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Gibsons Chiropractic Blog

December 22, 2011

To Your Health Newsletter 12-22-2011

By Dr. Stacey

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:

  • Engage in daily use of the foam rollto provide self-myofascial release and self massage. Spend 3-5 minutes rolling out the thoracic spine and shoulders.
  • Perform Chair Decompression: Sit in an upright chair with your arms behind you, slightly bent, hands on the seat of the back of the chair. Push downward, straightening the arms and leaving the buttocks in the chair, unloading the trunk and spine. Keep the arms externally rotated; this moves the upper body into something similar to Brugger’s.
  • Perform Brugger’s relief position: Sit at the edge of a chair; Put your knees apart (wide) and your feet under the knees: Arch your back; Rotate your arms outward so your palms face forward; Separate your fingers and point your thumb backward; Tuck in your chin; Hold this position while taking a deep breath in though your abdomen. Hold the position for 5 seconds, release for 3 seconds, Repeat 3-5 times.
  • Perform Cobra: Laying face down on the floor-in prone position, have arms beside your hips. Activate the core by drawing in your navel towards spine and squeezing the glutes. With your core and glutes activated, lift the chest off the floor, lift arms up and back towards the hips rotating thumbs towards the ceiling. Note: hold for 2-3 seconds. Repeat 5 times.

For more useful tips, talk to your chiropractor about other ways you can improve your posture and avoid injuries.

Horizontal Rule

Concussions are getting much-needed attention in the press, especially given the short- and long-term cognitive loss, early-onset dementia, physical disability and even death resulting from traumatic brain injury. Read about the facts of this type of injury from the experts.

  

When sludging through the daily grind at work, keep in mind that in the long-term the number of hours you spend on the job could impact your health, especially your heart. Read what recent research has to say about the impact that long hours of work has on one of your most vital organs.

  

Every day millions of people drink coffee for an energy jolt that will help them get through the day. Coffee has become one of the most popular beverages of choice, but can it be good for your health? Read what recent research has to say about drinking a cup of joe a day and your health.

Horizontal Rule

Everyone knows that fructose is the sugar found in fruit. If it’s found in fruit it must be safe, right? Wrong. Let’s take a look at the impact of fructose on your body when consumed in large quantities.

  

As women age, a common problem they face is thinning of the bones – also called osteoporosis. Learn how to prevent fracture risk and bone loss through diet and supplements.

Source: www.toyourhealth.com

Filed under: Bones,Chemicals,Exercise,Inflammation,Joint Care,Nutrition,Osteoporosis,Pain,Posture,Spine,Stress,Stretches — Tags: , , , , , ,

February 15, 2011

Happy Valentines Day!

By Dr. Stacey

Chiropractic adjustments lower blood pressure

A new study in the Journal of Human Hypertension, one of Nature Publishing Group’s journals, reveals that chiropractic adjustments to correct subluxation of the atlas vertebrae lower blood pressure (BP).
The double blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 50 patients with Stage 1 hypertension, who were not taking medication for the condition. During an eight-week period, half of the subjects underwent chiropractic care for restoration of atlas alignment using a National Upper Cervical Chiropractic (NUCCA) procedure. A control group received a sham procedure.
Compared with members of the placebo group, those undergoing chiropractic care enjoyed significant drops in both systolic BP and diastolic BP. No adverse effects were detected. However, chiropractic care did not appear to influence heart rate.
“We conclude that restoration of atlas alignment is associated with marked and sustained reductions in BP similar to the use of two-drug combination therapy,” conclude the study’s authors.

Journal of Human Hypertension – January 25, 2007;Epub.www.nature.com.

[Thanks to Dr. Michael Beattie

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Filed under: Blood Pressure,Heart Health,Inflammation,Nervous System,Prescription Drugs,Stroke — Tags: , , , , ,

January 21, 2011

To-Your-Health-Newsletter-01-20-2011

By Dr. Stacey

Musculoskeletal Injuries in Kids

Children’s musculoskeletal systems are different from adults. To understand pediatric injuries that involve the musculoskeletal system, it’s important to be aware of the differences between children and adults in this regard. The main difference is that children’s bones are growing; adults’ bones have stopped growing. This bone growth happens in two ways – by growing lengthwise and widthwise. The bone grows lengthwise in an area at the ends of the bones called the epiphyseal plate or growth plate, in the region known as the metaphysis. The widthwise growth occurs on the surface of the bone.

Growing bone has inherent areas of weakness due to the growth process. In fact, children’s tendons and ligaments are relatively stronger than the growth plate; therefore, with severe trauma the growth plate will give way before the ligament. On the other hand, children’s bones and muscles are more elastic and heal faster compared to adults.

Due to the differences in growing bone, the patterns of injuries are different from mature bone. There are two main types of bone injuries: one is an acute injury in which violent forces are applied at one time; the second is from chronic, recurring stresses applied to the bone over a prolonged period of time. Growth plate injuries can cause cessation (stoppage) of growth of the bone, resulting in limb-length discrepancy, angular deformity or altered joint mechanics; possibly causing permanent disabilities. The chronic recurring stresses are often termed overuse syndromes, but also include stress fractures, which can lead to changes that affect the joints, causing early arthritic changes. Stress fractures, if not managed correctly, can result in complete fracture.

Adolescents who are in the peak period of linear growth – often termed a growth spurt – are most vulnerable because of imbalances in strength and flexibility and changes in the biomechanical properties of bone. Sports involving contact and jumping have the greatest injury risk. Most chiropractors who treat pediatric patients are aware of these injuries and the potential causes related to the growing musculoskeletal system. They have been uniquely trained to understand the musculoskeletal system, making them excellent resources for the management of sports-injuries.

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Why You Need Enzymes

You’re undoubtedly aware of the role a balanced diet can play in healthy aging and disease prevention, but do you know there is a non-nutritive element that can also exert a profound positive influence on your health? Proper function of the human body is dependent on the continuous activity of thousands of different enzymes. These essential biological molecules are the catalysts in all of the body’s biochemical reactions.

Here are three important health benefits attributable to enzymes. Talk to your doctor for more information about enzymes and their value in maintaining health and wellness.

1. Digestion: Digestive enzymes, which are secreted in saliva and pancreatic juices, are responsible for the breakdown of food. This process helps facilitate proper nutrient absorption. In patients with pancreatic insufficiency or with food allergies, supplementation with a mild digestive enzyme blend can enhance nutrient uptake as well as gastrointestinal comfort. In addition, anyone who consumes a diet high in processed foods may benefit from enzyme supplementation.
 
2. Inflammation: Another known benefit of enzyme supplementation is the treatment of inflammatory and immune mediated conditions. Proteolytic enzymes, such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, bromelain, and papain, have the ability to neutralize inflammatory chemicals to aid in the healing of damaged tissues. It is believed that proteolytic enzymes have the ability to promote healing by decreasing capillary permeability, improving circulation, and dissolving fibrin clot deposits. Enzymes have also been shown to have positive effects on natural killer cells and macrophages, thus enhancing the overall immune response and body’s defense against infection.
 
3. Cancer: The use of enzymes in cancer therapy was first proposed by the embryologist Dr. John Beard in the early 1900s. In his research, The Enzyme Therapy of Cancer, published in 1911, Dr. Beard discussed his theory on injection of pancreatic proteolytic enzymes as a form of cancer therapy. Cancer cells, as well as nearly all pathogens, are often protected by a thick, protein-based, fibrin coating. Proteolytic enzymes have the ability to assist in the breakdown of this fibrin coating, allowing the body’s immune functions to take action against proliferating cancer cells. Although the original research was conducted almost a century ago, proteolytic enzymes are being used as a new and innovative way to combat cancer.

One of the simplest ways to enhance your enzyme levels is to increase your intake of raw foods. Uncooked, unprocessed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables contain natural enzymes that support digestion and overall enzymatic activity. However, since many Americans consume inadequate amounts of these foods, supplementation may be necessary to ensure enzyme activity is supported. Increasing your intake of enzymes can help support every mode of cellular activity as well as improve overall body communication.

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Antibiotics and Childhood IBD

Antibiotics are medications that fight bacterial infections. That means if your medical doctor ever prescribes an antibiotic to fight your child’s cold, flu, cough (in most cases) sore throat (unless strep) and even bronchitis – all of which are caused by viruses – the antibiotic won’t do any good and will be exposing your child to an unnecessary drug with potential side effects.

Unfortunately, studies have shown that doctors do prescribe antibiotics for viral infections, and that sometimes, it’s to appease the parent, who doesn’t want to hear that their child’s malaise will improve on its own in a few days or so.

Between unnecessary prescribing for viral infections and appropriate prescribing for bacterial infections, children can end up taking several courses of antibiotics in their early years. That can be a problem for several reasons, not the least of which is that, as a recent study suggests, they can end up with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) later in life.

While researchers did not find a clear cause-and-effect relationship between antibiotic use in year one and IBD in childhood, they did notice that children diagnosed with the condition were more likely to have taken antibiotics (one or more courses) in their first year compared to children without IBD.

Your doctor can tell you more about IBD and the dangers of antibiotic use in infancy, childhood or any age.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Filed under: Babies,children,Colds/Flu,Digestion,Growth,Immune System,Inflammation,Nutrition,Prescription Drugs,Sports,Supplements — Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

January 5, 2011

To Your Health Newsletter 01-04-2011

By Dr. Stacey

Year-Round Skin Protection

Moderate Sun Exposure: There is evidence that painful sunburns are clearly unhealthy; in fact, painful sunburns are associated with all forms of skin cancer. However, sun exposure that doesn’t cause painful burns is associated with reduced expression of most cancers, including melanoma. Regarding the skin, it seems that sun-derived vitamin D protects the skin against the photo-oxidizing effects caused by the sun. In other words, moderate sun exposure is good for our skin and does not appear to cause skin cancer. North Americans have been scared out of the sun and are urged to venture out only if we are slathered in sunscreen, both of which are known to promote vitamin D deficiency.

Diet: Research continues to support the view that a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet is preventive against chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. A commonly appreciated anti-inflammatory diet is the traditional Mediterranean diet rich in fish, vegetables and fruit. But what does this have to do with skin health? When it comes to skin, we have been somewhat conditioned to believe that the skin is nourished from the outside by creams and lotions. Rarely is nutrition for skin health a consideration, despite multiple papers published on this topic.

In short, the anti-inflammatory diet that is recommended for primary and secondary prevention of diabetes and heart disease is also known to reduce the expression of skin cancer. Compared with the United States, Australia and New Zealand, Mediterranean countries with high levels of sunlight exposure, including Greece, Spain and Italy, have a substantially lower incidence of skin cancer. This may be due to the anti-inflammatory nature of the Mediterranean diet. It turns out that consumption of large amounts of vegetables and fruit and reduced consumption of pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids, which is characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, is associated with reductions in the negative effects of sun damage, including oxidative, mutagenic, immunosuppressive, and inflammatory responses.

A Rationale Plan for Skin Health: It is extremely important to avoid excessive exposure that leads to sunburns, particularly when we are young. Otherwise, we should take a graded approach to sun exposure based on our skin pigmentation. For especially fair-skinned people, this may mean only 10 minutes a day without sunscreen. Because it is not normal for humans to spend multiple hours at the beach lying in the sun, after brief sun exposure, the use of sunscreen is required and a beach umbrella is recommended.

While diet may not typically be considered to influence skin health, the evidence suggests the exact opposite. In addition to healthy sun exposure, we must eat a skin-protecting anti-inflammatory diet. For the average person, this means the avoidance of sugar, flour and refined oils, and substantially increased consumption of vegetables and fruit, which provide vital antioxidants and phytonutrients.

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Exercise Tips for the New Year

A new year means another 365 days to stick to the most common resolution out there: resolving to exercise. What will make this year different from years past when optimism turned to despair after a few months of hard work? Here are a few exercise tips to help you stay on track in 2011 and build a leaner, meaner you:

1. Have a Plan. Consistent exercise requires focus, and focus requires a plan. Outline your workouts by day, week and month so when you hit the gym, you know just what to do.
 
2. Don’t Overdo It. In the real world, you’re not competing on “The Biggest Loser.” Work out for five hours a day and you’ll end up burned out, injured or both. Try 45 minutes, 3-4 times a week.
 
3. Fight Temptation. We’re talking about the inevitable temptation to skip a workout. When you’re having a “bad day,” stay strong and get to the gym. Skip out and you’ll regret it; make it happen and you’ll feel great afterward.
 
4. Schedule Breaks. Many people are afraid to stop working out once they start, but you need time to refresh yourself and allow your body to do the same. Schedule a consistent break (3-4 days or an entire week) every few months and then start right up again.
 
5. Recruit Support. When it comes to exercise, some people can fly solo, and that’s great; but for others, they need a friend or spouse to help keep them on track. If you can’t do it alone, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
 
6. Less Is More. Unless your goal is to look like a body-builder, you can put the heavy weights down. Body-weight, resistance bands and balls, and other basic equipment can get the job done just fine.

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Start Your Day Right

“Start off the day with a balanced breakfast” is a popular phrase in health circles, yet it’s also one of the least likely to be taken to heart. Why do so many skip breakfast when the health consequences are so profound? It goes far beyond reduced mental alertness and lack of energy, according to a recent study.

In the study, children ages 9-15 reported whether they usually ate breakfast before school; skipping the meal was defined as not eating between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Years later, when study participants were 26-36 years of age, the researchers asked the same question to discern whether breakfast skipping had continued until adulthood. Skipping breakfast in childhood and adulthood increased the likelihood of having larger waist circumference, higher fasting insulin, and higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol in adulthood compared to consistent breakfast eaters.

The moral to this story: You’re never too busy for breakfast! Even if you have to “eat on the run,” find a minute or two to toast a whole-wheat bagel or blend fresh berries with nonfat yogurt and protein powder. If that’s too time-consuming, do a little legwork the night before so your whole-grain cereal and milk are ready to take to work. Your body will thank you for it. Talk to your doctor for more information.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Filed under: Exercise,Fitness,Immune System,Inflammation,Nutrition,Recipes — Tags: , , , , , , ,

December 22, 2010

To Your Health Newsletter 12-22-2010

By Dr. Stacey

Pain: Putting the Fire Out

Back pain, neck pain, knee pain, foot pain – wherever the pain is, it’s a pretty powerful motivator. In fact, depending on the severity of the pain, you may be willing to do just about anything to get rid of it. That’s why so many people rush to the medicine cabinet and pop a few pills at the first sign of pain. Here’s a much better idea: Ask your chiropractor about these simple exercises that can actually help reduce pain caused by common overuse conditions.

You wake up at night with numbness and tingling in your hands. Sleeping through the night is almost an impossible task. You may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition in which nerves from your neck traveling into your hand can become compressed in the wrist.

What you can do: Extend (straighten) your arm out in front of your body with your palm facing up. Straighten your fingers, keeping them close together. Bend your wrist backward and try to point your fingers toward the floor, and with the opposite hand press down on the palm side of your fingers to bend (extend) your wrist slightly further. Hold this stretch for 2 seconds, return the wrist to a straight position, and then repeat the entire movement for 10 repetitions

Do you feel clicking and popping in your knee? Perhaps walking up and down stairs has become a challenge and taking those after-dinner walks is more and more difficult. Knee pain can be a tricky condition because proper motion depends on the functioning of the hips and ankles.

What you can do: Stand on the edge of a step with the balls of your feet. Make sure you have something to hold on to for balance. Keep a slight bend in your knees and let your heels drift downward towards the floor, so your toes are higher than your heels. Sink the heels downward as far as you can and hold for 5 seconds. You can progress to one foot at a time for increased intensity. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times.

If you experience sharp pain on the outside of your elbow when trying to twist open a jar or grasping something with your hand, it may be tendonitis of the forearm muscles. This injury became known as tennis elbow because players would get elbow pain after hitting repetitive backswings in tennis.

What you can do: Stand sideways against a wall. Bend your arm 90 degrees at the elbow with the thumb facing up. Place a tennis ball between the top of the forearm and the wall, with the opposite hand press against the inside of your forearm, putting additional pressure into the ball. Move the forearm back and forth in a circular motion on the tennis ball, searching for tender spots. Spend between 30-60 seconds on each tender spot until the pain begins to fade; then search for other tender areas. Do this three to five times per day.

The most important point to remember is that no exercise should make your pain worse. Soreness and discomfort are acceptable and expected; however, increased pain and dysfunction is not. It takes time for an injury to properly heal. Talk to your doctor for more information about what you can do to keep pain away the natural way.

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How Nutrition Can Help Eczema

There are three main objectives in the treatment of eczema: reducing inflammation, relieving itching of the skin, and moisturizing dry patches. As most alternative health practitioners know, certain dietary practices and various supplements can help to accomplish these objectives in many cases of eczema that seem to be resistant to standard medical treatment. The most evidence-based lifestyle, dietary and supplementation strategies shown to improve cases of eczema are as follows:

Dietary and Lifestyle Considerations: Avoid any known dietary or environmental irritants or allergens. Reduce the build-up of the polyunsaturated fat arachidonic acid within skin cells, as it is the direct building block of inflammatory prostaglandin hormones. To accomplish this, reduce the intake of the following foods: high-fat meat and dairy products; corn oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower seed oil, and mixed vegetable oils; alcohol, hydrogenated fats (e.g., margarine, commercial peanut butter, shortenings).

Replace the above foods with the following: chicken, turkey, fish, Cornish hen, 1 percent milk or yogurt, low-fat cheese (3 percent or less milk fat), olive oil, canola oil, or peanut oil (for salad dressings, to sauté vegetables or stir fry only).

Important Supplements: Omega-3 fats provide the building block for the production of prostaglandin hormones that reduce the inflammatory activity of skin cells. They also reduce the build-up of arachidonic acid in skin cells by blocking the enzyme that converts linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid to arachidonic acid. Examples of omega-3 fats of importance to skin health include EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). EPA is found in fish and fish oils, and ALA is found primarily in flaxseed oil. Clinical trials have shown that omega-3 fats can be effective in the treatment of eczema.

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) has also been shown to help in cases of eczema. Studies reveal that many patients with eczema lack the enzyme to convert linoleic acid to gamma-linolenic acid. As gamma-linolenic acid is the building block of an important anti-inflammatory prostaglandin hormone, supplementation with an oil that is high in gamma-linolenic acid, such as borage, black currant or evening primrose oil, has been shown to favorably affect cases of eczema.

A number of B vitamins (especially B6 and niacin) are necessary co-factors to speed up the enzymes that produce anti-inflammatory prostaglandins in the skin. Vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and zinc are also required to support various enzymes within skin cells that promote the formation of prostaglandins, which reduce skin inflammatory conditions, including eczema. I recommend a high-potency multivitamin/mineral supplement that contains a B-50 complex along with boosted levels of antioxidants.

In many cases, once specific allergies have been ruled out, the medical profession is at a loss to provide eczema sufferers with any meaningful treatment options. For this subgroup of patients, specific dietary and supplementation practices outlined in this article can provide significant improvement of their condition in many cases. Your doctor can tell you more about the connection between diet and skin health.

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Lower Sugar, Lower Blood Pressure

Sounds pretty simple, right? Except in a society overwhelmed by processed foods loaded with added sugar, keeping your sugar (or blood pressure) in check can be a major challenge.

But let’s leave the topic of limiting sugar consumption from all sources for another day, and instead focus on sugar from a single source: sugar-sweetened beverages. According to a study published in the June 2010 issue of Circulation (a journal of the American Heart Association), a reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption of one serving per day reduced systolic blood pressure in adults by 1.8 mg Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.1 mg Hg over 18 months. (If your blood pressure is 120-75, for example, your systolic blood pressure is 120 and your diastolic blood pressure is 75.) Diet beverage consumption and caffeine intake did not appear to be associated with blood pressure.

Remember, even a small reduction, particularly if all you have to do is drink less sugar-sweetened beverages, can make a big difference. In fact, it might save your life. Your doctor can tell you more – much more – about the considerable dangers of sugar and high blood pressure.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Filed under: back pain,Blood Pressure,Feet,Inflammation,Neck Pain,Nutrition,Pain,Skin,Stretches,Supplements — Tags: , , , , , ,

October 15, 2010

To Your Health Newsletter 10-15-2010

By Dr. Stacey

Take Care of Your Feet

When we walk or run, our body goes through a complex set of steps that makes movement seem smooth and easy. It’s actually a complex cycle called the “gait” or walking cycle. A smooth walking or gait cycle means that the forces from the ground should be absorbed by your heels and feet each time you take a step. Energy from the ground and healthy movement is transferred through the feet up into ankles, knees, hips and into the spine, all the way up to the head.

Foot anatomy also plays an important role in foot function. For example, do you know how many arches each foot has? If you answered one, you answered like 95 percent of people do – incorrectly. Each foot actually has three arches: one on the inside of the foot, one on the outside and one across the ball of the foot. These arches are all important and must all be functioning properly to facilitate healthy movement and weight-bearing.

When our feet do not have the arch support we now know to be so important, our bodies can start having problems. These problems can start innocently enough, but the consequences can be severe. Here are a few of the common problems that can affect your feet:

If your arches are too high or over-supported, we call this “excessive supination.” A more common occurrence is something called “excessive pronation,” which means the arches actually fall toward the floor or flatten out. More serious conditions attributable to foot dysfunction include plantar fascitis (inflammation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the heel), Achilles tendinitis (inflammation of the Achilles tendon), Morton’s neuroma (thickening of nerve tissue between the third and fourth toes, causing sharp pain on the ball of the foot), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, arthritis, and hip and lower back pain.

There are many factors that affect your feet (for better or worse). Here are a few:

Genetics: You cannot outrun your genes. Flat feet or excessively pronating feet run in families. Parents pass it on to their children. If one parent has flat or collapsed arches, their children will have it also to some degree. If both parents have overpronated feet, their kids will absolutely have flat feet as well. I check children for this around age 7.

Surfaces: Concrete and stone are the worst surfaces for the feet. Generally, the harder the surface, the more stress on the arches and the faster they will collapse. Dirt, rubber tracks, carpeting and grass are all softer surfaces that offer some cushion to the feet and help to reduce strain and shock.

Shoe types: If you look inside almost every shoe, sandal, flip-flop, boot, etc., you will notice that there may be some inner arch support. Hardly any shoe has outer arch support or support for the arch under the ball of the foot. For this reason, looking for “good” shoes is often a myth.

We spend much of our lives taking our feet for granted – if we are lucky. If we’re not, we suffer one or more of the painful, often debilitating conditions that can affect the feet. That’s why your feet are so important and why you need to take care of them. Talk to your doctor about the importance of foot health and what you can do to ensure the stability of your foundation- your feet.

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The Power of Nutrition

Several health issues predominate in men as they age including the metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, depression, erectile dysfunction, prostate hypertrophy (enlargement) and cancer, and loss of muscle mass and vitality. In many cases, medications are prescribed for these conditions, even though in general they cannot correct the problem, because the problem is caused by overeating and a lack of exercise.

The good news is that the correction simply requires doing what we already know is good for us. That is, we need to exercise more and eat better, and research has demonstrated that the combination of exercising and eating nutrient-rich foods that are low in calories can lead to rapid fat loss and a reduction of chronic inflammation.

The best foods to focus on when pursuing an anti-inflammatory diet are fish, lean animal proteins, vegetables, fruits, sweet potatoes, and nuts. Certain supplements are also beneficial for reducing chronic inflammation, especially magnesium, omega-3 fish oil, and vitamin D.

Many men notice a positive change in their health status within a week if they adhere to the dietary and supplemental changes, and as time goes on, many who are taking medication for one or more of the above conditions are able to discontinue their medication. The focus should be on pursuing an anti-inflammatory lifestyle and letting your body respond as it sees fit.

It’s actually a simple process: Before preparing, ordering or eating a food, test yourself by asking the following question: “Will this food increase or decrease inflammation?” If it increases inflammation, you may want to avoid it or certainly limit consumption. If it decreases inflammation, then dig in! Talk to your doctor for more information.

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3 Ways to Stick With It

Stick with what, you ask? Well, whether you’re trying to lose weight, beginning an exercise program or doing just about anything else to maximize health and wellness, you need to “stick with it” or you’ll end up frustrated and fail to accomplish much of anything. Here are three considerations to, well, consider as you pursue your health and wellness goals:

Slow & Steady: When it comes to health, you have to be in it for the long haul. Health is a lifetime pursuit, which is the challenge and the opportunity. Whether you’re committing to a better diet, a consistent exercise program, etc., recognize that lasting changes start slow and stay the course. Jump in without proper planning or pacing, and you’ll find yourself jumping right back out again.

Break Time: Your body and your mind both need a rest if you’re going to stick with a diet and exercise program for more than few weeks or months. If it’s diet, designate a “cheat” day once a week and indulge (don’t overload) on one or two of your favorite less-than-healthy foods. With exercise, avoid working out on consecutive days, and take a whole week off every 6-8 weeks and rejuvenate.

Goal in Sight: Without a goal, you can’t achieve it, and to achieve lifelong health and wellness, you need short-, medium- and long-term goals. It could be losing 5 pounds this month or 25 pounds this year, improving your cholesterol or body-fat percentage by next year’s physical (and the one after that), fitting into a smaller size, running a longer distance; you name it. Set it and then work to achieve it.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Filed under: Feet,Inflammation,Men's Health,Nutrition,Orthotics,Posture,Stress — Tags: , , , , , ,

October 14, 2010

NSAID Use Associated With Future Stroke

By Dr. Stacey

NSAID Use Associated With Future Stroke in Healthy Population:

The results of a Danish study found that short-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with an increased risk of stroke in healthy individuals. This increased risk ranged from about 30% with ibuprofen and naproxen to 86% with di-clofenac.

[Source: BC Chiropractic Association  Newsletter Fall 2010; www.bcchiro.com]

Filed under: Chemicals,Inflammation,Prescription Drugs,Stroke — Tags: , , ,