Posts Tagged ‘Chronic Illness’

Warning.  This may offend some.  Those that have no sense of humor, no charm, wit, sense of playfulness (or good looks)– please do not watch this video.  Those that have problems watching others promote to the world in a fun way what they love to do should avoid my website, facebook, twitter posts with every fiber of their being.

I’ve been criticized by some in the profession for not being professional or too “self-promoting”.  Good.  I’m glad I’ve pissed a few people off.  I’ve watched dozens of my peers do their best to put up videos promoting their practices– first off– Good for you, I applaud you for your courage.  You can’t do or say anything without your critics.  I know– because I too, am a critic of the way we are approaching our health.  I just want to put out videos that make people smile, laugh, and like you will see in this case… cringe.  Please stay tuned for Part 2.

Please enjoy.  Thanks for watching.  And thank you to Tobin for his creative genius and Maria for her great work.

"Sorry Dr. Nima... I completely disagree with what you say"

I just received an email from an angry reader/viewer of my blog. I’ll address it at the end of this post.

As with any person who has a strong point of view and is on a mission to change a prevailing system–I have my fair share of critics.  In fact, I know I’ve done a really good job in my lectures and seminars, and blog only when I see people jumping up in support of what I teach– inspired and empowered, and some who stand up and disagree– sometimes quite passionately.  If everyone agreed with what I said, then I know that I’m not making enough of an impact.  Those lectures are quite boring for me.  But let me tell you– I’ve been a part of some really fun and let’s call them “spirited debates” as well.

I speak about controversial topics.  I talk about health, stress, diseases, it’s causes and it’s solutions.  Telling someone they are responsible for their health is a no-no in some circles who promote the idea that we are a victim to our genes and our lifestyle choices don’t matter.  I’ve never been accused of being politically correct.

I recently spoke to a group from the British Columbia Medical Association– a room filled with people responsible for turning Medical Offices in our province to high tech, paperless offices.  The topic was about Stress, and in the talk, I connected the dots between our stressful states of mind and the specific chemical changes that happen in our bodies in response to our “fight and flight” stress response.  Why?  Because it’s the most fascinating thing to me, and my audiences are simply BLOWN AWAY when they realize that their disorders that they might be taking medications for are actually examples of their body working properly– it’s the environment they put their body in that’s causing the problem.

I promised myself I would be good, political, on my best behavior, and resist the urge to be too vocal about the way the system is set up is actually doing more harm than good for chronic illnesses.

For the most part, I was quite diplomatic.  I praised the system and it’s dealing with crisis care and management.  But I couldn’t resist to take it further and tell them my truth– that chronic illness rates are on the rise, medication and surgery use is increasing at alarming rates, and we continue to get sicker, and the answer is NOT MORE DOCTORS AND NURSES AND HOSPITALS.  Throughout my entire talk, I could see this one woman (who turned out to be a nurse) sit quite uncomfortably, fidgeting, looking down, avoiding eye contact… She waited until I was done my talk and spoke up and said that my talk was quite polarizing, and that many doctors ARE teaching what I have been talking about and that she “doesn’t use chiropractors,” and that all in all, she wasn’t impressed with what I had to say.  Her face was beet red the whole time.  She was pretty stressed!   She had some supporters who agreed and didn’t like many aspects of my talk.

At the same time, I had a majority of the room say they were right behind what I was saying.

Mission accomplished.  Here are the facts:

Chronic Illness (Lifestyle related) are on the rise.

Despite the fact that as she said there are many doctors who are talking about lifestyle first, medication prescriptions for these illnesses have increased by 50 times since the 1950′s in the name of science.  Doctors are being marketed by Pharmaceutical Reps to prescribe these drugs in unethical fashion.  Not only that, but Doctors are now being approached by the patients themselves requesting drugs that they have been marketed directly to by the drug company.  There are people in suits and ties right now strategizing on how to get more drugs into more people.  I just want to shed light on these facts.  So even though there are a few who are doing it right– THERE’S NOT ENOUGH OF THEM DOING IT RIGHT.

Correct me if I’m wrong– even if we disagree on the appropriate course of action for a particular patient with a specific condition– you may say painkillers and I may want to correct the cause with chiropractic adjustments– we can not disagree on the fact that drugs and surgeries, especially in North America are HIGHLY over used, and many cases unnecessary, and are killing hundreds of thousands each and every year.

So, pardon me, but in order to change this unconscious insanity, DON’T WE NEED TO STIR THE POT A LITTLE?  Shake things up, ruffle a few feathers and wake people up?  If I offended you– then GOOD.  At least someone is speaking up and saying we can’t keep going on this way.  If I don’t do it– then who will?  My intention is to create a healthier society.  Doesn’t positive change always start out with someone challenging a current system that is crumbling at it’s foundation?

One person in the audience got up and asked why there aren’t more doctors saying what I’m saying.  The answer is this:  Any Medical Doctor in the history of medicine who has stood up to challenge the current prevailing system has been burned at the stake.  It means being ridiculed by your peers.  They won’t let them “join in any reindeer games”.   Who wants that?  Unless the doctor is on a healing mission, most of them just bow down their heads and carry on, and collect their paychecks.  I can’t blame them, that’s why I’m not criticizing doctors per se.  Most of them do great work that can save lives.  I’m talking about the system of fighting disease rather than understanding why it’s there in the first place and correcting the cause.

Some of these doctors have quit medicine and gone and written books about what they have observed to be the sources of TRUE healing.  Can you guess what conclusions they came up with?  You guessed it:  Proper exercise, proper diet, and becoming free of disempowering emotional states of mind.  (And a clear nervous system.)  These doctors are my teachers and it’s their work I use as my inspiration.

Back to the email I got:

“Dr. Nima, I agree with most of what you say, but why is it that at the end of your stressbusters videos you say that I should ‘be careful for what I wish for because when I get it, it will present a whole new series of challenges in my life that will also suck’?.  That’s negative thinking, and if you think negatively, you will have negativity in your life… I disagree completely and think it’s rude.”

The intention is not to be negative.  It’s to be realistic.  Most of us live in this fantasy world that “if only I could____” or “I’ll be happy when_____” only to reach their goal and discover that it’s got it’s drawbacks too.  I’ve hit my head against a wall over and over again with that one.  We seek pleasure and avoid pain, and we assume that somewhere else is where this illusive “happiness” is going to be.  The unattainable promised land.  I’m here to break your illusion.  Wake up from your fantasy, people.  Life won’t be any better than it is in the Now.  Making more money means more responsibility.  A bigger home means more expenses.  A fancier car means more probability of break-ins and expensive repairs (I lived that one many times).  The promotion means higher expectations and pressures on you.  Does that mean we shouldn’t desire or set lofty goals or go after these things?  No.  It means that no matter what, you will have benefits and drawbacks.  Wisdom is recognizing this duality and not getting so emotional about it– high or low.  And be grateful for what you have now.  That will increase your probability of getting more anyway– as a bi-product of gratitude.  This would be cool for a disclaimer for a new drug called “Gratitude:”  Side effects include the attainment of more things to be grateful for.

That’s why I’m so grateful for my critics.  And as my supporters increase in numbers– so do my critics.

Thank you!

This amazing discovery can be enjoyed out of the comforts of your own

The results of this study should get you excited enough to get out and start moving!home or neighborhood. It's so amazingly simple, and so under-utilized. This "Cure" is so profoundly effective that there is no other remedy or therapy that can rival it. Here's what it can do:

• Prevents up to 91% of cases of obesity and type 2 diabetes (obesity and diabetes costs $519 MILLION DOLLARS per DAY in the U.S)
• Prevents up to 50% of all cases of Heart Disease (Heart disease kills 950,000 people per year, and accounts for 41% of all deaths, and costs 501 MILLION DOLLARS per DAY in the U.S)
• Reduces the risk of stroke by 25-30%
• Prevents up to 50% of all stroke deaths
• Reduces Congestive Heart Disease deaths by 63%
• Reduces hospital readmission for heart failure patients by 71%
• Normalizes blood pressure
• Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure
• Restores and maintains heart and blood vessel health
• Restores and maintains normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• Reduces risk of breast cancer by up to 60%
• Reduces pancreatic cancer in overweight people by 50%
• Reduces lung cancer in smokers by up to 72%
• Reduces melanoma cases by up to 72%
• Prevents up to 50% of colon cancer
• Reduces risk of and improves rheumatoid and osteoarthritis
• Prevents osteoporosis (just the fractures from osteoporosis costs $38 million per DAY in the U.S)
• Increases strength, flexibility, balance
• Decreases gall bladder removal by 20%
• Decreases gallstone formation
• Improves digestion and decreases indigestion
• Improves bowel function and elimination
• Increases immune system function
• Increases macrophage (anti-tumor) activity and anti -oxidant levels
• Decreases all cause mortality by 67% in general population
• Decreases all cause mortality by 50% in 61-81 year-olds
• Prevents up to 47% of cognitive impairment
• Prevents up to 62% Alzheimer’s and 52% of dementia
• Provides better physical function in older adults
• Decreases chance of ever being in a nursing home
• Decreases rate of aging
• Enhances learning capacity up to 12 times
• Increases Serotonin levels (“feel-good” hormone) many are taking prescription pills to enhance
• Decreases Depression by 20% (including relapses)
• Decreases stress and stress hormones (that break down the body)
• Increases Growth and Healing Hormones
• Decreases Risk of weight gain and obesity

You might be asking what can do all these things, and where the heck can I get it?

(Ref: Booth et. al.  Waging war on physical inactivity.  Using modern molecular ammunition against an ancient enemy.  Journal of Applied Physiology 93:3-30.)

This amazing “Cure” is Physical Activity and Exercise. Most of the studies that were referenced in this Journal article were referring to studies looking at WALKING FOR 30 MINUTES, 5 DAYS PER WEEK!

The saddest part of what I see every single day in my office is when

Who would have thought this miracle cure is so simple?

people are coming to me with all sorts of chronic conditions, and I see on their case histories illnesses and disorders created because they don’t get out and exercise.  They’re fat, on all sorts of prescription pills, diabetic, and don’t get any exercise, and always seem to be needing to go to the doctor.   I’m not even talking about going to the gym either.  I’m talking about a simple walk each day.  It’s getting increasingly difficult for me to be politically correct and keep my mouth shut with certain people.  I started blogging as my own therapy for dealing with those types of patients, so I don’t p__ off too many people and drive them away from my office.  It isn’t working.  People are still looking for that Miracle cure/quick fix for their mind and body disorders created because they don’t eat, move and think well.

Good for the Brain, too?

Pleasure Centers of the brain that are stimulated during exercise and movement of the spine (also stimulated during chiropractic adjustment)

We all know why exercise is good for the heart and lungs.  But why does it affect your mood, your brain, and mental health?  Because in your Spine and Nervous system, there are receptors involved in movement and pleasure pathways, and they are connected to your brain.  When movement in your spine is stimulated, the brain receives stimulation which acts as nutrients that are needed to function in a normal healthy manner.  Without this “nutrient”, an optimum state of health is not  possible.  That’s also patients feel a sudden mood change when receiving chiropractic care.  Chiropractic adjustments help to restore that connection between brain and body and to stimulate those pathways (through mechano-receptors).

I want to make a correction:  Walking is not a “cure” for any medical condition.  We’re so immersed in an allopathic, treatment-based medical society that we get ourselves sick and dis-eased, then we look for answers on the outside.  What I’m trying to tell you is that we get sick in the first place because we haven’t done what’s necessary for our cells to express health and wellness.  ”Medical conditions” (what really does that mean anyway?) occur because of a deficiency in movement.

Healing can be defined as any movement towards balance and homeostasis– and this movement can begin with a simple half hour walk per day.  It costs you nothing, and it will save your life.  That’s why you won’t hear about it on any advertisement.

Show me a pill that can do all that.