Best Gift Ever

It’s that time of the year when the Grinch in me thinks about having to spend money I don’t have on people I don’t like for crappy gifts they don’t want. Then there’s the “mandatory fun”; office holiday parties, those dried out things called cookies and heaven help us, fruitcake. But it’s not ALL bad, right? I’m sure some of us have a few people we can stand and want to give gifts to, right? I mean, it is better to give than receive after all.  This year, you can both get and give. If you buy 3, 1 hour massages, you get 1 free ½ hour for yourself (I’ve been asked, and yes it’s okay to keep the 3 for you and give away the ½), or buy 5 and get a whole hour just for you. Why massage?

Here’s why, massage therapy will:

·         Alleviate pain

·         Make pregnancy and labor more comfortable

·         Enhance immunity by stimulating lymphatic flow

·         Reduce edema (Swelling)

·         Relieve muscle tension

·         Improve performance

·         Fight depression and anxiety

·         Reduce scar tissue

·         Hasten recovery from surgery

·         Fight migraines

·         Promote healing

·         End stress

And above all else, make you the best gift giver of all time!

I’ve just been told by the editorial review board (wife) that I have to say a few nice things about the holidays too. It doesn’t really matter which holiday you celebrate or if none or even all, it’s a wonderful opportunity to spend time with the ones you love, eat too much, play too much and laugh too much. It’s also a great time to serve and help others; make your, (our) community a better place to be.  As been sung-‘peace on Earth, good will towards men.’

(I wish I could take credit for the following, but one quote is from the Pope, the other Wyld Stallyns.  I forget which is which though): However, no peace will have solid foundations unless hearts nourish the sentiment of brotherhood which ought to exist among all who have common origin and destiny.  So be excellent to each other. 

Awareness

For all of ya'll who have really listened to me over the years (rules out wife & kids) know I emphasize prevention. An ounce of it is worth a pound of cure. When I encourage you to come in for your bi-weekly to monthly adjustment even though you're feeling great; or when your dentist wants you in every 6 months it's not just because we like you. Well, I guess it is because we like you because we want to keep from having to see you 3 times a week again (or maybe it's because we don't want to see you???).

So unless you live in a cave, you know that October is breast cancer awareness month. So I'm going to aware you. Cancer aka neoplasia, is the result of meta & anaplasia; which is Latin for stress causes cancer. With breast as in most other cancers, the main culprit is chemical stress-genetics being #1. However, just because you are genetically pre-disposed, doesn't mean it has to happen. Take the watermelon seed. If you plant it in the ground, you get a watermelon plant; if you swallow it (or as in the case of my brother c.1979 stick it up your nose) you don't get a watermelon plant. That's because of environment.

When it comes to genetics, there's nothing you can do. But you do have control over your co-factors. The key to fighting breast cancer and other diseases is modifying your internal environment. We do that by controlling stress-physical, chemical and emotional.

1.Physical-Be sure to wear proper fitting, supportive bras. And avoid other direct trauma to that area.

2. Chemical-chemical stress other than genetics causes inflammation in your body. This inflammation then in turns fuels the fires of disease. Cut back on chemical stress by not smoking; drinking less; avoiding simple carbs, phytoestrogens, processed and modified foods. 3, Emotional-chill ;).

You won't be able to, nor is it even possible to completely eliminate your risk for breast cancer (doesn't mean don't try); so early detection is key.

Smoking Eggs

I just recently read where some 'Government Expert' has likened eating eggs to smoking. I wish I was smoking what those guys were smoking to say eggs are as bad as smoking.

Point 1: Smoking is possibly the absolute worst thing you could do to your body, next to stepping in front of a moving bus. It cuts off air flow, hardens your arteries and burns out your airways. This, in turn, causes numerous fatal and disabling diseases, and complicates others - not just the ones you think about like heart disease and cancer, but ones you really think about like erectile dysfunction. It even causes problems wouldn't think about like complicating the recovery from herniated discs and medications.

Point 2. Yes, eggs are high in cholesterol, but they are also high in protein, relatively low calorie and are full of numerous essential vitamins and minerals. (These are good for you!) So even though they are high in cholesterol, eating eggs does not necessarily cause high cholesterol. In fact, less than 25% of the cholesterol in your body is absorbed as cholesterol, the rest is made within you. This brings me to a few sub points:

     2a. The cholesterol in eggs is easily removed from the digestive tract and sent out the back door, especially due to the high levels of lecithin in eggs-a solvent that dissolves out fats.

     2b. Cholesterol isn't inherently evil in and of itself. It actually has many beneficial uses like forming the backbone of hormones. However, in the presence of inflammation and high blood pressure, cholesterol can then attach to damaged areas of vessel walls forming plaques-that's why they want to keep it low. 2b subpart I. Let's say your cholesterol levels run about 250 (and let's assume your BP is running north of 140/90, which is high). You are now a candidate for imminent heart disease. If you became a vegan today (cholesterol is found exclusively in animal products), that would bring your cholesterol down to 187.5ish; drastically reducing your risk of heart disease. But let's say your cholesterol is like 400. To stop eating animal products would only lower you to 300-still no bueno. In fact, most of your cholesterol is made from unused carbohydrates. You want less cholesterol, quit eating carbohydrates. Plus a few other dietary tricks like eating spices such as garlic, fiber (fiber acts like a giant sponge sweeping down your gut) and un-saturated fats (olive, coconut, other real nut oil etc).

          So, in conclusion, if you have high cholesterol and other heart disease indicators, yes cutting back on eggs will reduce your cholesterol. But, cutting back on carbs and empty calories like sugar and alcohol will do so even more. Smoking is still bad, but eggs are not evil.

Vote for me 2012

Now with all this electioneering all underway and stuff, I’m hearing a lot of people doing a lot of talking about Medicare/Medicaid and what needs to be done with them. Let me start by saying this is NOT a political rant; it’s a HEALTH rant.

However, given current need vs. funding, Medicaid will be bankrupt in just a matter of years and Medicare isn’t too far behind. Not spreading fear, just business 101. If you spend more than you make-you end up red.  Maybe it’s taxes, maybe it isn’t; but it IS usage. We are a sick, and sicker people.

Just this morning on the radio I heard the CDC report that for the first time ever, at least 20% of every state & DC is now obese. Not overweight-OBESE. Obesity is the new smoking, by which I mean the new leader in disease, death and disability and health care expenditures.

It’s the new leading cause of hypertension. Long time fans may remember me talking about the silent killer a while back. Many of you may also know that we are a DOT medical card facility. The US Dept of Transportation requires everyone driving a commercial vehicle to have periodic physicals to ensure highway safety. One critical marker is blood pressure. Not only have I noticed a steady climb in average readings, for the first time in 5 years I have had to DQ (not Dairy Queen) 2 drivers in 1 week. I’ve also noticed a steady climb in diabetes-also directly related to weight AND disease.

I believe it was Ben Franklin or maybe even Ben & Jerry that said “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I can fix Medicare & Medicaid without raising taxes, physician pay cuts, death panels or shooting Mom-Mom to the moon. Instead of treating disease, let’s prevent it. How? Why weight (see what I did there?)?  Given that diet and diet-related disorders are the leading cause of disease in the US, we could all use to lose a few

But wait, you don’t have to be fat to have your diet kill you. Most diseases that plague modern man are caused by diet-induced chronic inflammation. Here is a partial list of conditions that are driven by diet-induced inflammation: aches and pain, fatigue, feeling old, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, acne, aging, syndrome X, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, Alzhemier’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, psoriasis, eczema, and multiple sclerosis. Even feeling tired and unwell is promoted by inflammation.

We now know that every meal will either promote or inhibit inflammation. Eventually, the combination of a pro-inflammatory diet, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, and stress will generate a magnified "pro-inflammatory state," which acts as the fertilizer needed to grow a chronic disease such as heart disease, or something less life-threatening like chronic fatigue and pain that leads to a life of misery. To prevent the expression of disease, we all have to address imbalances with our nutrition, breathing, exercise, sleep, and stress. For some the outcome can be life-altering. We offer successful & safe weight loss programs along with nutritional counseling and products.

Well, there you go, problem solved. VOTE DR. LEE 2012!!!

Susquehanna Spine & Rehab welcomes Dr. Matt LeMaster!!!

Any of you who have been in lately have noticed that Dr. Lee had a small accident and broke his arm. After a small surgery to install a plate in his wrist he should be good as new in a few weeks; as long as he is a good patient and keeps his physical therapy appointments, does his home exercises, and listens to the restrictions from the surgery and therapist. In an effort to provide excellent and continuous care for our patients Dr. LeMaster joined our practice today. We are very excited about him joining our staff as a tandem doctor. Wendy interviewed a number of Doctors and she was able to find a very qualified doctor, while taller but nowhere near as ruggedly handsome, but equally knowledgeable and talented; and even adjusts very similar to Dr. Lee. When you visit our office in the next few weeks each patient will visit with Dr. Lee and then Dr. LeMaster will provide the adjustment. They will work together in tandem to provide the care you have come to know and trust.


A little about Dr. LeMaster: He attended Marshall University and graduated with a degree in Biological Science. He then followed with his Doctorate of Chiropractic from National University of Health Sciences. Dr. LeMaster has worked as a chiropractor for the last 10 years in West Virginia and has recently relocated to the Baltimore area.


A note from Dr. Lee (really Wendy talking about Dr. Lee): Did you know you cannot "talk" yourself out of being hurt? I already knew this but temporarily forgot. I hear my patients tell me all the time, "I didn't think it was that bad." "It didn't really hurt until now." "I thought if I ignored it; it would just go away." So when I got hurt I tried the same thing I just ignored it, told myself over and over it's not broken. Well guess what? Your body does not always listen to what we tell it. You cannot and should not just ignore injuries no matter new or old.


Well I did break my wrist and did have to undergo surgery and a plate installed. The good news is in a few weeks that bone will mend and with physical therapy I will return to normal. The sooner you admit it's not going away the quicker you can get the therapy you need, the quicker you'll be back to normal.

Time

Time, she’s (ever noticed inanimate objects/concepts that cause grief are personified as females???) a tricky bugger. Whisky and wine improve over time. Your body on the other hand, is more like milk; old injuries-more like milk left out on the counter. If I only had a dime for every time I heard someone in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and on tell me that they’ve been fighting with a high school/rec league/drunken foolishness injury from decades previous, thinking it would just go away. Given that a clean fracture completely heals in 6 weeks- if the pain of an injury hasn’t gone away by then, it’s not going to.

First we need to separate pain from injury and disease. If you’ve heard this from me once, you’ve heard it a 1000times. Pain is not a disease, but a sign of disease. Just like the check engine light in your car-it’s not a broken light bulb, but a broken engine. Pain is your body’s way of telling your brain something is wrong and needs to be fixed. If something hurts-fix it! (no dear Liza needed).

Just like diabetes, infections or high blood pressure, leaving a joint or tissue injury un-checked just worsens the condition. When you are injured, many things go wrong. First, the part that’s injured stops working correctly, which means it starts to break down faster, which leads to degenerative joint disease, muscle contractures/trigger points and arthritis.

Second, injuries become epicenters that spread degenerative changes. Take a foot for example. You hurt your foot, you walk funny so your knee starts to wear out, which taxes your hip, which alters your low back, which affects your upper spine and before you know it, a twisted ankle in high school gymnastics becomes chronic headaches by 35 (true story-saw it with my own 2 eyes on a patient a few years back. Also-Google upper and lower cross syndromes).

Third, they change your internal biochemistry. When you’re injured, you start the inflammatory process. Only a small percentage of inflammation is pain, the rest is manifested by other chemical changes in your system. These mediators are the same as the ones in the fight or flight reaction. Higher blood pressure, altered metabolism, shunting blood away from and shrinking genitalia is a great idea when trying to escape the clutches of a saber-tooth tiger, but not so much when sitting on the couch watching the O’s blow the division.
In conclusion, that tricky knee from a football injury isn’t a badge to be worn proudly, it’s a sign you’re asking for trouble down the road.

Joint Pain

Joint pain can be caused by illnesses, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis and Bursitis. Joint pain can also result from injury. No matter what the cause, joint pain can prohibit you from doing the activities you love. Hundreds of people have found relief from joint inflammation and joint pain relief after receiving chiropractic adjustments.

There are somewhere between 200 and 300+ joints Combined moveable/non-moving) in the human body, depending on how you count them, on average. And by definition average is only average 50% of the time. On a weekly basis we run into someone who has extra or “missing” joints. And we employ many ways to help ease the pain in all of them, not just the spine: from Chiropractic, to rehab and physical therapy along with massage, dry needling and nutritional/wellness counseling.

Chiropractic care for joints can also speed up the recovery from injuries to ankles, knees, hips wrists, elbows and shoulders. By properly aligning these joints in the body, circulation within the joint increases and the surrounding muscles relax into their proper place. This not only reduces joint pain, it also provides more freedom of movement and minimizes stiffness in the joint.

Chiropractic techniques for joint pain relief are natural and effective. With targeted gentle pressure to properly align joints, we combine our knowledge in many disciplines to determine the source of the pain any other areas affected. Soon, you will be on your way to being pain free.

Chiropractic adjustments will restore all of your normal joint movement and the neurological activity in the joint. This not only alleviates pain, but promotes overall health as well. Restored function of the joint due to proper alignment results in relief from joint pain, a decrease in other symptoms and increased freedom of movement. Let us help you begin your healing journey to be free from joint pain.

Fascia

Today, we're going to talk about the wonderfully exciting world of fascia. Fascia is zzzzzzzzzzzzzz........Ok, it's not that bad, but definitely under rated. So under-rated, that Harvard (yes, the real one) Medical College decided a few years ago that they were going to start holding 3 day, annual symposiums on fascia and fascia related-disorders.

I'm sure by now you're asking yourself, what is this fascia stuff?  How should I describe fascia?. 1-after you've pulled the skin off a chicken breast there's that thin little layer of sheen left which is also what all die hard meat smokers know as silver skin on a rack of ribs; that is fascia. Wikipedia says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascia. In short it's kind of like a saran-wrap layer around your tissue that supports and even makes up parts of our structural system. And like plastic wrap-if done right-fits great the first time. Mess with it, and it's hosed; mess with it anywhere, and you've messed with it everywhere.

Fascia is also a key component to our mysterious 'core.' The core is what is responsible for keeping our eyes parallel to the ground, and keeps us from falling over when we're moving forward and it is a key component to performance. If our core isn't strong, the spine has to do it, and when the spine and other bones do it, they wear out, fast. And when they wear out, they hurt. So, the key to keeping your back from hurting, developing bulged and herniated discs, sciatica, TMJ problems, headaches, heel spurs, neck pain, pre-disposing yourself to nearly all soft-tissue injuries, improving performance, etc. etc. etc. is to keep your core happy and fascia intact.

Step #1, avoid creep (see also blog entry of same name). Step #2, avoid damage to the fascia-which includes but is not limited to: surgery on or around the back, neck, stomach, chest (including cosmetic), feet; pregnancy; injuries; standing too long; going barefoot;  etc., etc., etc.

Now that we know we've all crapped out our fascia-what do we do about it? -Simply, keep your hamstrings loose and abs tight. Also, Pilates and yoga based exercises. Beyond that-myofascial release. A fancy type of massage and other soft tissue related therapeutic technique that sometimes also includes dry needling (see website) to correct imbalances, rehab exercises and of course, chiropractic adjustments.

Do you know anyone who's in pain or injured that may have had fascia damage? Or even ot, we can help!

Good, ol' fashion back pain

Today we’re going to talk about good, ol’ fashion back pain. There’s no such thing. Many of you have heard me say this before, and it bears repeating-pain is not a disease, it’s a side effect of a disease or disorder. Just like the check engine light in your car is not a broken light bulb, but an indicator there’s something wrong with the engine. So when you have back pain, there’s something wrong with your back; and that something could be any number of things.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say that their back pain was “only muscular” so nothing could be done; horse feathers. Lots can be done. We employ a wide array of physical therapy modalities to alleviate muscle spasm such as electric stim, ultrasound, dry needling (really cool, look it up) and now massage from a licensed massage therapist. If you have-great big fancy word of the day-myogenic pain (muscle pain) then you have muscle spasms. And muscles don’t spasm just for giggles, it’s a protective mechanism. In other words, muscle spasms are a side effect.

Muscles spasm to protect an unstable joint; acting like an air cast of sorts. Joints become unstable from two main reasons: trauma and degenerative. Trauma is falling down the stairs, car accidents, sky diving incidents, too many Natty Boh’s and the phrase “hey watch this.” Degenerative is exactly as it sounds. It’s not always age, but time; I’ve seen many people in their 20’s and 30’s with signs of degeneration. Over time we are subjective to physical stresses (what we do to/with or not to/with our bodies), chemical stress (genetics, what we eat/drink/smoke; don’t eat/drink) and emotional stress (how we think and feel) all affects our joints and makes them stop working so well. This, over time, is what causes degeneration. If left un-fixed, this degeneration will become arthritis, herniated discs, stenosis, and worse. And like other diseases, there are just as many side effects you’re not feeling as you are feeling. That’s why you’ve heard me say we don’t treat pain, we fix the disorder causing your pain.

And fixing degeneration by restoring the proper motion and structure of joints is the mainstay of chiropractic care. To caveman up the ending: you have pain then you have problem, me fix problem.

My Favorite Metallica Song...Whiplash

Everyday thousands are injured in auto accidents that they seem to “walk away from” with little to no visible vehicle damage. They erroneously assume that since the car is barley damaged, then they aren’t either. But that’s just not true.  In a large German study of injury producing rear-impact collisions, nearly half were under 6 mph, the same goes for a recent study in New York. Sometimes the pain is immediate and sometimes it may take up to 6 months or longer to surface. While numerous theories have been advanced to explain this delay, no one knows for certain.

Whiplash actually describes the mechanism of injury, not the disease (true whiplash is a rear-end only phenomena); but has become to be known as the broad range of disorders, lesions, syndromes and conditions associated with auto accidents. Those include, but aren’t limited to the usual neck pain, but also: TMJ pain, dizziness, hearing and eyesight problems, ringing in the ears along with breathing problems, stomach pain, post-traumatic stress, back pain, thoracic outlet, carpal tunnel, weakness, herniated discs, sciatica and the list just keeps going and going. A rear-end accident is not the only way to get hurt, just the most common.

So what happens when you’re in an accident? You do your best imitation of a crash test dummy. A lot of it has to do with the laws of physics-energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred from one system to the next; and energy follows the path of least resistance. So a 4000 pound car going 5 miles per hour is generating 4000 X 5= a lot of energy. And it is following along the easiest path…you. It causes your spine to hyperextend vertically then horizontally and to then hyperflex; ripping, tearing, squishing and smashing tissues along the way; all in under a second or two.

In short-if you had an accident, no matter what the car looks like, you’re hurt; and need help. I’m the one to do that.

How I beat, well, am beating Rosacea.

I got the curse of the Celts. People as white as me weren't meant to grow up in sunny South Texas. Mother Nature had assigned us to Northern Europe. Having been exposed to hours of intense sun has allowed me more than one trip to the dermatologist-and the real reason I gave up my previous career as a male model. Rosacea is NOT caused by alcoholism; it's a genetic disorder common in us honkies. It's characterized by acne-like appearance in people over 35. As opposed to acne, it is not an infection, but from flushing-an extreme opening of the blood vessels in the head and face that causes redness. It's worsened by anything that causes an increase in the blood flow to the face and neck (huge list, google it later). Typical acne treatments actually may make it worse due their harshness.

Like other genetic disorders, you can't cure rosacea, but you can render it mute. I'm not really going to touch on the traditional or allopathic treatment protocols; I'll leave that to the dermatologists.
A very common trait amongst us is low stomach acid (or high pH-I know, confusing). This makes what we eat harder to digest; which means we're not getting the nutrition out of our food-just the crap instead. To curb this, I take special enzyme supplements to aide in digestion. Also, no liquids ½ before or 2 hours after eating-it's a chemical thing. Add water or any other liquid to acid, and you dilute it-plus vast amounts of liquids will push the food through too fast. Plus I threw in a little extra fiber to slow intestinal motility to give the food a little more time to break down.

It's been said beauty is skin deep, the truth is though, healthy skin comes from the inside out. What you bring in shows; especially in skin disorders-regardless of your acidity. All disease is manifested through inflammation. To fight disease, fight inflammation. The first thing I did was go to on a complete low inflammatory diet void of dairy and gluten after a Novolife cleanse to rid my body of the toxins. I followed this by a month-long, anti-inflammatory detox vitamin regime to get in deep; then continued on with a healthy dosing of multivitamins, omega fatty acids and continuous chiropractic care to promote health.
Not just Rosacea either-any and all inflammatory disorders, skin or not. Including but not limited to more depressing is suffering from many of the numerous diseases and fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, sinusitis, allergies, acne, asthma, digestive conditions, flu symptoms, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, depression, insulin resistance syndrome(pre-diabetes), and diabetes and so on (another big list-google it later) are all manage the same way: diet, supplements and plenty ofchiropractic care.

Kind of like those old hair club commercials-I'm not just the president, but also a client. If it works for me and 100's others; it'll work for you too.Are you or someone you know suffering from an inflammatory disorder? Forward them this email for a complimentary consultation!

Did we tell you massage is coming? Just waiting on Gov O'Malley to sign Holly's license and drop it in the mail. The first 20 people who respond to this email with the phrase: "massage" will get $10 off their first massage!!!

Referred Pain

Q:If it's my back that's out, why does my leg hurt instead? A: Referred pain
Referred pain comes in 2 main types (3 really. The third being trigger points, a muscle based problem-but that's a different story for a different day): Sclerotomal and Deramatomal. No, I didn't just make those up, and hopefully they're not as boring to you as they may sound. The difference between the 2 is very important in the diagnosis and treatment of pain generating conditions. They also explain the often counter-intuitive: if it's my back, why does my leg hurt?

Dermatomal is relatively easy. It's neurogenic pain, i.e pinched nerve. Just like when you kink the hose. It affects the water coming out the end, not where you're holding it. When you herniate a disc in your spine, the disc innards push out and kink your nerve. That's why you get burning, numbness and or tingling in your legs when it is in fact your back-All in a very predictive pattern based on which nerve/where is pinched.

Sclerotomal, on the other hand, is not nerve based pain. It's based on the fact that we were all once worms. As we're cooking in momma's oven; we transform from a long, worm-like tube into the handsome devils we are at birth. During this metamorphosis, our tissues twist, turn and intertwine. It puts our backs and upper leg on the same plane; and the same for shoulders and neck. So when something goes wrong in your back, you may not feel it in your back; but in your buttocks and leg and even knee instead.

Hold on, I need some B vitamins, I just put myself to sleep. There, better. Point is pain is not a disease, but a side effect, or sign. Just like the check engine light in the car-doesn't mean broken light bulb that we should drive around and ignore or cover up with a piece of tape. That leads to a $600 tow charge out of the Harbor Tunnel, so I've heard. Just like a problem with the engine makes the light come on; a problem in your back will make your rear-end, thigh, leg, knee, foot and or ankle hurt. Same goes for you neck and shoulder, arm, hand, fingers. And just like covering up the light prolongs and worsens the inevitable; so does covering up the pain with aspirin, oxy and/or Jack Daniels.

"In one year and out the next week"

It’s been said-“A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”
Last year about this time, I wrote the following on New Year’s Resolutions:

Why Bother?

This is the time of year when people start telling themselves this is the year that they are going to get in shape, eat right and stop stealing office supplies. And most will have failed the first two goals by the end of the Sugarbowl Halftime Report, and #3 by 4:00 on the first Monday after the holiday. So in other words, don’t bother.

The problem with lofty goals is that they are unattainable. Then when you slip, you get depressed and completely give up. Or sometimes people will set these ridiculous goals knowing they can’t do it, giving themselves an “out” of doing what’s right.

You can’t go from doing 12 ounce curls on the couch to training for a marathon on New Years Day. You can’t go from 3000 calories of processed meats and sugars to an 1800 calorie whole food diet (and not want to commit homicide) in just a week. And you’re never going to start buying your own stamps when the Post Office keeps raising their rates.

It was either Shakespeare, Lau Tzu or the cast of Glee that said: ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.’ If you want to change, you’re going to have to make reasonable, attainable, measurable goals. Not just make random cheap champagne fueled wishes on the back of a cocktail napkin.

I propose the 1% solution. It was either me or NY Times bestselling author Tom Connellan who coined the phrase. Instead of setting yourself up for failure with crazy hair-brained ideas; just be a little bit better every day.

Instead of sandwiches, eat salads; water not soda; red wine not beer (1 not 12); stairs not elevator; exercise 30 min not 20; and add or take away a little more over time until you’ve reached your goal. If it takes you 11 months instead of quitting in 11 days, that’s much more than 1% better.

Need help losing weight? Hurt yourself trying to get in shape? Need advice on nutrition and vitamins? We’re here to help!