March 22, 2005 [Volume 6, Issue 7]

To Your Health is brought to you by:

• Recommended Reading: The Wellness Revolution
• Looking for a New Career? Consider Chiropractic!
• The 2005 Dietary Guidelines Are Here
• To Fall or Not to Fall: That is the Question

This month's featured title is The Wellness Revolution: How to Make a Fortune in the Next Trillion Dollar Industry by Paul Zane Pilzer.

Throughout the 10 chapters and four appendices that make up The Wellness Revolution, Pilzer speaks at length about why a "wellness revolution" is needed, how the demand for wellness is increasing, and the issues facing the health insurance industry. Two chapters in the book are full of anecdotes about the Department of Agriculture, empty calories, the amount of money spent on restaurant food, and the like. Other chapters discuss concepts such as wellness insurance and wellness savings accounts, which may be of interest to people looking to change their insurance policy - and possibly save some money in the process.

Click here to read the complete review.

What are the best jobs to pursue for the next five years? Fast Company, a magazine that chronicles how the business world is changing, has published its list of "The 25 Top Jobs for 2005." According to Fast Company, the list "draws on the work of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Salary.com and an innovation expert to tap the top jobs."

The 25 top jobs were selected based upon four specific criterion: Job Growth Index (accounted for 35% of the overall index score); Salary Range Index (35% of the overall index score); Education Index (20% of the overall index score); and Innovation Index (10% of the overall index score). Each job received a score of 0-100 for each of the above indexes. Those scores were combined according to the above percentages to arrive at the Total Index Score.

And coming in at number four on Fast Company's list is … Chiropractor. According to the article, chiropractors "diagnose and treat problems related to a person's muscular, nervous, and skeletal systems, with special emphasis on the spine." The article cited advanced education, the trend toward alternative health, and insurance reimbursement as the reasons why "the job is hot."

The job of chiropractor had the highest score in the Education Index - a whopping 98.48. This beat out other jobs in the top 25 such as medical scientist (98.28), biochemist/biophysicist (96.48); epidemiologist (98.28) and lawyer (98.37). Chiropractor also did well on the Salary Range Index with a score of 84.93. This fell below personal athlete (100); security sales agent (89.36); and financial advisor (87.95), but bested the remaining 21 jobs.

OK, so maybe you're not considering a career move, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the full benefits of chiropractic! Regular chiropractic care helps alleviate everything from back pain to headaches to stress...no wonder it's in the top 25 jobs! Ask a doctor of chiropractic what regular chiropractic care can do for you. For more information on chiropractic, visit www.chiroweb.com/find.

Reference: Quinn M. The 25 top jobs for 2005. Fast Company's Fast Take, Feb. 16, 2005. www.fastcompany.com/articles/2005/01/top-jobs-main.html.

In January, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005." New guidelines are issued by the HHS and USDA every five years, and since obesity in America is at an all time high, it seems they came just in the nick of time.

Among the new recommendations, the guidelines place a strong emphasis on fruit and vegetable consumption and recommend that consumers select "from all five vegetable subgroups (dark green, orange, legumes, starchy vegetables, and other vegetables) several times a week." The guidelines also emphasize whole-grain consumption and recommend three cups of fat-free milk products per day. Other recommendations include limiting sugar, sodium, and saturated and trans-fat intakes, and limiting alcohol consumption to one to two drinks a day. The overarching theme of the guidelines emphasizes selecting foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories.

"Considering the epidemic of obesity we face in our country, people need all the help they can get in understanding the relationships between food consumption, a healthy diet, physical fitness and good health," Susan H. Laramee, a registered dietitian and president of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), said in the press release.

The new guidelines will also direct the nation's policies for the next five years for government nutrition programs, including research, education, food assistance programs, labeling and nutrition promotion, the press release said. For more information on nutrition, health and wellness, visit www.chiroweb.com/find.

References:

1. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.
2. Press release. What do 2005 dietary guidelines mean for Americans? American Dietetic Association. Jan 12, 2005. www.eatright.org.

Did you know that in-home injuries kill approximately 30,000 people in the United States each year and that one-third of home-injury fatalities are related to falls? Senior citizens are often most vulnerable to falls because balance and mobility decline as we age, but most of the time falls can be prevented.

The March issue of the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource newsletter highlights several precautions that can be taken in the home to avoid potentially fatal falls. These include keeping all areas of the home well lit, installing nightlights and having a flashlight available in the event of a power outage; arranging furniture to allow for easy movement; keeping porch steps and walkways in good repair; securing rugs and flooring with slip-resistant backing, and removing small throw rugs; ensuring that stairways are equipped with nonskid surfaces; and installing bars in the bathroom and shower, as well as using nonskid mats in the tub.

Falls are not a necessary part of aging! By taking a few precautions, most falls can be prevented and your home will be a safer place. For more general health tips, visit www.chiroweb.com/find.

Reference: Press release. Tips to avoid falls at home. Newswise. March 11, 2005. www.newswise.com.

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