It Just Takes 25¢

Several years ago a study from the University of Colorado proved that as little as 10 mm of pressure on a nerve root coming out of the spine would cause at least a 50% reduction of the electrical impulse traveling down that nerve from the spinal cord.  10 mm of pressure is equivalent to the weight of a quarter and this pressure could come from sources including simple misalignment of the individual vertebrae, bulging of the disc, swelling of the soft tissues, or arthritic degeneration.  Whatever the cause, minimal pressure on the delicate nerve root exiting the spine would diminish the electrical signals going out to the body by at least half!

Certainly anyone who has experienced what is so commonly called a “pinched nerve” running down their arm or leg can attest to the significance of this research.  But let’s look at the bigger picture.  What controls, organizes, and regulates every function in your body?  Hopefully you’re thinking: The Brain.  But to function, the brain must communicate with the rest of the body and it does this through the nervous system – that network of wiring that communicates with all parts of the body.  The nervous system carries thousands of messages between the brain and body every second and all these signals travel through the spinal column and the holes found between the individual bones of the spine.  If there was pressure or tension on the nerves where they exit through these holes found in the spinal column, doesn’t it stand to reason that that could cause problems not only at the point of pressure, but also wherever that nerve travels?  Obviously, if this pressure were on the sciatic nerve going down your leg it could cause leg pain or if the tension was on the greater occipital nerve going back to your head, it could cause headaches?  But what if the pressure was on the nerves going to your stomach, bladder, or colon; would they work better or worse?  Fortunately, the body is smart and it doesn’t devote just one nerve to every organ and gland, but it stands to reason that any interference with those signals would decrease efficiency and function.

This research and the simple philosophy behind it has been the basis of chiropractic care since its inception in 1895.  When you reduce tension from the nervous system, you improve the communication between the brain and body which in turn improves the body’s ability to feel right, heal right and function right.

Resolutions Pt. 2

New Year’s resolutions are upon us!  Last week I shared the reason most resolutions fail is that our resolutions are focused on changing habits or behaviors.  To get lasting change we need to change the belief structure behind these behaviors.  Keep the focus on ‘why’ you want to change and learn how will your life be better by this change?  If your resolution for 2010 is related to health, remember that it is easier to add something healthy than it is to take away something unhealthy.  Whatever our unhealthy habits might be, we indulge them because they give us a degree of pleasure.  This is a belief structure that will take some work to change.  Rather for your resolution this year, set an intention to add some of the things you know you should be doing.  Here are some suggestions based on subjects discussed in this column over the last year.

You can commit to drinking 6-8 glasses of water each day – have two in the morning before you get going.  You can commit to eating at least one fruit or vegetable with every meal.  Or, commit to at least seven hours of sleep per night.  Pick a few forms of exercise you enjoy and schedule time every week for at least 100 minutes of these activities.  Take multivitamins, fish oil, and other supplements to promote health.  Make time for a daily hobby or activity that relieves stress or spend time daily in prayer or meditation. 

If you’ve followed this column at all you should know that our state of health or disease is in direct relation to the quality of the choices we make and no matter where you are now, you can always work to improve your state of health.  These are all simple examples of choices you can make that will ultimately add to your health and decrease your risk of disease.  Pick one to get going and then next month, add another healthy choice!  I wish you the very best and a healthy new year!

Resolutions

I’d like to share my thoughts about beliefs, behaviors, and resolutions.  The New Year is rapidly approaching and with it brings a time for resolutions.  A resolution by definition is an attempt to change your behavior.  In the next few weeks, millions of Americans will join a gym, start an exercise or post-holiday starvation plan, or maybe try to stop smoking.  While all of these are excellent plans, why do most of these resolutions fail and old behaviors return?  All our behaviors are learned habits that our based on pleasure and pain.  We fail because most of us try to change the habits that give us pleasure and move toward habits that are perceived by pain.  For instance, most resolve to give up foods we like and start an exercise program we don’t like (so much).  This is a recipe for failure and is in contradiction to human nature.

The reason resolutions often fail is that we attempt to change the behavior rather than the belief system that is at the root of that behavior.  Nobody who smokes, or overindulges in sweets or alcohol does so without knowledge that it is bad for them – they do it because it gives them pleasure.  To get results, we need to change our beliefs.  For instance if you want to lose weight and get in shape, purchase a book or program that is more than a strategy – you want to learn the ‘why’ behind the strategy.  Learn how the body works and why this program works to get the results you desire.  Learn everything about the benefits/pleasure you can enjoy with weight loss and fitness.  If you want to quit smoking, learn all you can about the devastating effects that smoking has on all parts of your body. Your belief and understanding of the pain of smoking must become greater than the pleasure you get from the habit.  More on this next week!

Not the Same

I found an article by Dr. Mark Hyman that I thought should be shared.  Dr. Hyman is a New York Times bestselling author and a doctor of functional medicine addressing the root causes of chronic illness.  The title of his article caught my eye as it was Five Reasons High Fructose Corn Syrup Will Kill You.  While that’s certainly an attention-grabber, I was particularly interested because I spent some time with a sales rep. from one of the biggest High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) producers in the country at a wedding a few years ago.  I decided to ask him his side of the story and he somewhat defensively explained that corn syrup is “natural” and there was absolutely no health risks associated with HFCS that weren’t associated with regular sugar.  Unfortunately, Dr. Hyman’s research does not support this position.

Yes, it is true that sugar in any form can and will contribute to obesity and chronic disease.  Each sweetened soda, sports drink, or tea contains the equivalent of 12-17 teaspoons of sugar.  This adds up very quickly and will contribute to disease whether it’s in the form of HFCS or the real sugar.  A key difference of HFCS is that its molecular structure is different from regular sugar and that allows it to be absorbed into the blood stream more rapidly.  Furthermore, the fructose in it goes straight to the liver and triggers the fatty production of cholesterol and triglycerides.  Over time, this can cause fatty liver disease which afflicts 70 million people.  This phenomenon drives obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.  Dr. Hyman reports that high doses of free fructose in the gut have been proven to “punch holes in the intestinal lining allowing nasty byproducts of toxic gut bacteria to enter your blood stream and trigger widespread inflammation” that we know is linked to so many diseases.  Even worse, some research has shown that HFCS is contaminated with mercury.  This is certainly not natural as mercury is considered toxic at any level and is associated with numerous neurological diseases.  Perhaps one of the biggest problems with HFCS is that it does not stimulate insulin secretion or enhance leptin production as natural sugar is intended to do.  Insulin and leptin are regulators of food intake essential to controlling our appetite and weight.  Obviously, this dilemma leads to overconsumption and obesity.  The final warning that Dr. Hyman presents regarding high fructose corn syrup is that foods containing this ingredient are most likely fake, manufactured foods that are devoid of any other nutritional value as well.  He advises using HCFS as a red flag for foods to stay away from and making a habit of consuming only real food that truly is natural.

The sugar consumption in this country is out of control and directly responsible for much of our chronic disease and unnecessary suffering.  We have to recognize this and cut back.  However, I hope from these critical distinctions pointed out, you can see that even though it’s cheaper and reportedly safe, high fructose corn syrup is not natural and is indeed worse than regular sugar.  My challenge to you is to read all your labels and try to go two weeks without HFCS and see what happens.

Would You Wash Your Car in It?

I had a request to revisit the drinking water controversy.  While I’ve covered this material, I decided to oblige this request at this time because I always find more people dehydrated in the winter than even in the dead of summer.  The reason for this is that heat kicks in our thirst mechanism from the brain and gives us the urge to hydrate.  As a result, people need to make a conscious effort to drink water in the winter months.  Let me stress that water is not optional.  Our bodies are approximately 70% water by weight and of the millions of chemical reactions occurring in your body every second, nearly every one occurs in a water medium.  Lastly, water detoxifies – it is a cleanser.  You wouldn’t wash your car with anything other than water, why would you wash out your body with anything less?

Once you accept that water is mandatory, the debate is what type of water to drink?  Ideally, you would walk out to your unpolluted mountain stream to fetch some high quality H₂O.  Since that is not a reality, here is a breakdown of your five basic options: 1. Tap Water – quick and convenient, but how many pollutants lurk in your water?  And what about the fluoride that has been proven to contribute to osteoporosis?  2. Bottled Water – Did you know that 40% of bottled water is actually tap water? With or without filtration – you’re paying through the nose for it. Worse, an independent test by the Environmental Working Group found arsenic, DPBs and 36 other harmful pollutants hiding in bottled water. 3. Distilled Water – While this is very clean, long-term use can invite health problems, because its minerals are evaporated out.  Distilled water actually sucks minerals out of your body.  4. Vitamin Waters – these contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, additives, preservatives, and caffeine.  Sounds a little like soda, right?  They are!  5.  Filtered Water – reverse osmosis is going to be your cleanest source of water while maintaining the proper mineral balance.  While this is ideal, any form of filtered water is better than unfiltered.  If you are drinking anything unfiltered, your body becomes the filter!

I hope this helps.  At a time of the year when most people are looking to what they can do differently with their life and their health, please resolve to drink approximately 6-8 glasses of water per day.  You will reap the benefits within the first couple weeks!