Mental Attitude: Healthy Ambition Beneficial for Kids in the Long Run. Promoting ambition can help children become successful adults. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises the following: love and accept your child unconditionally, and keep your expectations high; don’t expect perfection, but do look for empathy, integrity, and generosity; support your child’s passions; don’t compare your child to anyone else; praise your child’s efforts, rather than just the achievement; show a child that no one wins all the time, and that they should strive to do better next time; and encourage the child to take control of his or her life, instilling confidence to deal with problems and make decisions. American Academy of Pediatrics, December 2016
Health Alert: E-Cigarettes a Threat to Young Americans’ Health. According to United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, e-cigarettes pose an emerging health threat to American youth. The Food and Drug Administration reports that in 2015, 16% of high school students said they had used e-cigarettes at least once. Dr. Murthy writes, “My concern is e-cigarettes have the potential to create a whole new generation of kids who are addicted to nicotine… If that leads to the use of other tobacco-related products, then we are going to be moving backward instead of forward.” He adds that parents and healthcare providers need to explain their concerns about e-cigarettes with youngsters, and local officials should also take action, such as including e-cigarettes in indoor smoking bans. Associated Press, December 2016
Diet: Fruits and Veggies Lower Head and Neck Cancer Risk. Chinese researchers compared the diet and lifestyle characteristics of 921 head and neck cancer patients with healthy controls and determined that the risk of such cancers fell as participants consumed a greater number of daily servings of fruits and vegetables. They note their findings are similar to previous studies conducted with subjects of European origin. Cancer Epidemiology, December 2016
Exercise: Strength Training Reduces Side Effects of Breast Cancer Surgery. This study, which included 27 breast cancer survivors who performed moderate-intensity strength workouts twice per week, revealed that weightlifting appeared to help prevent swelling in the arms and chest, which are common symptoms following the surgical treatment of breast cancer. Study author Dr. Lynn Panton adds, “At one time, women were told they shouldn’t do upper-body activities after surgery and treatment because doctors thought it could actually cause swelling to become worse… But we’re finding that strength training can really help women recover from treatment and help prevent and reduce this swelling.”
Supportive Care in Cancer, December 2016
Chiropractic: Preexisting Cervical Disk Degeneration May Not Slow Whiplash Recovery. Whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) is a common injury following motor vehicle accidents and has a wide range of prognoses. A recent study set out to determine whether preexisting cervical disk degeneration is a prognostic factor in WAD. The study involved 45 patients with advanced disk degeneration and a control group of 52 patients with little-to-no disk degeneration. After one year, the investigators observed no difference in outcome among the participants in each group, suggesting no delay in recovery among WAD patients with preexisting cervical disk degeneration. Clinical Spine Surgery, November 2016
Wellness/Prevention: Smoking to Be Banned in Public Housing. United States government officials have announced that smoking will be banned in public housing residences starting in 2017. The new rule is expected to protect more than two million public housing residents, including 760,000 children, and save $153 million a year in healthcare costs, repairs, and preventable fires. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, November 2016
Quote: “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” ~ Lou Holtz

I found that Dr. Joe Megna is one of the best chiropractors I have found in the Napa region.