In This issue:

• Beat Your Expectations for Health, Happiness, and Relationships
• Stress Less During the Holidays
• Seniors: Lifelong Exercise Keeps Heart Young

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is right now.
Chinese Proverb

At the Bright Side, we're having a lot of fun with our Community Health Series! Our goal is to provide all who attend with health information from a holistic perspective. This means that our spectrum is broader than more typical health fare: Chiropractic, vitamins, or diet.

Believe it or not, the power to achieve health lies within you and the choices you make every day!

This past year, the talks have inspired many fascinating and thought-provoking discussions. Next year promises to be even better!

January is "Beating Your Expectations" month. We'll talk about what prevents people from achieving their goals. Trust me. If you beat yourself up over your "lack of willpower," you'll want to join us for this series.

Wednesday, January 6 at 7pm
Quantum Physics for Dummies:
The Power of your Intention

We take the topics of Quantum Physics, with all it's big, scary words, and show you what it really means. Through simple demonstration, you too can understand the elegance hidden in the science and put it to practical use. Understanding the power of your mind is the first step in mastering how your thoughts affect your health and can help you achieve your goals.

Wednesday, January 20 at 7pm
Goal Setting and Getting

Many people set goals but don't understand the role their mind plays in achieving them. Building on the previous talk, we'll focus on the power of your mind and how it can assist or sabatoage you in the goals you set. To help you in your journey, we'll teach you ways to use your mind and body together via the nervous system to help you beat your expectations every day.

For more information, please feel free to call us at 828-280-4559 or visit our website at thebrightsidehealth.com.

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The holidays are a wealth of food, parties, love, and STRESS! Although they're surrounded by goodwill, people often feel the strain of family relationships - past or present, finances, and health concerns.

This stress you're feeling can manifest itself in ways that adversely affect your health and relationships. Headaches, tiredness, grumpiness, aches and pains, a short fuse, high blood pressure - all are symptoms of too much stress in your life.

So if you're feeling the stress of the holidays, what can you do? Here's a small list of tips that might help you regain a little sanity and peace so you can help spread goodwill among men this season.

1. Move! Make sure you don't forget to exercise. When you don't move, your brain thinks something is wrong - an illness or injury that would prevent you from being able to move. So not moving actually causes stress! Whether it's a walk, a yoga or aerobics class, or a gym workout, movement lets your brain realize that you're healthy as well as producing feel good neurotransmitters like serotonin.
2. Eat well. While holiday foods may be a plenty, they're also historically bad for you. Make sure you load up on vegetables and remember to take your supplements. They'll help your body deal with the unhealthy, but delicious choices you're bound to make.
3. Forget the gut guilt! When you make unhealthy food choices, relish it. Feeling guilty when eating will make a bad food even worse for your body. So savor the cheese, chocolate and cookies - just remember to get your fill of good stuff too.
4. Breathe. When you feel the effects of stress, take some deep, slow breaths. Not only will it get more healthy oxygen to your cells, breathing from deep in your lungs actually stimulates relaxation.

Stress can ruin not only your holiday fun, but also your health. Take action to monitor your stress levels and you'll be in for a healthier, happier life. For more information about how to reduce the negative effects of stress on your body, feel free to call Dr. Katy or Dr. Ted at the Bright Side at 828-280-4559.

Have a happy and healthy holiday!

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Seniors: Lifelong Exercise Keeps Heart Young

New research presented on 11/18/09 at the Aican Heart Association annual meeting in Orlando, Florida found that lifelong exercise helps seniors keep their hearts healthy.

The more exercise participants had done during their lives (as measured by the number of days per week of exercise training), the more likely they were to have preserved the youthful characteristics of their heart.

For example, those who exercised four to five times a week during their lives had about 54% of the benefit seen in "Master" athletes, while those who exercised two to three times a week had 42% of the benefit.

Master athletes are seniors who've exercised 6-7 times a week for 15-25 years retaining 100% of their heart's youthful characteristics and have hearts similar to those of 30-year-olds.

In addition to exercise, simple heart healthy dietary and lifestyle changes can help. Some common sense guidelines include:

1. Stay away from the trans fats and hydrogenated oils found in processed and refined foods. Margarines and spreads have trans fats, as do fried and fast foods. Trans fats and hydrogenated oils are chemically altered, and the body is not able to process them.
2. Reduce sugar intake because sugars eventually cause body fat increases.
3. Keep your carbohydrate intake at a minimum as excess carbohydrates stimulate the production of triglycerides - a leading indicator of heart disease.

A heart health diet should include fiber, fruits and vegetables. Green, leafy vegetables and Vitamin C rich fruits are the best because the antioxidants in them can protect your heart. Healthy heart recipes should include extra virgin olive oil and garlic - both have been shown to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Add Omega 3 fatty acids to your diet, especially DHA and EPA found in fish oils. Once again…lifestyle is the most important factor to consider.

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