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Is There Such a Thing as a Negative Calorie Food?

Is There Such a Thing as a Negative Calorie Food?

woman-wondering-200-300One of the most widespread diet gimmicks circulating around the Internet is the practice of eating “negative calorie food.”   What is meant by this term is the idea that certain low-calorie foods burn more calories in their preparation, consumption and digestion than the calories they contain.  Although this is an attractive idea that would seemingly allow you to eat as much of these foods as possible without gaining weight, there is no scientific research confirming that it is actually true.

Celery is the most frequently used “example” of this idea in action.  A stalk of celery contains only between 8 and 10 calories.  Ninety-five percent of it is water, with the remainder being composed mostly of fiber.  Chewing food burns only around 5 calories an hour, and digestion adds just a few more calories to that amount.  The process of digestion does not take very much energy, accounting for only about 5 percent of your daily energy expenditure.  To put it in perspective, consider that it takes 15 minutes of strenuous exercise to burn 100 calories.  Dr. Nancy Snyderman, the Chief Medical Editor for NBC news, says in an article in Time magazine, “The calories your body burns in fueling the digestive cycle are minuscule compared with the calories in the food itself.  Although chewing celery might seem like a strenuous activity, it burns about the same amount of calories as watching grass grow.”

One of the features that nearly all supposed negative calorie foods share is that they have very high water content.  In addition to celery, among the other foods on this list are watermelon, lettuce, apples, grapefruit, lemons, limes, onions and pickles.  All contain a lot of water and are relatively high in fiber (which is healthy in itself).  However, making a diet exclusively out of these types of foods would eventually cause nutritional deficiencies.

Although no scientific studies have proven the theory, it may be possible-technically speaking-that eating some kinds of negative calorie foods could provide a very slight negative calorie deficit under a particular set of conditions.  However, it would not be significant enough to affect any kind of weight change and, as a practical nutritional matter, has big drawbacks.  The only way negative calorie foods can help you lose weight is if you eat them in place of higher-calorie foods that have more nutritional value.

The Director of the obesity and diabetes programs at Harlem’s North General Hospital, Cathy Nonas, notes that, “If you substitute celery for cookies and pretzels, and those are the things that were putting you over the top in terms of weight then yes, you will lose weight.  But you’re not going to lose weight by chewing celery a couple times a day if you’re not exercising and changing what else you eat.”

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Basketball

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Basketball

basketball-collage-200-300Did you know that most of the teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) now have a team chiropractor?  This is because they understand the advantage that chiropractic care gives to their players in the prevention and treatment of injuries on the court.

Following are comments from some of the greatest players in basketball about what chiropractic has done for their careers and for their health.

Michael Jordan, 6-time NBA Champion, 6-Time Final MVP and 5-Time NBA MVP, said of chiropractic, “I didn’t know how much I could improve until I started seeing a chiropractor. Since I’ve been in chiropractic, I’ve improved by leaps and bounds, both mentally and physically.”

Derrick Rose, a former NBA all-star point guard for the Chicago Bulls who was named Most Valuable Player, is also a fan of chiropractic. Rose explained how chiropractic treatment was effective in allowing him to recover from back spasms that were severe enough to keep him off the court. In an ESPN interview, Rose said, “The whole week I was seeing a great chiropractor, (Dr.) Stuart Yoss. He did a great job on getting me back.” Rose had been forced to miss five games, the most in his career, but after his chiropractic care he returned to the court in top shape.

According to Gerald Wilkins, former NBA Guard with the New York Knicks, “My shooting has improved because of chiropractic. I feel more balanced and have more coordination and control. Since I have been under chiropractic care, I have improved by leaps and bounds.”

A former point guard for the Utah Jazz, John Stockton was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996. In a 2002 interview, Stockton attributed his continued success on the basketball court at the age of 40 to “a good chiropractor.” Stockton said, “I’m not a good enough expert on what that (chiropractic) entails, but it’s not just adjustments. It’s balancing muscles and overall health. It’s been great for me, and for my family.” Dr. Craig Buhler, who was the team chiropractor for the Utah Jazz for 26 years, and who treated Stockton, said “Chiropractic care helps to give a team and athlete a competitive advantage in whatever sport they participate in. Specifically, it helps to enhance endurance levels, assist in the recovery from many structural injuries and achieve overall peak performance. By including chiropractic into an athlete’s regular health practices, one is able to maximize training and optimize functional balance and skill.

Buhler added, “A collaboration of several healthcare professionals is key to caring for elite sporting teams. Chiropractic is an essential component to this healthcare team and, as it continues to become more apparent, athletes are recognizing the value it has for accomplishing their goals of staying in the game and playing at their best.”

Obesity Facts and Figures

Obesity Facts and Figures

big-belly-200-300

Obesity is fast becoming the number one health problem in the world, contributing to an increased risk of other diseases and putting a strain on national health budgets. Following are some interesting facts and figures related to obesity:

 

* About 17% of medical costs in the US are due to obesity and its related diseases, totaling an estimated $168 billion per year.
* Obesity adds about $2,800 to a person’s medical bills annually.
* An estimated 300,000 premature deaths in the US each year are caused by obesity.
* One third of US adults are obese, indicating a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
* If an 18-year-old remains obese throughout their adulthood, it will cost them $550,000.
* 80% of cases of Type 2 diabetes are related to obesity. The rate of diabetes has doubled in eight states since 1995.
* 70% of heart disease is obesity-related.
* Low-income women are more likely to become obese than high-income women. Over 33% of people earning less than $15,000 annually are obese, as opposed to a 24.6% rate of obesity in those earning $50,000 or more.
* The highest rates of obesity are found among non-Hispanic African Americans (44.1%), followed by Mexican-Americans (39.3%), Hispanics (37.9%) and non-Hispanic whites (32.6%). Asians have the lowest rate of obesity at 16.7%.
* In the last 30 years childhood obesity has tripled, from 6.5% in children aged 6 to 11 years to 19.6% today. The obesity rate in teenagers aged 12 to 19 years has increased from 5% to 18.1%.
* Of children who are overweight at age 10-15, 80% will be obese as adults.
* As a percentage of the population, the US has the highest number of obese people (33.9%), followed by Mexico (24%), the UK (23%), Slovakia (22.4) and Greece (22%).
* College graduates have an obesity rate of 20.8%, which is lower than the 29.5% rate of those who have only graduated high school.
* Obesity begins to decline after age 60. The population of those over age 69 has an obesity rate of 20.5%.
* The rate of obesity is increasing in the US. In 2007 only one state had an overall obesity rate of over 30%. In 2011, 12 states had a greater than 30% obesity rate.
* 40% of obese Americans aged 50 to 84 have osteoarthritis of the knee, caused by the wear and tear to the joints from excess weight stress. One extra pound of weight is equivalent to four pounds of stress on the knee.

Good health is a combination of many factors including your nutrition, preventative care, appropriate corrective care and the small choices you make every day in the course of living.

If you are overweight and would like to lose weight and/or learn more about how to eat for health and weight maintenance we can help! Our doctor supervised diet helps you safely lose weight while maintaining muscle mass. As a bonus, with the help of our weight loss coaches, you will learn nutritional and lifestyle skills that will serve you well for a lifetime! For more information, call our office at 406-652-3553 or go to www.healthyhabitsbillings.com.

If you have questions about this article, your general or spinal health, please ask. We are here to help!

Patient’s Satisfaction with Chiropractic Care

Patient’s Satisfaction with Chiropractic Care

satisfaction-form-200-300When it comes to making important choices about treatment options for back pain, it’s worth looking at the experiences of others who have found something that works.  In recent years, the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center has surveyed the magazine’s subscribers to do just that.  In April and May 2009, Consumer Reports released some of its findings publicly.  A summary appears below.

About the Survey Participants:

* More than 14,000 participants who had suffered from lower-back pain in the prior year but had never had back surgery.
* More than half reported that pain severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer.
* Many reported that pain interfered with sleep, sex and efforts to maintain a healthy weight.
* 88% reported that the pain recurred through the year.
* Most had tried five or six different treatments.

How Respondents Ranked the Healthcare Providers Who Had Treated Them:

Healthcare Provider Percent Who Were Highly Satisfied With Treatment and Advice*
Chiropractor       59%
Physical Therapist+ 55%
Acupuncturist    53%
Physician, Specialist 44%
Physician, Primary Care 34%

How Respondents Ranked Selected Back Pain Therapies:

Therapy Percentage Who Reported that the Therapy Helped a Lot
Chiropractic Manipulation 58%
Prescription Drugs 45%
Over-the-Counter Drugs              22%

In July 2011, Consumer Reports published an updated report describing how Americans use alternative approaches to healthcare as well as their experience with various therapies and their providers.  Chiropractic care once again was reported to be the most popular approach to back pain relief and was ranked most highly in terms of patient satisfaction.

Your Doctor of Chiropractic can help relieve back pain and restore mobility by using a drug-free, hands-on technique called “spinal manipulation” or “chiropractic adjustment”.  He or she may also use other manual therapies, such as massage, to complement this primary treatment.  In addition, many chiropractors are skilled in designing exercise and nutrition programs for their patients that will help their bodies resist injury and function properly.  By focusing on both immediate pain relief and the underlying causes of back pain, your chiropractor can help you achieve a healthier overall lifestyle.

Every body is different. If you have questions about this article or whether chiropractic is an appropriate choice for your specific situation, please ask. We are here to help!

What’s Your New Year Plan?

What’s Your New Year Plan?

iStock_000016576964SmallEach year millions of people make New Year’s resolutions and each year millions fail to accomplish the desired results.  Why is this? Because a resolution represents change, something many people are resistant to…in fact, some even fear it.  Positive changes are never easy, but will always result in personal growth.  Mahatma Gandhi said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”.  The two most important words in this quote are “YOU” and “BE”.  “Be” is who you are, not merely how you act, it is what drives your actions.  The reason so many fail to achieve success with their resolutions is they attempt to change what they “DO” instead of changing who they “BE” inside.

Let’s consider the BE-DO-HAVE concept, which states that in order to achieve a desired result you must BE the type of person who will DO the things necessary to HAVE the desired outcome.  Most people fall into the trap of attempting to change their actions (DO) without first changing who they are and how they think (BE).

For example, have you ever had a resolution that involved losing a certain amount of weight by trying some new fad diet?  You may have been successful in the short term by following the recommended diet, but chances are you reached your goal and the diet went out the door and the pounds came back on.  This is a classic example of trying to modify your actions without changing who you are and how you think.  This approach will fail every time the focus is on the DOING not the Being.

Back to the title, “What is your New Year plan”? I will try to help you with a few quick and easy, but powerful tools to help you succeed.

1) Set Goals
The number one rule of goal setting is that your goals must be written.  Writing your goals will materialize your thoughts… and thoughts motivate action.  A useful acronym to help with goal setting is S.M.A.R.T.  Make your goals Specific (you are more likely to achieve a specific goal than a general goal), Measurable (must have criteria for measuring progress), Attainable (Make sure you have or are developing the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity necessary for achieving your goal), Realistic (must represent an objective that you are willing and able to work towards), and Timely (must have a timeframe for accomplishing your goal).

2) Visual Success
Visualization is a process of holding a thought in your mind and allowing it to propagate into a mental picture that you can see, hear, feel, smell, and even taste.  If you visualize yourself achieving your goals you are more likely to be successful. Implementing these tools and concepts will help you not only achieve, but sustain your New Year’s resolutions.

3) Affirm Your Intentions
Affirmations are positive statements that stimulate your mind with an attitude of  Expectancy and are your opportunity to condition yourself to be exactly who you want to be.  Some examples include: “I can do anything I want to do!”, “I am a happy person!”, “I am worthy of success!”, and “I am health!”  Affirmations should always be written and read with regularly and should support whatever it is that you are working towards.  They should be written in first person and in present tense.  For example “I am…” vs. “I will…” Affirmations are best done at the beginning of your day and should be carried around with you as a reminder, and most importantly they should be said aloud with enthusiasm!

December is a great month to start organizing your New Year Plan.  My hope is that you will utilize and share this information with others so that we may all BE the change we wish to see in the world.  As Thomas S. Monson says, “The Future is as bright as our Faith.” Where can you go in 2013 and what can you accomplish if you exercise faith in yourself and in your ability to learn to make great choices? Here’s to a bright future!

PS – If weight loss is a part of the changes you are seeing for yourself in 2013, let us help! Our weight loss program is designed to help you make a successful transition in not only reducing your weight but in your health habits and life choices as well! Go to www.healthyhabitsbillings.com or call our office at 406-652-3553

The Fiscal Cliff

The Fiscal Cliff

capitalAs most of us know – our country is approaching what is currently being The Fiscal Cliff.  There are many varying opinions that are being expressed about the fiscal cliff.

We believe that increasing taxes will only increase the burden on small business and on each wage-earning tax payer.  I have included below our personal plea with members of our Montana congressional delegation:

Most small businesses are organized as pass-through entities, where the business owner reports their business’s income on their individual tax returns. Allowing the current tax rates to expire will increase the taxes that small businesses pay, directly impacting the ability of small-business owners to invest money back into their businesses.

Raising taxes on small businesses, especially in the current economic environment, hurts our ability to grow and create jobs. I encourage you to give small-business owners the certainty we desperately need by extending all the current tax rates across the board and fighting to avoid the Fiscal Cliff.

I ask that you search your heart and do not cave in to politics or pressure from President Obama.

The right thing to do is to lessen the burden put on taxpayers, eliminate waste and reduce expenditures.

The easy way is to just ignore the true needs of this country and to raise taxes and continue to spend as though your pocketbook is limitless.

The right way is to do get back to running this country by looking to God for direction, utilize honesty and integrity in place of excuses, and by recognizing that hand outs do nothing – but a hand up can make all the difference.

How welfare is handled must change so that it is no longer just a hand out. No one wants anyone to go hungry or be homeless but entitlements are only creating a unrealistic culture where the lazy expect a hand out, those willing to work are expected to support the lazy and those who hard working and highly successful are demeaned because they adhere to those very principles which have  made this country great.

This country will only continue to be great when we, who inhabit it: work hard, obey God’s commandments, make our family’s moral upbringing and education a priority, each work to be a positive part of this nation’s moral fabric and strive to serve each other.

The truth is that for too long this nation has tried to remedy our problems by excessive expenditures from the nation’s pocketbook. It is now time to realize that the only way to solve the problems this nation has is to recognize that each citizen has a responsibility to make this nation collectively better. Fraud, dishonesty, and living beyond our means must be a thing of the past. Honesty, integrity, hard work, and doing right must ever be our watch cry.

I plead with you to do the right thing now.
The elections are past – but our need to communicate to Washington D.C. is not.  Please make your voice heard and let members of Congress know that responsible changes need to be made in this country – not tax increases!

PS – My apologies for the words with the built in links. I did not place them there and I cannot figure out how to get rid of them.  Jo Oblander

Chiropractic Boosts Immunity!!!

Chiropractic Boosts Immunity!!!

We wanted to share this article. We see the influence that chiropractic adjustments have on immunity and overall health all the time. However, we know that our patients seldom get to have that amazing vantage point that we do! With the cold and flu season upon us and for overall health – make sure you keep you and your loved ones adjusted!

Chiropractic Boosts Immunity
Friday, February 04, 2011 by: Dr. David Jockers

The nervous system and immune system are hardwired and work together to create optimal responses for the body to adapt and heal appropriately. Neural dysfunctions due to spinal misalignments are stressful to the body and cause abnormal changes that lead to a poorly coordinated immune response. Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to boost the coordinated responses of the nervous system and immune system.

The autonomic nervous system is hardwired into the lymphoid organs such as the spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, and bone marrow that produce the body’s immune response. Growing evidence is showing that immune function is regulated in part by the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system.

Subluxation is the term for misalignments of the spine that cause compression and irritation of nerve pathways affecting organ systems of the body. Subluxations are an example of physical nerve stress that affects neuronal control. According to researchers, such stressful conditions lead to altered measures of immune function & increased susceptibility to a variety of diseases.

Inflammatory based disease is influenced by both the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Nerve stimulation directly affects the growth and function of inflammatory cells. Researchers found that dysfunction in this pathway results in the development of various inflammatory syndromes such as rheumatoid arthritis and behavioral syndromes such as depression. Additionally, this dysfunctional neuro-endo-immune response plays a significant role in immune-compromised conditions such as chronic infections and cancer.

Wellness based chiropractors analyze the spine for subluxations and give corrective adjustments to reduce the stress on the nervous system. A 1992 research group found that when a thoracic adjustment was applied to a subluxated area the white blood cell (neutrophil) count collected rose significantly.

In 1975, Ronald Pero, Ph.D., chief of cancer prevention research at New York’s Preventive Medicine Institute and professor in Environmental Health at New York University, began researching the most scientifically valid ways to estimate individual susceptibility to various chronic diseases. He has conducted a tremendous amount of research in this area that includes over 160 published reports in peer reviewed journals.

Pero and his colleagues discovered that various DNA-repairing enzymes could be significantly altered following exposure to carcinogenic chemicals. He found strong evidence that an individual’s susceptibility to cancer could be determined by these enzymes. Lack of those enzymes, Pero said, ‘definitely limits not only your lifespan, but also your ability to resist serious disease consequences.’

Pero was fascinated by the relationship cancer-inducing agents had on the endocrine system. Since the nervous system regulates hormone balance, he hypothesized that the nervous system had to also have a strong influence on one’s susceptibility to cancer.

To support this argument he found a substantial amount of literature linking various kinds of spinal cord injuries and cancer. Pero found that these injuries led to a very high rate of lymphomas and lymphatic leukemias. This understanding led Pero to consider Chiropractic care as a means of reducing the risk of immune breakdown and disease.

Pero’s team measured 107 individuals who had received long-term Chiropractic care. The chiropractic patients were shown to have a 200% greater immune competence than people who had not received chiropractic care, and a 400% greater immune competence than people with cancer or serious diseases. Interestingly, Pero found no decline with the various age groups in the study demonstrating that the DNA repairing enzymes were just as present in long-term chiropractic senior groups as they were in the younger groups.

Pero concluded, ‘Chiropractic may optimize whatever genetic abilities you have so that you can fully resist serious disease…I have never seen a group other than this show a 200% increase over normal patients.’

Kent, Christopher. Models of Vertebral Subluxation: A Review. Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. August 1996, Vol 1:1. Pg 4-5

Sternberg EM, Chrousos GP, Wilder RL, Gold PW. The stress response and the regulation of inflammatory disease. Ann Intern Med 1992; 117 (10):854

Brennan PC, Triano JJ, McGregor M, et al. Enhanced neutrophil respiratory burst as a biological marker for manipulation forces: duration of the effect and association with substance P and tumor necrosis factor. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1992; 15(2):83

Preparing For the Holidays

Preparing For the Holidays

As we approach the holidays we want to focus on presence. That isn’t a typo. I’m referring to presence as in a state of being, rather than the typical presents that we think of this time of year which come wrapped up in fancy paper. If you are like most people you probably can’t remember the long list of gifts you’ve received over the years. While we appreciate the gifts and the people who gave them to us, most of those gifts get lost in the shuffle with all the other stuff we accumulate over time.

However, can you remember a gift that did have a long lasting impact on you, either because it was something that you truly wanted or needed or it had deep personal significance? When you think of that gift does it remind you of the person who gave it to you? The true gift is the presence of the people that we love and that love us. Think about times in your life that you shared with someone special and what that time together means to you. Then take a look at your life now and the people in it. Are you doing what it takes to create those special moments with the people you care about in your life?

In our fast-paced society it is easy to lose track of the things that are most important, the things that are going to mean something when our eulogy is being read. People often throw out the phrase, ‘It’s the quality of the time that matters, not the quantity’. Wrong, it’s both.

You can spend all kinds of time with someone and never have a meaningful exchange. On the other hand, you can have some great moments that stand out as the exceptions to the rules of the relationships in your life. I suggest that we should try to combine quality and quantity and create truly meaningful relationships in our lives.

“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers”~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Take this opportunity to evaluate your relationships. If you find that you are not doing all you can to nourish those relationships, recommit to improving the quality and quantity of the time you invest in them. This year and going forward, make your presence your present.

For Thanksgiving – A Healthy Green Bean Cassarole Recipe!

For Thanksgiving – A Healthy Green Bean Cassarole Recipe!

From EatingWell:  November/December 2008
This healthy revision of green bean casserole skips the canned soup and all the fat and sodium that come with it. Our white sauce with sliced fresh mushrooms, sweet onions and low-fat milk makes a creamy, rich casserole.

6 servings, about 3/4 cup each
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Profile
Diabetes appropriate, low calorie, low cholesterol, low saturated fat, heart healthy, healthy weight, high calcium, high fiber.

 

Ingredients

•    3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
•    1 medium sweet onion, (half diced, half thinly sliced), divided
•    8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
•    1 tablespoon onion powder
•    1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
•    1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
•    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
•    2/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
•    1 cup low-fat milk
•    3 tablespoons dry sherry or chicken stock
•    1 pound frozen French-cut green beans, (about 4 cups)
•    1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
•    3 tablespoons buttermilk powder or dry milk powder, (see Ingredient Note)
•    1 teaspoon paprika
•    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation

1.    Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2.    Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and slightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, thyme and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the mushroom juices are almost evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour over the vegetables; stir to coat. Add milk and sherry and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Stir in green beans and return to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in sour cream and buttermilk powder. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
3.    Whisk the remaining 1/3 cup flour, paprika, garlic powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Add sliced onion; toss to coat. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with any remaining flour mixture and cook, turning once or twice, until golden and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Spread the onion topping over the casserole.
4.    Bake the casserole until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips & Notes

•    Don’t use the high-sodium “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets. Instead, purchase dry sherry sold with other fortified wines.
•    Look for buttermilk powder, such as Saco Buttermilk Blend, in the baking section or with the powdered milk in most supermarkets.

Nutrition

Per serving: 212 calories; 10 g fat ( 2 g sat , 5 g mono ); 10 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 533 mg sodium; 259 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (16% daily value).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1 1/2
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 fat

The Attitude of Gratitude

The Attitude of Gratitude

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, we have some thoughts on the practice of “Thanksgiving” or gratitude. We feel that taking the time to be grateful is not something to be done once a year but something we should make a part of our lives every day. Having an attitude of gratitude is a key factor in a wellness lifestyle.

Do you know someone who is always negative? How much fun is that person to have around? People with positive attitudes tend to have stronger social relationships for the simple reason that they are a joy to be around.

Having a positive attitude also helps during times of stress and change.  People with a great attitude are able to find the positive even in difficult times and situations. This helps to keep the body from being overtaxed by stress hormones. By focusing on the positive you are also more likely to find solutions to challenges you may be dealing with. Where your attention goes, energy flows.

So what are you grateful for this year? Has it been a year full of joy, abundance and smooth sailing? Has it been a year full of difficulty or has it been a mix? Are you able to appreciate when times are good and reflect on your good fortune or do you take it for granted? Are you able to appreciate the blessings in your life even when they are overshadowed by difficult times, stress, uncertainty and grief? Finally, are you able to reflect upon and learn from the difficult times to use that knowledge to create more joy and balance in your life?

These are not arbitrary questions but are key to truly enjoying what life has to offer. Dr. Wayne Dyer has said, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Do you need to change your perspective to get a better view of all that is good and right with your life? This is a great time to give yourself an attitude adjustment and carry it with you every day.