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Source: www.toyourhealth.com
Dr. Fabrizio Mancini, a doctor of chiropractic and the president of Parker University in Dallas, and Dr. Patrick DeFazio, a Los Angeles doctor of chiropractic, appear on the “Dr. Phil” show on March 14, marking chiropractic’s first appearance on the popular daytime talk show, which is broadcast on 220 television stations across the U.S. and in more than 40 countries worldwide. The segment begins with Dr. Phil introducing Dr. Mancini as his chiropractor for 14 years and author of the book The Power of Self-Healing: Unlock Your Natural Healing Potential in 21 Days! This set the stage for Dr. Mancini to talk about his book and the concepts of chiropractic. He stated that “the only way to truly fulfill your life potential is to fulfill your health potential.” Dr. Mancini added that the difference between chiropractic and what he called the “sick care system” in the U.S. is that “we see patients as [people, not just diseases].” Dr. Phil told the audience, “I got chiropractic treatment from you [Dr. Mancini] 2 or 3 times a week.” He went on to introduce his current personal chiropractor, Dr. DeFazio, who was given an opportunity to talk more about chiropractic and how it can, among other benefits, help relieve stresses on the body. After the show, a number of people working on the set asked about how to find a local chiropractor or remarked how much they had learned about the value of chiropractic. This was in addition to the many members of the audience who talked about chiropractic and asked Dr. Mancini to autograph their copy of his book.
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March 14, 2012
To Your Health Newletter 03-13-2012
December 22, 2011
To Your Health Newsletter 12-22-2011
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Postural issues are a big contributor to many different aches and pains and injuries to our bodies. Injuries related to poor posture tend to be overuse injuries, which build up over a period of time. Muscle imbalances and joint dysfunctions associated with poor posture can create areas of too much motion in certain spinal segments causing instability. These areas may then wear out prematurely, while other areas may have too little motion in the spine causing range of motion/mobility dysfunctions; anytime you have a right side – left side imbalance, it is called an asymmetry. If you have an asymmetry in your muscles, you are more susceptible to injury. Some simple ways to begin to improve your posture include becoming aware of the things that you are doing, even the things that you don’t even know you are doing that are contributing (harming) to your posture. Think of staying in a “tall spine” posture while sitting, standing, during exercise and also taking frequent breaks from sitting and use the Brugger’s postural relief position as one of your style of breaks. There are also some simple exercises you can do to help you get started on improving your overall posture. Here are a few:
For more useful tips, talk to your chiropractor about other ways you can improve your posture and avoid injuries.
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Source: www.toyourhealth.com
June 15, 2011
How to Maximize Calcium Intake
By Carolyn Richardson
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. While 1% of the body’s calcium supports critical metabolic functions like muscle function, nerve transmission and the secretion of hormones and enzymes, the other 99% is stored in the bones and teeth.
While many of us try to eat more high-calcium foods and take calcium supplements, the fact is that only 30% of the calcium we consume is absorbed into the body. There are a number of factors that affect just how well your body uses calcium and knowing these interactions will help you to benefit from your calcium intake.
Foods that Reduce Absorption
Dietary calcium from eating dairy products and taking supplements may meet the recommended daily allowances set forth by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, however there are factors that negatively affect how the approximate 1000 to 1300 mg a day needed for most adults stays in the body. For example, phytic acid and oxalic acid can bind to calcium and be excreted through the intestinal tract. Phytic acid is found in whole grains, nuts, and legumes, while oxalic acid is found in healthy staples such as spinach, celery, pecans, tea and beets. Another set of healthy foods that may negatively affect calcium absorption are those high in fiber and protein. And according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), “Alcohol, phosphates(found in soft drinks and meats), sugar, and… high levels of sodium may also be linked to calcium excretion.”
Enhancing Calcium Absorption
In addition to dairy products such as cheese, milk, and yogurt, good food sources of calcium are kelp, carob flour, kale, chinese cabbage, broccoli, rhubarb, watercress, parsley, blackcurrants, and globe artichoke. Many cereals and fruit juices are fortified with calcium, which you may also notice is fortified with Vitamin D, with good reason. Vitamin D increases the absorption of Calcium from the gastrointestinal tract. You may also find many calcium supplements also have Vitamin D, this will help the body absorb more calcium than it would had Vitamin D not been present. Another way to enhance calcium absorption is by taking supplements throughout the day. Not only is calcium absorption highest in doses less than 500 mg, but according to Washington University researchers, calcium taken at bedtime could help stave off bone loss that occurs at night.
Interactions to Avoid
Calcium interacts with many over-the-counter drugs and minerals, so take heed to the following when eating or taking calcium supplements. If you take any prescription or over-the-counter medicines regularly, ask your doctor if it’s safe to use calcium supplements. Calcium can interact with drugs for heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy, and other conditions. Also, avoid taking a calcium supplement with an iron-containing foods or supplements. You may find that many multivitamins that include a high dosage of iron, have smaller amounts of calcium. The reason is because calcium inhibits iron absorption, so be sure to wait two hours between taking a calcium supplement and iron supplement. Some specific drug interactions that impact utilization of calcium include anti-inflammatory drugs known as corticosteroids. Used to treat asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis, these drugs reduce the body’s ability to activate vitamin D, and thus decrease calcium absorption. Antibiotics also seem to decrease calcium absorption. Lastly, watch out for aluminum. According to MIT, “aluminum (foods cooked in aluminum cookware including the use of acidic foods with the cookware), aluminum foil, [and] antacids containing aluminum…” inhibit calcium absorption.
Calcium Supplements
Because calcium is so important to bone health and avoiding osteoporosis late in life, it’s important to consider taking calcium supplements if your diet is not adequate. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health, the Tolerable Upper Limit (UL) for calcium for children and adults ages 1 year and older is 2,500 mg/day. Yet, even at normal levels, calcium supplements may cause gas, bloating and constipation. When looking for calcium supplements, keep in mind that calcium carbonate is the most cost-effective source of calcium. Consider also that calcium dissolution varies from 33% to 75%, that is to say, some supplements may break down more readily in the intestinal tract than others. Lastly, watch for the elemental calcium per tablet not per serving. Sometimes labels can be confusing. Remember to track your calcium intake by checking your nutritional analysis daily after logging your food and supplements. By comparing your calcium intake daily over a week’s period, you should be able to determine if you are getting enough or may need to increase your intake of calcium.
For more information, visit the Calcium Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet.
Your thoughts…
How do you get your daily dose of calcium?
March 5, 2011
Keys to Whole Body Health
Take a moment to look at your body. Quickly glance at your arms, hands, hips, legs and feet. Do you realize that you have approximately 640 muscles that are responsible for moving the 206 bones in your body? How do you get these muscles to move those bones? It has to do with the way the spinal cord and the nerves send information out to the body. It might surprise you to know that many common ailments that we experience, like headaches, lower back pain and shoulder pain, can have links to the muscles, bones and spinal nerves.
The spine is made up of 29 vertebrae that are divided up by specific regions of the body: cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacrum. Think of the spine as a protective housing for your spinal cord that lives in the center of the vertebrae. At every level of the spine, nerves branch off of the spinal cord, move past the vertebrae and outward to supply the different parts of the body.
Furthermore, as the nerves branch off from the spine, certain ones move out farther and farther, going all the way to the hands and feet. While a nerve is traveling, it must repeatedly pass by or around different bones. It stands to reason that the position of the bones is important. If the bones are not in correct position, or “out of alignment,” the nerves will be compromised.
An easy way to remember how the body works is that the vertebrae, spinal cord and nerves affect everything from your toes all the way up to your nose. As an example, migraines and other headaches can be caused when the spinal vertebrae in the neck region are misaligned. This causes pressure on the nerves as they branch off of the spinal cord and move through the vertebrae out to the muscles of the neck and head. This compromised nerve flow also affects the circulation of blood to and from the area. All of these factors play an important role in headaches.
If our vertebrae are in good, proper alignment over time, then the spinal cord and nerves function without any interference. The simple idea of keeping the spine lined up as much as possible will keep our body healthy.
Regular chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture, exercise and a nutritious diet are all important facets of good spinal health. The key here is to realize that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Regular practices of spinal health will not only keep you feeling great, but also will help protect you in the future from many problems that could arise, including neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, tennis / golfer’s elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, hip pain, sciatica, knee pain, and ankle and foot pain. Your chiropractor can tell you more about the importance of the spine and its connection to whole-body health.
[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]
September 22, 2010
Fall is in the Air!
Fall is in the Air!
“You can tell that fall is in the air,” commented one of the staff. “With the cool rainy days, many of our arthritis patients are showing up for their pre-fall tune-ups.”
With the noticeable drop in temperature and increased moisture in the air, the common complaint with these patients is that for months they’ve felt great and now those re-occurring aches and pains are back.
When confronted with the question of why many of us ache worse in cold, damp weather I offer the following answer: “Who the heck knows!”
Researchers are unable to agree that osteoarthritis aches and pains vary with thermal or barometric changes. They often attribute these complaints of winter aches to psychological sequelae of shorter days and grey weather rather than physiologic changes (they obviously haven’t talked to enough of Canada’s snowbirds).
In my humble experiences with hundreds of snowbirds, I’ll fearlessly challenge these researchers, throw caution to the wind and offer a definitive medical opinion.
Cold winter weather bothers some patients physically, some mentally and some not at all. I’ve been told that I’m riding the fence on this issue. At any rate our office certainly gets busy when the weather turns nasty. I’ll share some of our advice to deal with this problem.
Stay active year round. Your body needs to be stretched, strengthened and active 12 months of the year. There will be days when it’s wet and cold and you won’t feel like going outside. Go to the mall and walk, walk on a treadmill, walk up and down some stairs, go to the gym, swim laps at the pool, or better yet, invest in a good raincoat and umbrella and head outside. The fresh air will help to invigorate you as well. If you turn into a couch potato in winter your body will hurt as much or more as a springtime couch potato.
Try to eat whole natural foods focusing on fresh veggies, fruit, legumes, nuts, seeds and good cuts of meat and fish. Try to stay away from empty calories in refined breads, pastas, rice and pastries. There is more recent research linking excess refined and poor quality simple and complex carbohydrate intake to increased inflammatory exudates (swollen joints).
Try some of the arthritis supplements on the market if you haven’t already. There is some support for glucosamine sulphate, MSM, a good antioxidant formula, a good calcium/magnesium/vitamin D formula and salmon oil capsules that are high in Omega 3 fatty acids.
Chondroitin sulphate has not done well in recent clinical trials in terms of efficacy so you should probably save your money. Do not take glucosamine or chondroitin if you have sulfa allergies — remember the full compound is glucosamine sulphate. Also, be careful if you have diabetes as the glucose in glucosamine may increase your blood glucose levels temporarily.
If you begin to experience back or joint pain, chiropractic treatment may help. Chiropractic is a safe and effective way to relieve pain in the joints, muscles and nerves along the spinal column. For more information on chiropractic care, preventing and treating back injuries in your family, contact Dr. Stacey Rosenberg on 604-886-7080 or find a family chiropractor at: www.bcchiro.com.
[Source: From: Alberni Valley Times; Byline: Dr. James Tilsted, DC, Dr. Brent Manson, DC and Dr. Cobi Bothma, ND]