Beating the Stress of Tax Season

If you are like most Americans, you probably have only one thing on your mind these days: income taxes. The college basketball brackets have been destroyed by upset wins, spring break has ended for your children, and the weather just hasn't been good enough lately to get out and do some yard work in preparation for sunny days to come. All of this leaves you without distraction, and perhaps your mind frequently drifts towards the upcoming April 15th deadline.

For those lucky few of you out there that have already filed your returns, the middle of April will just be a nice time for you to start planning your summer vacation. But many people are still running around their offices or homes, looking for those missing receipts and wondering how their perfect filing systems didn't quite work out again this year. Trying to balance this added stress with your existing work and home schedules can sometimes prove to be overwhelming, leaving you exhausted at the end of the day. Not only will this added stress effect your mood and energy levels, but it can also lead to more long-lasting negative effects such as increased blood pressure, diminished immune system function, and loss of quality sleep at night.

Here are five simple suggestions for handling this stressful time of year. While these are suggestions that are also ideal for maintaining good health all year, they play an especially important role right now to help you combat the sudden increase in stress that you may be experiencing.

• Exercise: Granted, your free time these days may already be taken up with number-crunching and talking to your accountant. But you don't necessarily have to make it to the gym for an hour to get a little beneficial exercise in your day. Take a walk around your office at lunch, climb the stairs in your building for fifteen minutes, or replace a less-active part of your day (watching television, reading the newspaper, having that cocktail after work) with something that makes you break a sweat. The positive neurological and physiological effects of exercise can help dampen your stress and will help you bring down your blood pressure. 
• Diet: Make sure that you are eating sensibly, with decent portion sizes that place an emphasis on vegetables and lean proteins. And skip the sugar-enriched snacks in favor or fruits or granola that will give you better, more long-lasting energy to use while you plow through your 1099's and W-2's. Also, make sure you are getting plenty of water throughout the day, and try to avoid stimulants like coffee in favor of anti-oxidant beverages like green tea. As tempting as a cocktail may be after hours of deciphering Uncle Sam's paperwork, don't forget that alcohol is technically a depresant and a diuretic--two things that really won't help you stay in tip-top, productive shape. Make sure that you are taking at least a decent multi-vitamin supplement to restore any nutrients that you may be depleting at an accelerated rate due to stress such as Vitamin C.
•  Rest: While you may find it difficult to sleep with figures dancing in your head, regular sleep will restore your body's energy, allow for repair of damaged neurons, and give your immune system a chance to recharge. Sleep deprivation has numerous side effects, none of which will help you conquer the tax monster this season. Most people perform their best with eight to ten hours of sleep at night. If you find yourself having trouble falling asleep, try some calming chamomile tea before bed. Also, I suggest that you refrain from watching television programming that enhances your anxiety (violent dramas or late-night news) and may leave your mind over-stimulated or depressed and therefore unable to fall into the deep sleep cycle necessary for your body's repair and regeneration.
• Verbalize your stress: While it isn't always easy to talk about what's bothering you with your loved ones, try to find a verbal outlet for your stress at this time of the year. Your accountant may be in the same boat as you as far as stress these days, but perhaps a close friend, spouse, or family member could provide a kind ear and a reassuring embrace to bolster your spirits and offer advice. The more you try to contain the stresses in your life, the more acute they become. Everyone gets anxious about taxes this time of year, and I am sure you can find a sympathetic listener among your peers that may even be in need of a little venting as well. 
• Take a time-out: Much like exercise, regular maintenance care of your body during a stressful time can do wonders to relieve your tension, lift your spirits, and restore your positivity. Take time for yourself and see your chiropractor for regular spinal adjustments to support the immune system and relieve stress. See your massage therapist to address any muscle tension you may be feeling. Or you could visit your favorite aesthetician for a relaxing facial. These little gifts to yourself will give you a needed break from your calculator and pen, and help get you through this tax season in good health.

As always, thank you for reading and please feel free to pass this information on to your friends and family if you feel they would benefit. If our clinic can be of service to you in order to help relieve your stress or address any other health concerns, please contact our office at your convenience to schedule an appointment or consultation.

Getting you back on track!
Dr. Seth Alley, DC

The Risks of Vitamin D Deficiency

I am sure that each of you is asking the same question that I have on my mind as I look out the windows of my clinic at the rain: Where is our spring?! It seems like this rain has moved in as a permanent resident, and won't be letting up for some time. In most areas of the country, people are already pulling out swim suits and digging in their bathroom closets for last year's sun screen. But for us, it's still raincoats and umbrellas for another month. Obviously, direct sunlight is in scarce supply here in the Pacific Northwest, and that presents a problem from a physiological standpoint. Aside from being almost impossible to get that natural sun-kissed glow to our skins, we also face a higher-than-normal rate of Vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D and your health:

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) There has been a lot of information in the news lately regarding research into Vitamin D and its beneficial effects on the body. Everyone knows that Vitamin D is a key factor in allowing your body to bind calcium into a useful form for bone creation. But you may not realize the other benefits of Vitamin D and the health risks associated with being deficient in this powerful vitamin. Your body uses a few different forms of Vitamin D, but current research indicates that the most important form is Vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol. Your body's skin naturally produces this form of the vitamin through exposure to sunlight. However, studies show that only 40% of US adults are receiving adequate sunlight exposure on a daily basis to produce acceptable levels of Vitamin D. In other words, 60% of the adult population in this country is deficient in their Vitamin D levels! You're probably wondering, "Well, why do I care?" That's a good question, since Vitamin D deficiency is not something you would probably notice on a daily basis. However, aside from promoting good bone density, Vitamin D protects your body from numerous other health risks. Here are just a few:  Prevention and treatment of osteoporosis Has been shown to combat depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)—two very common conditions in the Northwest in the fall and winter months  Helps prevent and treat certain autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes type I Bolsters the immune system (something we all need now with the threat of swine flu!), and helps prevent infectious diseases such as tuberculosis Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to autism and multiple sclerosis (MS) The last point in that list is of specific interest to us here in the Northwest, and since March is national multiple sclerosis month. You may not know it, but the Pacific Northwest has the highest level of multiple sclerosis in the country. One theory behind this statistic is the lack of sun exposure for many months in the fall and winter leads to greatly diminished levels of Vitamin D in the body on a yearly basis. Numerous studies have shown that low levels of Vitamin D are associated with a higher risk of MS, and that MS sufferers generally exhibit low levels of Vitamin D. For that reason, it is believed that countries in equatorial regions have a lower level of MS due to the amount of sun exposure creating high levels of Vitamin D—especially early in life.

Increasing your Vitamin D intake with supplements:

Vitamin D is found naturally in oily fish, eggs, and butter, but most patients would rather avoid those foods for reasons of taste and cholesterol content. Your best option to effectively increase your vitamin D intake is through a daily supplement. Experts from universities, research institutes and university hospitals around the world assessed evidence from research and concluded that the public health is best served by a recommendation of higher daily intakes of Vitamin D. Changes such as increased food fortification or increasing the amount of Vitamin D in vitamin supplement products could bring about rapid and important reductions in the morbidity associated with low Vitamin D status, according to the experts. A recent review of the science resulted in the recommendation that the tolerable upper intake level for oral Vitamin D3 should be increased five-fold, from the current tolerable upper intake level in Europe and the U.S. of 2,000 International Units, equivalent to 50 micrograms per day, to 10,000 International Units (250 micrograms) per day. (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; March 2007, volume 85, number 3, pages 649-650) If you feel that you may be suffering from a Vitamin D deficiency, our clinic offers an inexpensive means of testing to determine your current level in order to plan an appropriate rate of supplementation. Currently, most Vitamin D supplements available to the public through health stores offer between 1,000 and 2,000 IU's per pill, which means you could end up taking at least five pills a day! There are supplements available that offer a higher dosage per pill, as well as liquid forms of Vitamin D which may be easier for children. If you are interested in beginning supplementation with these types of high-dosage supplements, please contact your doctor or our clinic for evaluation and recommendations. We offer supplements from Thorne, Pharmax, and Standard Process that deliver higher IU's per dosage. Thank you for reading, and please feel free to pass this information on to your friends and family if you feel they would benefit. If you would like to learn more about Vitamin D or have any other health-related questions, please contact our office at your convenience to schedule an appointment or consultation. Getting you back on track! Dr. Seth Alley, DC