Tag: Health

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What You Need to Know About the Flu Shot

As most of you probably know, influenza is a contagious viral respiratory infection.

Symptoms include:

  • Fever / Chills
  • Runny nose
  • Sore throat
  • Cough
  • Muscle aches
  • Fatigue
  • Decreased appetite

Typically, the condition will improve after two to three days of bed rest, although some symptoms may persist for about a week.

What many people do NOT know, however, is that death caused directly by the flu virus is very rare. The vast majority of so-called “flu deaths” are in fact due to bacterial pneumonia – a potential complication of the flu if your immune system is too weak. The elderly and people with other pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, are at higher risk of developing pneumonia after a bout of the flu.

The Flu Vaccine Does Not Prevent the Flu, nor Protect Against the Vast Majority of Flu-Related Deaths Continue reading “What You Need to Know About the Flu Shot”

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Is Your Spine in Line?

Is Your Spine In Line?
15 Warning Signs of an Unhealthy Spine:

  1. Your Heels Wear Out Unevenly. This can be due to uneven leg length or stress along the length of the spine.
  2. You Can’t Take a Satisfying Deep Breath. Subluxations in the upper back and ribs can cause restricted breathing and/or expansion of the chest.
  3. Your Jaw “Clicks”. This can be caused by neck misalignment and severe tension in the upper neck.
  4. You Have to “Crack” Your Neck, Back, or Other Joints Often. This is your body telling you that something is out of alignment. It can be caused by areas of your spine that are locked or jammed.
  5. You Can’t Twist or Turn Your Head or Hips to Either Side Easily and Equally. Reduced range of motion comes from misaligned vertebrae.
  6. You Are Often Tired. An unbalanced spine drains your energy.
  7. You Have Poor Concentration. Misalignments in your spine affect the Brain-Body connection.
  8. You Have Low Resistance to Disease. Chiropractic adjustments to reduce nerve pressure have been shown to help increase white blood cells throughout the body. Studies show that every time you get adjusted, your Interleukin-2 (IL-2) levels go up immediately. IL-2 is what your body uses to kill viral and bacterial assaults. Continue reading “Is Your Spine in Line?”
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Who Should Be Taking Probiotics?

If you’ve read my post on the Core Four nutritional supplements, you know that I recommend that everyone should take a probiotic supplement. The main reason being that 80% of your immune system resides in your intestines, and by keeping the ratio of healthy bacteria (intestinal flora) in proper balance – it can have a profound impact on your health and well-being.

The good thing about probiotics is that they don’t even need to be taken every day. Once the healthy flora has been introduced into your gut (usually after several weeks), they tend to multiply and flourish easily on their own. The benefits of taking a probiotic include: improved digestion, strengthen immune function, and better nutrient absorption.

Now, new research is giving us more reasons to take a probiotic supplement. Probiotic bacteria have the potential to alter brain neurochemistry and treat anxiety and depression-related disorders according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

According to Science News:

“Mice fed broth fortified with a type of friendly intestinal bacteria called Lactobacillus rhamnosus behaved less anxiously than mice fed broth without bacteria. Those behavior changes were accompanied by differences in levels of a brain-chemical sensor and stress hormones.

In addition, ingestion of the bacteria resulted in significantly lower levels of the stress-induced hormone, corticosterone. These findings highlight the important role of bacteria in the communication between the gut and the brain, and suggest that certain probiotic organisms may prove to be useful adjunct therapies in stress-related psychiatric disorders.

This is the first time that it has been demonstrated that potential probiotics have a direct effect on brain chemistry – it is something that defintely warrants more research. So, if better digestion and a stronger immune system weren’t good enough reasons to add a probiotic to your daily routine- you can now add happiness to that list.

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Why Whole Food Vitamins?

Are synthetic, isolated vitamins and non plant sourced minerals really that different from naturally occurring vitamins, plant sourced minerals, and other micronutrients? The answer is a resounding YES.

Here is what you need to know. Synthetic, isolated vitamins never grew in the ground, were never energized by the sun, and were never alive. They are chemicals; they are NOT food or nutrients. The tragedy is that under the current standards these chemicals can be marketed and studied as vitamins. They are also what are used to determine daily values and to study potential benefit and harm of supplementing your diet with vitamins. However, ingesting chemical synthetic vitamins does not represent vitamin supplementation; it represents the ingestion of chemicals or drugs. Continue reading “Why Whole Food Vitamins?”

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Consumer Reports: Chiropractic Tops Among Alternative Therapies

A new Consumer Reports survey of more than 45,000 people finds that three out of four Americans are turning to alternative therapies to improve their health. The survey, in their upcoming September issue says readers are increasingly turning to chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, yoga and other alternative therapies for discomfort from conditions such as back pain, neck pain and osteoarthritis.

What’s even more interesting is that the survey also shows alternative therapies are being used successfully to help with a range of conditions including anxiety, allergies, headache and migraines, depression, and insomnia. In addition, the report indicates that medical doctors are more open to alternative therapies than most people assume.

Some responses from the survey: Continue reading “Consumer Reports: Chiropractic Tops Among Alternative Therapies”