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Bulletproof Your Core

The sacroiliac joint is where the upper body meets the lower body. It is the center of motion, the center of shock absorption, and the center of power transfer between the upper and lower body.  When we talk about core, this is what we are talking about, the sacroiliac joint, not the lumbar spine.

Given its structure, the sacroiliac joint is designed to relieve stress and forces.  It acts as a buffer between the hip and lumbar spine.

If your SI joint is not working properly that force has to go somewhere – which is going to mean pain and injury for you. Anyone who has suffered from SI joint pain knows that it can be a real pain – in the back, in the hip, and even down the leg. It can make day-to-day activities such as rolling over, standing from a seated position, or getting in and out of a car difficult.

This is one of the most common structural shifts I see in my patients. I see it in those who workout AND those who sit too much. Just like any other area in your spine – the SI joint can shift and when it does it becomes stuck. Rather than constantly masking the problem, at True Health Chiropractic, we’ve chosen to fix the foundation through specific chiropractic adjustments of the shifted SI joint.

Once the foundation has been fixed, we then teach you how to keep it that way through customized recommendations designed for your spine, so the problem does not come back.

As chiropractors, we understand the human body is better able to deal with these stressors when there is balance in the spine – allowing the nerve system to work free of any structural interference. The focus chiropractic care is to keep the bones of the spine (vertebrae) in their proper relationships with each other, which enhances the function of the spine and nerve system in order to allow the body to fully express its maximum potential and work optimally.

Besides correcting any structural shifts in the sacrum or lower lumbar spine, by improving the strength of the gluteals, hamstrings and lats – you can help maintain the correction and prevent further flare-ups.

Rather than wait for a complete breakdown, chiropractic is about keeping the body in check and doing a correction only when necessary. Remember – Normal Structure allows your body to operate smoothly and at its best.

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Chiropractic Care Impacts Pelvic Floor Control

What is the Pelvic Floor?

The pelvic floor is a large sheet of muscles between your legs, from your pubic bone at the front to your tailbone between your buttocks. These muscles help keep in place your bladder, vagina, uterus and bowel, additionally they help to control the function of these organs.

How do pelvic floor problems occur? 

Pelvic floor problems can occur when the pelvic floor muscles are stretched, weakened or too tight.

Pregnancy, childbirth and aging can put these muscles through their paces. Across the world, millions of women suffer from incontinence and related
conditions, contributing to a massive emotional, physical, social and financial costs and stress.

How can Chiropractic help?

A new ground breaking study was recently approved for publication, and the results were:
  • Pregnant women who received chiropractic care had a greater ability to relax their pelvic floor muscles at rest.
  • This relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles may mean that chiropractic care could be of benefit to pregnant women, as it may help them have a natural vaginal delivery.
Why this study matters.
 
Your pelvic floor muscles are integral to the birth process, and to the prevention of incontinence and other issues, which makes this an exciting piece of knowledge for chiropractors and for women receiving chiropractic care. Chiropractic care may actually enhance your chances of having a natural, complication free childbirth. This is better for both mother and baby.
 
In addition, for non-pregnant women – it is possible that adjustments improve the condition of the pelvic floor muscles, enables greater sensory-motor control, and potentially decreases the risk of future stress urinary incontinence, incontinence and prolapse.
References:
Pelvic floor functional changes with spinal manipulation in pregnant and non-pregnant women: A pilot study. JMPT 2016. In Press.
http://welladjusted.co/blog/2014/05/01/be-the-master-of-your-pelvic-floor/
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True Health Food Rules

TRUE HEALTH Food RulesSomewhere along the line we lost track of the idea that our food should be our medicine. In fact today, it’s quite the opposite – our modern eating habits are polluting our bodies, making us more susceptible to many preventable illnesses and diseases. We are no longer getting the nutrients from our food that are necessary to function at our optimal level. The water we drink and the food we eat are loaded with toxins, robbing us of our innate self-healing abilities.

It can be extremely confusing to attempt to keep up with the latest fads in diet or what you should or should not eat. The war on fat led to the explosion of empty (“fat-free”) carbs, food which is heavily processed and stripped of any nutritional benefits. This fat-free lifestyle has resulted in sky rocketing obesity rates. Our diet today is leading to increases in chronic degenerative diseases, and even more alarming, they are occurring at a younger age. Our lifestyle choices are pointing us directly to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune, inflammatory and neurological diseases.

It is a shame that modern medicine has largely ignored one of the best weapons against disease- nutrition. By utilizing these 10 food “rules”, we hope to guide patients to regain control of their health by eating well and by eating clean, health promoting foods.

1. Eat REAL Food

This means Grass-fed Meats/Butter and Wild Fish and Game/Free Range Eggs. Increase Colorful Fruits and Vegetables (Polyphenols = antioxidants / anti inflammatory)

2. Minimize GRAINS (including whole grains)

An excess of breads, pastas, cereals can lead to leaky gut syndrome which can lead to unwanted inflammation.

3. Add NATURAL FATS (coconut/avocado/olive oil, butter)

These natural fats help to provide immunity, development of the nervous system, and protection from micro-organisms. Avoid industrial vegetable and seed oils (soy, corn, canola, sunflower).

4. No LOW FAT or FAT FREE Processed Foods

None. Most low fat or fat free foods add sugar and chemicals to make up for the loss in taste.

5. Re-think BREAKFAST (Protein/Fat not Carbs)

No cereals, toast, or sugary yogurts. Instead, aim to fill up on protein. Better choice: Smoothies.The 3 main ingredients should be plants, fat, and protein. Any combination of several greens, avocado, coconut oil, and a little fruit will work. (When smoothies have no protein, they’re just fructose)

6. Cut Out Unnecessary SUGAR

Go plain whenever you can and sweeten it naturally, you’ll use a lot less. Eliminate any sugary beverages, stick with water with lemon and teas. Use dark chocolate as your go to treat.

7. SATURATED FATS and CHOLESTEROL are Vital for Optimum Health

Cholesterol helps babies and children develop a healthy brain and nervous system. Saturated fats promote the body’s use of essential fatty acids, enhance the immune system, protect the liver and contribute to strong bones.

8. Modern SOY Products are Dangerous

Modern soy foods, such as soy protein powders and soymilk, block mineral absorption, inhibit protein digestion, cause endocrine disruption, depress thyroid function and contain potent carcinogens.

9. Organic Does NOT Equal Healthy

Organic pasteurized milk, breakfast cereal, chips, cookies, crackers and fruit juice are highly processed, refined convenience foods lacking vital nutrients. Organic meat and milk may still come from animals in confinement and therefore lack vital nutrients for growth and immune function.

10. A VEGAN Diet Can Lead to Nutritional Deficiencies

Vital nutrients found exclusively in animal foods include complete protein, cholesterol and vitamins A, D, B6 and B12. We can’t get sufficient true vitamin A from plant foods, and most of us get enough vitamin D from the sun alone. Vitamin B12 is not absorbed from plant sources, and modern soy products actually increase the body’s need for B12. Those who do not eat meat can have a healthy diet by consuming eggs and  dairy foods from animals on pasture, and by avoiding modern soy foods.

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You Are What You Eat Ate

 

The body has an incredible ability to heal itself. When the body has the right nutrients, regular movement through exercise, a great mindset, and full function of the nervous system, it has a recipe for long lasting health.

So what does that mean? It means most diseases won’t just happen to you. You have the ability to determine the direction of your health. So, lets talk about the right nutrients. When you feed your body the right building blocks you give it the best chance to experience full potential. It only makes to sense that if we feed our body processed junk (simple carbs, sugars, vegetable oils) then that is what will makes up our cells. After all, we’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat” – which is true – BUT what most people fail to realize is that we are also what we eat ate.

Just like humans, cows and chicken thrive when they exist on the diet that they are naturally meant to eat. I can assure you that diet is NOT genetically modified corn and soy. When we consume meat from unhealthy animals – how do you think our bodies react? This is why grass-fed beef contains between 2 and 5 times more omega-3s than grain-fed beef, Grass-fed beef also contains significantly more of the antioxidants vitamin E, glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase than grain-fed beef. These antioxidants play an important role in protecting our cells from oxidation. That’s not all, grass-fed beef also contains higher levels of zinc, iron, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium. When it comes to eggs – eggs from pastured hens are more nutritious than the conventional eggs you might find at the supermarket. They are higher in Vitamin A, E and Omega-3s. They are also lower in Cholesterol and Saturated Fat.

The same hold true for produce. When you look at vegetables, what is the soil like? If the plants aren’t getting enough minerals – then you aren’t either. For example, organic crops have significantly higher antioxidant levels when compared to conventional crops.

So what can you do? Choose free-range/pastured animal products whenever possible. Choose the cheaper cuts of the best quality meat you can afford and slow cook them (the fats and skin of pastured animals are also full of great nutrients). If you can’t afford free range/grass fed meats, choose leaner cuts of non-pastured animals and discard the fat (like us, animals store their toxins in the fat layer) and use the best quality fats you can to cook them (organic coconut oil, grassfed butter, ghee). Look for wild-caught fish where possible, again the farmed varieties are fed an unnatural diet of  soy, corn and grain pellets.

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Less + More in the New Year

With every new year comes the pressure to resolve to either STOP or START doing something – which for most – will ultimately not come to fruition. After all, a resolution is an ongoing effort – not a one time event. It should be a constant process that evolves throughout the year.

With that in mind, I recently stumbled upon the excellent idea of a LESS + MORE list from Wellfesto. Here’s how to make your list:

  • Grab a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle
  • On the left, list out the things you’d like to do less of in your life
  • On the right, list out the things you’d like to do more of
  • Put the date somewhere on your list
  • Tack your list up someplace where you can see it every single day
  • Live your list
  • Add + change your list as you need to

The idea behind this is to minimize the things that move you away from health and towards sickness and maximize the things that make you feel and function great (like chiropractic adjustments!). This is NOT a list of absolutes. It doesn’t mean you’ll never ever eat sugar again, but it does mean you should think about how much of it you put into my body on a daily basis throughout the year.

This list is about living life with purpose – as much of the time as possible. Remember, no matter what’s going on, no matter what your past experience has been, you have the POTENTIAL to make a change. At True Health, we choose to focus on the untapped potential for health and vitality available for your body – we will walk you down the path to your best life. It is only getting better and better.

Be ahead of the game – launch 2016 proactively. The only one who can make this a great year is you.