December Expert Columns

Chiropractic Tips

Chiropractors Leading The Wellness Revolution

By Chip Abbadessa, D.C.

Many people have a misconception about chiropractic and the critical role it plays in health and well-being. That misconception is that chiropractic care is limited to treating back and neck pain. Although many people have experienced relief from back and neck pain through chiropractic services, the foundation, intent, and vision of chiropractic is far beyond simply helping to reduce symptoms.

Chiropractic is the largest licensed, non-medical health-care profession in North America, with approximately 60,000 practitioners in the United States. Chiropractors are doctors. They earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree after completing three to four years of undergraduate study, and a four-year professional course. After graduation, they must pass further exams to obtain a license to practice.

Chiropractic is based on the philosophy that the body is a self-healing, self-regulating and self-developing organism and that your nervous system is the master system and controller of your body. If you cut your finger, it heals. You don’t have to take anything or do anything to make that happen. If you were to cut the finger of a dead person, healing would not occur. Life heals, it is as simple as that.

You live your life through your nervous system. It is the master system and controller of your body. Right now your heart is beating, kidneys are working, liver is functioning, brain chemicals are flowing all without you having to think about it. This is because your nervous system is coordinating it all and making it happen. What would happen if there were interference with the function of your nervous system? It would interfere with you body’s ability to heal and regulate.

An important term and concept that every person should know and understand is vertebral subluxation. Vertebral subluxation, or subluxation for short, refers to a mechanical problem in the spine that relates to nerve interference. When a person is subluxated, it reduces their ability to heal, regulate and express well being. Like cavities in teeth, subluxations are very common in our culture. It is the primary goal of the chiropractor to detect and correct subluxations so that you can improve healing, regulation, and general well being.

A limited nervous system means limited wellness. If we want to optimally create higher levels of wellness, we then need to remove nervous system interference as a part of the process. Chiropractors are uniquely trained to do this. Millions of people, from infants to seniors more than 100 years old, benefit from chiropractic adjustments every year.

Chip Abbadessa, D.C. has been a chiropractor since 1988 and practices out of the Castle Professional Center in Kaneohe. Call 234-5535 or visit www.docchip.com.

Life Extension Tips

 By Teresa Denney,  D.O.

Q&A With Dr. Teresa Denney

Readers have asked The Oahu Island News about the efficacy of Dr. Teresa Denney’s revolutionary fat-dissolving treatments. We sat down with Dr. Denney to find out just how safe and effective her treatments really are.

OIN: Is Lipo-Lyte safe?

Denney: Yes. Lipo-Lyte is a special, injected mixture containing purified lecithin, which is a naturally occurring substance in the body (first used in the 1950s to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood) as well as specific vitamins and nutrients to stabilize and optimize the fat-dissolving effect.

OIN: Is injected lecithin FDA approved?

Denney: Yes. In April 1999, the FDA approved a product that contained lecithin for injection. Since then, Baxter and Compounding Pharm. have been able to produce this product for injection.

OIN: How can it be assured that the appropriate amount of fat, neither too little nor too much, is dissolved?

Denney: The Lipo-Lyte procedure has proven already to be safe and very predictable. Along with the clinical experience of our doctors and staff, results are very consistent.

OIN: If the Lipo-Lyte shot dissolves fatty tissue, does it also dissolve other tissue?

Denney: No. Lipo-Lyte activates certain enzymes, which naturally dissolve fat cells only.

OIN: Who can offer Lipo-lyte injections?

Denney: Only licensed physicians may legally offer theses treatments.

OIN: Are there other health benefits?

Denney: The action of lecithin on the heart is the most important of all its proved benefits. It achieved its popularity initially in this area.

Dr. Teresa Denney, an osteopathic physician, has studied nutrition for over 30 years. She is the medical director for Aloha Medical Center in Waikiki. Visit her web-site at www.hghpharm.com. Call 732-0888 now for a consultation.

 ASK JUDGE LEE

Incorporation & Investment

Judge Lee: I operate a business as a sole proprietor. Should I incorporate? Signed, “Entrepreneur”

Dear Entrepreneur: Yes, generally speaking, all businesses should be incorporated to take advantage of the tax benefits of running a corporation. The other major reason is to limit liability and protect personal assets against lawsuits and creditors of the business. Also, certain tax debts can be extinguished by a corporation but not by an individual. While some advisors prefer LLCs, I prefer regular C Corporations.

Judge Lee: I own several rental houses and I’m thinking about selling them and investing in an apartment building. Can I do this tax free and how do I decide which property to invest in? Signed, “Need Help”

Dear Need Help: Investment rental properties can be sold and exchanged for an apartment building assuming this is done under advice of a real estate exchange realtor or attorney. You normally have 45 days to select a replacement property after each sale and 180 days to close the purchase transaction. Generally, you can obtain income properties that return at least 6-to-8 percent per year, net on the total investment amount.

Stress Relief Tip of the Month: Do a Stress Symptom Analysis. List all your stresses and solutions with time deadlines to relieving each stress. Do it!

Richard Lee is a former Hawaii Judge and CPA. He holds a degree in economics from Stanford University and a Juris Doctorate from Hastings Law School. Richard Lee Consulting focuses on relieving stress for clients with real estate, business and legal problems. Mr. Lee teaches Tai Chi Qigong, provides free mediation for divorcing couples and is the founder of Perfect Mate Internat’l. He can be reached at 957-0000 or at rlee@richardleeconsulting.com.

Hearing Care

By Don "Kona Smith"

Happy Holidays? Not Ne­arly as Happy if You Can’t Hear

The holiday season is in full swing. It is a time to celebrate with friends and family. For some, though, this is not a time for happiness and cheer. Instead it is a time of trepidation. Hearing loss, even a mild hearing loss, can be a source of anxiety and dread. Think about it. How can it be fun to be at a holiday gathering of friends, co-workers and family and then strain to hear a conversation? How much fun is it when you nearly always miss the punch line of a joke, or you don’t really know the name of the person to whom you have just been introduced.

What Happens?

The problems described above fall into the category of “nerve hearing loss”. People with nerve hearing loss can hear most things just fine as long as there is little or no background noise. They usually have trouble with sounds that are in the high frequency range of speech. These are the sounds of the letters “S” , “TH”, “F” and “SH” to name just a few. Think how hard it would be to read a book if these letters were replaced by blank spaces on the page. Now you get an idea of the dilemma a person with mild “nerve” hearing loss faces every day.

New Technology Offers New Hope

There are several new innovations that enable people with nerve hearing loss to hear much better in all sound environments. Modern digital hearing aids use directional microphones that automatically sense background noise and focus on the person speaking in front of you. They actually detect sound that is general noise and reduce it so speech can be heard more clearly. These innovations combined with digital quality sound enable people with all levels of hearing loss to enjoy social intercourse and in some cases be the “life of the party” again.

Don “Kona” Smith founded Ohana Hearing Care in 1966 and has re­ceived numerous national awards for helping people overcome hear­ing loss over the past 40 years. His staff has a combined experience of 123 years in this business. Located at 1296 Beretania St. (at Times Supermarket), the phone number is 593-2137. Visit them on the web at www.ohanahearingcare.com.

Waimanalo Health News

Country at Heart Pediatrician

At Waimanalo Health Center

Responsible parents strive to provide a safe home, healthy food and support in the child’s development. That is why it is no surprise that parents have their child seen by a pediatrician from birth to school age.

In the first hours after birth an infant is vulnerable to their surroundings. The parents want to be sure their infant is in good health, and they depend on the pediatrician to provide their baby with the best of care. As the baby grows, well-baby check ups and immunizations through preschool are the standard. In Hawaii, schools require physical exams and up-to-date immunization for all children in attendance.

The Waimanalo Health Center supports families concerned with their children’s health by providing access to primary health care. The Pediatric Clinic provides physical exams for school and sports, immunizations and well-baby check ups as well as sick visits for children.

The health center is fortunate to have a country-at-heart pediatrician in their Pediatric Clinic. For a year now Dr. Leila Agullana has been seeing children at the health center.

Originally from Kauai she grew up in a small community similar to Waimanalo.

She has the cultural sensitivity and the medical know how to connect to the Waimanalo community. Waimanalo “a very home-style family oriented community, so different from town (Honolulu). It just reminded me of my own small hometown that I grew up in.”

Because of her heritage, growing up in the country and being surrounded by people who were less privileged, she is happy to be helping the community at the health center. “I love it here.” The hearts of the people here touches her. “They appreciate every little thing. It’s so gratifying.” My parents came from a simple background and instilled in me an desire to go back to my roots,” said the cheery pediatrician.

Being sure that kids are ready for school with physicals and immunizations is an important task for her. She provides the best of medical care to them whether they are sick or healthy, and encourages parents in Waimanalo and nearby communities to bring their children to the Waimanalo Health Center.

Gem News

By Brenda Reichel, GIA.  

Buy From One Who Knows

Ever wonder while you are shopping during the holidays if the sales help really knows about the item you are interested in? Were they hired only because the store needed the help or because they were properly trained?

I just hate shopping, especially when the sales person has no clue about what they are selling.

Product knowledge is so important about cars, kitchen gadgets, and, please, tell me this shirt will shrink if I wash it. And, of course, jewelry.

At Carats & Karats Fine Jewelry, we are the most educated jeweler/gemologists in the Pacific Basin. Graduate gemologists trained by the Gemological Institute of America, International Society of Appraisers, National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, Accredited Gemologist Association, and have even been trained by The American Gem Society.

Recently I took the Gemological Institute of America’s Gems & Gemology Challenge. What a test this is, and given every year. It covers the trade journal’s articles for the entire previous year, technical, mineralogical, colored stones and diamonds and everything in between. Thousands of gemologists worldwide take this exam, and yet few pass. The good news is that I did pass with 100 percent this year — I was one of 237 gemologists with a perfect score.

It really does make a difference when the person you entrust with your family jewelry, or where purchase a diamond or colored stone, is truly the most educated available to you. Even when I do appraisals of the family jewelery, internet purchases, etc., we will give you all the information you need to learn about your prized possessions.

Call for an appointment today for anything related to gems and jewelry.

Brenda Reichel, owner of Carats & Karats Fine Jewelry, is a graduate gemologist, member of the International Society of Appraisers, and proprietor of an AGA-certified Gem Laboratory. She can be reached at 593-8122. Visit Brenda’s website at: www.caratsandkarats.com.