Foods to Avoid

One of my favorite sites for health information lured me in with an article titled, “The Foods You Shouldn’t Touch with a Ten Foot Pole.”  Turns out, none of the foods on the list should come as a surprise to anyone out there, but the reasons why to avoid these foods was compelling.  As I’ve discussed in the past, the key to changing behavior is to change the belief that drives that behavior and changing beliefs comes from knowledge like this.

The foods we should all avoid include all sodas (especially diet drinks), doughnuts and pastries, French fries, breakfast cereals, and all processed snacks or junk food.  This should be a familiar list to everyone, but this time, the reason to quit these foods is not just the trans-fats, the sugar, the additives and preservatives, or the genetically modified grains.  A recent study has shown that a diet rich in these junk foods will cause a deficiency in the normal balance of bacterial flora in our own system – meaning that we will be lacking the healthy bacteria that help to prevent illness.  Lacking these “good guy” bugs has been found to be linked to a weakened immune system, increased bad bacteria, poor digestion, and a general inability to absorb vitamins/minerals and eliminate dangerous toxins.  Worse than this, many believe that this imbalance of bacteria is a major cause to ailments such as eczema, asthma, various allergies, inflammatory conditions, and autoimmune disease.  If you’ve followed this column very long, you know that all disease is linked to inflammation in some manner and that normal bacterium of your intestine is one of the first lines of defense we have as part of our immune system -- they say 80% or our immune function is in our gut.

Knowing this, what should you do?  First, avoid the above listed foods as much as possible.  Secondly, be conservative when taking antibiotics or using antibacterial soaps that kill not only the bad guys, but also the good guys.  Eat foods that replenish healthy bacteria such as organically grown fruits and vegetables and fermented dairy products such as real yogurt (not the sugary kind) or Kefir.  Lastly, as I have recommended in the past, take a high-quality probiotic supplement regularly to reseed the gut with these vital microorganisms.  

Giving Thanks

As a chiropractor, I’m always challenging people to look to the cause of their pain, ailment, or illness because unless you uncover the cause, you’ll always be treating and managing the symptoms.  The World Health Organization has reported that the ultimate cause of any loss of health is excessive amounts of physical, chemical, and/or emotional stress beyond the body’s natural ability to adapt.  Research suggests that emotional stress is the single biggest factor of these different stressors.  In my discussions with people, I certainly find that many are dealing with excessive amounts of this emotional stress resulting with increased pain, sleep disorders, anxiety and depression, digestive disorders, amongst other health problems.  In preparation for Thanksgiving, I wanted to share a reminder of a strategy on how to reduce the effects of our daily stress.

First of all, I’d like to emphasize that we weren’t born into stress.  Instead, we experience different stress, and over time we practice this stress until we get very good at it.  In time, our conscious stress (what we perceive and what we choose to focus on) becomes subconscious stress.  In subconscious stress, our brain is functioning in a revved-up, fight/flight state that is appropriate for survival (fighting a bear) but not appropriate for every-day life.  When our brain is in this state, it changes our physiology through our nervous system and our hormones and our organs start to function differently. Eventually, this can manifest as almost any disease out there.  So we must interrupt the stress response!  Physical exercise, yoga, meditation, prayer, and other disciplines have been proven to decrease stress.  But given the season, I would like to encourage you to just try another strategy that can reduce the subconscious stress.  This strategy is using a gratitude journal.

Science has proven that our brain cannot be in a state of stress and gratitude at the same time.  This is why I like to call, gratitude the universal solvent of all emotional stresses.  All you need is a small notebook or journal and a pen by your bed stand.  In the mornings, before your feet hit the floor, you simply write down five things that you’re grateful for.  These can be big or small.  This is to allow you to at least begin your day in this state with the goal of staying in a state of gratitude as long as possible.  Then at night, right before your head hits the pillow, you read some of the things you’ve written over the mornings until you feel like you are back in that state of gratitude.  This will work best if you stay in this state and don’t let any other thoughts enter your head until you’re asleep.  In doing this, you will be retraining the subconscious mind to be in this state rather than a state of anxiety, depression, anger, etc.  This is a simple strategy that will render results over time.  Give it a try and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

A Seasonal Snack

‘Tis the season when whatever healthy eating habits we may have established over the year go out the window and are dismissed until January’s resolutions come around.  It’s good to know going into this season that there are some snacks that are good for us now and the whole year through.  Pumpkin seeds are considered to be nutritional powerhouses that are rich in numerous nutrients including the ever-important minerals, magnesium, copper, and zinc.  They are also a healthy, low-fat source of protein that can be particularly helpful for vegetarians.  Because of their nutritional value, these seasonal seeds are considered useful in preventing numerous diseases.

Because of their magnesium, just one-quarter cup of pumpkin seeds help the pumping of your heart and relaxation of your blood vessels.  The mineral also serves for stronger bones and teeth, and proper bowel function.  By helping to lower blood pressure, the magnesium in these seeds is believed to help prevent heart attack and stroke.  Because of their zinc, just one ounce of the seeds will help with cell growth, mood, sense of taste and smell, regular sleep, insulin regulation, male sex function, and boosting your immune system.  Deficiencies in zinc have been linked to increased colds/flu, chronic fatigue, depression, and learning problems in kids.  Zinc is also very important in preventing and possibly even treating prostate problems.  Pumpkin seeds are one of the best sources of plant-based omega-3’s, the essential nutrient most of us are deficient in.  The seeds are packed full of anti-oxidants that reduce inflammation but also can help improve insulin regulation and diabetic complications.  This anti-inflammatory effect has even been found to work as well as the drug Indomethacin in treating arthritis.  Some studies have shown that the phytoestrogens found in the seeds increase the good (HDL) cholesterol.  When this is coupled with the decrease in blood pressure, hot flashes and headaches, the seeds have been found to be a valuable tool for postmenopausal women.  Similar to turkey meat, pumpkin seeds are a rich source of tryptophan which helps to increase serotonin and melatonin that will help promote proper sleep.  Eat these seeds a few hours before bed and see if sleep is improved.

Ideally, you would eat the seeds raw and organic in order to reap the benefits of the healthy fats found inside.  Some people will not like the taste of the raw seeds.  In these cases, the seeds can be soaked and then dried or they can be run through a dehydrator.  This should make them palatable.  The most popular way to consume pumpkin seeds is roasted.  However, to preserve the nutrients and enzymes that provide the health benefits, do not roast above 170 degrees F and limit cooking to just 15-20 minutes.  These seeds do not require refrigeration and can be taken with you anyplace for a quick snack.  Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Ouch

I’ve had many clients have come into the office with sore arms and shoulders.  A brief history revealed that these people had just come from getting their annual flu vaccine.  Certainly the soreness will pass.  However, there are numerous changes going on with the annual flu shot and I believe it’s a good idea to be informed and know what you are injecting into your bloodstream and what other avenues you can pursue if you don’t want an injection.

In the past, I’ve reported on the Center for Disease Control’s data that showed a link between three consecutive yearly flu shots and a 10-17 times greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s later in life (depending on which study you subscribe to).  Although the ultimate source was never confirmed, the consensus was that this risk was related to the Thimerosol.  This is a form of mercury that was used as a preservative for the live virus and has been found to be a powerful neurotoxin.  Most of today’s vaccines do not contain Thimerosol.  However, many still do contain chemicals which can be toxic or trigger allergic responses including: formaldehyde, egg protein, MSG, aluminum, and ethylene glycol.  The other problem with the vaccine is its efficacy.  To date, the normal flu shot contains about three or four strains of influenza.  Unfortunately, there are over 200 different viruses known to cause flu and flu-like symptoms.  As a result, the CDC reports, “During the years when the flu vaccine is not well matched to circulating viruses, it’s possible that no benefit from flu vaccination may be observed.”  Even when the match is good, results can be questionable.  For instance, in the 2012-2013 flu season, vaccines were only nine percent effective against type A influenza in people over 65 and around 56% in all other age groups.  This has caused many to question the benefit of the shots over the risks.  As a result, researchers are scrambling to develop what they refer to as a universal flu vaccine.  This new brand of flu shot will attempt to stimulate the virus-killing immune cells known as CD8 T-cells.  Studies have shown that people with higher percentages of these cells do not get the flu or experience only mild symptoms.

If you decide to get the shot, I encourage you to do some research before you inject anything into your blood. You can go to www.nvic.org and check the ingredients, contraindications, and warnings of all 12 flu shots that are out there this year.  If you decide not to get the shot, but you still want to boost your immunity, I recommend regular exercise, adequate sleep, chiropractic adjustments, and a diet low in sugar and trans-fats.  There’s plenty of evidence to show how this approach works to boost your immune system and it’s allowed me to only miss one day of work due to illness in the last 17 years.  Vitamin C also helps to boost the immune system and decrease the nasty effects that sugar has on immunity.  Probiotics are critical for providing the healthy bacteria in the gut that will help fight off any bad germs that we might ingest.  Lastly, these CD8 T-cells that scientists are attempting to stimulate with a universal vaccine; these cells are increased in people with adequate vitamin D and they are lacking in those who do not have enough vitamin D.  

Real Solutions

Last week I discussed Metabolic Syndrome and its link to a much greater risk of premature death related to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes.  The syndrome is characterized by five common risk factors that are all preventable with better choices and proper lifestyle.  As promised, this week I will discuss the real-life solutions for preventing Metabolic Syndrome and the diseases associated with it.

In the past I’ve written that solutions for health must be multi-dimensional.  It’s the same with preventing these disease states – you must do all the right things.  This is the very reason we brought the 8 Weeks to Wellness program to our office.  This program was designed specifically to address all the risk factors of Metabolic Syndrome.  The specific type of exercise and low glycemic diet address the increased blood glucose, waist measurement, and B.M.I. or obesity.  Stress reduction strategies are implemented along with the diet and exercise to help lower the blood pressure, elevated triglycerides and cholesterol.  The diet, omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil and increased lean muscle from exercise will all act to increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels.  Chiropractic and massage are necessary to restore structural balance and function as well as to reduce the aches and pains that often prevent people from doing these strategies on their own.

Believe it or not, eliminating the risk factors of Metabolic Syndrome and reducing the risk of al the associated diseases is this simple.  In our 8 Weeks to Wellness program, we see results routinely.  In fact, the latest research shows that appropriate lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and stress reduction are much more effective at addressing these risk factors than conventional prescription medications.  It’s really just common sense.  Metabolic Syndrome is a lifestyle syndrome that develops as a result of poor choices over time.  The only reasonable way to reverse this process is by learning to make the right choices consistently over time.  If you’re interested in learning more, please call our office to schedule an appointment or join us for our Dinner with the Doc on November 6^th (find details in the link below) regarding all these strategies.

Dinner with the Doc

Metabolic Syndrome

While I try to keep the focus of this column on wellness, sometimes we must understand the conditions preventing us from expressing our genetic design of health and wellness.  You may have heard it named Syndrome X, but the biggest threat to the health of Americans right now is a condition known as Metabolic Syndrome.  It is estimated that 40% of the American public over forty years old already suffer from this condition and 4 of every $10 spent on healthcare is related to this syndrome.

Metabolic Syndrome became widely known in the 1970’s.  A person who is diagnosed with it runs a much greater risk of dying early from heart disease, coronary artery disease, type II diabetes, and stroke.  The syndrome is characterized by a list of common risk factors including: blood pressure higher than 130/85, blood glucose over 100, triglycerides over 150, HDL (“good”) cholesterol under 40 for men and 50 for women, and a waist measurement around the belly-button greater than 40 for men or 35 for women.  A person with just three of these five risk factors will be given the diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome and will carry the risk of early death due to these other diseases.

While doctors still resort to treating these risk factors with medications, all the experts agree that the cause of Metabolic Syndrome is directly linked to lifestyle choices as is the solution.  The simple fact of it is that even if you get your cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure numbers down with medications, you still have the conditions!  Unless you make the appropriate lifestyle changes, the numbers will go back up if you should cease to take the medications.  You must address the ultimate causes of this syndrome and these diseases which are: lack of exercise, diets high in sugars, processed carbohydrates and grains, and chronic emotional stress.  Because this syndrome is such a major factor of our healthcare crisis, I will focus on the details of the appropriate solutions again next week.

A Health History

In addition to the keys to health and wellness, I tend to gravitate toward anything on the subject of longevity.  In an article titled, The Longevity Myth, the authors point out that the belief that life expectancy has grown much over the past couple hundred years is really a myth.  While average life span of the population has appeared to go up over the last century, it is not truly because people are living longer, but that not as many are dying at very young ages from disease such as meningitis and other childhood diseases that plagued society 100 years ago.

What I found very interesting in the article was a history of healthcare in our society.  Many people believe that advances in medical technology along with high-tech surgical and pharmaceutical interventions have increased our lifespan as a culture.  The authors go to great lengths to show that this is not true.  They admit that these advanced procedures will save individual lives in a time of a crisis such as a stroke or heart attack, but that the overall life expectancy of the average individual has remained around 76 – 78 years of age.

The only time that life expectancy has made a dramatic increase was between the years of 1900 and 1925.  While many might believe this shift was due to antibiotics and vaccines, it is not because they were not invented by this time.  The authors state, “The longevity gains between 1900 and 1925 have little to do with medicine and almost everything to do with lifestyle; particularly improvement in housing, sanitation, and nutrition.”  So again, it all comes back to lifestyle choices.  Remember that science shows us that the physical body is capable of living to around 130 years if we treat it right.  For the best breakdown of what lifestyle choices we should be making to increase longevity, I (as I have in the past) encourage you to read the book, Healthy at 100 by John Robbins, M.D.  This book is almost a cookbook for longevity, but just like the authors of The Longevity Myth, Dr. Robbins points out that life expectancy is a matter of lifestyle choices.