Symptomatic Whack a Mole

The object of the carnival game Whack-a-Mole is to use a mallet to hit as many critters as possible when they pop up in random succession.  Trouble is, as you hit one mole, three more pop up and disappear before you can nail them all.  Whack-a-Mole is a perfect metaphor for how people are medicated today.  Unfortunately in this game you end up on a ton of drugs, for a bunch of problems, with no actual improvement in your health.  According to a NCHS Data brief by the CDC, over the last 10 years the percentage of Americans who took at least one prescription drug in the past month increased from 44% to 48%.  The use of two or more drugs increased from 25% to 31%.  The use of five or more drugs increased from 6% to 11%.   Yet despite taking all these drugs, the US embarrassingly ranks 37th among the world's industrial countries when it comes overall health. For Chiropractors, health is not defined by how many symptoms you can temporarily 'whack away' with drugs, but how well your body can adapt to its environment and heal under its own innate abilities.  You have more healing intelligence in your little finger than all the doctors and pharmacies in the world put together. Big Pharma doesn't believe so, but Chiropractors do.  Keep your Nerve System clear and you won’t have to play their failing game.

STRESSED OUT?

STRESS

Here’s a simple check of your anxiety level: try to lower your shoulders. If you could – if your shoulders were tense – your body is in defense physiology. You are ready to defend yourself against attack. But you aren’t in danger – you are supposedly relaxed while reading this article. Keeping your shoulders raised is just one clue that you are not relaxed – you are “stressed out.” Other stress clues include sensations of a “knot” in your stomach or your heart pounding, feeling tense or nervous most of the time, habitual foot-bouncing or finger-tapping, teeth- grinding, jaw-clenching, or coming “unglued” easily. Unless you are in a crisis situation, you should be reasonably relaxed.


Raised shoulders mean tight muscles that are constantly poised for defense. The fuse on your disease-producing time bomb is getting shorter.


How Stress Affects your Body
We depend on defense responses to high-stress events to get ourselves geared up to survive critical situations. Quick defensive responses help protect us from accidents and injury. If man couldn’t adapt quickly to threatening situations, none of us would have survived this long. Responses to stress are normal, natural, and necessary; but constant defensiveness is not appropriate or healthy.


When you are under any kind of stress – life-threatening or just irritating – your body is stimulated. Organs and glands change gears and speed up or slow down activity as needed. Body functions, or physiology, prepare for defense. Your adrenal glands are activated, and increased amounts of energy are ready to be used. Blood pressure goes up, digestion slows, muscles tense, and your overall physiology prepares to help you survive. This all happens in a split second. This process is known as fight or flight.


Stress from an emergency is over in a short time. However, stress from anxiety, worry or anger keeps your body in defense physiology 24 hours a day whether you are awake or asleep. Anxiety affects every cell of your body. Your adrenal glands work overtime. Sooner or later, they become exhausted and your body must rely on other glands to handle the stress responses. In time, these glands lose their ability to function properly. Eventually, your body becomes exhausted and normal, repairing and healing processes are put on “hold.” 


You are a candidate for pain or disease
Anxiety and worry are more devastating to your body than the emergency type of stress that comes with a frightening brush with a potential physical disaster. Anxiety goes on and on with little relief. As physiological exhaustion sets in, the internal processes that keep your body going can’t operate efficiently to repair day-to-day wear and tear. Pain develops, and the “welcome” mat is out for disease. Pain, indigestion, headaches, allergies, and other symptoms can oftentimes be seen as the effects of long-term anxiety.


Defense Physiology – Good News and Bad News
An active response to emergencies can save your life. In a life threatening situation, you usually feel your heart pound and race, and you may be aware that your muscles are more tense than usual. However, you aren’t aware that the blood supply increases to muscles that you may need to use to run or fight. You don’t notice that some of your organ functions (like digestion and assimilation of food) slow down. You don’t need to waste energy processing food if you’re about to be hit by a car or attacked by a snarling dog.


The same physiological adaptations for defense are made in response to less physically dangerous situations – an unexpected summons by your boss, an important examination, or disturbing family problems. You’re not in danger of being injured or killed, however, you are anxious. In our “civilized” world, we generally can’t respond to anxiety-producing situations by physically “fighting back” or “running away.” We try to hide our defensive instincts – we store them for future reference.


Yet even something as simple as getting tied up in traffic can spark a defense response. The energy needed to run or fight is generated but there is no outlet for that energy. Frustrations take their toll because the body stays in a constant state of emergency. It can’t return to its normal, natural state.


Relieve Habitual Tenseness
We never “forget” anything, including how we have responded to stressful situations in the past. For example, if you are nervous when speaking to a group, you probably experience the same feelings of nervousness and fear each time you get up to speak. During similar stress of public speaking in the past, patterns of the physiological responses were stored in your subconscious mind. These stored patterns stay available in your subconscious mind to be used again and again.


Each time you encounter a situation similar to the one that “set” the pattern, your body reacts in the same way it did when the pattern was imprinted.


Let’s suppose that one day in school when you were very young, you were called on to recite. You weren’t sure of what you were supposed to say, but you mumbled a reply anyway. Some of the other students made fun of you. You were highly embarrassed. Embarrassment is a very strong emotion. We go to great lengths to avoid it. However, a single, small incident such as being very embarrassed can firmly fix in your subconscious the relationship between speaking before a group and the threat of embarrassment. For years after, whenever you try to speak to a group, your body responds to the “threat” by following the prescribed pattern of physiological defense.


If you react with intense feeling when the memory of an event or person in your past is stimulated, the reaction patterns to that event or person have become a part of your physiology. Tense muscles, shallow or deep breathing, continual flow of adrenaline, and other adapted functions can become the standard for the way your body functions.


Updating Defense Patterns
In order for your body to function normally again, gentle adjustments help you to function at your optimum and to update outmoded patterns that have been keeping your body in defense physiology.
It isn’t necessary for you or your doctor to know the circumstances that brought about a particular defensive habit pattern. It is the response pattern – not the event – that causes physical problems. You can never “forget” events of your past. The patterns of response to these events can be updated so that your body can function naturally again.


We can find the storage area of inappropriate subconscious response patterns by observing where tension is stored in your body. By adjusting your subluxations and monitoring these areas of tension we can signal your body that a new relaxed response pattern is now appropriate. With the new relaxation patterns in place, your body will function without defensive adaptations.


With response patterns updated to reflect more relaxed muscle tone and free of defense physiology your innate wisdom is better able to balance your body’s operation systems to allow them to function in harmony. In this office we are concerned with your whole being – not just muscles, joints, and organs. When you keep your nervous system functioning at its optimum, your body is better able to withstand the effects of everyday stress and resist disease.


Stress can come from physical trauma, mental anguish, emotional upsets, and chemicals and poisons. We all experience stressful situations throughout our lives. There is no cure for stress – we need stress. But stress RESPONSES don’t have to dominate your life. We can help you develop more appropriate physiological response patterns to past experiences. Relaxed, defense-free response patterns to non-threatening day-to-day events mean a healthier, more disease-free, pain-free life.


Take the simple shoulder-lowering “stress test” described at the beginning of this article throughout the day. You may be surprised at how helpful it is to realize that you are physiologically defensive. When you begin to relax, you reduce muscle tenseness.

TOP PRIORITY

----TOP PRIORITY----

Priority is defined as “that which takes precedence” . . . “that which is more important”. We handle our lives on a priority basis in doing those things which seem most important to us at the time. The word priority takes on a more significant meaning to those patients/practice members who are sincerely interested in regaining their health. People go to a doctor because they hurt somewhere, or some function of the body is not normal. Whatever the initial problem, it may or may not be in priority. If the area of pain happens to be in priority, you will feel great after the first treatment/adjustment and be convinced that your doctor has worked a miracle.


There is a decided difference in “not hurting” and “regaining health”. The elimination of pain is more easily accomplished but a return to health can be a long and hard fought struggle. The end result of the return to health, however, far outweighs the mere subsiding of pain. If you are choosing the return to health, you must understand that the body will heal itself on a priority basis. Your body’s healing energy will be directed to repairing the most serious problem that you have. To actually get well, the body must be allowed the time and the opportunity to repair everything that needs repair. The body will do this on a very definite priority schedule.


If you think about this, it is quite reasonable. Everything that the body does is reasonable, logical, even though at times we are inclined to feel that it might not be. Intense pain seems totally wrong, and yet it is the perfectly logical process for the body to warn that something is wrong. Pain and other symptoms will change as the priority of the body changes. All function and repair is according to priority. We run our lives on priority. You might like to go fishing, but you realize that you have to go to work to make money to pay bills. Going to work will take priority over going fishing. Each day we make innumerable decisions and judgements, and we act according to what we decide is priority.


Occasionally we might make a mistake in establishing our priorities, but the innate intelligence within the body does not make mistakes. This infinite wisdom that created you from two cells and guided your development and growth never makes a mistake in priority. It always chooses wisely and decisively. If your painful shoulder is not responding as quickly as you (and your doctor) would like it to, you can be assured that your body is directing the healing force to some part of your body that needs the attention more at that particular time. Some other area of your body is in higher priority. Tomorrow or the next day, an entirely different part of your body may be in the top priority.


This happens because your body rebuilds itself as a total unit and not piece by piece. That is, it would be foolish for your body to completely rebuild and repair your kidneys if your heart were to last only two more days. It will, for example, improve your kidneys perhaps 5%, then change priority and work on your heart. When the heart is improved to the point at which it is no longer the worst thing wrong with you, then our body’s wisdom will direct its attention to another organ or part of your body. It is a little like remodeling your kitchen. The carpenters reach a certain point and then the plumbers take over. When they have done just so much, the electricians have a job to do. It should all be well planned and coordinated and all finished at the same time.


Your body’s energy must be balanced and flowing to allow your body the chance to accurately select its top priority, and to do the proper job of making repairs. Rebuilding and repair is done by your body when you sleep. Just how well it is done depends on how well your body’s energy is balanced and flowing. During our waking hours, the body is concerned with activity, balance, and all the thousands of little evaluations and reflexes that allow us to stand, walk, eat, and all the other things we do. There just is not energy available at this time for repair. If you are busy riding a bicycle, you do not have time to trim your fingernails.


The body requires a lot of energy just standing upright. In fact, this job of standing is actually fighting against the effects of gravity which is always a priority situation. When you lie down, the “righting reflex” should be automatically turned off, and in a balanced body, it will be. If your energy is out of balance because you are subluxated, your body’s communication will be faulty, and some of the postural muscles may still be engaged. This is evidenced in those people who cannot relax when they lie down.
Let us put it another way. When the body is upright, the conscious mind is in action. We function in relationship to the information we derive from our senses – what we see, hear, smell, etc. Our innate intelligence, or that intelligence that built us, is busy with the maintenance of our bodies . . . the housekeeping chores.


When we lie down, the conscious mind should be shut off and innate intelligence should take over complete control of the body. Only then can this intelligence do the repair and rebuilding. The person who is subluxated and whose body is out of balance energy-wise and whose body is therefore not communicating properly is unable to “turn off” the conscious mind. It is still active, thus interfering with the Innate repair of the body. Repair is an Innate or sub-conscious function, not a function of the conscious mind.
When the conscious mind remains active during sleep, we sleep poorly and awaken just as tired as when we went to bed.


Medications of any kind will alter the priority of the body by fooling the body’s intelligence. An aspirin may mask the pain of a headache, but this is accomplished only at the expense of interrupting the body’s normal communication. If the fire alarm is disconnected, pushing the buzzer will accomplish nothing. The fire is certainly in priority, but if communication system is not intact, no one will find out about the fire and nothing will be done about it.


The body’s use of priority is seldom a totally one-sided situation. More often it is perhaps 75% and 25%. For example, a patient comes into our office with a severe sciatic pain. Her scans reveal imbalance at the level of the spine that innervates the heart. Her exam and history confirms there is serious heart trouble. The sciatic condition is actually a minor problem when compared to the condition of the heart (major). That which is causing pain is not necessarily that which is the most serious to survival.


We begin adjusting this practice member and gradually the sciatic pain diminishes and at the same time cardiac function also improves. During the course of care, the symptoms of leg pain can diminish and then recur several times while the body’s wisdom alternates repair between the major and the lesser condition.


A re-check of the spine and the scans show an improvement in the lumbar spine and pelvis structure related to the lessened sciatic pain, but it may also show a marked decrease in the imbalance at the area that innervates the heart. The body wisely places the most serious condition in priority, but evidently the major problem needs only a portion of the available energy and the rest can be directed to helping the lesser problem.


Oftentimes you will experience a pendulum swing – your neck may feel better than ever but your low back is awful. The next day the pendulum may swing and your neck may feel awful and your low back may feel great. The pendulum swings from left to right and from up to down.


In reality, to really get well, you must keep your body free of subluxations, follow a good nutritional program, maintain a positive mental outlook, and have patience in allowing sufficient time for your body to heal itself. Make sure that you are doing nothing to stimulate or to inhibit your body. The beautiful intelligence within your body, that built your body, can then follow its own priority schedule. Keep me informed of changes in how you feel, but be happy with the ups and the downs, as these represent priority changes and indicate that you are truly on the road back to good health.

GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS!

Giving Your Body What It Needs

The human body is the most incredible machine on the planet. It is designed to heal, grow, and function if you give it what it needs. Most people understand if you do not take in enough vitamins and minerals you will get sick. Different conditions can be the result of being deficient in different nutrients. If you do not get enough sleep most people know that the body will not function properly. People also know that if you take in too much of something you can also get sick. Alcohol, nicotine, sugar, salt, and caffeine are examples of such things.

What many people do not understand is how important the nervous system is. Your brain sends signals down the spinal cord, along nerves, to every cell, tissue, and organ in your body. If you cut the nerve to an area of the body, that area will not function. It is like cutting the power cord to a lamp. If you do this the lamp will not work. Now imagine a lamp with a cord that has been frayed, but not cut in half. The light may still work, but you may end up with a light that gets dimmer and brighter or flickers on and off. No matter what you do to try to correct the problem, change the light bulb, plug it into another outlet, or shake it, the problem will remain. The only way to correct the problem is to make sure the wires are touching and the connection is solid.

Spinal misalignments cause irritation to the nerves. Your organs, tissues, and cells at the end of an irritated nerve will not function properly. If you end up with a health problem because of this, you will look for a cure. No matter how much medication you take it will not correct this problem. It may mask the symptoms for a while, but the only true solution is to remove the irritation or interference. Once this occurs, your miraculous body will function better. It is essential to give the body what it needs in order to heal. In this case, it is less interference.

Could your ongoing health problems be due to interference to your nerves? There is one way to find out.  Stop in to The Joint, We've Got Your Back!

In Todays Paper: Flu Vaccines and Lupus

I was reading todays Post and Courier, "The Souths Longest Running Newspaper", and noticed a couple things I found interesting. The main article, which I would have normally skipped any other day, is titled It's Time To Get Your Flu Shot.  This article on any other day I would have found un-ordinary yet still disturbing due to misinformation and disease mongering that is prevalent in todays medical mindset.  In skimming over the article a couple of things jumped out at me, first it used to be that the flu vaccine was only recommended for those at high risk for development of the flu: elderly, immunosuppressed (funny because vaccines suppress the immune system), HIV +, health care workers, etc.  however now the DHEC (health department and CDC) says that everyone over the age of 6 months needs the shot.  This is especially disturbing to me because I have 3 boys ages 8, 6, and 8 months and I can not comprehend shooting my 8 month old up with these chemicals. Both of the previous points normally wouldn't have prompted me to write this article but it was the "Teaser" headline found across the top that I found quite puzzling and humorous.  The title was Lupus Awareness on The Fast Track.  Now I am sure the newspaper would not have printed this headline if they knew that research shows vaccination is thought to be the leading cause of todays explosive growth in auto immune diseases.  I wanted to touch on some numbers showing that vaccines are contributing if not causing this rise in auto immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, asthma, and Type I diabetes. Vaccinated children had 120% more asthma. Vaccinated boys had 317% more ADHD. Vaccinated boys had 185% more neurologic disorders. Vaccinated boys had 146% more autism. Vaccinated children had 120% more asthma. Why don't the Amish have autistic children?  When studying the Pennsylvania Dutch research, based on the national average (1 in 115), shows that there should be as many 200 autistic children.  In actuality during the study there were 3:  The first child was adopted from china and had received immunizations before coming to America. The second child had received first wave of vaccinations, developed autism spectrum type disorder before family became Mennonite. The researchers were unable to determine any vaccination history for 3rd child. This research study was incredible in showing the link between modern vaccination/medical model and disease. Also be sure to check out my earlier post titled Beware Flu Germs Are Out To Get You Thank you and please feel free to reply with any comments or concerns.

12 Health Myths Even Most Doctors Believe

12 Health Myths Even Most Doctors Believe

CNN has published a list of the “truth about twelve health myths”. Among the
myths this article busts? “If you cross your eyes, they’ll stay that way.” “Eat the crust of your bread because it’s full of antioxidants,” and, “to get rid of hiccups, have someone startle you.”

Seriously?
There is massive amount of medical misinformation circulating right now, which is causing an epidemic of chronic disease, unprecedented in human history, and their big concern is whether or not if you cross your eyes, they’ll stay that way?

CNN is beyond clueless.
The primary purpose of their article is entertainment, as it has absolutely nothing to do with the top health myths. With articles such as this one, CNN is part of the problem of perpetuating misinformation and leading you astray with nonsense.
Below I will review 12 REAL health myths that CNN didn’t bother to mention, even though these are the cause of a lot of unnecessary suffering and premature death.

Believe me, there is no shortage of real health myths that can, and do, have a massive impact on tens of thousands if not millions of people.

Here is my list of the top 12 health myths, none of which CNN bothered to mention:

1: Cardio is One of the Best Types of Exercise

In recent years, researchers have begun to realize that conventional cardio, such as jogging, is not all it’s been cracked up to be, and that you can actually improve your health and increase fat burning by making slight modifications to your cardio routine.
The problem is that traditional cardio only works on the slow twitch muscle fibers in your red muscle, completely ignoring your white muscle super-fast twitch fibers.
“Burst Training” refers to peak exercises done once or twice a week, in which you raise your heart rate up to your anaerobic threshold for 20 to 30 seconds, followed by a 90-second recovery period.
To perform these properly you will want to get very close to, if not exceed, your maximum heart rate by the last interval. Your maximum heart rate is calculated as 220 minus your age. You will need a heart rate monitor to measure this as it is nearly impossible to accurately measure your heart rate manually when it is above 150.
Researchers have found that interval cardio produces a unique metabolic response that is in large part responsible for its superior benefits. Intermittent sprinting produces high levels of chemical compounds called catecholamines, which allow more fat to be burned from under your skin and within your muscles. The resulting increase in fat oxidation is thought to drive the increased weight loss.
It is also the only type of exercise that will increase growth hormone levels. This becomes especially important after the age of 30, when growth hormones steadily decline. It is much safer and far less expensive to have your body make growth hormone naturally though "Burst" type exercises than inject it like many athletes do to the tune of $1500 per month.

2: Vaccines are Safe and Effective and Prevent Disease

I completely understand that for many this issue is not debatable as they believe that vaccines are one of the greatest gifts to public health in the history of civilization.
If you believe that, then let me encourage you to open your mind and explore other views held by many well respected physicians, scientists, clinicians and pro-vaccine safety educators.
When it comes to vaccines, there are three primary questions that need to be considered.

• First, is the vaccine in question safe?
• Secondly, does it effectively prevent disease?
• And third, which vaccines can safely and effectively be given together or in close succession?

Unfortunately, these issues have not been sufficiently studied for most vaccines, and those vaccines that have been studied frequently show that they are either unsafe or ineffective, or both!
Pro-vaccine-safety educators have long been saying that vaccines can over-stimulate your child’s immune system, sometimes causing the very disease it’s designed to protect against, or worse. And, when several vaccines are administered together, or in close succession, their interaction may completely overwhelm your child’s developing immune system.
This is one of the primary problems with vaccines in general – their detrimental impact on your body’s primary, natural defense against ALL disease.
Now consider that if your child is vaccinated according to the CDC's recommended schedule, by the time your child starts kindergarten he or she will have received 48 doses of 14 vaccines. Of these, 36 doses will be given during the first 18 months of life – a time when your child’s body and brain is undergoing massive development!
Public health officials have NEVER proven that it is indeed safe to inject this volume of vaccines into infants. What's more, they cannot explain why, concurrent with an increasing number of vaccinations, there has been an explosion of neurological and immune system disorders in American children.

3: Fluoride in Your Water Lowers Your Risk of Cavities

The theory behind the introduction of fluoride in your water supply initially seems beneficial – to reduce the incidence of dental caries in children. However, the health dangers of fluoride are so numerous; they far outweigh any benefit to your teeth, and that’s IF water fluoridation actually did what its claimed to do.
Today, even promoters of fluoridation concede that the major benefits are only from topical applications; fluoride works from the outside of the tooth, not from inside of your body, so why swallow it?
Statistics tell us that water fluoridation is ineffective for preventing caries. There is practically no difference in tooth decay between fluoridated and non-fluoridated countries, and no difference between states that have a high- or low percentage of their water fluoridated.
Meanwhile, fluoride can cause significant harm, from dental fluorosis to thyroid damage to reduced IQ... and much more.

4: GMOs Crops are Safe, Well Tested and Economically Beneficial

GMOs may be the greatest health disaster in the American diet. Within 9 years of their introduction in 1996, multiple chronic illnesses jumped from 7 percent to 13 percent of the population, food allergies doubled in less time, and many other ailments have exponentially increased with the introduction of GM foods.
Millions may already be suffering health problems caused by genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their diet. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine has already urged doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets for all patients, citing studies that show how GMOs cause disorders such as vital organ damage, gastrointestinal and immune system problems, accelerated aging, infertility, and dysfunctional regulation of insulin and cholesterol.
But not only are GM foods a health disaster, they also pose a significant environmental threat, and industry promises of financial benefits have turned out to be false as well.

5: Sun Causes Skin Cancer

There are many misconceptions about melanoma – the most dangerous type of skin cancer that accounts for more than 75 percent of skin cancer deaths. But despite all the bad press linking sun exposure to skin cancer, there’s almost no evidence at all to support that stance. There is, however, plenty of evidence to the contrary.
Over the years, several studies have already confirmed that appropriate sun exposure actually helps prevent skin cancer. In fact, melanoma occurrence has been found to decrease with greater sun exposure, and can be increased by sunscreens.

How does sunlight prevent, rather than cause, skin cancer?
In short, it’s the vitamin D formed in your skin from exposure to sunlight that provides this built in cancer protection.
The vitamin D goes directly to genes in your skin that help prevent the types of abnormalities that ultraviolet light causes. Unfortunately, if you follow the conventional recommendation to avoid sun exposure or always use sunscreen, your skin will not make any vitamin D, leaving you without this built-in cancer protection.
Statistics confirm the truth of these findings, as melanoma rates have increased right along with sun avoidance and increased use of sunscreens. If avoiding the sun actually was the answer, then melanoma rates should have decreased exponentially over the past couple of decades...
Instead, sun avoidance and the excessive use of sun screen are actually the two primary reasons for the rise in melanoma.

6: Saturated Fat Causes Heart Disease

As recently as 2002, the "expert" Food & Nutrition Board issued the following misguided statement, which epitomizes this myth:

"Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol have no known beneficial role in preventing chronic disease and are not required at any level in the diet."

This dangerous recommendation, which arose from an unproven hypothesis from the mid-1950s, has been harming your health and that of your loved ones for about 40 years now.
The truth is, saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances, without which your body cannot function optimally.
They also act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fats are also needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes.
In fact, saturated is the preferred fuel for your heart!

7: Artificial Sweeteners are Safe, Well Tested and Help Promote Weight Loss

Most people use artificial sweeteners to lose weight. The amazing irony is that nearly all the studies that have carefully analyzed their effectiveness show that those who use artificial sweeteners actually gain more weight than those who consume caloric sweeteners.
In 2005, data gathered from the 25-year long San Antonio Heart Study showed that drinking diet soft drinks increased the likelihood of serious weight gain – far more so than regular soda. On average, each diet soft drink the participants consumed per day increased their risk of becoming overweight by 65 percent within the next seven to eight years, and made them 41 percent more likely to become obese.
The reasons for this ironic reality are still being investigated, but there are several potential causes, including:

• Sweet taste alone appears to increase hunger, regardless of caloric content.
• Artificial sweeteners appear to simply perpetuate a craving for sweets, and overall sugar consumption is therefore not reduced—leading to further problems controlling your weight.
• Artificial sweeteners may disrupt your body’s natural ability to “count calories,” as evidenced in studies such as this 2004 study at Purdue University, which found that rats fed artificially sweetened liquids ate more high-calorie food than rats fed high-caloric sweetened liquids.

In the end, the research tells us that artificial sweeteners are NOT a dieter’s best friend, because contrary to what the marketing campaigns claim, low- or no-calorie artificial sweeteners are more likely to help you pack on the pounds than shed them.
There are also a large number of health dangers associated with artificial sweeteners and aspartame in particular. I’ve started compiling a growing list of studies pertaining to health problems associated with aspartame. If you’re still on the fence, I highly recommend reviewing these studies for yourself so that you can make an educated decision.

8: Soy is a Health Food

The meteoric rise of soy as a “health food” is a perfect example of how a brilliant marketing strategy can fool millions. But make no mistake about it, unfermented soy products are NOT healthful additions to your diet.
On the contrary, thousands of studies have linked unfermented soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.
Not only that, but more than 90 percent of American soy crops are genetically modified, which carries its own set of health risks.
Here is a sampling of the detrimental health effects that have been linked to soy consumption:

• Breast cancer
• Brain damage
• Infant abnormalities
• Thyroid disorders
• Kidney stones
• Immune system impairment
• Severe, potentially fatal food allergies
• Impaired fertility
• Danger during pregnancy and nursing

I am not opposed to all soy, however. Organic and, most importantly, properly fermented soy does have great health benefits. Examples of such healthful fermented soy products include tempeh, miso and natto.

9: Whole Grains are Good for Everyone

The use of whole-grains is an easy subject to get confused on especially for those who have a passion for nutrition, as for the longest time we were told the fiber in whole grains is highly beneficial.
Unfortunately ALL grains, including whole-grain and organic varieties, can elevate your insulin levels, which can increase your risk of disease.
It has been my experience that more than 85 percent of Americans have trouble controlling their insulin levels -- especially those who have the following conditions:

• Overweight
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Protein metabolic types

In addition, sub-clinical gluten intolerance is far more common than you might think, which can also wreak havoc with your health.
As a general rule, I strongly recommend eliminating grains as well as sugars from your diet, especially if you have any of the above conditions that are related to insulin resistance. The higher your insulin levels and the more prominent your signs of insulin overload are, the more ambitious your grain elimination needs to be.
If you are one of the fortunate ones without insulin resistance and of normal body weight, then grains are fine, especially whole grains. It is wise to continue to monitor your grain consumption and your health as life is dynamic and constantly changing. What might be fine when you are 25 or 30 could become a major problem at 40 when your growth hormone and level of exercise is different.

10: All Plant Based Supplements are as Good as Animal Supplements

The primary example here is that of omega-3’s. It’s very important to realize that not all omega-3 fats are the same, and that the type and source of your omega-3 will make a big difference in the health benefits it provides.
There are three types of omega-3 fats:

• DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)
• EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)
• ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid)

Many people do not realize that most of the well-known health benefits associated with omega-3 fats – such as mental health, stronger bones and heart health -- are linked to the animal-based omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA), not the plant-based omega-3 fat (ALA).
ALA, which is the type of omega-3 found in flaxseed and nuts, is converted into EPA and DHA in your body, but only at a very low ratio.
So even if you eat large amounts of ALA, your body can only convert a relatively small amount into EPA and DHA, and only when sufficient enzymes are present.
This does not mean plant-based omega-3 fats are intrinsically harmful or that they should be avoided, only that you ideally want to include an animal-based form as well. Personally, I regularly include omega-3 (ALA) plant-based foods, like flax and hemp, in my diet, but these are always combined with animal-based omega-3 fats.
But in order to reap its most important health benefits, your omega-3 needs to be from an animal source.

11: Milk Does Your Body Good

Can milk do your body good?
Yes, if it’s RAW.
Unfortunately, this myth insists that conventional pasteurized milk has health benefits, which is far from true. Conventional health agencies also refuse to address the real dangers of the growth hormones and antibiotics found in conventional milk.
Please understand that I do not recommend drinking pasteurized milk of any kind, including organic, because once milk has been pasteurized its physical structure is changed in a way that can actually cause allergies and immune problems.
Important enzymes like lactase are destroyed, which causes many people to not be able to digest milk. Additionally, vitamins (such as A, C, B6 and B12) are diminished and fragile milk proteins are radically transformed from health nurturing to unnatural amino acid configurations that can actually worsen your health.
The eradication of beneficial bacteria through the pasteurization process also ends up promoting pathogens rather than protecting you from them.
The healthy alternative to pasteurized milk is raw milk, which is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus, vitamins and enzymes, and it is, in my estimation, one of the finest sources of calcium available.

12: Low-Fat Diets are Healthy

The low-fat myth may have done more harm to the health of millions than any other dietary recommendation. Again, just as the recommendations to avoid sunshine has increased melanoma rates, the low-fat craze led to increased consumption of trans-fats, which we now know increases your risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
To end the confusion, it’s very important to realize that eating fat will not make you fat!
The primary cause of excess weight and all the chronic diseases associated with it, is actually the consumption of too much sugar -- especially fructose, but also all sorts of grains, which rapidly convert to sugar in your body.
If only the low-fat craze had been a low-sugar craze... then we wouldn’t have nearly as much chronic disease as we have today.

Information available on www.mercola.com

Chiropractic and Nutrition - The Cost of Junk Food

As a chiropractor who cares for people who typically have a more holistic approach to their health and diet, I see my patients sabotage their efforts to become healthy on a regular basis. I have long contended that treating people for neck pain, back pain and headaches is much easier than trying to instill a dietary change or an exercise plan. Some of my chiropractic patients indicate poor planning leading to drops in blood sugar resulting in poor food choices while others just like the taste of their favorite fast food.

With this in mind, I came across a neat little article that covered what some of our chain-food favorites will cost us in time spent doing common exercises. These excerpts are from the Diet Detective who has authored several books on the topic.

Note: Calorie content of foods are based on official website information at the time of publication. Minutes of exercise are averages based on a 155-pound person. The greater the weight of the person the more calories burned per minute.
DONUT
Dunkin Donuts Chocolate Frosted Donut (230 calories)
59 minutes of walking (3 mph).

BREAKFAST SANDWICH
McDonald’s Egg McMuffin (300 calories)
32 minutes of running (5 mph).

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
Panera Chocolate Chipper (440 calories)
62 minutes of biking (10-11.9 mph).

PIZZA
Pizza Hut Large Hand-Tossed Style Cheese Pizza (1 slice; 320 calories)
39 minutes of swimming (slow to moderate laps).

CINNAMON ROLL
Starbucks Cinnamon Roll (500 calories, varies by location)
85 minutes of dancing.

HAMBURGER
Burger King Original Whopper With Cheese (770 calories)
94 minutes of swimming (slow to moderate laps).

BROWNIE
Au Bon Pain Chocolate Chip Brownie (380 calories).
129 minutes of yoga (Hatha style).

FRIES
Wendy’s Large French Fries (540 calories)
77 minutes of biking (10-11.9 mph).

ICE CREAM
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream (0.5 cup; 270 calories)
29 minutes of running (5 mph).

BURRITO
Taco Bell Burrito Supreme, Beef (410 calories)
70 minutes of dancing.

The next time you think that eating these foods once in a while won’t hinder your efforts to see your abs again or fit into the bikini, think again. Not only will indulging in these treats hamper your quest for a lean physique, but they will also lead to weight gain which is known to cause heart disease, back pain, sciatica and many other disorders – some of which can be treated with chiropractic and some that can’t. I hope that you found this information entertaining and helpful.
Have a Great Day!

CARRY IT CORRECTLY

Carry it Correctly

Well, it’s time to head back to school! For many kids, one of the most exciting things about this time of year is all the new clothes and gear. One very important item that deserves extra attention is your child’s backpack. You want to be sure that they have a good one, that it’s packed properly and that they are wearing it correctly. An improperly worn backpack can promote poor posture and set the stage for long-term damage to their developing spines.

The most spine-friendly backpacks have two thickly-padded straps and a waist buckle, all of which should be used! When the pack is slung over only one shoulder it misaligns the spine and changes overall posture. Also, you’ll want to be sure that the heaviest items are packed closest to the body to avoid extra strain. Another good general rule is that the pack should weigh no more than 15% of your child’s body weight. Most backpacks are packed far too heavy. This often causes the child to lean forward, which results in increased stress on the back and neck. Try to encourage your child to stop by his/her locker between classes instead of carrying everything at once, and see if extra copies of textbooks are available so they don’t have to be lugged back and forth from school.

You can do a quick check of your child’s posture at home. First, stand behind your child and have your child close his/her eyes. See if ears, shoulders and hips are level. If not, there may be an underlying spinal curvature. Also check the side view: the ears, shoulders, hips and knees should all be in line with one another. Then do this same quick check with the child wearing the backpack to be sure that his or her posture is still good. If you have any questions about backpack safety, feel free to ask Dr. Brandon at The Joint Mount Pleasant.

Shoulder Pain and the Thoracic Spine

Shoulder Pain and the Thoracic Spine

If it looks like many health conditions have a link to proper spine mechanics and positioning, your perception is correct. The spine has a normal position that best resists gravity and allows for optimum joint and nerve function. In the case of the shoulder, hyperkyphosis of the thoracic spine is the link to shoulder impingement. Hyperkyphosis is the commonly seen posture in our nation’s elderly; slouched, hunched over, shrinking.

Impingement develops when the space between the coracoacromial arch and the head of the humerus narrows. According to researchers, individuals with a shoulder impingement have statistically less thoracic mobility and a more kyphotic thoracic spinal posture than individuals with healthy shoulders. Specifically, three findings are observed with shoulder impingements. First, as stated above, is hyperkyphosis of the thoracic spine. Second, we see decreased thoracic spine intersegmental mobility. Third, we see a tightening of the pectoralis minor musculature causing the scapula to tilt forward.

Here’s the solution: Structural assessment of your thoracic spine for hyperkyphosis and hypomobility, and flexibility assessment of the pectoralis musculature. Here at The Joint Mount Pleasant our focus remains structural. Structure affects function and as you can see in this instance, bad thoracic spine structure leads to bad shoulder joint function.


References:

Crawford, H. Jull, G. The influence of thoracic posture and movement on range of arm elevation. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 1993;9:143-148.

Greenfield, B. Catlin, P. Coats, P. et al. Posture in patients with shoulder overuse injuries and healthy individuals. Journal of Orthopedic Sports Physical Therapy, 1995;5:287-295.

Kibler, B. The role of the scapula in athletic shoulder function. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1998;26:325-337.

Sports Performance - A Drug-Free Secret Weapon

Sports Performance - A Drug-Free Secret Weapon

Chiropractic care in relation to sports and athletic performance is a fast growing trend. Today, just about every professional ream has a Chiropractor on staff. Olympic athletes routinely utilize chiropractic care because it keeps them in top shape – without the use of drugs or other performance enhancing aids. College programs are taking advantage of chiropractic care by placing a D.C. on staff. All of this is even trickling down into the high school level of sports.  Athletes and Celebrities that have gone on the record with their pro-chiropractic stance include Hall of Famer Joe Montana, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Olympic wrestler Dennis Hall, John McEnroe, Roger Craig, Emmitt Smith, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, Cole Hammels, Maurice Jones-Drew and many, many more. Why did they all feel that chiropractic was so beneficial and powerful? Simply put, because it works. It helped them to all perform at their peak levels while competing at the highest levels of their respective sports. To understand chiropractic, you first need to understand how your body works. What coordinates every function within the body? What is the master control system? The correct answer is your nervous system. Every function of the human body is under control of the nervous system. Its function is to coordinate all the other organs and structures and to relate the individual to his environment. Your BRAIN, SPINE, and SPINAL NERVES make up your body’s MASTER control system. When the nervous system is FREE of all interference, your body can function at its MAXIMUM level. When there is nerve interference in the spine, dis-ease or disharmony occurs. We know that the body is a self-healing, self regulating organism – with the nervous system functioning as the master control system of the body. If the nervous system is compromised in any way (interfered with) the body cannot function normally. We also know that in order to have maximum Health and Function, you need to have: Plenty of sleep Consistent Exercise A Positive Mental Attitude Excellent Nutrition And Chiropractic Dr. Seth Sharpless at the University of Colorado showed that the weight of a dime on a nerve alters (brain) impulses by 60%. Pressure on a nerve will severely interfere with your brains ability to communicate with a specific muscle, organ, gland, or system of the body.  90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by movement of the spine. When you consider how many coordinated movements are involved in every sport, its hard to imagine that your brain actually monitors each and every reaction. It needs all of the stimulation and nutrition it can get in order to keep up! When the spine and nervous system are clear of interference, your body can function at its maximum performance! And that’s why Chiropractic has become and essential part of every major sports team. It’s the NEW drug-free secret weapon! Athletes need every edge they can get. Chiropractic Physicians ADJUST (correct the misalignments) more athletes that ever before. Getting adjusted before every game has become routine for many of today’s “prime time” athletes. In one study of fifty athletes, 25 received chiropractic care and 25 athletes served as controls. They used 11 separate tests to measure different aspects of athletic ability. After 6 weeks, the Chiropractic group had shown an 18% improvement in eye-hand coordination, while the control group had only shown a 1% response. After 12 weeks, the Chiropractic group had exhibited more than 30% improvement.  The numbers don’t lie, chiropractic care helped to create greater improvement in athletic ability. Athletes and Chiropractic make the perfect team. Chiropractic Physicians are showing more and more athletes how to increase and improve their athletic performance by keeping their spine and nervous system free of interference. Whether you are playing sports full time, competing as a weekend warrior or just want to function at your absolute best - good nutrition, plenty of rest, a positive attitude, exercise and Chiropractic care will give you the drug-free edge you need to function at your maximum potential!!!