took a moment. Now there are times I have to remind myself of that decision, and use affirmations that everything is going to go smoothly. But in a single moment I consciously made the decision to change my mindset. And guess what? Things changed. Shortly after my wife and I got upgraded to first class on a flight, it happened again about a year after, I had never been upgraded in my entire life. I say that like I'm shocked, of course I was never upgraded, remember my mindset at the time. 
   So why was I thinking about this while I laid on the beach last week? Well let me tell you how smooth my trip went. On the way their, long line at airport security, TSA agent moves us to the pre screen line because we have kids. That's a small thing right? Right but I was pretty dang thankful for it. Get to our rental car company after the flight, "Sorry sir but we are actually out of the small suv you reserved." Where do you think your mindset wants to start going? Remind myself, smile and say "ok"..Then she follows with "So we are going to upgrade you for free to are luxury full size suv!" Wow this trip is off to an amazing start! Get to the hotel, we were upgraded to an oceanview! I'm not kidding! Excellent service just continued through the whole week, we had a great time. But this is what I now expect, it is what I am prepared for. But here's the last great thing, we get to the airport to head back and our flight is delayed, delayed enough that we wont be able to make our connecting flight back to Dallas. And there is not another flight that night heading to Dallas Love Field Airport. Uh oh. But there is another airport that served Dallas, DFW. "Let's see if we can get another airline to get you there." Done. And this flight's nonstop. So we literally went from having a flight with a stop to having a direct flight. It was an upgrade! Make the decision to change your mindset and watch how dramatically your life around you changes.