Slow down there speedy!

Are you the first one done at a meal?
Wiping your mouth in satisfaction while others are still cutting their meat?
Do people make fun of the fact that you "inhale" rather than "chew?"

Well keep reading and start chewing...s-l-o-w-l-y!
A recent study in the British Medical Journal found that eating quickly until full tripled your chances of being overweight! They cited cheap, fast food and eating in front of the television as major contributors to absent eating.

Chewing your food starts the digestion process. What you don't chew up into itty-bitty tiny pieces from your mouth makes more work for your stomach then small intestines. This leads to indigestion, malabsorption, gas and bloating plus all those other unpleasant intestinal problems.

Here's a little trick - chew each bite at least 30 times! I'm not kidding. Put your fork down between takes or set the burger/sandwhich back on the plate while you chew.

And stop drinking a lot of fluids with your meals - this dilutes your digestive juices! Take a few sips if you need to but pounding a large soda, glass of water or iced tea makes it that much harder to digest those large pieces into tiny particles for absorption.

October 17th is National Mammography Day!

Mammograms detect 80 percent to 90 percent of breast cancers in women without symptoms, and all women 40 and older should get a yearly mammogram, says the American Cancer Society.

Many of my patients are concerned about the radiation exposure to their breasts and often question whether they need to go EVERY year.

"Dr. Jones - I don't feel a lump."
"Nobody in my family has breast cancer."
"I'm pretty healthy, I think I would know if I had breast cancer."

These are quotes I hear all the time. Then, of course, they want to know my opinion.

Well here goes.

Yes, I know you do not have breast cancer in your family and yes I realize you will be exposing very sensitive tissue to some radiation however right now there is no perfect test and if you do not have a palpable lump yet mammogram picks it up and it's cancer...there is a very very good 5 year survival rate.

For example, a Stage 1 breast mass is about 2 centimeters or less. If you have larger breasts, there is a good chance you will not feel it when you do your breast exam. A stage 1 breast mass that is addressed has a near 100% 5 year survival rate.

Here's the other kicker, 70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer had NO KNOWN RISKS other than being a woman. How's that for statistics!

I also realize that not all breast masses are cancerous and may show up on a mammogram causing some concern...but what a relief when it's just a cyst or fibroadenoma!

There are other additional breast options such as thermography. It's a pretty neat tool to be used along with mammograms and may be able to detect hormonal changes or cancer years before traditional screening.

I'm also going to advocate for healthy diets and lifestyles, good functioning livers and bowels to clear out toxins and stress reduction to save your sanity.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

Mayan Abdominal Massage: Love it!

What is this wonderful technique of massage? And why is it called Mayan Abdominal? Well, this Massage is founded on the ancient Mayan technique of abdominal massage. It is an external, non-invasive manipulation that repositions internal organs that have shifted, thereby restricting the flow of blood, lymph, nerve and chi.

For women, it specifically helps all kinds of symptoms such as: painful periods, heavy periods, tilted uterus, irritable bowel, constipation, fertility challenges, endometriosis, low back ache and many others.

Normal or Tilted?
Normally the uterus leans slightly over the bladder in the center of the pelvis, about one and a half inches above the pubic bone.

Uterine ligaments are made to stretch in order to accommodate a growing fetus inside and to move freely when the bladder or bowel are full. Due to a variety of reasons, the ligaments and muscles can weaken and loosen, causing the uterus to fall downward, forward, backward or to either side.

Often times women are told their uterus is “tilted” or “prolapsed” and that it is normal. Unfortunately this change in position causes many uncomfortable symptoms and most doctors do not have a way to shift the uterus back into place. This results in a list of drugs and pills to stop the symptoms.

What about the cause?
This is where the massage comes into play! By shifting your uterus into the correct spot - blood, lymph, nerve conduction and energy are able to freely flow back into the places they are suppose to be.

This massage is wonderful for almost everyone! As I said before, it is external and non-invasive. You lay on a regular massage table and enjoy the benefits of having your core worked.

To learn more about this great technique, visit www.arvigomassage.com