A Note from the Life Coach

Some have heard us say that we see people in 4D.  That means we treat the structural, chemical, electrical AND emotional aspects of your health.  Dr. Wayne firmly believes that the emotional aspect of your being can affect every other dimension.  If you are stressed, it can pull your spine out of alignment.  If you have emotional pain  that has not been dealt with healthily it can block your meridians.  On the other hand, if you have a positive outlook and choose to be well, you will have more energy...and the scenarios continue.

So on that note, let us introduce how a life coach can help you with your overall health picture.  A life coach is like an advocate for your goals.  He/She holds you accountable, maps out a plan, helps you bust through barriers that are keeping you. from success, and can refocus you when you lose your way .  Tompkins Wellness Center has its very own Life Coach - Angela Tompkins was trained at the Coaches Training Institute and had her own coaching practice in Texas.

For old times' sake, we will post one of Angela's articles that was printed in a Dallas-area regional magazine a few years back.  This might be a good read for you around the busy holiday season:

An Unplanned Day

Baseball games, dance lessons, a 50-hour work week, PTA meetings, night classes and helping your daughter sell her girl scout cookies…Does this sound like you?  Are you a victim of SCD (schedule complexity disorder)?  I can help.  Read on…

First of all, SSTTOOOPPPPPP!  Breathe a few deep breaths and take a good look at your life…maybe it is captured on a calendar.  What things on your schedule are absolutely necessary?  Which are extra-curricular?  Who or what is controlling your precious time?  Are they worth it?  Will these consuming activities give you the nuggets of fulfillment and satisfaction that money can’t buy? 

Next, think about the last time you and your loved ones sat around and did absolutely nothing.  How long has it been that you went outside at night and stood in awe of the stars?  When did you sit around and enjoy a home-cooked meal where you actually looked at each other instead of the TV?  (Oh and holiday feasts don’t count!)  What was the last day that your calendar was blank and you did not plan a single thing for that day?  Been awhile?  It’s about time…

Now, it’s time to pick up your planner, your calendar, what have you, and plan an unplanned day.  That’s right…wipe one day out of the month absolutely clean.  Highlight the box that surrounds that day on your monthly calendar as if you’re guarding it with your life…because you are!

Finally, it’s time to beef up your defenses so that that precious day that you’ve reserved stays blank.  Anticipate what forces could threaten the simplicity of an unplanned day?  What is the plan of action if the enemy – duty or responsibility – attacks during a weak moment?  How are you going to keep that day open for the spontaneous possibilities that only an unplanned day can hold? 

I beg you, don’t fall into the planning trap and pollute that day with pre-conceived activities.  The rule is this…on that day, you must only do what you want to do at that moment.  No obligations allowed.  Those can wait until another day…

The Flu Shot: Do Your Research...Please

They are everywhere…at your local grocery store, airport, Wal-mart. We urge you to please STOP, THINK and RESEARCH before you get one just because a) it’s readily available, b) it’s relatively inexpensive, c) Medicare pays for it, so “why not?” All you have to do is type in to Google “Flu Shot” and “Effectiveness” and/or “Side Effects” to start learning for yourself how much this ‘preventive’ measure is really just a shot in the dark.

According to the Center for Disease Control, vaccines only work if it’s a perfect match between the flu strains being passed around in your local area. BUT, vaccines are made for the masses to cover the map and are not customized by locality.

Another prerequisite for flu shot effectiveness is that you must be a healthy individual. Hmmm. How is that defined exactly?


THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY 


There is a very well-versed researcher named Mary Tocco with 30 years of vaccine research under her belt who reveals the other side of the story. Meet Mary at (http://newswithviews.com/Tocco/). She breaks down what actually goes into the vaccine that is commonly labeled “safe” even for pregnant women and babies 6 months of age or more. Sigh.

 Flu Mist:
The nasal vaccine has never been studied to see if the viruses can penetrate the membrane between the sinus and the brain (barrier). When the CDC was asked if this had been studied by Dr. Mark Geier, their response was “NO.” Common Flu Vaccine Ingredients include:
• Egg protein – causes egg allergies
• Formaldehyde- Formalyn (formalin) is a 37 percent solution of gaseous formaldehyde which includes methanol. Known toxin used in embalming
• Polysorbate 80 shown to cause infertility in mice • Sodium Chloride and Calcium Chloride
• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG):C5H8NNaO4, a Stabilizer MSG – man made exciito-toxin
• Potassium phosphate- a soluble salt which is used as a fertilizer, a food additive and a fungicide.
• Thimerosal a form of mercury still found in some multi-vile vaccines.
• Polyoxidonium- Synthetic polymers and nanomaterials display selective phenotypic effects in cells and in the body that affect signal transduction mechanisms involved in inflammation, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis.
 • Squalene- An oil based adjuvant that has never been approved in the US as safe, can cause blindness, autoimmune dysfunction and can inhibit sperm production. More than two dozen peer-reviewed scientific papers from ten different laboratories throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia have been published documenting the development of autoimmune disease in animals subjected to squalene-based adjuvants. Novartis will make a flu vaccine using MF59 consisting of squalene.
• Tween 80 - A recent study (December 2005) discovered that Tween80 can cause anaphylaxis, a sometimes fatal reaction characterized by a sharp drop in blood pressure, hives, and breathing difficulties. • Human Diploid Tissue- organ and tissue from aborted baby tissue is now used in manufacturing many vaccines.

PHARMA’s SAFETY NET
Did you know there is a fee built into every vaccine administered to cover damages for all those who have been injured by getting the vaccine? The Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund provides funding for the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to compensate vaccine-related injury or death claims for covered vaccines administered on or after October 1, 1988.

Funded by a $0.75 excise tax on vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for routine administration to children. The excise tax is imposed on each dose (disease that is prevented) of a vaccine. Trivalent influenza vaccine for example, is taxed $0.75 because it prevents one disease; measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which prevents three diseases, is taxed $2.25. Since the first Vaccine Injury Compensation claims were made in 1989, 2,569 compensation payments have been made, $2,009,309,528.93 disbursed to petitioners and $65,648,518.12 paid to cover attorney’s fees and other legal costs. To date, 5,263 claims have been dismissed. Of those, 2,330 claimants were paid $48,774,854.18 to cover attorney’s fees and other legal costs. (ww.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/index.html)

YOU HAVE OPTIONS 
No we can’t live in a bubble, but we can build up a wall of resistance to threatening bugs coming at us from other homo sapiens:

Acupuncture – the Chinese medical model advises a balancing acupuncture session at least once/season. This builds your body’s immunity to the changes in your external environment.

Supplementation – Stock up on Echinacea, Vitamin-C, Vitamin D, Probiotics, etc.

Sleep – Too easy, right? It helps. Try going to be an hour earlier and see how you feel! 

TWC OFFER: 20% off immunity boosters: Standard Process Echinacea-C, Ortho Molecular Probiotics and Vitamin D until 11/30/11.  Opt into our text club and save $10 off acupuncture by texting "twc" to "90210".

The Mind Matters

“It’s all in your head!” If anything were to put a patient on the defensive…it would be this statement! The truth of the matter is that nearly every health problem has an emotional component to it. Have you ever had some low level back pain and then get a stressful phone call, and realize your pain is a lot more intense at the end of the call than the beginning? Or have you noticed what happens to blood pressure when you are under more stress? Let’s face it: emotions play a major role in our health. In our office we really look at four dimensions of health; structural, chemical (nutritional), electrical (acupuncture) and emotional. Sometimes in talking with a patient, I even tack “emotional” on to the end as though it’s an afterthought. In many cases though, it’s the biggest contributor of all of these. So how do we help this? First let me say that we still need to take care of the other components, but if we neglect this one…our results will be mediocre. Emotional release technique, life coaching, and visualization are just a few of the tools available to our patients when this is a significant contributor. To give you an example, the Institute of HeartMath in Colorado uses specific heart-focused techniques involving guided visualizations to help people lower blood pressure. A pre and post check nearly always shows a 10-20 point drop in blood pressure. I have seen this first hand with my own patients. A core treatment is then to have the patient go through a daily exercise regimen of visualization/meditation and/ or journaling…to bring about that remarkable change. Of course after you learn it and are able to do it yourself, it has to be a daily exercise, just like taking a medication is a daily thing. Eventually the way you think will be impacted so much that you will feel remarkably better. If this is of interest to you…give us a call at 417-336-2620. Even if you live a distance away…some of these techniques can be done verbally over the phone.

Dr. Wayne is the Lab Rat: A Personal, non-Prescription Protocol for Seasonal Allergies

Achoo!! Ahhh…it’s that time of year again. Ragweed and other pollens are in full bloom and filling the air with their miniscule bothersome tendrils…making a lot of us sneeze. As a seasonal allergy sufferer…I want to share the successes I’ve found in making life more manageable during this season. Traditional medicine treats allergies by prescribing Allegra, Clariton, Zyrtec or some other drug to stifle your symptoms. These all have some antihistamine quality and usually some form of decongestant. The problem is that they all have side effects which; lets face it…are ‘so last year!’ How about some things that have worked equally as well in the symptom suppression department without causing a major case of the grouchies and/or the drowsies?! Albizia Complex from Mediherb is a powerful antihistamine. (By the way…histamines are what fill up your sinuses, make you sneeze, make your eyes itch etc.) Additionally some Echinicea Premium, also from Mediherb works towards the same end. The last supplement I add to my arsenal is Allerplex from Standard Process. These are top of the line products designed to keep your airways and breathing clear as well as strengthen the systems responsible to help us fight allergies. Yes…we have to let go of the convenience and cost factor that medicines have, with one pill giving 24 hours of relief…but the benefits far outweigh the costs. By benefits, we mean no side effects and no unnatural product your liver has to figure out, break down, and detoxify. This gives your immune system a major advantage. Along with these products I like to use Xlclear’s saline nasal spray with xylitol to wash the nasal passages. This should be used after coming in from the outdoors so it can remove the pollens still lodged in these passages that are just waiting to make us sneeze. This product is great for kids and they like it because it has a natural sweetener called xylitol if they happen to swallow a drop or two. It is administered with a pump to push it up into the nose. A less costly alternative for teens or adults is a nettie pot usually available at your local pharmacy. It typically comes with salt packets that allow the consumer to mix their own saline and ‘pour it’ into their nostrils and flush out the pollens this way. Both techniques leave the sinus passages feeling soothed and relieved. One last product to use which I have found some nice benefits from this year is Lavender Essential Oil from Young Living. Placing 8 – 10 drops in a veggie capsule (usually available at your local health food store) and then swallowing a capsule 3 times daily has proven effective as an antihistamine. If your symptoms aren’t severe…you don’t need to do ALL of these. If they are, you may. I’m having my best year yet and I credit it to faithfully following the above protocol The Xlear saline nasal spray, Albizia Complex, Allerplex, and Echinacea Premium are all available through October 1st at 15% off the retail price if you mention this blog. (Cannot be combined with other discounts or offers)

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar, Blood Sugar

We've all heard in recent years that Type 2 diabetes is a modern epidemic. It used to be called “adult onset diabetes,” but this is no longer the case since children are being diagnosed with it. Why?

Let’s dumb down some human physiology for a moment and look at what happens. The pancreas produces insulin and kicks it out into the bloodstream. Insulin is the key that unlocks the door of each cell to let blood sugar in. So, under normal circumstances, you eat an apple which gets broken down into carbohydrate and smaller molecules of fructose. This gets converted to glucose and gets sent out into the bloodstream along with insulin from the pancreas. Insulin unlocks the cell door, glucose rushes in, the cell churns through its functions keeping your body alive at a certain rate (your basal metabolic rate or BMR). In this situation, all is well and good. However; when the body is bombarded with refined carbs and sugars found in soft drinks candy bars, boxed cereals, pastries, breads, and pastas, the blood sugar spikes and insulin gets kicked out of the pancreas. The cells are overloaded with sugar so they change the locks on their doors leaving us with a condition knows as insulin resistance. Basically the cells are saying, “Talk to the hand…” This causes blood sugar to spike higher and higher leading to a condition known as diabetes. It’s largely a problem of our food supply.

Any idea how much sugar the average American consumed around 1900? The answer is: between 10-15 pounds. Today we are at a deplorable 115 – 125 pounds per average American. This is what the modernization of food processing has done for us. Wow! No wonder we’re in trouble.

What can you do? First of all…make sure you have an idea of your blood sugar level. We offer a complete urinalysis here at our office. Fortunately we did a urinalysis on a young lady yesterday for her initial exam which showed her urine glucose off the charts. I advised them to see a medical doctor right away. (The doctor told her had she not caught this glucose problem he would have met her in the ICU in about a week. Whew! ) Her fasting blood glucose the next morning was 321! Normal is between 70-120 (not fasting!) Had she not been fasting, hers would have been still higher.

In our office, we educate and inform the patient about healthy lifestyle changes that can make a dramatic difference in their lives. We also work with acupuncture, and herb, supplement remedies that help lower insulin resistance and virtually eliminate the need for medication except in severe cases. The beauty of it is that EVERYONE responds. Some will completely get off all medication, others will still need some assistance, but to a much lesser degree. All will understand their condition better and learn how to help themselves become healthy and lead a productive life.

Action Steps
1. Come in for a urinalysis (free for existing patients if you mention this blog through 8/31/2011)
2. Learn your glucose level.
3. Make adjustment to diet, lifestyle.
4. Add in herbs & acupuncture if necessary, like gymnema.
5. Nip symptoms in the bud.
6. Retest urine for glucose levels.
7. Avoid disease.

Back to School: Healthy Kids are Smarter Kids

We love your kids. We want to offer some advice on what you can do to give your child the best environment for scholastic success from a health perspective.


5 tips on How to Have Smart Kids

1. Get adequate sleep

This seems to simple, but ignore it and it will come back to get you. The only way to ensure your kids get adequate sleep is to have a schedule. Go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time. Lack of sleep slows response time, weakens immunity, and interferes with learning.

Text "twc" to "90210" and get $5 off a child-sized/travel Chiroflow pillow that makes sleep a little more productive.


2. Just say no to sugar

The Standard American Diet (abbreviated SAD ironically) is loaded with sugar in many forms. Boxed cereals, processed foods, and prepackaged snacks are loaded with sugar. Sugar pumps us with energy for about 15 – 20 minutes and then drops us into the cellar for hours. When the drop hits, we can’t concentrate, we feel foggier, and it literally makes us dumb. Instead of sugar and carbs like pretzels and chips….go for nuts and protein sources like a healthy cheese.

3. Drink water…nature's ale.

The chemical formula of water is H2O. The "O" stands for oxygen. Oxygen wakes up your brain. Many times we feel tired and we’re actually just dehydrated. Adding 8- 8oz. glasses of water will help immensely. By the way, the water needs to be in its natural form…not in ice tea, soft drinks etc.

4. Get off the couch and move

Yes…exercise gets the blood pumping and moves oxygen around the body and to the brain. An oxygenated brain is a smart brain! Coming home and sitting down at the computer after sitting in class all day is a great way to feel sleepy. Your drowsy teen will be tempted to down a Kit Kat or some Lucky Charms. While this will give a temporary high…it will drop in no time and

5. Get adjusted

First things first, chiropractic is safe for kids. When the top bones in the neck are malpositioned, they put tension on the spinal cord and interfere with nerve expression to the body. One of the benefits of a specific adjustment to the cervical spine is greater mental clarity, mental alertness, and an overall clear feeling. Mental fog, drowsiness, dizziness and many other symptoms accompany a neck that is not in adjustment. Call 417-336-2620 for a free consult for your child...to see if they could benefit.

DIY Doctoring: The Free, Tell-All Thyroid Test

I recently had a patient come to me with severe chills, hair loss, and a host of other symptoms. After asking several questions and making some observations, I decided the thyroid gland should be considered. She quickly told me that her medical doctor had done a thyroid test within the last month and it was fine. Lab tests were ‘unremarkable’ in regards to TSH, T4, and T3. However; my clinical 'suspicion' screamed, “Check the thyroid!”

Why worry about the thyroid if the blood tests all came back normal? Simply put, the blood test doesn't reveal the whole picture. We can have normal levels of TSH, T3 & T4, but it says nothing about our ability to take it from the blood to the cell and allow it to attach to the appropriate receptor site. Also some chemicals are actually toxins that take the best seats at the orchestra, keeping us from really ‘using’ thyroid hormone. The sneaky thing is, these toxins are are chemically very similar to iodine (critical for the synthesis of thyroid hormone).

So if you’re experiencing hair loss, weight gain, feel cold frequently, have feelings of malaise or depression, poor morning energy, and the list goes on...this message is especially for you! Read on...

Here's a test called the Barnes Thyroid Test you can do at home. All you DIY divas take heed! For next-to-nothing, you can ‘diagnose’ your thyroid as under-functioning, or functioning well but not taking up the hormone to the receptor sites:
1. Buy a glass thermometer. (much preferred over a digital thermometer for our purposes)
2. Put it next to your bed.
3. Measure body temperature immediately upon waking, under your arm (even before going to the bathroom.)
4. Leave thermometer under your arm for 10 minutes and get a reading.
5. Repeat Step #3 for 5 mornings in a row.
6. Add all 5 readings together and divide by 5.
7. Call Dr. Tompkins at 417.336.2620 if your temperature is outside the 98.2-98.8 range.

By the way, the patient mentioned in the first paragraph has no more chills and is experiencing much better health since we’ve addressed this issue using specific supplementation and a thyroid glandular to help her get on top of her thyroid issues. In closing, your natural, God-given thyroid CAN be restored and is much preferred over a synthetic thyroid given in pill form.