The following is offered from Lessons for Lifeguards, by Dr. Michael A. Carrera, pp. 45-46.

It is not uncommon for a drowning person to surrender to panic and terror and to actually fight the lifeguard who is trying to help. In fact, sometimes, a person in such a dangerous situation will resist powerfully and fiercely, fighting off every attempt to be rescued. Lifeguards are not surprised by this response; they are ready to counter resistance and will do anything to save a life.

One thing a lifeguard never does is swim away from a drowning person, especially when a victim is resisting help. A lifeguard never treads water at a safe distance and yells out that they will provide help only when proper motivation and compliance are demonstrated. The lifeguard never says, "Well, obviously you are not ready for my help. Take a little time now and think about that; when you're ready to be saved, give me a signal by raising your hand, and I will rescue you."

No, genuine lifeguards have no requirements to be met before they will help. In fact, their own desire to save the person energizes them to fight through resistance, to risk their own lives, and do what is necessary to get the job done. Sometimes, this means subduing the drowning person and taking them safely to shore.

Editor's two cents: I don't care if you are a parent, school teacher, police officer, firefighter, paramedic, chaplain or Good Samaritan; we all find ourselves from time to time being in the position of a lifeguard to someone who needs our help. Be prepared and ever watchful. Expect resistance during the difficult times, subdue if necessary, but never swim away from someone needing your help because this is how we express our human capacity for compassion and I assure you the rewards are beyond anything you can measure!

Ok, we are well into the New Year...how many resolutions regarding your fitness did you make? How many have already been tossed into the heap of failure? It's no wonder considering all of the confusing fitness advice and misinformation floating around out there.

Have you ever noticed how there are certain times of the year where "new" fitness programs show up. Typically it is right around the New Year and right before swimsuit season is when we see the most and the most outrageous claims as well. The marketing is obvious and these unscrupulous bastards prey upon your vulnerable emotions to get you to shell out big $$$ for another piece of crap machine you don't need. For example, just the other day I saw an abdominal machine that promised to "blast you into shape" in just 4 minutes a day. Now I know you Ready Force Faithful don't buy that B.S., or at least I hope not! You all know there are no magic workouts, no magic machines and no replacement for the bottom line, hard work!

Do you really want to get into good shape this year? Then you need a reality check. Like my idol 93 year old and still going strong Jack La Lanne says; "Living is a pain in the backside. You have to work at it. Dying is easy!" Yep, that is dead on. You have to work at it folks.

Sorry, but if you want to truly improve your fitness you have to get off your biscuits and move! No, it does not have to be getting up at 4:00 am and working out for 90 minutes at an Olympic level. Leave that to the fanatics like Jack. However, it does take consistent effort. How much? I guarantee if you devote 20 to 30 minutes of exercise four times a week, combined with a sensible diet you will see amazing changes in your health and appearance. No fancy machines are needed, no expensive gyms, no outrageous diet plans, just simple, vigorous exercise in any form you like combined with a reasonable diet filled with foods as close to nature as possible.

That's it! Yes, it really is that simple. So make up your mind to get out there and move, daily if possible and remember to be kind to yourself. Don't take on too much too soon, just stay consistent and resolute and you WILL achieve your fitness goals.

Important Note: If you are starting a fitness program for the first time or you have not exercised for years, please make sure to see your doctor prior to beginning an exercise program. This physical checkup to see if you are ready for vigorous exercise can quite literally SAVE YOUR LIFE!

ADD/ADHD: What Can Be Done?
By Dr. Chrysa Caulfield, DC, CCN
Sonoma County Learning Enhancement Center,
a division of the Santa Rosa Chiropractic Neurology Center

ADD/ADHD is a challenging condition that affects many children and prevents them from realizing their full potential. Many of these children are very bright but ADD/ADHD creates a block between these children and their talents. Lack of success in school then contributes to emotional, social, and psychological difficulties that can be diminished or avoided with appropriate treatment of the root cause, ADD/ADHD.

ADD/ADHD has many different causes and therefore requires an integrated approach to evaluate each potential cause and treat accordingly.

Environmental Factors. Many children today have high levels of mercury and lead. These toxins are lipophilic, which means that they like to lodge in fatty tissue. Your brain is 60% fat and the myelin sheath covering nerves is 75% fat. This is why chemicals cause symptoms such as difficulty thinking or reasoning, memory problems, or fatigue. The membranes of all cells in the body are composed of fats, so it is very easy for toxins such as lead or mercury to disrupt normal metabolic processes anywhere in the body, especially in the brain.

There are many sources of toxins such as contaminated fish, silver dental fillings, some vaccines, pesticides, auto exhaust, and secondhand cigarette smoke. There are also many hidden sources: new furniture, new carpets, household cleaning products, some paints, dry cleaning, chlorine in swimming pools, and more.

Lifestyle Factors. Brains are just like muscles in that they need exercise to stay strong. Watching television is intellectually passive and does not promote strong brain function. Exercise increases focus and concentration, which makes it great for children with ADD/ADHD. Recent research shows that aerobic exercise improves ability to solve problems and make decisions quickly and effectively.

Exercise increases blood flow throughout the body, including the brain. Greater blood flow enables greater metabolism, which means healthier brain cells.

Dietary Factors. Many children with learning challenges have been found to be allergic to several foods, especially gluten and dairy products. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is a very common ingredient in most processed foods. Undiagnosed gluten intolerance leads to many common chronic illnesses.

Many ADD/ADHD children are also reactive to preservatives, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners (e.g. diet soda), and monosodium glutamate (MSG). The typical American diet is profoundly lacking in nutrition due to fast food, soda, fried food, and packaged food. These foods are not only high in calories and lacking in nutrition, but they also typically contain unhealthy fats, artificial colors, artificial flavors, MSG, and preservatives.

Essential fats help ensure proper functioning of brain cells and can only be obtained through diet or supplementation. Tragically, many ADD/ADHD children are profoundly deficient in essential omega-3 fats. Trans fats are able to displace essential fats in the brain. Hence, trans fats disrupt normal brain function. Trans fats are found in many processed foods such as cakes, cookies, fried foods, chips, and fast foods.

Neurological Factors. A child's brain gets wired according to their experience of the world. The fast-paced nature of television or video games may help pattern your child's brain to have a short attention span. The younger the child, the less "screen time" they should have.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry information from one nerve to another. Neurotransmitters in children with ADD/ADHD are often imbalanced, which makes it very difficult for these children to concentrate, remember to turn in homework, stay on task, keep quiet in class, etc.

ADD/ADHD children are often extra sensitive to seams in clothes or rough fabrics. This sensitivity results from an imbalance in brain function, which is diagnosable and treatable.

Addressing a learning challenge early offers significant benefits that enhance a lifetime.

If you or your child struggles with ADD/ADHD, call Dr. Caulfield at the Sonoma County Learning Enhancement Center, a division of the Santa Rosa Chiropractic Neurology Center at 707-575-9009. We can work together to make significant improvements in you or your child's physical and mental function. If you are interested in learning more about recovering lost neurological function due to trauma, stroke, environmental factors, or lifestyle, please call Dr. Caulfield. We also work with people who would like to proactively maximize their neurological health, before signs or symptoms of degeneration.

Fight the Winter Blues with Targeted Nutritional Support
By Lynn Ravazzini
Nutrition Within
lynn4nutrition@sbcglobal.net

Fall and winter mean shorter days, colder weather-and for many people, the winter blues. Of course, nearly everyone has low-energy days and occasional bouts of "the blues." But did you know that the winter blues can be long-lasting? Fortunately, targeted nutritional support can provide protection against the winter blues by beneficially "toning down," or modulating, a stress hormone called cortisol. And, who doesn't have stress during the winter season.

"Winter" Blues Can Strike Any Time of Year. The winter blues is marked by feelings of depression, lethargy, and lack of motivation that can interfere with normal activities. While the blues strikes most often in winter, it can also affect people who don't spend much time in the sun, work midnight shifts and sleep during the day, or who don't get sun during rainy seasons.

Sunshine and Serotonin. Light, especially sunshine, stimulates the production of various chemicals in the brain that can help decrease the winter blues and other types of depression. For example, sunlight exposure helps the body keep higher levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, a brain chemical that helps a person have a sense of well-being. When someone gets too little sunlight, serotonin decreases, and that can bring on winter blues and other problems.

Stress Hormones and the Winter Blues. Cortisol, a naturally-occurring stress hormone associated with mood, well-being, and stress response, is released from the adrenal cortex (located along the perimeter of the adrenal gland). Too much cortisol-a potential symptom associated with insufficient sunlight-can inhibit the "reuptake," or reabsorption, of serotonin into presynaptic cells. (A presynaptic cell is the transmitting end of a neuron, or brain cell, which passes serotonin and other neurotransmitters to the postsynaptic cell).

Lowering cortisol release can help to reduce the reabsorption of serotonin, making more serotonin available to the body. This result can, in turn, help to relieve depression, including the winter blues.

Natural Blues Fighters. Certain nutritional ingredients may help fight the winter blues. They work by helping to keep cortisol, serotonin, and other substances found in the brain within normal ranges. These include:

• Vitamin D. Because many people today don't get enough sunlight, they can become vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to contribute to depressive behavior. On the other hand, increasing levels of vitamin D in people who are deficient affects the function of glucocorticoids-hormones produced in the adrenal cortex-in ways that can help to relieve depression. The recommended dosage of vitamin D varies from person to person, but some experts suggest 1000 to 2000 international units daily, depending on age and health status. It's best to consult your healthcare practitioner for the proper vitamin D dosage for you. And keep in mind that vitamin D supplements are absorbed better if taken with a meal.
• Folate. Folate, or folic acid, is a B vitamin that also plays a role in mood. Low folate levels have been associated with depression. However, a clinical trial conducted at the Department of Psychiatry, London, UK, showed that depressed patients receiving regular dosages of 5-methyl tetrahydrofolate (a highly bioavailable source of folic acid) showed significant improvements over periods of three and six months. As with vitamin D supplements, you should consult your healthcare practitioner to determine the proper dosage of folate for you.
• Vitamin B12. Folate is often taken with vitamin B12 because the two work together to enhance biological processes that can help to relieve depression. For instance, folate and vitamin B12 supplements can enhance DNA methylation, which can help to decrease cortisol secretion. As we've seen, lower cortisol secretion helps to make more serotonin available to the body, which can help to relieve depression.
• DHEA. DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is a hormone naturally produced by the adrenal glands. It has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression by 50% compared to a placebo in an NIMH study.

A Blues-Fighting Power Combo. Vitamin D, vitamin B12, 5-methyl tetrahydrofolate, and DHEA can be taken in combination to enhance their beneficial effects in fighting the winter blues.

This month, since so many of us are making new commitments in our personal and professional lives, I would like to offer a mantra designed to help enhance your resolution toward achieving whatever goal you have set for yourself. I've borrowed a mantra that is set up like a rhyme or jingle because the brain finds it much easier to remember (why do you think they use this technique in advertising so much?) This month's mantra for your affirming pleasure:

"In each and every possible way I will complete my resolutions every day"

Now, sit or lie back comfortably. Take three deep breaths, pausing after you inhale and then exhale fully and completely. After you have taken your first three breaths, just breathe normally. Close your eyes and let any tension you may be holding in your muscles just begin to melt away. After you feel centered and your breath begins to quite down, repeat the mantra; "In each and every possible way I will complete my resolutions every day." Say this mantra with conviction and visualize yourself completing your resolutions with utter perfection!

As many times as you can throughout your day, stop what you are doing, take one deep breath and repeat this mantra. You can do this when the phone rings, or when you look at your watch, or anytime you feel the need to just slow down for a brief moment and focus. The power of setting a positive intention throughout your day should not be underestimated. It can literally change your life. Make this short time commitment everyday and begin on the path of empowerment.

For those of you who live locally in the Sonoma County area I thought I would feature one new business each newsletter where I know the person involved and have done business with them in the past. The people featured in this section are so exceptional; they come with my highest recommendation. A different service will be featured each month for your review.

This month we had a guest author, Dr. Chrysa Caulfield of the Santa Rosa Chiropractic Neurology Center. I've had my daughter enrolled in their learning enhancement program for several months and the results have been phenomenal. Her attitude has mellowed, going from zero to bitch in 1.5 seconds to a reasonable "normal" human being / teenager. Her grades have gone up, her ability to make good decisions has improved tremendously, her reading speed and comprehension climbed 6 grade levels and she has much greater personal confidence than ever before. Dr. Caulfield is the real deal and as she likes to say; "We work with your spine and your brain to maximize function and minimize pain!"

Dr. Chrysa Caulfield
Santa Rosa Chiropractic Neurology Center
(707) 575-9009

Well, that's all for now. May the Warrior Spirit guide and protect you always.

Rodger.