Monday, March 31, 2014

Inflammation


If there were one thing that every person could do to promote health and prevent all forms of disease it would be to “deflame”.  Nearly all experts agree that the common denominator of every disease is inflammation in the body.  Chronic inflammation will cause everything from pain and arthritis to cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.  In the next few weeks, I will be discussing how to decrease inflammation in the body.

Most of the process of reducing and avoiding inflammation in the body will start with diet.  Stated simply, we need to increase the foods that decrease inflammation and decrease the foods that promote inflammation.  One food that promotes inflammation may surprise you is grains.  But whole grains are supposed to be good for us, right?  The nutrients and fiber in whole grains certainly are beneficial and whole grains are much better than white bread and products made from white flour.  However, all grains are inflammatory.

Most grains contain two ingredients that are the source of the problem.  You’ve likely heard of gluten.  This protein will often cause a type of allergic reaction in the body that begins in the bowel.  Grains also contain a substance called phytic acid that will reduce the absorption of calcium, magnesium and zinc.  Likewise, all grains will cause the pH of our body to become more acidic which is known to cause inflammation.

Limiting the intake of grains is a great solution for reducing inflammation.  In the next few weeks I’ll discuss other strategies.

Sugar

Despite the reported side effects of psychosis, mania, and hallucinations, over 4 million children in the U.S. are using prescriptions of ADD and ADHD medications.

An Atlanta, Georgia school principal has taken on an alternative approach.  What did he do in his school . . . banned all sugar.  After overcoming his own health problems with diet and exercise, Principal Butler requires physical exercise in his school and they have enforced a policy of no sugar.  Instead, the lunch room serves healthy lunches and snacks.

According to Butler, after adopting this simple policy in his school, just in the first year standardized test scores improved 15% and discipline problems decreased by 23%.  As an added benefit, student health has improved dramatically and obesity is virtually non-existent in his school.

Principle Butler also notes, “In nine years we have saved $425,000.  We’ve done that not by cutting back, but by having more fruits and vegetables.”

Hopefully, in time, all schools will follow the practical lead being taken by this Atlanta school.  But until that happens, we can all develop similar policies in our own homes.  If you want to see changes in your kids, start with yourself – be the example that you want to see in them!




Carbohydrate Calamity

Carbohydrate Calamity


You may have heard from the news that the obesity rates among American preschoolers have declined by 43 percent over the past decade. Obviously, this is great news, but it may be too early for celebration as teenage and adult obesity rates remain unchanged. In fact, obesity rates for women over the age of 60 actually rose by about 20 percent in this same timeframe. The results from this study published in JAMA concluded that the change in preschoolers is likely due to decreased consumption of high calorie soft drinks and an increase in in the rates of breast feeding over sugary high-calorie formulas. The fact is that 1/3rd and 2/3rd  of adults are currently overweight due to the typical American lifestyle and diet and there have been no significant changes in obesity over the last ten years in the overall population.


When it comes to obesity, sugar is the primary offender. This is why breast feeding has helped with the preschoolers. Most infant formulas are 50% simple carbs (sugars) while breast milk is only about 18% sugar. The fact that breast feeding has increased about 35% over the last decade cannot be overlooked for the benefit of the preschoolers. If we really want to see a change in obesity for the rest of the population, then sugars need to be cut for the rest of us as well. This means cutting sodas, snack foods, and fast foods, but it also means cutting the processed carbohydrates such as cereals, breads, chips, pastas and all the other processed grains that break down to sugars upon digestion. I’ve written about this literally for years in this column but there are two recent books that seem to be motivating people to make the change to reduce grains and all processed carbs. If you’re looking for weight loss and the reduction of belly fat, I recommend the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. This book reports on the change of wheat over the last century largely due to genetic modification and hybridization and how addictions to wheat have made us fatter and contribute to overall obesity. The second book is by the renowned neurologist David Perlmutter titled Grain Brain and it teaches how even “healthy grains” are related to ADHD, anxiety, headaches, depression, high cholesterol, and numerous other inflammatory processes and hormonal problems including thyroid and adrenal imbalances.


These two books have made enormous differences in peoples’ lives from what I can see. Based on the results I’ve seen, I’ve been challenging numerous people to try a 4-week challenge of going grain-free. For those who’ve done it, weight loss is predictable and impressive but I’ve also seen reductions in chronic pain, arthritic pain, and even fibromyalgia. In the grand scheme of things, four weeks is a pretty short time. Give this challenge a try and see what can happen for yourself!

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

More Men’s Health


Last week I focused on men’s wellness and specifically looked at the common phenomenon of decreasing testosterone levels. This hormone is critical for increased muscle mass, red blood cell production, reproductive function, and bone density. Recent studies have shown that the reduction of the hormone is implicated with prostate dysfunction and cancer. In last week’s column I discussed several environmental and lifestyle factors that can affect normal levels of the hormone. This week, I’d like to discuss some measures you can take to optimize testosterone levels.


Because men have come to realize that lower testosterone levels are associated with many of the un-pleasantries of aging, many men are getting hormone replacement from their doctors or are dabbling with testosterone precursors that can be found in numerous supplements. Both of these methods can be effective, but I caution the use of these as there are many conflicting studies that warn of increased cancer risk with these options. Learn about the risks if you’re considering these options and if you should try them, it’s not recommended that you use them for prolonged periods as they can shut down your adrenal glands. As it turns out, the adrenals are intimately involved with testosterone levels. Your adrenals are considered your stress glands and the production of stress hormone cortisol has been proven to block testosterone. This is why reducing or controlling your level of chronic stress is critical to maintaining higher levels of testosterone. Regular exercise, yoga, meditation, prayer and other various mind-body techniques are all effective stress reducers. In addition to reducing stress, exercise done the right way has also been proven to boost testosterone levels. 20-30 minutes of high intensity interval training where the heart rate is systematically raised and lowered along with weight or resistance training both raise and maintain the hormone levels.


Of course diet is important for all hormone function including testosterone. Research from 2012 showed that overweight men are prone to lower levels of the male hormone. We all need to reduce our intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates (starches and grains) in order to maintain a healthy weight. Likewise, experience has proven to me that we all need to increase our vegetable and fruit intake; but also don’t forget to take in the healthy fats such as avocado, raw nuts, organic egg yolks, coconut and olive oils, and even grass-fed meats. Finally, zinc and vitamin D have been shown to be important for testosterone production and the research shows that around 50% of adults over 60 are deficient in these nutrients. Sources of zinc include oysters, high protein foods such as fish and grass-fed meat, beans, and fermented foods like yogurt. Vitamin D on the other hand should come from healthy sun exposure or supplementation of a quality D3 vitamin.


I hope these last two articles help shed some light on this common problem afflicting men. Thanks for reading and please check the blog on our website (www.rivertownchiro.com) for older columns!

Monday, March 17, 2014

Men's Health

Men’s Health


The normal rules and guidelines for general health and wellness are universal for men, women and children. However, when it comes to the health of men specifically, there are two main issues that must be addressed: maintaining testosterone levels and a healthy prostate. As it turns out these are actually related. This week I’d like to share some strategies related to these concerns.


Testosterone is a sex hormone found in higher level in men that is associated with reproductive function, hair growth, increased muscle mass, bone density, red blood cell production and even emotional well-being. In the past, it was believed that high levels of testosterone were linked to prostate enlargement. Recent studies have concluded the opposite – that the prostate gland actually requires testosterone to maintain optimal condition. This is logical considering that testosterone levels typically decline as we age beyond 30 years and prostate problems are a concern in all men over 50 years of age. For this reason and the purpose of this article, I would like to focus on optimizing testosterone levels. We now know that the over activity of an enzyme known as 5-alpha reductase decreases testosterone and increases the risk of prostate enlargement and cancer. Even though this phenomenon is common, it is not normal! Numerous chemicals are known to affect this process of testosterone reduction. Most recently, it’s been found that statin drugs for cholesterol and an ingredient in many herbicides were found to interfere with the ability to produce testosterone. Likewise, something known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC’s) are known to affect our hormone levels. These are chemicals found in personal hygiene products, chemical cleansers, contraceptive drugs, and they even show up in our drinking water and food. Other chemicals known as phthalates are proven to lower testosterone. These are found in vinyl flooring, detergents, soaps, deodorants, perfumes, hair sprays, plastic packaging and bottles. When it comes to food, the bovine hormones found in commercial beef and dairy products and unfermented soy products both alter testosterone as well. Unfortunately, the list of these “gender-bending” chemical goes beyond this. The best way to limit these chemicals is to go more natural. As you all know, avoid Teflon cookware and try to limit plastic bags and bottles. You should also start shopping for more natural cleansers and hygiene products that are toxin-free. Finally, you should spend the extra money for grass-fed organic meats free of the hormones.


The good news is that there are methods to improve testosterones if you believe it’s a problem. Signs of low testosterone include: weight gain and loss of muscle mass, reproductive dysfunction, depression, and memory or concentration problems. For confirmation of a hormonal imbalance, you should run a blood test. If you do this, I would encourage checking your DHEA adrenal hormone levels as well. Bioidentical forms of DHEA have been proven to increase testosterone and other hormones. One of the main ways to improve testosterone levels as we age just happens to be the same way to prevent all other disease – diet, exercise, and stress reduction. To learn more about this, please check in next week and thanks for reading!

Monday, March 10, 2014

Three Cases

Three Cases
The Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics was very busy last month and I found three cases that might surprise you. I find that even the most devoted chiropractic adults don’t think about getting their kids checked. Obviously this is not out of a lack of concern or neglect it’s simply that many people believe you need to have back pain or headaches to benefit from chiropractic care. Here are a few published cases that might change how you look at things.


The first case was from England and focused on chiropractic care for infantile colic. Colic is also known as inconsolable crying syndrome and it affects up to 25% of newborns. The cause is unknown but is thought to be secondary to gastric reflux, migraines or another undetectable problem. In essence, the baby is crying for hours at a time for no clear reason. In the study, they looked at 100 infants and compared results from those being treated with chiropractic versus those treated medically with different drugs. They found that most cases resolved with both treatments but that the cost of the medical care was nearly 20 times greater than that of the chiropractic care. The average number of visits to get results under chiropractic was just four adjustments.


Another case looked at pediatric cough and chiropractic care. The researchers were looking to see if there was a connection to the nervous system and something as common as a cough. Not only did they find a connection, but they recognized an unusual pattern. They found that a wet (mucus) cough was associated with nerve irritation and spinal levels in the upper neck while a dry cough is associated with nerve irritation and spinal levels in the upper back. While this information is more important to the chiropractor, it should be noted that nerve pressure at a spinal level can be related to mucus production (from the neck) and constriction of the bronchioles in the lungs (from the upper back) and conversely that reduction of that nerve pressure can be helpful to resolve such conditions.


A final case involved a 14-year-old ballet dancer with hip pain on both sides and restriction of movement that was keeping her from performing. The pain came without warning or cause and was not responding to other treatment. Full-spine chiropractic adjustments were applied following an exam to identify misalignments to the spine. The result with ten adjustments was complete resolution of pain and restricted hip movement and the young girl was able to return to ballet without complication.


If you talk to any chiropractor about these cases, you will find that they all have similar stories and results. As for myself, I’ve seen miraculous results with pediatric asthma and constipation. The reason it’s so much easier to get rapid results with kids is that they are still developing and their systems are very adaptive. Furthermore, they haven’t had the time and opportunity to accumulate all the physical, chemical, and emotional stresses that cause distress and dis-ease in the body to begin with. This is precisely why the standard pediatric guidelines to chiropractic care is on average around 6-10 adjustments. The most important take-home from these cases is to realize that chiropractic care is more than just back pain. When you restore the spine back to its normal alignment and movement to reduce pressure off the nervous system, the body adapts better and performs more efficiently.