Research |

February 13, 2017

Studies Prove Your Child Needs Vitamin D

From 2000 to 2014 there was an increase in the rate of vitamin D deficiency diagnosis among children, according to a study published online Feb. 3 in Pediatrics.

The researchers found that from 2008 to 2014 there was a 15 fold increase in rate of vitamin D deficiency diagnosis. Diagnosis rates were higher in boys versus girls aged <5 years, while rates were higher in girls aged ≥10 years. “There has been a marked increase in diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency in children over the past decade,” the authors write.

Now, the next question should be: Why is this important? The reason is that Vitamin D is an essential genetic requirement for human wellness and prevention. It aids in proper function of the immune system, cardiovascular health, bone growth and repair and for overall wellness.

While it’s true that there are dietary sources of Vitamin D, they are NOT sufficient. We were designed to get our Vitamin D from sun exposure. This poses another problem as studies have also shown that children are spending less time outdoors than ever before.

This is why we recommend children (and adults) supplement with Vitamin D3 – the same form of Vitamin D that is produced by sun exposure. Ask us about the Vitamin D drops we carry on your next visit to our office.

January 5, 2016February 24, 2016

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.

September 1, 2015September 1, 2015

Avoid the “Health Halo”

Avoid the health halo Who would have thought that buying healthy food would become so difficult. These days, what you think you know about which products to select or how to read food labels often times turns out to be misconceptions. There are a number of health sounding terms that can confuse even the most educated shoppers. This is what is referred to as a health halo effect.

A “health halo” is the perception that a food is healthy, whether it truly is or not. This usually involves cleaver marketing and using buzz words such as all-natural, organic, paleo, gluten free, and/or non-GMO. While some of these products may be healthy – the majority are just processed junk food – albeit organic, gluten-free junk food.

Marketers use these buzz words for a reason – research has shown that putting an organic label on ordinary foods can trick shoppers into paying up to 23 per cent more for them by believing they are healthier and taste better. Most of us aren’t intentionally buying junk food – we may just believe the hype that a food is healthy. After all, we’re just looking for healthy food to feed our families.

Instead of focusing on these labels – do the opposite – aim to fill 3/4 of your grocery cart with food that does NOT contain labels (as in, fruits and vegetables). When you see health claims, be skeptical – they’re only there to help sell a product (the front of the box is there to persuade – not inform). One of the many positives of eating whole REAL foods is that you know exactly what’s in them. And remember, if you anything with that green USDA-Organic stamp, you will be eating GMO-free food.

Lastly, the fact that you now know that there is a “health halo” will help you avoid it (your welcome).

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.

January 5, 2015

Your Best Year Ever

power of potential — Our brains contain over 100 billion neurons each may have the ability to connect with 5,000 to 20,000 other neurons. The possibilities are endless…

No matter what’s going on, no matter what your past experience has been, this new year is packed with POTENTIAL.

There is every reason to feel good about the coming of any new year. After all, we are designed to be extraordinary. Every cell in your body is hardwired to be healthy. So don’t let cynicism about abandoned resolutions, broken promises, and “it’s never worked in the past” get in the way of what promises to be the starting point of something amazing.

Create an environment where you can be encouraged to be your best. Reactive health care is failing and we are seeing more degenerative disease (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis) than ever before. We must be pro-active and optimize our health so that we too don’t follow that path. Research tells us that genetics accounts for only about one-third of how long and well we live – the rest is under our control. In other words, our state of health is a result of how much we do to be healthy. Drugs and surgery aren’t designed for health. They are for sickness and disease. Health is built by lifestyle choices – day in and day out.

At True Health Family Chiropractic, 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.

Launch 2015 proactively. The only one who can make this a great year is you.