Lighthouse Chiropractic
Dr. Dan Curriden
Chiropractor
1424 Spring St.
Smyrna, GA 30080
(770) 805-9090

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VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11
The Beacon

A Free Monthly Newsletter For The Friends and
Practice Members of The Lighthouse

“Politics is the art of making the inevitable appear to be the matter of wise human choice.” – Quentin Crisp

“Man Loses Arm & Leg Training for Triathlon”

Hopefully, you read about my recent triathlon efforts in last month’s newsletter.  In continuing with that theme, this month’s main feature will also talk about triathlon training and racing. And I promise you, you will benefit from the information, regardless of whether or not you ever participate in a triathlon.
     In preparation for this article, I learned some interesting facts about the weights of various body parts.  For example, the human leg weighs, on average, 10% of a person’s total body weight.  Likewise, the arm weighs approximately 5%.  The head weight doesn’t necessarily correspond to body weight, and usually weighs around 8 lbs.
     Now, file those away for a minute while I get back to the previously mentioned loss of limbs while training. It happened to my friend and training partner, Brian. When Brian started training for triathlons, about a year and a half ago, he weighed 260 pounds. He trained hard and did several triathlons, including the 2007 edition of the Emerald Pointe, the race just completed. When Brian stepped on the scale shortly before this year’s Emerald Pointe, he weighed a tick over 200 pounds. Doing some quick math with the above weight facts, he lost the equivalent of 2 arms (26lbs), a leg (26lbs), and a head (8lbs).  I’m happy to report that Brian still has all of his limbs (and his head) but is a lot lighter, faster and healthier. Brian was able to cut 18 minutes from his 2007 time as well.
     Now why do I tell you this, you ask?  Heck, you might not want to do a triathlon, or might not be able to do one for some reason. But this isn’t to encourage you to train for a triathlon, although if you decide to do one, let me know. They are fun.  No, this is to demonstrate the incredible power of movement and consistency.  Brian didn’t do anything exotic, he simply ran, biked or swam and ate a sensible diet. I’m not trying to take anything away from Brian, as he trains hard. But the point is, you don’t have to train for a triathlon to start losing weight.  If you are able, get moving.  I hope Brian’s story motivates you to either start a fitness program or continue one you are already doing.
     Now, for those that are curious, here are the details about the race. This was the Emerald Pointe Georgia State Championships at Lake Lanier, so it was a huge event. My last triathlon in 2005 had 194 athletes and I placed 68^th with a time of 1:19:08. In this year’s event, a total of 742 athletes finished out of 800 registered. I finished a respectable 174^th overall, 18^th out of 66 in my age group. I had two time goals for this race, a must beat time of 1:20 and a “dream time” of 1:15. I hit right in between at 1:17:34. So, better than my first ever race but still with plenty of room for improvement as I took forever going from swim to bike.
     During the race, I was behind Brian almost the entire time. I finally caught him about ½ way through the run portion, which comes last. I was kind of in a daze until I looked up and saw Brian ahead of me. Try as I might, I couldn’t catch the guy, until we came up to a drink station. Brian slowed to take a drink and I kept running. When I finally caught him I yelled out his last name. We ran together, pushing each other as neither of us was going to back down. Afterward, we both admitted that we ran faster than we would have, had we not been pushing each other.  Interestingly, during the run, Brian told me he had been sidelined the entire previous week with back spasms.  But, now that he’s receiving good chiropractic care at The Lighthouse, he’ll probably be even faster. OK, I’ve got to get to my training…now!

Can Tylenol Cause Asthma?
From:  The Week, October 10, 2008

     Babies who are given acetaminophen for fever are more likely to develop asthma as they get older, says a new study. Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, is a very effective fever reducer that is often given to babies as an alternative to aspirin (which can cause a potentially fatal illness in children called Reye’s syndrome). Acetaminophen is the active pain-relieving ingredient in such common over-the-counter drugs as Tylenol, Midol, and Anacin, and is present in such prescription medications as Percocet and Vicodin. A five-year study of 200,000 babies and children has shown that if an infant is given acetaminophen, he or she is 46 percent more likely to have developed asthma by 6 or 7.  Study author Richard Beasley tells BBCnews.com that the findings do not mean that parents should never adminster acetaminophen to their infants or young children, but should use the medication only when absolutely necessary-that is, to lower fever exceeding 102 degrees.

Dr. Dan’s Comments:

     46 percent more likely! That is much higher than I would have guessed. According to figures from the CDC, the number of people diagnosed with asthma (LINK) continues to rise and this may be one of the reasons why.  As far as suppressing a fever, unless it is at life-threatening levels, it just doesn’t make sense. There is a reason why the body has a built-in fever producing mechanism. By raising the temperature, the body is attempting to rid the body of some foreign invader.  Many harmful bacteria thrive at body temperature, but cannot survive at slightly elevated temperatures. When a person’s body is functioning normally, it turns up the heat to get rid of the harmful bacteria without the need for antibiotics. So, short-circuiting the body’s normal defense mechanisms, by giving acetaminophen or other drugs in order to reduce a low-grade fever, can lead to increased susceptibility to bacterial infection, a reliance on antibiotics and decreased immune function. In addition, interleukins and leukotrienes, powerful cancer-fighting agents, are produced at elevated temperatures.  Suppressing low-grade fevers can lead to long-term problems such as cancer.  While the cause of asthma is probably not related to suppressing fever, the increased possibility of it, coupled with antibiotic resistance and perhaps cancer strongly suggest allowing low to moderate fevers to run their course.

Here’s another interesting article on asthma:.

Can Bacteria Lower Asthma Rates In Children?

     Common bacteria that have lived in human stomachs for generations are associated with lower rates of childhood asthma, researchers are reporting.
     Their study, to appear Aug. 15 in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, does not prove that the microflora, Helicobacter pylori, help protect children from asthma. It may be that asthmatics do not host the bacteria for other reasons.
     Still, the recent study, conducted by researchers at New York University School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New York, found that children who carried H. pylori were 40 percent less likely to have asthma before age 5. And children ages 3 to 13 who had the bacteria were 60 percent less likely to report that they had asthma at the time of the study. The study relied on interviews with individuals and their families to determine whether the children had asthma.
     Antibiotics kill helpful bacteria as well as harmful ones, and previous research has linked antibiotic use in children with higher risk for asthma.
     "H. pylori is disappearing, and this is a fact that probably cannot be changed," said Dr. Yu Chen, the lead author of the study. "But it's important to realize that bacteria that have been living with us for millions of years may actually have some beneficial qualities."
By Bina Venkataraman, Published: July 30, 2008
     Make sure you visit my blog at: www.lighthousechiropractic.org/blog where you’ll find more articles about asthma, including some of the results from research studies on chiropractic care and asthma, and other health information.
     And remember, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help, and enjoy participating in your life long good health.

Oddball November Holidays

     It is my belief that we don’t celebrate enough.  Most other countries celebrate far more holidays than we do.  Heck, try getting anything done in Brasil during Carnevale.  It’s like they close the country for a week.  So let’s start celebrating more holidays, but not just the regular ones like Thanksgiving. Here’s a list of lesser known November holidays to start celebrating:

1^st – Vinegar Day

2^nd – Plan Your Epitaph Day

3^rd – Cliché Day (Well, that’s as clear as mud!)

4^th – Zero Tasking Day (unfortunately a Sunday)

5^th – Dear Santa Letter Week begins

6^th – General Election Day

7^th – National Men Make Dinner Day

8^th – Aid & Abet Punsters Day

9^th – Guinness World Record Day

10^th – Area Code Day

11^th – Veterans Day (actual, observed tomorrow.  Not oddball, actually very important!)

12^th – Chicken Soup for The Soul Day

13^th – World Kindness Day

14^th – National American Teddy Bear Day

15^th – National Bundt Cake Day

16^th – Love A Tree Day

17^th – Homemade Bread Day

18^th – Mickey Mouse’s Birthday

19^th – Have a Bad Day Day (might skip this one)

20^th – Name Your PC Day (I have names for it when it isn’t working, but I can’t print them here)

21^st – Pumpkin Pie Day (Yes!)

22^nd – National Hockey League Founded (1917)

23^rd– You’re Welcomegiving Day (Day after Thanksgiving!)

24^th – International Aura Awareness Day (Huh?)

25^th – Blasé Day (but really, who cares, right?)

27^th – Anders Celsius born, inventor of the thermometer

29^th – Square Dance Day

30^th – Stay Home Because You’re Well Day (make sure you get adjusted so you can observe this holiday!!!)

Another benefit of getting and staying in great shape

     A group of British teenage thugs stole a pocketbook from a 68-year-old grandmother who, as it happens, was a former running champion. Janet Lane chased and caught the startled thieves, grabbing one by the collar. “Those boys saw a little old lady and thought I was easy pickings,” said a triumphant Lane. Just another example of the benefits of fitness.

Are ‘Detoxifying' Foot Pads a Scam?

     An NPR experiment on Kinoki foot pads tested to see if they'd drawn anything out of a reporter's body.
     Reporter Sarah Varney and her husband bought some “detoxifying” Kinoki foot pads and wore them to bed. In the morning, they both awoke find the pads covered in the brown mess that the advertisement had promised. But when they took the foot pads to a lab and had them analyzed and compared with unused pads, the used pads were almost identical to the blank.
Further experimentation showed that the “gunk” in the pads shows up if you hold the pad over a pot of boiling water. Who knew steam had "metabolic waste"?
     The Kinoki foot pads -- as well as other brands -- promise to draw out everything from heavy metals to metabolic wastes, toxins, parasites, cellulite and more, to restore your vitality and health.
     Despite the lack of scientific research, the report above seems to agree: The likelihood that detoxifying foot pads work is slim to none.  
     However, certain foot pads may still offer some value – just not necessarily what they’re advertising. And, you’re not likely to get it from most brands.
     According to Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, there may be some biochemical benefits from the original Japanese foot pads that contain more expensive ingredients, such as 9-year old fermented bamboo vinegar.  
     But, as far as detoxing heavy metals and toxins, not even the original foot pads could accomplish that.

Coffee Trivia…

It’s the most popular beverage in the world, with worldwide annual consumption of over 400 billion cups.  Coffee trees are self-pollinating.  Coffee, as a world commodity, is second only to oil. Dark roasted coffees have LESS caffeine than medium roasts as the longer roasting burns off more caffeine. Hawaii is the only state of the U.S. in which coffee is commercially grown. In Italy, espresso is considered so essential to daily life that the price is regulated by the government. In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family's pot filled with coffee. Dr. Dan’s Disclaimer:  This is not an endorsement of coffee. Drink at your own risk!