Too many people (are you one?) believe intense exercise is the only way to make a difference in their health. Eventually, that path becomes frustrating, exhausting and draining, and we end up doing nothing at all. So, the key issue is not really the type or intensity of exercise, but why you need to start moving. It’s a simple issue of motion versus no motion. It’s shocking to realize how many health problems are caused by not doing anything.

Whenever we hear about someone close to us getting cancer, we pray that it doesn’t happen to us. As a result, we may change our diet, try to alter an unhealthy behavior (e.g., quit smoking), reduce our stress levels, etc.; however, one thing we don’t change often enough is our activity level. It’s shocking to truly grasp how much of an impact being sedentary has on our health. In fact, being inactive is more dangerous to your health than smoking!

In one study, one in five deaths in people 35 years or older was attributed to a lack of physical activity. The risk of developing cancer increased 45 percent for men who didn’t include any physical activity in their life and 28 percent for women who were inactive. Risk of dying from respiratory diseases was 92 percent higher for inactive men and 75 percent higher for inactive women. Risk of heart disease was 52 percent higher for inactive men and 28 percent higher for inactive women.

Cardio Movements: If your goal is to establish some form of motion and activity, the minimum recommendations are 30 minutes a day. This 30 minutes does not have to be done at once. You can break it up into three 10-minute sessions. Heading to work or the mall? Park a few minutes away and walk the rest of the way. Going for lunch at work? Take the stairs after you finish. Or simply walk over to a fellow worker’s office instead of phoning them. If you are home most of the time, walk while you talk on the phone. You’d be surprised how much activity you can get doing this. In short, there are literally thousands of ways to move throughout even the busiest day.

Strength Training Movements: Strength training does not mean joining the muscle guys at Venice Beach. Simple strength exercises with your body weight can be beneficial. The general recommendation is to do eight to 10 strength-training exercises with 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise, two to three times per week. If you don’t have weights, you can use your body weight. Simply do squats against the wall, or do a push-up against the edge of a table. Remember, the key is to start off small and work your way up.

Research is actually showing that high-repetition exercises with lower-weight loads can be as good, if not better, than heavy lifting. A recent study from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, revealed that an exercise program using a low weight load, but high volume of exercise, produced better results than lifting heavier weights.

The goal is not to run a marathon (unless that’s your goal), but rather to introduce new ways to get up and move every day. The health benefits are just too great to overlook the power of movement. Your doctor can tell you more – much more – about the value of movement as part of a healthy lifestyle.

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How to Avoid the Dreaded Rut

Rut [ruht]: noun, a fixed or established mode of procedure or course of life, usually dull or unpromising. Does this sound like your life? Are stuck in a rut, desperate to find a way to break free of your boring routine? Well, it’s time to start adding some much-needed spice to your life.

Many of the things you want to do, but are hesitant to do, lie just outside your comfort zone. We grow when we feel uncomfortable and challenged. Status quo may be safe, but it is also boring! The ability to take risks and open up your mind to new possibilities can be the most empowering combination for change you will ever learn. No risk, no nothing! Here are a simple, powerful ways to kiss that rut goodbye. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Feed Fitness: The mind-body connection is undeniable. How you feel is directly related to how well you take care of your body. If you are not currently exercising, check out a local fitness club. The very act of joining and spending just 30 minutes or so four times a week, investing in yourself, will suppress that rut. If you are exercising on a regular basis, change up your routine by doing exercises you have never done before. Take a kick-boxing class, yoga, Pilates, weight-lifting, or begin training with a workout partner.

Try a Change of Taste: The simple act of changing your food selections can bust your rut. Do you always order the same thing off a menu? Well, stop doing that! Go for something completely different and make a 180-degree turn in your choices. Try eating ethnic foods for a change of taste. Visit an ethnic restaurant and experience the flavor of other cultures. Visit the worlds of Greece, Thailand, India, Middle East, Europe, China and Mexico, to name a few. Wake up those taste buds and spice up your palate.

Volunteer: How often do you sit in front of the television every week? The average American watches three hours of television per day! What a waste. Invest that time in helping others. Search for a national or local organization and discover how you can become involved, even if it’s only for one hour a week. Transform yourself and improve the world in the process. Can there be any greater gift than that?

Control the Clock: Change your normal routine of going to bed and waking up. Choose to stay up longer or wake up earlier to invest time in yourself. Take some much needed me time, free from interruptions of family, friends, roommates, television and the overall white noise of daily living. Take this opportunity to read a good book, listen to music, write in a journal, focus on your goals and map out your activities for the day.

Make Your Own Map: Do you ever find yourself sitting in your car at your final destination and wondering how in the world you got there? Normal routines get ingrained in your brain, to the point that every stop and turn is mindless. This is the epitome of ritual rut! You go from home to work and then work to home, making ceremonial stops along the way. How about changing up that boredom and choosing an alternate route? Make a left instead of a right, take a different highway, choose a more scenic route, go straight instead of turning, be creative and become your own GPS.

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Eat Those Fruits and Veggies!

What’s the best reason to eat your fruits and vegetables? They may help you live longer, pure and simple. According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, consumption of fruits and vegetables containing alpha-carotene – an antioxidant carotenoid found in many red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, as well as some green ones – may help defend cells from attack.

Researchers discovered that people with higher blood levels of alpha-carotene were less likely to suffer serious illness (particularly cancer and cardiovascular disease) and death over the 14-year study period compared with people whose blood levels of alpha-carotene were lower. The study evaluated 15,318 U.S. adults ages 20 and older as part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Follow-Up Study.

If you’re not familiar with alpha-carotene, perhaps its antioxidant cousin rings a bell: beta-carotene, known for its presence in carrots, among other fruits and vegetables. Both alpha- and beta-carotene are converted to vitamin A by the body. While the study authors do not know precisely why alpha-carotene may help protect against disease or if it acts in conjunction with other nutrients, they emphasize that their findings were not attributable to participants’ lifestyle habits, health risk factors or demographic characteristics.

So eat your fruits and veggies! Whether packed with alpha- or beta-carotene, B vitamins, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, magnesium or any of a host of other nutrients, fruits and vegetables provide the nutrition your body needs. Your doctor can tell you more about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables and help outline a nutritional strategy that’s right for you.

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Harvard scientists have observed that the shortest-living Americans are Native American populations in South Dakota, living an average lifespan of 66.5 years, whereas the longest-living Americans are Asian-American women residing in Bergen County, N.J., who live to an average lifespan of 91.1 years. That’s a nearly 25-year difference! Just think about what you could do with 25 “extra” years, particularly if you could enjoy them with sound body and mind. Here’s what science says about the best ways to stay healthy, active and vital into your older years.

As you can see, staying as healthy as possible for as long as possible and enjoying your golden years, rather than being weighed down by illness and disease, is in large part up to you and the choices you make now, regardless of age. The practical choices we make on an everyday basis are what help us achieve living an extended healthy lifespan. Take a little time and evaluate your current health in conjunction with your health care provider. Small, progressive changes can make a big difference in how long you live and the quality of life you enjoy.

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Understand Your Fibre Facts

Dietary fibre, often referred to as “roughage,” is the edible portion of plant cell walls that is resistant to digestion, but is an extremely beneficial component of our diets. Fibres such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains also have high amounts of vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy body function. And of course, a huge side benefit of eating foods rich in fibre is that they taste good!

Not only does fibre help ward off many diseases, but it’s also been shown to aid in weight loss by reducing food intake at meals. This is because fibre-rich foods take longer to digest and thus result in an increased feeling of fullness and satiety. In addition, the more gradual absorption slows the entrance of sugar into the bloodstream, thereby preventing large blood glucose and insulin spikes that can lead to binge eating.

Plant foods contain both types of fibre in varying degrees, according to the plant’s characteristics. Examples of foods rich in soluble fibre are fruits, vegetables, brown rice, barley, and nuts. Most of insoluble fibres come from the bran layers of cereal grains. Examples of foods rich in insoluble fibre are wheat bran and whole-grain breads and cereals. Remember, both are important for good health, so your diet should include a balance of foods rich in both types.

There is no recommended daily allowance (RDA) for fiber, but the American Dietetic Association recommends eating 20-35 grams of dietary fibre per day or 10-13 grams for every 1,000 calories in the diet. The average American significantly falls short of the recommended amount of fibre, consuming on average only 5-10 grams per day. Here are some easy ways to increase fibre intake:

	Choose whole fruits and vegetables (with peels when possible) instead of juices.
	Replace white flour with whole-wheat flour in all baked goods.
	Select whole-grain bread, pasta and cereals in place of similar processed versions.
	Choose brown rice over white rice.
	Replace meat with alternate protein sources such as beans, lentils or other legumes.

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Too Little Sleeping = Too Much Snacking

Here’s an important reason to get the kids off to bed: Too little sleep can lead to a bad habit: overeating. According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reduced sleep time (less than six hours compared with more than eight) is associated with an increase in energy consumption – often in the form of snacks – without any increase in energy expenditure.

In other words, if kids sleep less, they tend to eat more, but don’t expend energy during the extra time they’re awake.

So, what could they possibly be doing that doesn’t burn any energy? Perhaps they’re studying for next week’s exam or writing that long-overdue birthday card to grandma. But probably not. In fact, the chances are good that they’re playing on the computer, watching television, texting their friends or pursuing some other sedentary activity, which is never a good thing, particularly when combined with additional caloric intake. That’s a bad combination that could lead to chronic overeating and weight gain, not to mention fatigue, irritability, and reduced performance attributable to lack of sleep.

Talk to your doctor about the importance of adequate sleep and what you can do to ensure you and your family get the sleep they deserve every night.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Anna Berggren, Irini Lazou Ahren, Niklas Larsson, Gunilla Onning.  “Randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled study using new probiotic lactobacilli for strengthening the body immune defence against viral infections.” European J Nutrition, 27 August 2010.

[Source: http://www.worldhealth.net/news/probiotics-may-help-ward-common-cold/]

 In some amazing research, Dr. Henry Winsor, M.D. of the University of Pennsylvania did autopsies to determine if there was any connection between minor distortions of the spinal bones and diseased organs, or whether the two were entirely independent of each other. His purpose was to disprove what was then known as the “chiropractic theory”. Dr. Winsor carefully examined any diseased organs, the nerves that supplied the organ, and the spinal bones that protected that nerve. He discovered that 221 structures, other than the spine, were diseased. Of these, 212 were observed to belong to the same sympathetic nerve segments (autonomic nerves) as the spinal bone in the distortion. This is a 96% correlation. 96% of the nerves that supplied the diseased organ came from a damaged spinal level.

 The other nine (9) diseased organs were supplied by nerves from spinal bones that were not found to be out of alignment. Dr. Winsor explained that the autonomic nerves enter through a spinal nerve and leave the spinal cord through another spinal nerve after traveling up or down the cord several spinal levels. He felt this accounted for the remaining 4% of apparent discrepancies. His conclusion was that there was nearly a 100% correlation between minor distortions of the spinal bone, the irritation of the autonomic nerves and the diseases of the internal organs. Nerve damage correlated with all 20 cases of heart disease, all 13 cases of liver disease, all 9 cases of stomach disease, all 26 cases of lung disease, and all 8 cases of prostate and bladder disease.

 Dr. Winsor concluded that “irritation near the origin of the sympathetic nerve (autonomic nerve) will cause functional or organic changes in the organs supplied by the portion of the sympathetic nerve irritated.” Based on his research it was found that nearly 100% of all diseased organs may be a result of irritation to the nerve that supplies that organ. He further discovered that the irritation occurred where the spinal nerve exits from between the spinal bones. This research changed what was known as the “chiropractic theory” into fact.

26 May 2009  

Hyperkyphosis, or “dowager’s hump” the exaggerated forward curvature of the upper spine seen commonly in elderly women may predict earlier death in women whether or not they have vertebral osteoporosis, UCLA researchers have found.

In a study published in the May 19 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers found that older white women with both vertebral fractures and the increased spinal curvature that results in the bent-over posture characteristic of hyperkyphosis had an elevated risk for earlier death. The finding was independent of other factors that included age and underlying spinal osteoporosis.

Women who had only hyperkyphosis, without vertebral fractures, did not show an increased risk for premature death.

Hyperkyphosis can be caused by a number of factors besides osteoporosis, including habitual poor posture and degenerative diseases of the muscles and intervertebral discs.

“Just being bent forward may be an important clinical finding that should serve as a trigger to seek medical evaluation for possible spinal osteoporosis, as vertebral fractures more often than not are a silent disease,” said Dr. Deborah Kado, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery and medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the study’s primary investigator. “We demonstrated that having this age-related postural change is not a good thing. It could mean you’re likely to die sooner.”

For the study, the researchers reviewed data on 610 women, age 67 to 93, from a cohort of 9,704 participants in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. The participants were recruited between 1986 and 1988 in Baltimore, Md.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Portland, Ore.; and Pennsylvania’s Monongahela Valley. Researchers measured spinal curvature with a flexicurve and assessed vertebral fractures from spinal radiographs; they assessed mortality based on follow-ups averaging 13.5 years.

Adjusting for age, as well as osteoporosis-related factors such as low bone density, moderate and severe vertebral fractures, and the number of prevalent vertebral fractures, the researchers found that women with previous vertebral fractures and increasing degrees of spinal curvature were at increased mortality risk from the spinal condition, regardless of age, smoking, spinal bone-mineral density, or the number and severity of their spinal fractures.

These study findings provide evidence that it is not just vertebral fracture alone but the associated increased spinal curvature that may be most predictive of adverse health outcomes. Other studies linking hyperkyphosis to poor health, such as impaired physical function, increased fall risk, fractures and mortality, have been unable to exclude the possibility that vertebral fractures alone were the underlying explanation for the findings.

The researchers note several caveats. This study focused on women, though hyperkyphosis also affects men; measurements for vertebral fractures were based only on height ratios, which could lead to misclassification of other causes of height ratio decreases, such as Scheuermann disease; and the timing of the assessments could have affected the results, though it’s unlikely to have made much difference.

However, this study demonstrates a possible association between hyperkyphosis and increased risk for earlier death independent of the number and severity of vertebral fractures or osteoporosis in older women, the researchers write.

“These results add to the growing literature that suggests that hyperkyphosis is a clinically important finding. Because it is readily observed and is associated with ill health in older persons, hyperkyphosis should be recognized as a geriatric syndrome a ‘multifactorial health condition that occurs when the accumulated effect of impairments in multiple systems renders a person vulnerable to situational challenges.’”

Study co-authors include Arun S. Karlamangla of UCLA; Li-Yung Lui and Steven R. Cummings of the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute; and Kristine E. Ensrud and Howard A. Fink of the University of Minnesota.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institute on Aging funded this study.

The UCLA Department of Orthopaedic Surgery provides consultation and treatment for disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Department faculty members provide comprehensive services for such specialties as joint replacement and reconstructive surgery, microvascular surgery, sports medicine, arthroscopy, foot and ankle surgery, hand surgery, pediatric orthopedics, spinal diseases, orthopedic trauma, orthopedic oncology, and metabolic bone disease. In 1998, UCLA and Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital formed a strategic alliance through which Orthopaedic Hospital was integrated with UCLA in the replacement facility for Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital.

Source: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151328.php

Main News Category: Bones / Orthopaedics

Also Appears In:  Seniors / Aging, Women’s Health / Gynecology

Quoted from Maximized Living newsletter: http://maximizedliving.com/Home.aspx, posted to Gibsons Chiropractic on 08-28-2010

Prescription Drugs

In Part 1 and Part 2, we covered the five components of a vertebral subluxation as described by B.J. Palmer in 1934. They are:

1.) Malposition – This simply means misalignment of a vertebra
2.) Occlusion – This refers to the closing off of an opening that a nerve passes through. In our case, we are referring to the neural canal where the spinal cord travels down.
3.) Pressure – When C1 or C2 is misaligned, this can occlude the neural canal near the brain stem. This can cause pressure or tension on the spinal cord at this level.
4.) Interference to flow of nervous system transmission – With a misalignment, an occlusion, and pressure, there is zero chance for the nervous system to properly communicate to the rest of the body.
5.) Three-directional torqued vertebra – To achieve these four components of vertebral subluxation, the C1 and C2 vertebrae has to shift up or down, left or right, and rotated front or back.

We also covered physical and emotional stress and their contribution to vertebral subluxations. Let’s move onto the third and final cause.

Toxins aka Chemical Stress

Toxins are around us at every corner. They are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, in our medicine cabinets, our bodies… you name it, and toxins are there.

So how do we avoid toxins?

First off, let’s make one thing perfectly clear. We will never be able to avoid all toxins. Life happens and so do toxins. You might as well forget about taking control of every single thing that enters your body right now.

There will be days that no matter how much fresh organic juice you make in your Jack LaLanne juicer, no matter how many miles you run, no matter how long you meditate, you still might walk through a cigarette smoker’s exhaled, yet lingering nicotinic cloud, or breathe in fumes from some old clunker’s exhaust, or shower in city water full of prescription drug remnants and fluoride.

That being said, you can actually control a number of toxins from entering your body. Let’s begin with the most toxic.

Prescription Drugs

In 1992, the average American got an average of seven prescriptions per year. In 2008? That number went up to 12. This is a 71% increase, which amounts to an extra $180 billion in sales for pharmaceutical companies.

Being on 12 prescription drugs is not health. In fact, that is completely toxic to your health, and any MD who says differently is giving unethical advice and should be jailed. Health does not come from a pill or a bottle. It is an outside-in approach, a way of treating the effect, that will never produce the desired effect… which is a healthy lifestyle.

I don’t care how skillfully that guy in the Cialis commercial can throw a football through a tire, Cialis is not good for you. It doesn’t matter how good of a time those four old guys are having on their vacation, cholesterol lowering medications are a cover-up in dealing with the real issue: a disfunctioning liver due to terrible diet and lifestyle decisions.

Prozac Poster

Let’s take a look at the popular drug fluoxetine, more commonly known as Prozac. This drug is commonly used for major depression (including pediatric depression), obsessive-compulsive disorder (in both adult and pediatric populations), bulimia nervosa, panic disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Prozac is a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI), and the fourth of its kind when Ely Lilly released it to the public. When the first two SSRIs on the market were withdrawn due to side effects, Eli Lilly went on a fierce marketing campaign to make sure fluoxatine was looked at as a major scientific breakthrough in popular culture. Also, they made it appear as if fluoxetine was the first SSRI to be introduced to the market, when it was not.

Below is a list of side effects associated with Prozac, not often realized because of its acceptance in our society:

Drowsiness, Chronic Trouble Sleeping, Excessive Sweating, Head Pain, Feel Like Throwing Up, Diarrhea, Nervous, Feeling Weak, Anxious, Itching, Joint Pain, Muscle Pain, Fever, Chills, Rash, Trouble Breathing, Nightmares, Feeling Restless, Problems with Eyesight, Ringing in the Ears, Abnormal Heart Rhythm, Stuffy Nose, Dry Mouth, Incomplete or Infrequent Bowel Movements, Inability to have an Erection, Painful Periods, Sun-Sensitive Skin, Hair Loss, Dizzy, Low Energy, Involuntary Quivering, Taste Problems, Temporary Redness of Face and Neck, Loss of Appetite, Weight Loss, Increased Hunger, Fast Heartbeat, Cough, Chest Pain, Throwing Up, Gas, Frequent Urination, Stomach Cramps, Numbness and Tingling, Confused, Sexual Problems, Altered Interest in Having Sexual Intercourse, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, Serotonin Syndrome – Adverse Drug Interaction, Hepatitis caused by Drugs, Inflammation of Skin caused by an Allergy, Erythema Multiforme, Seizures, Swollen Lymph Nodes, Abnormal Liver Function Tests, Reaction due to an Allergy, Allergic Reaction causing Serum Sickness, Low Blood Sugar, Low Amount of Sodium in the Blood, Increased Risk of Bleeding, Behaving with Excessive Cheerfulness and Activity, Mild Degree of Mania, Having Thoughts of Suicide, Loss of Memory, Flu-Like Symptoms, Weight Gain, and Mood Changes.

Altered interest in having sexual intercourse? Hepatitis caused by drugs? No thank you.

To be fair, most of these side effects are rare. But if someone were to take this drug for 15-20 years, I suspect the rare side effects become everyday business as usual.

Is it any wonder that Ely Lilly needed to embark on a fierce marketing campaign to con the public into believing in this worthless and dangerous drug?

Food and Drink

Along with prescription drugs, this subject could take up multiple blog posts for weeks. Food in our society is not what it once was. In fact, most food we eat is not really food. Look no further than the aisles at your local grocery store. Packaged goods with ingredient lists full of words understood only by hardcore chemists line the shelves at every corner.

Ingredients like monosodium glutamate (MSG), phenylketonuronics aka phenalalanine aka aspartame, L-cysteine, high fructose corn syrup, red #40, and yellow #5 frequent all sorts of packaged goods such as Hamburger Helper, diet sodas, whole wheat bread, frozen microwaveable dinners, most cereals, and more. These things do not occur in nature.

For example, MSG was originally derived from seaweed as a salty additive to foods. But now, it is mass-manufactured by the tons through an industrialized fermentation process of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses. MSG is the single salt form of glutamate, an amino acid found in protein rich foods, as well as in your body. It is an excitotoxic substance that can raise your blood glutamate levels up to 20 times the normal limit. It might also be responsible for making cancer cells more mobile and contributing to or even causing cardiac arrythmias, among other things.

But here’s the sneaky part: MSG can be in your food under different guises. The manufacturers of this chemical know the negative public perception of the three letters M-S-G, so they were able to get laws passed that allowed them to disguise MSG as yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and textured protein, to name a few.

But even if you avoid the aisles in the grocery stores, the produce can be just as bad. Pesticides are used generously on fruits and vegetables grown around the world. While we all grow up learning to wash our produce before eating it, you can’t wash off or wash out all the pesticides.

Airplane spraying pesticide on crops

There is something called the dirty dozen in regards to produce. This is referring to foods containing the highest amount of pesticides. They are, from most to least: peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes (from outside the United States), carrots, and pears. These are not the only foods containing pesticides, just the foods with the most. All conventional produce will contain pesticides to some degree.

Then, we get into the subject of genetically engineered food. Again, this could be more blog posts in and of itself. I will simply refer you to the movie Food, Inc. It is a little bit like in the movie the Matrix, when Morpheus offers Neo the choice between the red pill (the truth) and the blue pill (return to the status quo). Food, Inc is akin to taking the red pill (thanks to Dr. Scott Brady for that metaphor).

Avoiding the Chemicals

As I said earlier, we can’t always avoid everything around us. Many of us live in cities with high rates of pollution, or our homes may have hidden mold that we don’t know about (common in Texas). What we can do is avoid the things we do have control over.

Prescription drugs, unless ABSOLUTELY necessary, are not necessary. Not the purple pill or the green pill or the yellow pill. Not one pill or seven pills or twelve pills. I might sound a little like Dr. Seuss, but I am serious. God doesn’t make defective junk that only pharmaceuticals can cure. In fact, the word pharmaceutical itself is derived from words meaning something along the lines of witchcraft. Not very scientific if you ask me.

When in the grocery store, avoid the aisles and buy organic produce if possible. Jack LaLanne has a saying that goes something like this: “If man made it, don’t eat it.” Grocery store aisles are filled with man-made food and you’re better off staying out of them. Organic has become somewhat of a hip and cool pop culture term, but still your best bet when it comes to pesticide free food.

Next week, I’ll conclude this series with a list of things you can do to minimize or avoid physical, emotional, and chemical stress.

[by Dr. Brandon Harshe on April 1, 2010 from http://theatlasoflife.com/2010/04/01/trauma-thoughts-and-toxins-vertebral-subluxations-part-3-chemical-stress/]

Note: this is a two part posting. Click here for The Top 5 Things You Can Do To Be The Healthiest You’ve Ever Been! Part 2

1. Chronic, persistent inflammation
2. Loss of physical fitness
3. Nerve interference (as a result of spinal trauma also known as “vertebral subluxation”)

 1. Inflammation is a condition where the pH (acid/alkaline) balance of your body moves dangerously toward the acid side (Normal pH is 6.8 – 7.4). Below 6.5 is very acidic and may cause the following diseases and conditions…

• Heart disease (heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, etc.)
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Auto-immune diseases
• Asthma/Chronic Allergies
• Depression
• Symptoms of aging 

Causes of Inflammation:

• S.A.D (Standard American Diet) which is high in fat, sugar and processed foods, low in fruits and vegetables
• Vegetable oils (except olive and canola oils)
• Allergies
• Smoking
• Insulin
• Alcohol
• Obesity
• High LDL cholesterol (>100a)
• Infections
• Lack of exercise
• Lack of sleep

STRESS is the #1 cause of inflammation! Stress hormones contribute more to inflammation than any other single factor! Stress releases:

1. Insulin – the “insulin response” is why eating sugar and grains is so devastating to your health. Excesssive insulin causes weight gain, depresses the immune system, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, higher cancer risk, aging symptoms, many others…

2. Adrenaline – the “fight or flight” hormone heightens instinctive emotions of anger, hostility, aggression, fear, anxiety, or nervousness and suppresses immune and digestive system function, causes fatigue, and high blood pressure.

3. Cortisol which causes high blood pressure, thinning of the skin, storage of fat in the abdomen, defective immune function, and depression.

 2. Loss of physical fitness:

Long-term lack of exercise leads to:

• Loss of muscle
• Weight-gain (fat gain, lean muscle burns more calories)
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• More inflammation (and everything it causes!)

 3. Nerve interference:

Vertebral subluxations are spinal joint injuries from a lifetime of stresses, traumas and injuries. These injuries cause interferences in the nervous system.  Nerve interference causes…

• Pain/symptoms anywhere in the body the nerve goes
• Dysfunction of affected organs
• Reduced immune function
• Impaired ability of the body to heal itself.

Read “The Top 5 Things You Can Do To Be The Healthiest You’ve Ever Been! Part 2” for the Solutions