True Health Food Rules

Somewhere 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.

May 17, 2015May 18, 2015

New Insight on Headaches

Headaches are a secondary condition almost everyone can attest to experiencing. But why are they so common?

Headaches are the number one reason for purchase of over-the-counter drugs. Understandably, these medications offer a temporary solution to get through the day, which is sometimes necessary in this fast-paced world. Unfortunately, it does not take care of the cause of the headaches.

There are four main types of headaches: tension, migraine, cluster and rebound. Tension is the most common, accounting for 90% of all headaches – these result in contraction of the muscles in the neck and skull, and are due to stress, poor posture and Anterior Head Syndrome (AHS). When it comes to migraines, there are often known triggers, such as dehydration, caffeine, red wine and chocolate – but avoiding these may not always help. We are now realizing why: many migraine sufferers have headaches that stem from the nerves in the neck.

A recent article at CBS News explains what structural chiropractors have always known – dysfunction in the joints of your neck (a structural shift) can irritate nerves and lead to all sorts of symptoms (including migraines). Dr. Houman Danesh of Mount Sinai Hospital explains, “Essentially the joints start rubbing against each other, and that irritates the nerve that goes from the back of your neck to the back of your head, and can offset and trigger a nightmare.”[pullquote]”Essentially the joints start rubbing against each other, and that irritates the nerve that goes from the back of your neck to the back of your head, and can offset and trigger a nightmare.”[/pullquote]

Medicine is now starting to recognize the science behind chiropractic. The difference is the medical answer to this is to inject anesthesia into the area and temporarily reduce symptoms, which can help BUT it can also lead to further degeneration and damage of the joint since it’s not addressing the underlying cause – a structural shift in the spine.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to just restore normal function to the shifted segment of the spine and alleviate the nerve irritation causing the symptoms? Good news – that’s what we do everyday at True Health through a specific, gentle chiropractic adjustment.

November 11, 2014

5 Reasons to See a Chiropractor During Pregnancy

Chiropractic-Care-During-Pregnancy

Did you know that structural shifts in the spine can happen during pregnancy? When the pelvis is shifted it affects the uterus and the position of the growing baby. However, a well functioning nervous system enables a mother to easily combat many of the hurdles of pregnancy. Often women learn to just accept pregnancy discomforts such as nausea, heartburn, constipation, pubic pain etc, when in fact they don’t need to.

Chiropractic care is extremely important before, during and after pregnancy. Studies show that having your spine checked regularly may result in a less stressful pregnancy and a less uncomfortable delivery. To shed more light on this subject, here are 5 reasons to receive chiropractic care during your pregnancy:

1. Shorter Labor Time

First time moms who received regular chiropractic care experienced on average, a 25% shorter labor time. As for seasoned moms who received chiropractic care; labor time was on average, 31% shorter. Vaginal delivery is strongly dependent on the alignment and relationship between the mother’s pelvis and baby. If there are misalignments, it can interfere with effective labor and delivery, thus prolonging it.

2. Enhance Fetal Positioning

The Webster Technique is a technique that is used to correct structural shifts in the sacrum to allow the baby to get into the best possible position for birth. A Webster Certified Chiropractor has advanced training in prenatal chiropractic care. It balances the pelvis, eliminating undue tension to muscles and ligaments and enhances optimal fetal positioning.

This highly effective technique is safe and gentle and should be a first approach before considering more invasive methods. As a Webster Certified Doctor, I have seen countless situations where a baby has changed position and a mother was able to avoid a C-section or medical intervention.

3. Less Painful Labor

In a hospital study that incorporated chiropractic adjustments during the patient’s pregnancy, the results indicated that there was a 50% decrease in the need for painkillers during delivery, attributable to pre-delivery adjustments.

4. Better Chance of a Natural Birth

Establishing pelvic balance and alignment is another reason to obtain chiropractic care during pregnancy. A misaligned pelvis may make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery. This can affect the mother’s ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth. Better positioning and proper nerve system function improve the mother’s ability to birth naturally.

5. Better Recovery After Delivery

Often after birth, whether vaginally or via c-section, the mother’s pelvic biomechanics change – these changes can bring discomfort with walking, nursing and sleeping. Receiving regular chiropractic care during your pregnancy gives you a better chance at recovering faster after delivery. After all, specific adjustments can eliminate the cause of stress in the spine and pelvis – and improve your body’s ability to function naturally.

August 14, 2014

Infantile Colic? What You Can Do

Infantile colic can be very stressful for parents whose baby is inconsolable during crying episodes. Colic is often defined by the “rule of three”: crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for longer than three weeks in an infant who is well-fed and otherwise healthy.

Medications available in the United States have not been proved effective in the treatment of colic, and most behavior interventions have not been proved to be more effective than placebo. So what options do parents have?

Pediatric Chiropractic

A recent systemic review published in the Cochrane Library, evaluated the results of studies designed to address the efficacy of hands on therapies (specifically, chiropractic, osteopathy and cranial manipulation) for infantile colic in infants less than six months of age.

The authors concluded that majority of clinical trials seemed to indicate parents of infants using this type of care for colic reported fewer hours of crying per day and was statistically significant. The trials also indicate that a greater proportion of those parents reported improvements that were clinically significant.

George Lewith, MA, DM, FRCP, MRCGP, professor of health research at the University of Southampton commented “the majority of the included trials indicate that the parents of infants receiving manipulative therapies reported fewer hours crying per day than parents whose infants did not. This difference is statistically significant and important for those families who experience this condition. These studies show that in this small sample there were no adverse effects from using these treatments.”

Few parents understand the importance of the brain’s control over the digestive system in their child. The brain controls digestion, along with many other functions, through the Autonomic Nervous System. However, the messages have to travel unimpeded from the head to the body. As a Structural Chiropractor, I know that stressful births (even C-sections) can strain the head and neck (a typical birth can place 60-90 lbs of force onto an infant’s head and neck), causing subtle shifts in the spine leading to interference in the nerve signals between the brain and the digestive system. Early check ups can help prevent structural shifts from becoming a chronic problem. Continue reading “Infantile Colic? What You Can Do”

April 9, 2014

Healthy is Normal

We are designed to be extraordinary. Every cell in your body is hardwired to be healthy. Unfortunately, in America the expectation is that we are supposed to be sick, and that there is always a solution (usually found in a bottle).

If we think about a flower – the seed contains all of the things that the flower needs to flourish and grow – as long as it gets everything it requires. Now, when a plant starts to wilt, we automatically wonder, “what is it missing?” But when it come to humans, our first thought is “what do I have?” meaning what condition or name is the current state of dysfunction in our body. We want a label – and the pharmaceutical industry is happy to oblige.

The truth is, you are not your condition. You’re simply the culmination of your body’s inability to adapt to the stressors placed upon it on a regular basis. When you come to this realization, it leaves you with 2 choices: remove the stress OR increase your body’s ability to adapt to it. Remember, we are just like the flower – our body has its own requirements – and as long as their fulfilled, the natural, default state is health. We do not have to discover health, we just have to allow it.

One of our body’s requirements (along with proper movement and proper fuel) is proper nerve supply. An impaired nerve system could reduce immune function, concentration, recovery from illness and injury; it could lessen athletic performance and digestive function. It could even alter behavior. Stressors (aka your life) cause spinal shifts within the inner framework of your body. When we look at the nervous system, any structural imbalance that occurs becomes part of your pattern as you get older. This cartilage system, this spine, if it’s shifted, altered or distorted, it’s automatically creating an inhibition or interference in the neurological system. That pattern becomes yours as you get older, and it’s much more difficult to correct or to set right.

The goal in our office is to maintain the integrity of your spine and nervous system. Instead of focusing on the health lost, deterioration created, energy decrease, immune system suppression and all the negative effects of nerve interference and not fulfilling all your requirements, at True Health Family Chiropractic, we choose to focus on the untapped potential for health and vitality available for your body.

All you really need to know is that we all are designed to function, heal and re-create from the inside out. No matter what other steps you add – diet, exercise, meditation – without a proper nerve supply, you can never be at your full potential. If you want to be healthy, you have to have a healthy nervous system.