Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Christmas in November List

Here are the details of the family of 4 we adopted through the Children's Cabinet. They are experiencing considerable hardship exacerbated by a recent fire in their home.

Natasha, 1 year old: Clothes (12 months), socks (12 months), crib sheets (pink or white), sippy cups, baby push/walker, any other age appropriate toys, and baby gate.

Samuel, 5 years old: Shirts and pant (size 6/7 boys), Lego's, shoes (size 13 boys), socks (size 13 boys), art supplies (paper, crayons, paints, markers, coloring books, etc.), board games (Sorry, Connect 4), puzzles (Ben 10 or Superheros), any age appropriate books, a new bicycle (18" tires).
He is in kindergarten and LOVES puzzles, he recently completed a 1,000 piece puzzle.

Courtney, Mom: Socks (size 8 women's), bath towels (white or green), any VHS tapes or DVDs (scary movies or Disney movies), vacuum cleaner.

Bruce, Dad: New coat (size 3x in men's), socks (size 12 in men's), shoes (size 12 in men's), PS3 games (Resident Evil 5, Medal of Honor)

Family Wish: Any gift cards to Lowes/ Home Depot to assist w/ home repairs. In March, Bruce's Dad passed away, family moved into a mobile home which is in need of repairs. The family experienced a fire in their home on October 21st and are still living there and working to repair fire damage.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Christmas in November

It's that time of year again! Like last year, we are adopting a family through the Children's Cabinet. From November 1st- December 17th The Back Doctors will be taking cash, clothing, and toy donations to distribute to an under-privileged family in the Reno area.

For any donation equal to or greater than $25.00, the doctors will offer to donate their time and services to any friends or family members who are in need of Chiropractic care.

Donations will quality friends and family to take advantage of a no cost consultation and examination, including X-rays.

The Children's Cabinet will be sending us the family's wish list by this coming Friday, November 5th. As soon as we get the list, we will put it up on the blog. If you would like to make a cash donation, we will use that money to purchase anything that is remaining on the family's list.

This is a great way to donate to a good cause and give the gift of health!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

4 Foods to Help You Fight the Flu

Article taken from the Living Well magazine: published by the Northern Nevada Medical Center

1) SALMON. A recent study of Japanese schoolchildren suggests that a daily dose of vitamin D during winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, a common strain of seasonal flu.
The children in the study took vitamin D supplements, but oily fish such as salmon is an edible option. Fortified milk and cereals are good sources, too. This nutrient is also made naturally in the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight, but it's not always enough when they days grow shorter. As your doctor how much Vitamin D you need.

2) GREEN TEA. Several studies have found that drinking green tea may improve your immune system- but can it battle the flu bug? In one study, participants took capsules containing two green tea components (L-theanine and epigallocatechin gallate). The results showed the capsules decreased the number of people reporting cold and flu symptoms by about a third. There was also a big decrease in how long the symptoms lasted.

3) YOGURT. Probiotics are live microorganisms that live in the gut. They are found in some foods, such as yogurt, and come as dietary supplements.
In a recent study, researchers gave 3 to 5 year old probiotic supplements to see if that would affect flu symptoms. Some children received one probiotic strain, while others received a combination of two. After six months, both groups showed a reduction in the incidence and duration of flu symptoms when compared to a placebo group. The group that took the combination of the two probiotic strains had the best results.

4) HOT LIQUIDS, LIKE SOUP. Fluids help your body fight infection, and hot liquids like chicken soup may relieve symptoms, too. In a small study, 30 volunteers with cold-or-flu-like symptoms drank either a heated or room temperature fruit drink. Researchers then tested their nasal airflow and asked about six symptoms: runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, chilliness, and tiredness. While the airflow test showed no significant improvement with either drink, participants who drank the hot beverage reported relief from all six symptoms. Those who drank the cooler drink experienced relief from only three: the runny nose, cough and sneezing.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Long-term effects of infant colic: a survery comparison of chiropractic treatment and nontreatment groups.

Miller JE, Phillips HL.
Advanced Professional Practice Chiropractic Paediatrics, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK. jmiller@aecc.ac.uk
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Investigation into the alleviation of long-term effects of infant colic on the toddler is a neglected area of research. The aim of this study was to document any behavioral or sleep disturbances experienced by post-colicky toddlers who were previously treated with chiropractic care vs those who had not experienced this treatment as an infant.
METHODS: Two groups of children were sampled from clinic records from a chiropractic clinic and from a child care center in similar regions of England. Patients were classified in the treatment group if they had been treated for infant colic with routine low-force chiropractic manual therapy. The nontreatment group consisted of post-colicky children in the same age group who had received no chiropractic care for their diagnosed colic as infants. A survey of parents of 117 post-colicky toddlers in a treatment group and 111 toddlers in the nontreatment group was performed.
RESULTS: Toddlers who were treated with chiropractic care for colic were twice as likely to not experience long-term sequelae of infant colic, such as temper tantrums (relative risk, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-3.0) and frequent nocturnal waking (relative risk, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-2.8) than those who were not treated with chiropractic care as colicky infants.
CONCLUSION: Untreated post-colicky infants demonstrated negative behavioral patterns at 2 to 3 years of age. In this study, parents of infants treated with chiropractic care for excessive crying did not report as many difficult behavioral and sleep patterns of their toddlers. These findings suggest that chiropractic care for infants with colic may have an effect on long-term sequelae.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Polymeal: Top Food choices for disease prevention and health promotion

Wine
Fish, Meat (Lean & Organic)
Dark Chocolate
Vegetables
Fruit
Spices (garlic & ginger)
Almonds (raw)

Based on the principles of combating inflammation

Friday, September 3, 2010

The Double-O Dozen: 12 Reasons to Buy Only Organic

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—The Environmental Working Group has just released its latest Shoppers Guide to Pesticides, a handy downloadable card that lists the kinds of conventional produce that have the highest levels of pesticide residues and the kinds that have the lowest. It includes their “Dirty Dozen,” the fruit and vegetables found to be most contaminated. While Rodale.com applauds that sentiment, we also want to point out the myriad reasons to choosing organic food at any possible opportunity. “Pesticide residues are an important indicator, but it’s not all a person needs to think about,” says Greg Bowman, communications manager at the Rodale Institute. “The farming system that grows the food is really what has the biggest impact on your health and the environment.”
So here are 12 reasons why you should buy only organic, or as close to it as you can get.
Organic produce is always better than crops grown with synthetic fertilizers and water-polluting pesticides because:
1. It leads to healthier neighbors. We all know pesticides are bad for wildlife, but they’re also bad for the people who apply them, and for the people who live near farms. A 2006 study published in the Annals of Neurology found that workers who reported using pesticides had a 70 percent higher incidence of Parkinson’s disease than workers who didn’t use pesticides. A follow-up to that study, published this past February, found instances of Parkinson’s were threefold greater among people who lived near farms sprayed with two types of pesticides, compared with people who weren’t exposed.
2. It leads to healthier kids. Kids are exposed to pesticides in their diets more than in sprays used around homes or in schools. Organic diets cut down on all dietary pesticide exposure in kids, and especially exposure to organophosphates, a class of highly toxic agricultural pesticides that can affect neurological development.
3. Organic farming uses less energy. In a review of the Rodale Institute’s Farming Systems Trials, which compare conventional agriculture to organic agriculture, Cornell University researcher David Pimentel found that organic corn and soybeans can be grown with 30 percent less energy than conventionally grown corn and soybeans, and still produce the same yield.
4. And it helps to mitigate global-warming emissions. Not only do organic growing techniques require less energy—and therefore produce less greenhouse-gas emissions from burning fossil fuels—they literally add carbon back the soil. Also, according to research done at the Rodale Institute, we could pull up to 25 percent of climate-warming carbon emissions out of the atmosphere if all U.S. farmland were converted to organic farmland.
5. Organic produce contains more nutrients. The nutrient levels in conventionally grown produce have declined over the years, largely due to the amounts of synthetic fertilizers applied to fields. Those synthetic fertilizers kill the beneficial microorganisms that, in organic soil, feed crops and supply them with higher nutrient levels. Virginia Worthington, a clinical dietician and advocate for organic foods, surveyed more than 40 years’ worth of studies and found that the results showed that organic produce had much higher levels of vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus than conventional produce.
6. It’s better for your drinking water. In its surveys of groundwater quality, the U.S. Geological Survey has detected at least one pesticide in every stream tested. The most frequently detected pesticides, and those with the highest concentrations, were synthetic chemicals used in conventional agriculture. The less we rely on pesticides to grow our food, the less reliance we’ll have on expensive filters for pesticide-free drinking water.


7. It protects our soil. Agrichemicals kill more than pests—they wipe out beneficial microorganisms in the soil that help create rich, sponge like soil organic matter (SOM) that holds nutrients and soaks up rainwater. While organic growing methods nurture the development of SOM, chemically treated fields leave soil loose, lifeless, and more vulnerable to erosion.
8. It’s cheaper in the long run—and sometimes at the register. Comparing price tags between organic and chemical produce is somewhat misguided, since the latter costs so more in terms of poorer health and a poisoned environment. And organic food doesn’t have the benefit of subsidies to keep its prices artificially low. But we all have to make ends meet—these days, more so than ever. So visit your local farmer’s market and do some price comparisons with the chemically grown produce at a nearby grocer. You might just get a better deal on fresh, organically grown food than you would at the store, especially when you buy food that’s in season. If there’s a CSA program in your area, you can buy organic food at bulk prices and support local organic growers. And check the frozen food aisle: Sometimes (though not always) frozen organic produce is cheaper than its chemical counterpart.
9. It isn’t Franken-food. USDA-certified organic farmers can’t grow crops from genetically modified (GM) seeds (not that they want to). In addition to creating greater biodiversity on organic farms, excluding GMO food may result in more nutritious fare: One study found that GMO tomatoes had lower levels of antioxidants than non-GMO tomatoes.
10. It’s hasn’t been sprayed with crap. And we mean that literally. Also disallowed under USDA organic regulations is the use of sewage sludge and biosolids on crop fields. As if the leftovers of wastewater treatment aren’t inherently disgusting enough to make spraying them on food a bad idea, biosolids can be contaminated with heavy metals, such as lead, and with a wide variety of pharmaceuticals that don’t get extracted during sewage treatment, including antiepileptic drugs and prescription painkillers.
11. Organic means humane treatment for animals. Yeah, this is a list about produce. But it’s worth mentioning that organic meat and dairy animals aren’t treated with hormones or given routine antibiotics. That means they can’t be crammed into overcrowded feedlots, where antibiotic treatment is the only way to keep shoulder-to-shoulder critters from constantly infecting each other.
12. Organics just taste better! It seems a no-brainer that crops grown in healthy soil and not sprayed with sewage sludge and tons of synthetic pesticides will end up with superior taste. But studies show that organics are richer in flavor as well as nutrients.

Monday, August 9, 2010

4 Must-Know Restaurants Secrets

By: David Zinczenko, Men's Health Magazine
If being an anonymous blip on a giant corporation’s assembly line makes you feel like a character in some bleak sci-fi movie, we’ve got good news. There are plenty of ways to fight back—to enjoy all the convenience of modern restaurants and all the foods you still like to eat without paying extra money every 6 months for a new pair of pants.
You see, all major restaurant chains—from the fast-food purveyors to the sandwich shops and coffee bars to the sit-down dinner joints with their vaguely Italian/Mexican/Chinese/whatever themes—operate with the same set of secrets, secrets they don’t want their customers to know. And if you know these secrets, well, guess what? The power to eat what you want and still stay slim is in your hands. Lucky you!
This list of sneaky secrets, straight from the book Eat This, Not That! Restaurant Survival Guide will help you start taking back control! And, even better, we’ve created an Eat This, Not That! iPhone app—it’s like having your own personal nutritionist at your fingertips!
Secret #1: Don’t get “supersized” Sure, it feels like you’re getting a bargain because you’re getting proportionately more food for proportionately less money. But a “value meal” is only a value for two sets of people: the corporations that make the food and the corporations that make liposuction machines and heart stents. Because food is so inexpensive for manufacturers to produce on a large scale, your average fast-food emporium makes a hefty profit whenever you supersize your meal—even though you’re getting an average of 73 percent more calories for only 17 percent more money. But you’re not actually buying more food. You’re buying more calories. And that’s not something you want more of.
Secret #2: Remember, the waiter is a salespersonA 2005 study published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services found that you’re more likely to order a side dish when the server verbally prompts you. (“Do you want fries with that?”) Restaurants know this, and now you know it, too. When the waiter makes a suggestion, remember his job is not to make you happy. His job is to extract money from your wallet and insert fat in its place.
Secret #3: Don’t get too excitedYou eat out all the time. A 2008 study in the International Food Research Journal found that people are less likely to make healthy restaurant choices when they feel that they’re dining out for a “special occasion.” And as we said, dining out used to be special. But before you head out to your next meal, really take stock of how many times you’ve eaten out this week. If you’re eating every meal at home and dining out truly is a once-a-week splurge, then don’t worry about it so much. But if you’re like most of us, eating out is probably more like a once-a-day splurge. And if that’s the case, remember, there’s nothing special here. Eat smart today because you’ll have to do it again tomorrow.
Bonus tip: Download our free Eat This, Not That! guide to shopping once and eating for a week—and save calories, time, and money!
Secret #4: Start smallHere’s the good news: No one is going to stop you from ordering seconds. So be like any good businessperson, and start small. Here’s exactly how expensive it really is whenever you go for the “bargain”:
7-Eleven: Gulp to Double Gulp Coca-Cola Classic: 37 cents extra buys 450 more calories.
Cinnabon: Minibon to Classic Cinnabon: 48 more cents buys 370 more calories.
Movie theater: Small to medium unbuttered popcorn: 71 additional cents buys you 500 more calories.
Convenience store: Regular to “The Big One” Snickers: 33 more cents packs on 230 more calories.
McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder with Cheese to Medium Quarter Pounder with Cheese Extra Value Meal: An additional $1.41 gets you 660 more calories.
Subway: 6-inch to 12-inch Tuna Sub: $1.53 more buys 420 more calories.
Wendy’s: Classic Double with Cheese to Classic Double with Cheese Old Fashioned Combo Meal: $1.57 extra buys you 600 more calories.
Baskin Robbins: Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Kids’ Scoop, to Double Scoop: For another $1.62, you’ve added 390 calories.
The bottom line on all this? For just a hair more than 8 bucks, you’ve bought yourself an additional 3,620 calories. If you ate each of these once a week, and you were to switch to the smaller size each time—again, still all your favorite foods, just in a more reasonable size—you’d save about $417 a year. It’s not going to buy you a new car, but it could put you on a plane to the Bahamas. But far more important than that is what it will mean to your waistline, because in saving that $417, you’ll also save 188,240 calories in a year—enough to shave a whopping 54 pounds of flab off your body! (Hey, take the 400 bucks and buy some new pants!)

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Adolescent Nutrition

By: Natalie Wiggins, N.D.

The adolescent years are a period of amazing growth and development. With it may come some common complaints, including acne, menstrual irregularities and hormone imbalances, and depression. Other prevalent health concerns are weight gain, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Many of these can be overcome or significantly improved with proper nutritional support.

During the pubescent years, children grown, on average, an astonishing 3.1 inches yearly. With accelerated linear growth comes an increased demand for nutrients in the body. Girls ages 11-18 require an average of 2100 calories daily. Boys ages 11-14 require an average of 2500 daily calories, which increases to 3000 daily calories from age 15-18. Choosing optimal sources of calories can decrease a ferocious appetite and incessant cravings.

Protein is an essential nutrient required for proper development. Protein requirements in this age group range from about 46-52 grams daily. Teens often crave sources of protein that are less than ideal, including fast-food burgers, pizza with meat toppings, and deli sandwiches. Since these foods commonly contain hormones and saturated fats, they can exacerbate acne, hormone and mood problems, with continued over consumption leading to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Safer protein sources combinations of whole grains and legumes, lean organic poultry, wilk pink or coho salmon, varied nuts and seeds, and wild game. When combined with beneficial fats, protein can cause prolonged satiety, thus decreasing frequent snacking.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) play multiple roles in the body. They affect inflammation, mood, and cellular signaling, to name a few. The Standard American Diet (SAD) tends to be deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, which can increase the tendency to develop cardiovascular diseases. Proper supplementation of EFAs can help in the treatment of menstrual complaints, mood imbalances, acne and elevated cholesterol. Additionally, DHA is beneficial for cognitive function.

Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, B Vitamins, and Vitamin A are nutrients that are commonly deficient in the adolescent diet- a result of improper nutrition. Appropriate supplementation can benefit skin conditions, menstrual cramping, growth and mood.

The key to optimal adolescent nutrition is preparation. Anticipate that your young person will be hungry often throughout the day, and have nutritional options available. While it can be difficult to wake a sleeping teen, it is important to allow time in the morning for an adequate meal. Beginning the day with a balanced breakfast can set the tone for the entire day. Send a healthy snack to school with your children that they can quickly and easily eat between classes. Typically, children also need a healthy snack after school to tide them over until dinner. Family dinners are a great way to connect with your child after a busy day, but if it must be eaten on the run, planning ahead prevents the temptation to succumb to fast-food options. Having well-balanced snacks and meals throughout the day balances blood-sugar levels, which can help control or prevent diabetes, decreases the likelihood of obesity, benefits moods, and aids in learning.

Here are some tips:
  • Do the week's shopping on the weekend and plan ahead for the following week.
  • Focus on hormone-free, organic, whole foods.
  • Have your child prepare readily accessible, nutritious snacks for the week ahead. Some ideas include baggies of raw vegetables, baggies of nuts and seeds, hard-boiled organic eggs, rice crackers with nut butter/hummus/tofu spread, and baggies of thawed and lightly salted edamame.
  • Have your child help with preparation of some meals. For example, if you decide to make pizza, have your child grate the cheese, and prepare desired toppings ahead of time.
  • Have organic deli meats, cheeses, spreads, vegetables, but butters and jelly available so your child can make a nutritious sandwich quickly if he or she must eat on the go.
  • Have packages of organic instant oatmeal. Your child can prepare it for breakfast in a few minutes. Increase protein, fiber, and antioxidants with a handful of nuts and frozen berries.
  • Have frozen berries, fruits, and organic yogurt or protein powder available for your child to make a quick smoothie.
  • Make a few grains (brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat grits) and legumes (lentils/beans) in advance to cut down on meal preparation times. They can easily be thrown together to make hearty soups, toppings for salads, or as side dishes. Meats can be prepared ahead as well and used throughout the week in casseroles, tacos, and soups.

Healthful eating habits are valuable tools for adolescents that can be carried throughout life, and can help control many health concerns. Happy eating!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Seven myths about veggies

By Lori BongiornoMore from The Conscious Consumer blog

Is it healthier to eat raw veggies or to cook them? Is fresh broccoli more nutritious than frozen? Is eating iceberg lettuce a waste of time?
You may be surprised by the answers to these seemingly simple questions. In fact, there are several misconceptions when it comes to vegetables. The one universal truth is that most of us could be eating more of them.
As summer approaches, we have more vegetable choices than at any other time of year. Here's a guide to what's fact and what's fiction when it comes to eating your veggies.
Myth: Fresh vegetables are more nutritious than frozen
Fact: Studies show that sometimes you can get more nutrients from frozen veggies, depending on variety and how old the vegetables at your supermarket are. That's because produce starts losing nutrient quality as soon as it's picked.
Frozen vegetables are flash-frozen right after harvest so they are preserved at their peak of freshness when they are most nutritious. Your best bet in terms of taste, nutrition, and the environment is still local in-season produce. When that's not an option frozen can be a better choice (from a nutrient standpoint) than spinach that takes two weeks to reach your table.
Myth: Cooked veggies are less nutritious than raw
Fact: It depends on the vegetable. "Cooking destroys some nutrients, but it releases others," says Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat. It destroys vitamin C and folic acid, according to Nestle, which is why it's not a great idea to cook oranges.
On the other hand, she says, cooking releases vitamin A and the nutrients in fiber and makes them easier to digest. It's also easier for your body to absorb more lycopene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant, in cooked tomato sauce than from raw tomatoes.
Steam or roast veggies instead of boiling, which leaches out water-soluble vitamins into the cooking water.
Myth: Iceberg lettuce doesn't have any nutrients
Fact: Iceberg lettuce is mostly water so it's hardly loaded with vitamins, but a large head does contain small amounts of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
You'll get more nutrients from other greens that have less water such as romaine or butterhead lettuce, but contrary to popular belief, iceberg lettuce does have some nutritional value.
Myth: Local vegetables are always cheaper
Fact: It's certainly true that local produce can be good for your budget. This is especially true during the peak of harvest when farmers need to get rid of an abundant crop and there is a lot of competition.
However, there are no guarantees. Local food "is not in any way subsidized so you are paying the real cost of producing the food, and the economies of scale are not there," says Nestle.
Some tips for finding the best deals at your local farmers' market: Shop at the end of the day when farmers are likely to mark down their prices in order to get rid of their inventory. (Go early in the day if selection is more important than price.) Ask your farmer for a volume discount if he or she doesn't already offer one. Take advantage of special deals on bruised or overripe veggies. Prices vary from farmer to farmer so shop around before buying.
Myth: Potatoes make you fat
Fact: Potatoes are virtually fat-free and low in calories. These delicious and inexpensive root vegetables contain a healthy dose of fiber, which can actually make you feel satisfied for longer and help you lose weight.
It's not the potatoes themselves that make you fat. It's how you cook them and what you slather on your spuds that can cause you to pack on the pounds.
Myth: Bagged salads are squeaky clean
Fact: They're not nearly as clean as you may think. Consumer Reports tests found bacteria that are "common indicators of poor sanitation and fecal contamination" in 39 percent of the 208 packages of salad greens it tested. It didn't find E. coli 0157:H7, listeria, or other disease-causing bacteria in its samples.
But it's still a good idea to give greens a good rinse to remove residual soil before eating even if the bag says they're "pre-washed" or "triple-washed."
Myth: Farmer's markets only have organics
Fact: Just because a vegetable (or anything for that matter) is sold at a farmers' market does not mean that it's organic. It still must be certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a guarantee that it was grown without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Some farmers will say they are in the process of getting certified, they grow crops without synthetic chemicals but can't afford the certification process, or they only use chemicals when they have no choice and don't use them when it's close to harvest time. It's your call on whether you trust that farmer.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Sleep habits: Pillow and positions matter

By: Brandi Scholssberg RGJ



Sleep habits, including the position you sleep in most often, may affect your quality of life during the waking hours, as well as at night. These habits can be among the most difficult to break, but being aware- and prepared with the proper pillow- can help.

"The way you sleep at night can make a big difference in how you feel during the day," said Gary Standifer, lead physical therapist of Carson Tahoe Therapy at Carson Tahoe Regional Health care. "Depending on the position one rests in, sleeping can contribute to a range of daytime symptoms."

Among these, according to Standifer, who specializes in treating spinal conditions, are neck pain, lower-back pain, headaches, numbness in the arms and hands, and respiratory issues.

"Sleeping in the correct position can not only reduce pain," he said, "but also help you wake up feeling rested and refreshed."

Experts in the field of sleep health report sleeping on one's side is one of the most common positions and, when done properly, can keep the spine in a neutral position and result in a night of quality sleep.

"When sleeping on your side, it is recommended to bend slightly at the knees and hips," Standifer said. "A pillow placed between the knees may reduce discomfort by placing the hips and spine in better alignment."

Sleeping on one's back also can lead to a good night's sleep if the right steps are taken to ensure healthy body placement. This may include a pillow placed under the knees to maintain the normal curve of your lower back. If you suffer from lower-back discomfort, a small rolled towel under your lower back can provide additional support.

"A down side of sleeping on your back can be increased snoring," Standifer said, "which may disrupt not only the sleep of those around you, but also your own sleep."

Experts seem to agree that stomach sleeping is the worst of the three positions when it comes to overall health, due to the increased strain this position can place on a person's neck and lower back.

"Sleeping on the stomach may also make breathing more difficult as the ribs cannot fully expand due to pressure," Standifer said. "If you must sleep on your stomach, a pillow placed under the lower abdomen and pelvis can reduce strain on the lower back."

As for pillows, they support your head and neck throughout the night. These should be selected based on your typical sleep position. For example, experts suggest stomach sleepers use a very thin, almost flat pillow, whereas side sleepers may find they need taller, firmer pillows, and a back sleeper may do well with a thin-to-medium fill pillow.

"Choosing the correct pillow is not enough- it must also be used correctly," Standifer said. "A pillow should support one's head and neck but not be placed under the shoulders.

"To avoid a muscle and joint pain," he added, "a pillow should keep one's head aligned with the spine."

Thursday, April 29, 2010

28 days really can change your life...

After giving birth to Emma, Dr. Amanda wanted to get rid of that last few pounds of baby weight. She found out about an awesome 28 day Wellness Program that teaches you nutritional & lifestyle principles of cleansing to experience more energy, mental focus, & fat loss. She decided to give it a go and after seeing her success, some of our patients decided to go through the program also. I, along with a second group of our patients am now going through it. So far everyone who has done it has had amazing results: weight loss, healthier skin, better sleep, confidence, overall just feeling better! I have really enjoyed talking to and hearing from everyone about their experiences through the program, so I am going to share mine with all of you!

To those of you going through the program right now, if you have any questions or want any of my creative recipes, call me at the office. My hours are Monday-Friday, 7:15am-1:00pm. To those of you who are interested, you can contact Dr. Amanda or me for more information. Stays tuned for more stories from me next week, and remember you can do anything for 28 days.
-Amanda H.-

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

The Dangers of Sugar to Your Health

This addictive commonly used food feeds cancer cells, triggers weight gain, and promotes premature aging.
Death by sugar may not be an overstatement-evidence is mounting that sugar is THE MAJOR FACTOR causing obesity and chronic disease.
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Is sugar a sweet old friend this is secretly plotting your demise?
There is a vast sea of research suggesting that it is. Science has now show us, beyond any shadow of doubt, that sugar in your food, in all its myriad of forms, is taking a devastating foil on your health.
The single largest source of calories for Americans comes from sugar--specifically high fructose corn syrup. Just take a look at the sugar consumption trends of the past 300 years.
  • In 1700, the average person consumed about 4 pounds of sugar per year.
  • In 1800, the average person consumed about 18 pounds of sugar per year.
  • In 1900, the individual consumption had risen to 90 pounds of sugar per year.
  • In 2009, more than 50 percent of all Americans consume one-half pound of sugar PER DAY-translating to a whopping 180 pounds of sugar per year!

Sugar is loaded into your soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, and hidden in almost all processed foods-from bologna to pretzelts to Worcestershire sauce to cheese spread. And now most infant formula has the sugar equivalent of one can of Coca-Cola, so babies are being metabolically poisoned from day one if taking formula.

No wonder there is an obesity epidemic in this country.

Today, 32 percent of Americans are obese and an additional one-third are overweight. Compare that to 1890, when a survey of white males in their fifties revealved an obesity rate of just 3.4 percent. In 1975, the obesity rate in America had reached 15 percent, and since then it has doubled.

Carrying excess waeight increases your risk for deadly conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes.

In 1893, there were fewer than three cases of diabetes per 100,000 people in the United States. Today, diabetes strikes almost 8,000 out of every 100,000 people.

You don't have to be a physician or a scientist to notice America's expanding waistline. All you have to do is stroll through a shopping mall or a schoolyard, or perhaps glance in the mirror.

For more on this please go to: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/20/sugar-dangers.aspx



Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Study: Breast-feeding would save lives, money

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner, Ap Medical Writer – Mon Apr 5, 1:53 pm ET
CHICAGO – The lives of nearly 900 babies would be saved each year, along with billions of dollars, if 90 percent of U.S. women fed their babies breast milk only for the first six months of life, a cost analysis says.
Those startling results, published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics, are only an estimate. But several experts who reviewed the analysis said the methods and conclusions seem sound.
"The health care system has got to be aware that breast-feeding makes a profound difference," said Dr. Ruth Lawrence, who heads the American Academy of Pediatrics' breast-feeding section.
The findings suggest that there are hundreds of deaths and many more costly illnesses each year from health problems that breast-feeding may help prevent. These include stomach viruses, ear infections, asthma, juvenile diabetes, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and even childhood leukemia.
The magnitude of health benefits linked to breast-feeding is vastly underappreciated, said lead author Dr. Melissa Bartick, an internist and instructor at Harvard Medical School. Breast-feeding is sometimes considered a lifestyle choice, but Bartick calls it a public health issue.
Among the benefits: Breast milk contains antibodies that help babies fight infections; it also can affect insulin levels in the blood, which may make breast-fed babies less likely to develop diabetes and obesity.
The analysis studied the prevalence of 10 common childhood illnesses, costs of treating those diseases, including hospitalization, and the level of disease protection other studies have linked with breast-feeding.
The $13 billion in estimated losses due to the low breast-feeding rate includes an economists' calculation partly based on lost potential lifetime wages — $10.56 million per death.
The methods were similar to a widely cited 2001 government report that said $3.6 billion could be saved each year if 50 percent of mothers breast-fed their babies for six months. Medical costs have climbed since then and breast-feeding rates have increased only slightly.
About 43 percent of U.S. mothers do at least some breast-feeding for six months, but only 12 percent follow government guidelines recommending that babies receive only breast milk for six months.
Dr. Larry Gray, a University of Chicago pediatrician, called the analysis compelling and said it's reasonable to strive for 90 percent compliance.
But he also said mothers who don't breast-feed for six months shouldn't be blamed or made to feel guilty, because their jobs and other demands often make it impossible to do so.
"We'd all love as pediatricians to be able to carry this information into the boardrooms by saying we all gain by small changes at the workplace" that encourage breast-feeding, Gray said.
Bartick said there are some encouraging signs. The government's new health care overhaul requires large employers to provide private places for working mothers to pump breast milk. And under a provision enacted April 1 by the Joint Commission, a hospital accrediting agency, hospitals may be evaluated on their efforts to ensure that newborns are fed only breast milk before they're sent home.
The pediatrics academy says babies should be given a chance to start breast-feeding immediately after birth. Bartick said that often doesn't happen, and at many hospitals newborns are offered formula even when their mothers intend to breast-feed.
"Hospital practices need to change to be more in line with evidence-based care," Bartick said. "We really shouldn't be blaming mothers for this."

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Grow Your Own Super Foods in Your Home Garden This Year

NaturalNews) When most people think of the term "superfood," they think of exotic fruits or imported vegetables from places with foreign names and distant locales. In reality, many of the foods you likely eat and even grow in your own garden are superfoods.The common definition of a superfood is any food (fruit, vegetable, etc.) that you can consume that has a high concentration of nutrients and anti-oxidants. Many of these are probably foods that your mother told you that you had to eat if you wanted to leave the dinner table or to grow up to be big and strong.Here is a list of superfoods that will grow in just about any location in the northern hemisphere with a growing season of 3 months or more. If you start from seeds, you will likely need to start them indoors before the spring thaw to maximize your growing time outdoors.
Broccoli - is probably the best-known and most often cited superfood that is commonly grown in home garden plots. Broccoli has several benefits including being a great source of antioxidants.
Carrots - are likely the other most well-known of superfoods that are commonly grown and eaten in the U.S. Carrots are thick with phytonutrients, antioxidants, and nearly every vitamin you can name.
Garlic - a favorite spice for cooking, this stuff is loaded with nearly everything good for you that you can imagine. It's a known cardiovascular booster, an anti-microbial, and more.
Green Beans - have to be one of the easiest things to grow and are grown both in garden plots and potted indoors to vine up walls or along racks. Beans are good for kidney stones, arthritis, and are packed with minerals.
Spinach - isn't just for Popeye, Olive. It's a very easy plant to grow, gives edible leaves throughout the season, and has some of the highest concentrations of vitamins A and C and folic acid you can get.
Squash - of nearly any type is great for you. Acorn, Butternut, Pumpkins, and many others are packed with fiber, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, potassium, and much more.
Tomatoes - are everyone's favorite garden vegetable (fruit, actually) to grow and the subject of intense scrutiny and competition. Tomatoes are also full of antioxidants, vitamin C, and light acids that aid digestion. These are just a few of the many superfoods you can grow in your own garden this year to promote better health. Gardening can not only be a fun, healthy way to spend your spare time this summer, but it can also lower your food bills, raise your health and nutritional levels, and bring your family closer together!Start gardening and grow your own superfoods this spring!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Chiropractic Road to the Olympics

North American DCs are poised to make their mark at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
By Caitlin Lukacs

If you’ve ever had an Olympic dream, you know about all of the hard work and training it takes to get to the Games. The same holds true for members of the medical staff. Olympic-caliber athletes need medical care in the unfortunate event of an injury, but they also need help pushing their bodies to perform at their maximum potential. Doctors of chiropractic who specialize in sports injuries and physical fitness are the ideal practitioners to provide that care, being uniquely equipped to handle both injury and recovery treatment, as well as to help athletes prepare for the competition. And the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) agrees.

Since the 1980 Games, when George Goodheart, DC, was selected to be Team USA’s chiropractor for the Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, N.Y., DCs have been included on the U.S. Medical Team. In 2008, a record number of four chiropractors were sent to Beijing, China, with Team USA for the Summer Games. There were approximately 600 athletes to care for on the U.S. team. This winter, the USOC will take five DCs to Vancouver, Canada, for the 2010 Olympics. They’ll have about 200 athletic competitors to work with.

“Chiropractors have really come a long way in terms of the Olympic Games,” says Michael Reed, DC, MS, DACBSP, medical director for the USOC. “And the demands of athletes are one of the main reasons why.”

Simply put, elite athletes are asking for chiropractic treatment. Sports-focused DCs are able to treat pain and injury with spinal manipulation, but they are also trained in many other modalities that help athletes avoid injury and prepare their bodies for competition—including taping, icing and stretching, explains Dr. Reed. At the 2008 Summer Games, for example, the U.S. beach volleyball team requested that Ernest Ferrel, MA, DC, CCSP, serve as the medical staff member to accompany them to their matches.

Preparing for VancouverOne of the five DCs chosen by the USOC to work at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Blase Toto, DC, DACBSP, will be working at the medical clinic in the Olympic Village in Vancouver. The clinic will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. He’ll provide care for several different sports teams, including figure skating, hockey and curling, as well as for those athletes whose sport does not have a team chiropractor.

“These athletes are used to receiving chiropractic care at their home training centers because they know that it helps them to perform at their top level,” Dr. Toto says. “Since we’ll all be there for about a month, the athletes will need someone to continue their regular chiropractic routine.” In addition to maintenance and performance care, Dr. Toto will also be available for acute-injury treatment.

Richard Robinson, DC, CSCS, who practices in Calgary, Canada, will attend the Olympics with the Canadian team and work with the freestyle skiing, speed skating, women’s ice hockey and alpine ski teams. “I wasn’t hired by the Canadian team just to treat injuries,” he says. “I was hired because the team recognized the value in what I do to make them go faster and perform better. If we plan to treat injuries after they’ve happened, we’re already too late; we need to get to the Olympics performing our absolute best.”

Competition actually begins a week prior to the opening ceremonies, and Dr. Robinson will be moving into the Olympic Village in the first week of February. “I’ll spend time working in the clinic in the village, but I’ll also be onsite for every training session and competition for speed skating and freestyle skiing,” he says. Luckily, the speed skating events will take place in the mornings, while freestyle will be under the lights in the evenings.

Greg Uchacz, DC, FCCSS(C), CSCS, who practices in Calgary, Canada, will also be a part of the Canadian medical staff. He will focus on the bobsled and skeleton teams and was chosen because of athlete requests. He, too, will prepare the athletes, rather than just treat their injuries. “As DCs, we focus on ensuring that the athletes are performing to their optimum biomechanical function,” he explains. “If you think about athletes as racecars, we are essentially fine-tuning them all the way through training. I’ll be present at competition time, helping to make sure the athletes are in ideal condition by stimulating nervous system responses and stretching, among other things. I’m the last person they’ll interact with before stepping onto the course,” Dr. Uchacz continues.

According to Dr. Reed, each of the five DCs on the U.S. medical team will have slightly different responsibilities come February, but one thing they’ll have in common is competition preparation. Tetsuya Hasegawa, DC, MS, ATC, CSCS, will work with the bobsled and skeleton teams onsite at the sliding center and also out of the Olympic Village in Whistler. Eric St. Pierre, DC, DACBSP, CCSP, CSCS, who is employed by U.S. Speed Skating, will focus his attention on that team from the Olympic Village in Vancouver. Both Drs. Hasegawa and St. Pierre will be expected to care for any injuries, but their main focus will be stretching and other preparatory care—whatever it takes to have the athletes ready to compete.

Dr. Toto will work in the medical center in the Olympic Village in Vancouver and Josh Sandell, DC, DACBSP, CSCS, will be stationed at the performance service center in Whistler, doing recovery work for injured athletes. The fifth DC, Dr. Reed, is in charge of organizing the U.S. medical staff for the Games and providing care for the athletes in the Whistler Olympic Village. “It’s becoming more and more paperwork, but I’ll be available to jump in and treat athletes, if help is needed,” he says.

How They Got ThereAs an athlete, you can’t just sign up to compete at the Olympic Games. It takes years and years of training, and you must prove your skills at Olympic trials or team try-outs. The same holds true for doctors of chiropractic who want to work at the event. The road to the Olympics is a long one, and it often requires relationship building, as well as physical training.
To be considered for inclusion on the U.S. medical staff, DCs must first go through the USOC’s Sports Medicine Volunteer Program—a 15-day rotation at one of the U.S. Olympic Training Centers, in which they treat any athletes that need rehab or long-term care. (DCs can apply for a volunteer position by logging onto www.teamusa.org/medical.)

And it may take years before you get selected to work in an official capacity. Dr. Toto completed the volunteer program for the first time in 1995. In spring 2009, he was invited back to the training center in Colorado Springs. Shortly after he returned home, Dr. Toto received a letter stating that he had been selected to go to Vancouver for the Winter Games. “It had been a goal of mine for a long time, but I didn’t think it would ever happen because it had been 14 years since I’d first worked with the USOC,” Dr. Toto says. “I’m humbled and grateful and excited. I’ve never served in the military, so this is my opportunity to serve my country by caring for the best athletes it has to offer.”

For Dr. Robinson, it all started when he was a student at Palmer College of Chiropractic West. Having always been interested in sports, he worked with the faculty and students to start a sports chiropractic program and student sports council. After graduation, he returned home to Canada with the goal of working with athletes. “I was always looking for opportunities to get involved with sports, and I discovered that there really are a lot of ways to do that,” he says.
About 10 years ago, he started working with a trainer and a strength and conditioning coach who happened to treat elite freestyle skiers. The skiers had never had chiropractic care before, and they immediately noticed a big advantage to their bodies, particularly with the soft-tissue work Dr. Robinson was providing. Within six to nine months, Dr. Robinson was asked to travel with the freestyle ski team, and he began treating them at the national center for winter sports training in Calgary, where he was noticed by athletes from numerous other sports.

Eventually, Dr. Robinson became a contractor to the sports center, treating many of the national team members that came through. For the 2010 Olympics, those teams put in a referral for Dr. Robinson to join the Canadian team’s medical staff. “All of my opportunities have come from word-of-mouth endorsements from athletes,” he says.

Dr. Uchacz had a similar experience. When its time to select the medical staff for the Winter Games, all of the Canadian national organizations for the various sports put in applications for the practitioners that they want to be there. The bobsled and skeleton team requested Dr. Uchacz. That endorsement, along with his training and credentials, secured him a spot on the Canadian team’s staff.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Breast to Bowl: Introducing Baby's First Foods Part 2 of 2

In addition to grains, other protein foods for babies can be: cooked chickpeas or adzuki beans. Both are mild and are great finger foods... babies love to participate in the messy process of eating. Tofu, cut into tiny little chunks, sauteed in olive oil with a touch of tamari sauce is easy to prepare and fun for self-feeding. Brown rice miso soup is also a simple, very nutritious food with protein. Almond butter, cashew butter and sesame butter are terrific sources of protein. Peanut butter is the hardest to digest and most brands are filled with added oil and sugar. Additionally, peanuts are highly allergenic.

Sugar and artificial sweeteners are not good for your baby (soft drinks, cookies, candies, ice cream, etc.). Sugars will only increase your child's susceptibility to hyper activity, lower resistance levels (colds), or slow growth rates. Also, avoid honey as a sweetener before the age of one, it has been known to cause botulism. Natural maple, or brown rice syrups are safer and quite sweet. When using salt to enhance your cooking, sea salt or tamari sauce are much healthier than the table salt.

Also avoid all milk products including yogurt until after age one. (You may consider avoiding them altogether!) Dairy products are mucus producing. They often create allergic responses in babies. Additionally, they are also loaded with hormones and antibiotics, two ingredients your baby can do without. Rice milk, almond milk, and soymilk are much better substitutes (sometimes soy may cause an allergic response as can milk, so start slowly). If you are overly concerned about calcium intake, sesame butter is very high in its calcium content.

Keep in mind, jarred baby food as as good as junk food or fast food, so preparations from scratch are best. Baby food manufacturers make the food to please parents' tastes. Baby food has harmful chemicals like MSG (flavor enhancer). Baby food is 60% water. In meat products, it has five times the salt. Strained vegetables have 60 times the salt too. Your infant's taste buds are not developed until the eighth month. The baby food has only been created to meet your taste, not the nutritional needs of your baby. Remember, the baby food industry is the second largest food industry in the United States. Once your baby gets used to the whole eating adventure, you can get a little baby food grinder and start giving him or her what you eat.

Whether you are vegetarians or not, you may want to consider holding off serving meat until twelve months of age. It takes several days for the intestines to fully digest meat. With a newly functioning digestive system, this can be a stress overload. Also, the meat can be loaded with hormones and antibiotics (the harm may outweigh the benefit). Better sources of protein are available in may other foods. When you do introduce meats, organic meats are preferable, as these animals have been raised on organically grown grains without pesticides and additives. Typically, the animals are also hormone and antibiotic free. In the fish family, use a mild white fish. Shellfish is not as healthy and is known to cause allergic reactions. If you choose to introduce eggs, watch closely for signs of allergy as eggs are hyper allergenic. Children with egg allergies should not be given certain vaccinations (MMR is grown on egg culters).

Just because your child is beginning to eat solids is no reason to hurry the weaning process. The average weaning time around the world is at 3 years of age. If that seems too long to you, consider this; your child's immune system is under developed until 18 months of age. Mother's milk infers natural passive immunity, and contains all of the ingredients for the immune system of your child (B & T Lymphocytes, macrophages, lysosomes etc.). The baby can digest the protein in this milk. Also breast milk will cause the stool to have a unique enzyme that destroys the bacteria involved in diaper rash. In addition to the physiological benefits, nursing your baby provides an emotional bond that is beyond substitute.

Take your time introducing new foods and allow your baby to go at his/her own pace. Children have an innate sense for survival and if only good foods are introduced in their early years, they will soon be telling you what they need. Along with your choices for infant nutrition, keep in mind that the regular chiropractic adjustments remove interference to your child's vital nervous system and allow his/her body to function at its best. Follow your intuition as parents when making health choices for your children; often these insights are our most valueable resource for well-being.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Breast to Bowl: Introducing Baby's First Foods part # 1 of 2




By: Jeanne Ohm, D.C., F.I.C.P.A.Originally Printed in: I.C.P.A. Newsletter July/August 2000
The introduction of certain foods at certain times is relative to the maturity of the digestive system. Children less than six months need only breast milk, not solids, as the infant's digestive system is not developed to maturation. If you start sooner, you may cause your child future food allergies. Since your child's taste buds will not develop until the eighth month, the feeding of your baby should be guided for nutritional purposes, not taste.At six months of age fruits and vegetables are the best to start with. Fruits are a cleansing food, vegetables a body builder. Each should be introduced slowly, one at a time and for several days to see how the baby responds to each new food and to allow the baby's digestive system to adapt. Avoid berries as they may create an allergic response in some infants. Peaches, apples, pears cooked and mashed into sauces are great. Citrus fruits can be introduced at a later time.
Bananas are very nutritious although they may be a bit binding; so do not panic if your baby's bowel movements slow down for a day or so. Melons are a great raw fruit because they are watery and easy to mush in the mouth. Very ripe mangoes are also a soft starter for toothless chewing. One other note on fruits: it is best not to eat fruits within a half hour of eating any other foods at any age, as they digest quickly and will not allow the other food to be properly assimilated.
The easiest vegetables to start with are: steamed carrots, zucchini, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas and other easily softened veggies. Again, introduce items separately, giving a few days for your baby to become accustomed to each food. Vegetable juices, especially freshly juiced carrots are wonderful starter foods for your baby. Juicing is also a good way to get fresh, raw greens into your baby. All juices should be cut with distilled water or water purified by reverse osmosis purified water. Other bottled water may contain chlorine or fluoride; both are known toxins.Introduce fruit juices with caution. The juice should be diluted: one-third juice, two-thirds water; the type mentioned above. Remember that a high content of fructose (natural sugar) may be too much of an over load for your child's system. Any fruit juices should be of the type found in natural food stores because they are not from concentrate. Concentrated juices have high sugar content and are a known cause of candidias (yeast infection) in children. Another great drink for children is herbed tea. Served with natural sweeteners (see below) and at room temperature, they are refreshing and tasty.
Grains are not advisable until your baby has teeth. At the same age babies get their teeth they start to secrete salivary amylase (ptyalin), which is essential for digesting carbohydrates. Before that, children can have problems digesting carbohydrates, thus they become 'gassy'. The food goes into the intestine, where it ferments and putrifacts. Of course when grains are introduced they should be whole grains like brown rice, barley, oats and millet. An easy preparation is to blend the raw grain into tiny bits and then cook it, usually two parts water to one part grain. It makes for a wholesome cream of rice type of meal.
Avoid wheat right away, as many children are sensitive to it. Do not feed your child white flour products. White flour (bread, pasta) has gone through a bleaching process, which leaves little to no nutritional value in the product. Pastas are mostly made from processed wheat flour and tend to clog the bowels. When you start with "bread" products, sprouted breads are much healthier than traditional flour breads. A great whole grain snack is rice-cakes.




Check back next Tuesday for part 2 of this article...


Monday, January 25, 2010

THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP

The Importance of Sleep
Markian Babij, ND, FABNO

Many chronically ill patients have insomnia, or lack of quality sleep. Insomnia has been associate with many chronic health conditions. According to the National Sleep Foundation, seven out of 10 Americans report frequent sleep problems, however most are not diagnosed. So why is there so much insomnia? There are many reasons; however, insomnia can be addressed naturally with appropriate sleep hygiene and relaxation. If sleep problems persist, you need to be further evaluate by a physician to rule out other underlying causes.

Sleep: Behind the Scenes
While you sleep, your body and mind participate in many healing and restorative processes. Cytokines, messengers of our immune system, are busy while we sleep. Lack of sleep has been shown to decrease important immune cells and make people susceptible to illness. Growth hormone is responsible for for physical restoration and maintenance in people of all ages. Our bodies produce the greatest amount of growth hormone while we sleep. Melatonin is produced and secreted by the pineal gland as it becomes dark. This hormone is largely involved with inducing our sleep cycle and coordinating various immune functions that occur while we sleep. Reduced melatonin has been linked to increased rates of cancer. Cortisol is a hormone we produce at peak levels when we are waking up and when we feel stress. Chronically high levels of cortisol and associated stress impair sleep, and are not uncommon in chronic illness.

How will your immune System benefit from sleep?
Insomnia allows for a gap in restorative immune processes, resulting in less efficient immune functioning while we are awake. The immune system protects us from foreign invaders that cause disease. As we sleep, many repair processes increase our total available energy to maintain a healthy immune system.

How to Improve Your Sleep and Immunity-
Daily exercise and setting a night routine are great ways to start, however simple details such as soft night lights in the bathroom, "white noise," and creating the right sleeping environment are important. If you have been lying in bed for 20 minutes, get out of bed and try to do something relaxing other than watching TV.

There is a solution to most sleep issues, and the immune system will work more effectively if sleep is restored. Natural agents can solve insomnia; however, using a specific agent that fits your particular set of issues is optimal. Many "health tools" can build the immune system, and sleep is one of them. An uncomplicated naturopathic plan can effectively improve immune functioning when health is compromised. First, remember what we all inherently know is good for us- plenty of clean water, oxygen, whole foods, exercise, and restful sleep habits.

Article found from the Avante Times. Avante is a ND Clinic in Anchorage, AK.


Monday, January 18, 2010

Former NLF Wide Receiver Jerry Rice Reveals Secrets to Long, Healthy Career

Legendary NFL wide-receiver and three-time Super Bowl champ Jerry Rice scored a touchdown among attendees at Parker Seminars Las Vegas — the world’s largest chiropractic seminar — by sharing all the ways he is being a champion for chiropractic. He was joined onstage by fellow chiropractic supporter Linda Cohn, veteran sportscaster and one of the first women to report for ESPN. Both Rice and Cohn are spokespeople for the Foundation for Chiropractic, an organization dedicated to generating positive press for the chiropractic profession, and traveled to Parker Seminars to encourage chiropractors and their assistants to continue delivering natural, quality health care to patients around the globe.

Thinking back to his football career, Rice credits his success on the field largely in part to chiropractic care. "If I had everything in alignment, I knew I could play my best football," said Rice. His training routine included twice-weekly chiropractic adjustments which helped his body recover from all the hard hits and countless tackles. Because Rice firmly believed in the benefits of chiropractic, his teammates began to favor this natural care over the medications that trainers traditionally give. "I wanted to set the standard within football," said Rice. "I knew if chiropractic helped me put up outstanding numbers, it could help my teammates do the same."

And Rice’s accomplishments are indeed a testament to chiropractic: he was twice named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, won three Super Bowls, and still holds nearly every record as a receiver. He retired as the league’s career receiving leader. Rice was recently announced as a 2010 NFL Hall of Fame candidate.

The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP) made its own version of a "Hall of Fame" induction by presenting Rice with a medal for his commitment to chiropractic. "The Foundation for Chiropractic is getting the word out there, and [being a spokesperson] is a way for me to give back," said Rice. "Chiropractic made football great for me. I was at my best and was always at 100 percent."
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Seperating the Facts from the Fiction

The following is an article from the Chiropractic Wellness Magazine. Written by their fitness editor: Doug Caporrino.

Chiropractic is only for back and neck pain.

FICTION.....

Chiropractic is for overall health and well being. Anyone that is interested in having an active healthy and thriving life should make chiropractic part of their regime.

Like every other system in our body that requires regular maintenance, your nervous system is no exception. It is the "Center of Your Universe" as I like to refer to it. Your nervous system is involved in every single movement, thought, feeling and action that goes on in your body and mind. When there is even the slightest disturbance (subluxation), all other systems can be thrown off. Our bodies were meant to be in balance not out of it. With the countless amounts of toxins and stressors that we are exposed to daily, your body becomes overloaded. Chiropractic, nutrition, supplementation, and exercise all play a roll in bringing the body back into balance.

Think of your spine as the circuit breaker panel in your home. If one of those circuit breakers is switched off, then you have no power going to that area of your house. Your spine is your circuit panel, and your body is your house. When there is a subluxation, your body is not getting power to one area of it. This may effect digestion, hormone balance, muscle response, memory, eye sight, liver function, and the list goes on and on.

So the next time someone tells you that Chiropractic is just for the back and neck pain, educate them on what it really does.

If you eat a well balanced diet, you do not need supplements.

FICTION.....

If we lived in a world where we hunted and gathered our own food, and were not exposed to a countless amount of toxins on a daily basis and didn't eat fruits and vegetables that were covered with herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides, then I may agree. Oh, and did I forget to mention food that has been grown and picked, travels across thousands of miles, and stored for weeks on end before it reached your table. One more thing to take into consideration is our nutrient depleted soils that are not being replenished with organic materials. So the spinach that you thought was packed with nutrients may only be packed with half those same nutrients of 50 years ago.

Ninety-five percent of the population is likely deficient in one form of vitamin or mineral. Even at the levels that the FDA recommends, which are levels that only prevent disease, not promote health, you don't stand a chance of getting what you need on a daily basis. Yes, I am sorry to say that the cards are stacked against you. The good news is that after reading this article, you may do something about it. And I don't mean going to the store and buying of an off-the-shelf multivitamin, many of which are not formulated for proper nutrition. You should go to your local health professional and get a recommendation first. Chiropractor's Blend is an excellent place to start.

Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel Prize winner, said that "ever illness and disease can be traced back to a vitamin deficiency in the body." Now when a medical doctor tells you that supplements just create expensive urine, maybe you can explain to him or her that the body will use what it needs and then excrete the rest. Also keep in mind that the average MD receives little to no education on vitamins or supplements. I don't believe they have ill intent, just not enough information.

The key to living healthy is addressing the cause not the symptoms. The average senior citizen in this country sees an average of 5 doctors, all of who prescribe a medication without consulting the other. Also, no one is required to do the studies on what effects medication A has on medication B that may have an effect on medication C. Pretty scary.

Yes, we are an over-medicated and over-consumptive society and most likely malnourished. We certainly were not born to thrive on cheese puffs, purple drinks and cheeseburgers.

I get all the hydration I need from coffee, soda and juice that I drink daily.

FICTION.....

With the vast amount of caffeine, which not only dehydrates you but also leaches the bones of minerals, high fructose corn syrup, which we now know contains high amounts of mercury, and sugar infused juices, which causes insulin resistance and obesity, your body is THIRSTY!!! For water.

Most of us take it for granted. But have you ever taken a moment to stop and think just how important water is to you? For the human body, water is truly a vital resource. You can go weeks without food but only 5-7 days without water. When the water in your body is reduced by just 1 percent, you become thirsty. At 5 percent, muscle strength and endurance declines significantly, and you become hot and tired. When the loss reaches 10 percent, delirium and blurred vision occur. A 20 percent reduction results in death.

There is no more important nutrients for our bodies that water. No other substance is as widely involved in the processes and makeup of the body. A man's body is about 60 percent water, and a woman's is approximately 50 percent. Did you know that the human brain is about 75 percent water?

Every day, we lose 2-3 quarts of water through urination, sweating, and breathing. Since many of the processes within the body rely greatly on water, it is important we replace our fluids regularly to compensate for this loss.

Water is needed for protection as well. It keeps your mouth moist and washes away dirt and grime on your eyes. Water even lubricates our joints, keeping them from getting stiff and making sure motion is smooth. We use to digest food in the gastrointestinal tract, to access stored energy for muscles and organs, and for countless reactions. When we exercise, water loss through sweat can reach 1-2L per hour! If you are exercising in warm weather, water should be replenished every 15 minutes in order to keep muscles strong and body temperature down. This is especially crucial for long endurance events, which is why cyclists (who strip away every unnecessary ounce of equipment) still carry water with them.

So cheers and drink up. Water can be your best friend when it comes to your health.

I can feel a cold coming on.
FICTION.....
Your body talks to you on a daily basis. The question I have for you is "are you listening?" There are people that know when their body is going into a dis-ease state. Paying attention to the signs is what makes all the difference in the world. Are you tired, thirsty, achy, and/or unable to focus or concentrate? These are all signs that something is out of balance with your body. Correcting it as quickly as possible with menu, supplements, chiropractic, acupuncture, or even just rest will make the difference between a speedy recovery and a lengthy one.

So the next time you feel something coming on, listen to that little voice in your head, it's telling the truth.


Monday, January 4, 2010

Facts & Figures about Chiropractic

1. Chiropractors are real doctors.
Doctors of Chiropractic (D.C.) comprise the second largest health care profession with over 50,000 practitioners in the U.S. They earn the title "doctor" along with medical doctors (M.D.), doctors of Osteopathy (D.O.),and dentists (D.D.S.).
The educational process leading to the title Doctor of Chiropractic is quite similar to that of an M.D. and D.O.. In order to earn a D.C. degree, a student must complete several years of pre-chiropractic studies at colleges or universities, followed by 5 academic years of chiropractic education (totaling a minimum of 7 years of study). The chiropractic student's last year is spent in a clinical internship (similar to MD or DO "rotations"). During this time the chiropractic intern, under the supervision of a licensed D.C., will consult, examine and treat patients in a clinic setting. Upon graduation and earning the Doctor of Chiropractic degree, a state licensing exam must be passed in order to practice.
Chiropractic students study many of the same textbooks as medical and osteopathic students. As a matter of fact, a chiropractic student accumulates more course hours in anatomy, physiology, bio mechanics (how the body moves), neurology, and nutrition than their medical and osteopathic colleagues.
2. Chiropractic care is safe & effective.
The safety of chiropractic care has been well documented in professional journals of all kinds. Serious side-effects of chiropractic manipulative therapy occur approximately one out of every one million adjustments. Compare this to the serious side-effects of medicines and surgical errors to put safety in perspective. Research reveals that some 100,000 people die each year from the effects of prescription drugs prescribed by their doctors. This isn't meant to be "M.D. bashing", it's just the simple truth about the safety of presciption medications, as reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (April 1998). The article continues to say, "Discovering new dangers of drugs after marketing is common. Overall, 51% of approved drugs have serious adverse side effects not detected prior to approval. Merely discovering adverse effects is not by itself sufficient to protect the public. Each year prescription drugs injure 1.5 million people so severely they require hospitalization and 100,000 die, making prescription drugs the 4th leading cause of death in the United States." So the question was about the safety of chiropractic care?
3. Chiropractic is part of a wellness lifestyle!
Chiropractic care is like "orthodontics" for the spine. Clinically, repeated chiropractic adjustments "train" the vertebrae to maintain their proper alignment and movement. Like the time required for braces to achieve correction depends on an individuals teeth and mouth structure, the time required for proper positioning to occur depends on the condition of the patient's spine, their job, and other lifestyle activities.
Think of your spinal adjustments like maintaining your car. It's recommended that you change your car's oil every 3,000 or so miles. For how long you ask? For as long as you own the car! While some individuals drive 3,000 miles in a week, others do so in a month or two. The point is, however, that we change our oil on a regular basis. The same goes for caring for your spine. Whether to get adjusted weekly, monthly or quarterly depends on each patient's specific health condition. Remember, "An ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of cure!" Don't let your car's engine fall out before changing it's oil!