This week's blogpost brings awareness to another acronym that doesn't get much press but is most likely a part of all Americans' life. GMO. GMO stands for genetically modified organism. There's also GEO, or genetically engineered organism, which is essentially the same thing. The reason that I wanted to talk about GMOs today is because we consume a lot of them in our diet without even knowing it.
Many food products and additives today are made from plants that are GMOs. Now, this doesn't sound so harmful in and of itself, until you to start to look into what a GMO plant is. If you look into the side that supports GMOs, they will say that they are able to produce bigger and better yields of the crop. This is true about the bigger crop, but not necessarily the better part.
You see, when you genetically modify or engineer a plant you are changing the basic properties of that plant at the genetic level. In most cases today, especially corn and soy, these GMO plants are chemically changed to have anti-microbial / pesticidal qualities bred into them. They are typically known as "Round-Up Ready" versions. That means that if you are trying to avoid harmful chemicals such as pesticides, you won't be able to get away from them in GMOs, they are genetically bred into the plant.
Now, there are many different problems with this, the main one being that these chemicals are literally part of the plant now. That means that most corn, and other products, that we eat today are completely different from what our forefathers ate even 50 years ago.
Also, the companies that own these GMO seeds have a patent on them. And if, per chance, some of the GMO seed were to end up in an organic farmer's crop, the organic farmer probably won't know it until the GMO company tests their crops then can sue the farmer for "illegally" using the GMO seeds without paying for them. And these GMO companies are huge with lots of connections, so they typically win out. If this sounds like a conspiracy theory, there's a lot of evidence that shows these facts. Movies like Food, Inc. and The Future of Food have addressed these issues and there are a plethora of court cases dealing with this fact.
There are also health implications when you eat GMO foods. Anytime your body eats something that is not a food (pesticides, food coloring, preservatives, fake sugars, etc.) your detoxification systems (liver and kidneys) need to get rid of it. And in most cases, they can't get rid of all of that junk, so it builds up in your body. There have been studies that have linked these chemicals to serious disease processes like Diabetes, Infertility, and Alzheimer's to name a few. In fact, some countries, mostly in Europe, have banned these GMOs simply because there have been too many detrimental health implications.
So if you really want to make an effort to not eat as many GMO products as possible, read the label before you buy it. Most products will say that they are GMO or GEO free. Also, organic products should be GMO free. Finally, just a little tip, my wife found out that all of Trader Joe's named products are GMO free.
Here's another link to the Future of Food video on Hulu that I posted earlier. I'm posting again just because I think everyone should watch this. This is a feature length documentary so plan to set some time aside to watch the whole thing.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The American Sedentary Lifestyle
With the innovation of TV, computers, and video games, it's no argument that the American society has become more of a sedentary society. Most people sit at their jobs or in school, come home and sit in front of the TV, then go to bed. Of course this means that we aren't getting enough exercise when we are stationary all day long. However, there are other detriments to sitting for a majority of your awake time.
When you're sitting in front of the TV or computer, most people tend to snack more. Now, this wouldn't be too big of an issue if people snacked healthily and in moderation. But that's typically not the case. Most snackable foods are stuffed with simple carbs, fat, salt, and sugar. And when you sit around and eat these types of food that are supposed to be converted into energy, your body stores them as fat. Not only fat in the beer belly or thighs, but more dangerous fat that surrounds and can restrict our vital organs. One way to help get rid of that fat is to get up and move around.
When you're sitting, you're not moving and not getting the essential exercise that your body needs. Exercise helps keep your blood flowing, increases your metabolism, releases feel-good chemicals like endorphins and enkephalins, reduces body fat, and has many other benefits. There are companies, schools, and programs that have realized that when people exercise, they are generally more productive and happy. Programs like the NFL's Play 60 have really made an effort to promote kids getting up and moving around for at least 60 minutes per day. There are a plethora of other programs by schools, businesses, and organizations that are helping to fight the sedentary lifestyle that most Americans have become accustomed to.
Finally, there's actually recent research that suggests that sitting too long during leisure time can increase your risk of premature death. They studied two different groups of people; those who sat for more than 6 hours per day and those who sat for less than 3 in their leisure time. And the surprising fact about the study was that it showed that the increased risk for premature death had nothing to do with exercise. It was purely if you sat for more than six hours, even if you exercised.
So even if you don't want to miss that favorite show of yours, you can do some crunches or lunges while watching, or make sure that you go for a half hour walk outside before or after the show. Just getting started is half the battle, and once you do, it will become second nature before you know it.
When you're sitting in front of the TV or computer, most people tend to snack more. Now, this wouldn't be too big of an issue if people snacked healthily and in moderation. But that's typically not the case. Most snackable foods are stuffed with simple carbs, fat, salt, and sugar. And when you sit around and eat these types of food that are supposed to be converted into energy, your body stores them as fat. Not only fat in the beer belly or thighs, but more dangerous fat that surrounds and can restrict our vital organs. One way to help get rid of that fat is to get up and move around.
When you're sitting, you're not moving and not getting the essential exercise that your body needs. Exercise helps keep your blood flowing, increases your metabolism, releases feel-good chemicals like endorphins and enkephalins, reduces body fat, and has many other benefits. There are companies, schools, and programs that have realized that when people exercise, they are generally more productive and happy. Programs like the NFL's Play 60 have really made an effort to promote kids getting up and moving around for at least 60 minutes per day. There are a plethora of other programs by schools, businesses, and organizations that are helping to fight the sedentary lifestyle that most Americans have become accustomed to.
Finally, there's actually recent research that suggests that sitting too long during leisure time can increase your risk of premature death. They studied two different groups of people; those who sat for more than 6 hours per day and those who sat for less than 3 in their leisure time. And the surprising fact about the study was that it showed that the increased risk for premature death had nothing to do with exercise. It was purely if you sat for more than six hours, even if you exercised.
So even if you don't want to miss that favorite show of yours, you can do some crunches or lunges while watching, or make sure that you go for a half hour walk outside before or after the show. Just getting started is half the battle, and once you do, it will become second nature before you know it.
Friday, February 4, 2011
The 33 Chiropractic Principles
This week, I decided to present a little more education about chiropractic as a whole. Last year, I did a series in our office newsletters listing the 33 Chiropractic Principles. I decided that I would post all 33 in this blogpost. So feel free to read them all in one sitting or split it up. And, if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section and I'll do my best to answer them in a timely manner.
The original 33 Chiropractic Principles were originally penned by a chiropractor named Ralph W. Stephenson in 1927. His work has inspired chiropractors to reach beyond merely treating back pain, to look at the infinite possibilities of a well-adjusted spine and nervous system.
1. THE MAJOR PREMISE. A Universal Intelligence is in all matter and continually gives to it all its properties and actions, thus maintaining it in existence.
2. THE CHIROPRACTIC MEANING OF LIFE. The expression of this intelligence through matter is the Chiropractic meaning of life.
3. THE UNION OF INTELLIGENCE AND MATTER. Life is necessarily the union of intelligence and matter.
4. THE TRIUNE OF LIFE. Life is a triune having three necessary united factors, namely Intelligence, Force, and Matter.
5. THE PERFECTION OF THE TRIUNE. In order to have 100% Life, there must be 100% Intelligence, 100% Force, 100% Matter.
6. THE PRINCIPLE OF TIME. There is no process that does not require time.
7. THE AMOUNT OF INTELLIGENCE IN MATTER. The amount of intelligence for any given amount of matter is 100%, and is always proportional to its requirements.
8. THE FUNCTION OF INTELLIGENCE. The function of intelligence is to express force.
9. THE AMOUNT OF FORCE CREATED BY INTELLIGENCE. The amount of force created by intelligence is always 100%.
10. THE FUNCTION OF FORCE. The function of force is to unite intelligence and matter.
11. THE CHARACTER OF UNIVERSAL FORCES. The forces of Universal Intelligence are manifested by physical laws; are unswerving and unadapted, and have no solicitude for the structures in which they work.
12. INTERFERENCE WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF UNIVERSAL FORCES. There can be interference with transmission of universal forces.
13. THE FUNCTION OF MATTER. The function of matter is to express force.
14. UNIVERSAL LIFE. Force is manifested by motion in matter; all matter has motion, therefore there is universal life in all matter.
15. NO MOTION WITHOUT THE EFFORT OF FORCE. Matter can have no motion without the application of force by intelligence.
16. INTELLIGENCE IN BOTH ORGANIC AND INORGANIC MATTER. Universal Intelligence gives force to both organic and inorganic matter.
17. CAUSE AND EFFECT. Every effect has a cause and every cause has effects.
18. EVIDENCE OF LIFE. The signs of life are evidence of the intelligence of life.
19. ORGANIC MATTER. The material of the body of a "living thing" is organized matter.
20. INNATE INTELLIGENCE. A "living thing" has an inborn intelligence within its body, called Innate Intelligence.
21. THE MISSION OF INNATE INTELLIGENCE. The mission of Innate Intelligence is to maintain the material of the body of a "living thing" in active organization.
22. THE AMOUNT OF INNATE INTELLIGENCE. There is 100% of Innate Intelligence in every "living thing," the requisite amount, proportional to its organization.
23. THE FUNCTION OF INNATE INTELLIGENCE. The function of Innate Intelligence is to adapt universal forces and matter for use in the body, so that all parts of the body will have coordinated action for mutual benefit.
24. THE LIMITS OF ADAPTATION. Innate Intelligence adapts forces and matter for the body as long as it can do so without breaking a universal law, or Innate Intelligence is limited by the limitations of matter.
25. THE CHARACTER OF INNATE FORCES. The forces of Innate Intelligence never injure or destroy the structures in which they work.
26. COMPARISON OF UNIVERSAL AND INNATE FORCES. In order to carry on the universal cycle of life, Universal forces are destructive, and Innate forces constructive, as regards structural matter.
27. THE NORMALITY OF INNATE INTELLIGENCE. Innate Intelligence is always normal and its function is always normal.
28. THE CONDUCTORS OF INNATE FORCES. The forces of Innate Intelligence operate through or over the nervous system in animal bodies.
29. INTERFERENCE WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF INNATE FORCES. There can be interference with the transmission of Innate Forces.
30. THE CAUSE OF DIS-EASE. Interference with the transmission of Innate forces causes incoordination or dis-ease.
31. SUBLUXATIONS. Interference with the transmission in the body is always directly or indirectly due to subluxations in the spinal column.
32. THE PRINCIPLE OF COORDINATION. Coordination is the principle of harmonious action of all the parts of an organism, in fulfilling their offices and purposes.
33. THE LAW OF DEMAND AND SUPPLY. The Law of Demand and Supply is existent in the body in its ideal state; wherein the "clearing house," is the brain, Innate the virtuous "banker," brain cells "clerks," and nerve cells "messengers."
The original 33 Chiropractic Principles were originally penned by a chiropractor named Ralph W. Stephenson in 1927. His work has inspired chiropractors to reach beyond merely treating back pain, to look at the infinite possibilities of a well-adjusted spine and nervous system.
1. THE MAJOR PREMISE. A Universal Intelligence is in all matter and continually gives to it all its properties and actions, thus maintaining it in existence.
2. THE CHIROPRACTIC MEANING OF LIFE. The expression of this intelligence through matter is the Chiropractic meaning of life.
3. THE UNION OF INTELLIGENCE AND MATTER. Life is necessarily the union of intelligence and matter.
4. THE TRIUNE OF LIFE. Life is a triune having three necessary united factors, namely Intelligence, Force, and Matter.
5. THE PERFECTION OF THE TRIUNE. In order to have 100% Life, there must be 100% Intelligence, 100% Force, 100% Matter.
6. THE PRINCIPLE OF TIME. There is no process that does not require time.
7. THE AMOUNT OF INTELLIGENCE IN MATTER. The amount of intelligence for any given amount of matter is 100%, and is always proportional to its requirements.
8. THE FUNCTION OF INTELLIGENCE. The function of intelligence is to express force.
9. THE AMOUNT OF FORCE CREATED BY INTELLIGENCE. The amount of force created by intelligence is always 100%.
10. THE FUNCTION OF FORCE. The function of force is to unite intelligence and matter.
11. THE CHARACTER OF UNIVERSAL FORCES. The forces of Universal Intelligence are manifested by physical laws; are unswerving and unadapted, and have no solicitude for the structures in which they work.
12. INTERFERENCE WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF UNIVERSAL FORCES. There can be interference with transmission of universal forces.
13. THE FUNCTION OF MATTER. The function of matter is to express force.
14. UNIVERSAL LIFE. Force is manifested by motion in matter; all matter has motion, therefore there is universal life in all matter.
15. NO MOTION WITHOUT THE EFFORT OF FORCE. Matter can have no motion without the application of force by intelligence.
16. INTELLIGENCE IN BOTH ORGANIC AND INORGANIC MATTER. Universal Intelligence gives force to both organic and inorganic matter.
17. CAUSE AND EFFECT. Every effect has a cause and every cause has effects.
18. EVIDENCE OF LIFE. The signs of life are evidence of the intelligence of life.
19. ORGANIC MATTER. The material of the body of a "living thing" is organized matter.
20. INNATE INTELLIGENCE. A "living thing" has an inborn intelligence within its body, called Innate Intelligence.
21. THE MISSION OF INNATE INTELLIGENCE. The mission of Innate Intelligence is to maintain the material of the body of a "living thing" in active organization.
22. THE AMOUNT OF INNATE INTELLIGENCE. There is 100% of Innate Intelligence in every "living thing," the requisite amount, proportional to its organization.
23. THE FUNCTION OF INNATE INTELLIGENCE. The function of Innate Intelligence is to adapt universal forces and matter for use in the body, so that all parts of the body will have coordinated action for mutual benefit.
24. THE LIMITS OF ADAPTATION. Innate Intelligence adapts forces and matter for the body as long as it can do so without breaking a universal law, or Innate Intelligence is limited by the limitations of matter.
25. THE CHARACTER OF INNATE FORCES. The forces of Innate Intelligence never injure or destroy the structures in which they work.
26. COMPARISON OF UNIVERSAL AND INNATE FORCES. In order to carry on the universal cycle of life, Universal forces are destructive, and Innate forces constructive, as regards structural matter.
27. THE NORMALITY OF INNATE INTELLIGENCE. Innate Intelligence is always normal and its function is always normal.
28. THE CONDUCTORS OF INNATE FORCES. The forces of Innate Intelligence operate through or over the nervous system in animal bodies.
29. INTERFERENCE WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF INNATE FORCES. There can be interference with the transmission of Innate Forces.
30. THE CAUSE OF DIS-EASE. Interference with the transmission of Innate forces causes incoordination or dis-ease.
31. SUBLUXATIONS. Interference with the transmission in the body is always directly or indirectly due to subluxations in the spinal column.
32. THE PRINCIPLE OF COORDINATION. Coordination is the principle of harmonious action of all the parts of an organism, in fulfilling their offices and purposes.
33. THE LAW OF DEMAND AND SUPPLY. The Law of Demand and Supply is existent in the body in its ideal state; wherein the "clearing house," is the brain, Innate the virtuous "banker," brain cells "clerks," and nerve cells "messengers."
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Crash Course on the Necessity of Crawling
My infant son had a pretty big milestone this past weekend where he began crawling. While my wife and I were "baby-proofing" the last few days, I realized that his milestone would be the perfect opportunity for me to expound on why this is not only a good way for babies to maneuver around, but it's also essential for their development on a few different levels.
I'm sure that the majority of the population views the crawling stage as simply another stage that a baby goes through. However, I can't tell you how many times I've heard or even witnessed a baby who doesn't go through that crawling stage. And it's a little bigger deal than you may think to go straight to walking or to scoot on their bum instead of crawling. Crawling is an essential stage that babies should go through because it helps develop their motor skills, brain development, and spinal curve formation.
When babies are crawling around, they use new muscles that they haven't used previously. Muscles in their arms and upper back and muscles in the hips and legs allow them to propel forward. They are also using muscles in their abdominal region and "core" to keep up their belly and support the weight of their midsection. Also, they are using tiny muscles throughout their body to help steady themselves while moving and to provide balance. Crawling helps to coordinate these muscle movements and prepares them better for the walking stage.
A large part of the crawling stage is the brain development of the baby. The "cross-crawl pattern" is very essential to developing the child's brain. This pattern is when a child moves one hand forward while moving the opposite leg forward. This process helps stimulate communication between the right and left hemisphere of the brain through a structure called the corpus callosum. This structure is the main communication link between the two sides of the brain. It's essential to make the connections as strong as possible and one of the best ways to do so is to have your baby crawl.
Finally, the last essential of the crawling stage that I'll address is the development of the spinal curvature. When babies crawl, their heads need to be up and their bellies will sag a little bit. When a baby looks up, it helps to develop the cervical curve (neck curve). This curve is crucial because it helps support the weight of the head throughout the rest of that child's life. The sagging of the belly help to develop the lumbar curve (low back curve). This curve is essential because when the baby starts to walk, it better supports the weight of the whole body. Curves help support weights much more efficiently than straight lines. Just look at bridges; most bridges have a curve underneath or above to help support the weight of traffic.
So, if you have a child that doesn't seem to want to crawl, get down on the floor and show them how. It's more important than you may have thought.
I'm sure that the majority of the population views the crawling stage as simply another stage that a baby goes through. However, I can't tell you how many times I've heard or even witnessed a baby who doesn't go through that crawling stage. And it's a little bigger deal than you may think to go straight to walking or to scoot on their bum instead of crawling. Crawling is an essential stage that babies should go through because it helps develop their motor skills, brain development, and spinal curve formation.
When babies are crawling around, they use new muscles that they haven't used previously. Muscles in their arms and upper back and muscles in the hips and legs allow them to propel forward. They are also using muscles in their abdominal region and "core" to keep up their belly and support the weight of their midsection. Also, they are using tiny muscles throughout their body to help steady themselves while moving and to provide balance. Crawling helps to coordinate these muscle movements and prepares them better for the walking stage.
A large part of the crawling stage is the brain development of the baby. The "cross-crawl pattern" is very essential to developing the child's brain. This pattern is when a child moves one hand forward while moving the opposite leg forward. This process helps stimulate communication between the right and left hemisphere of the brain through a structure called the corpus callosum. This structure is the main communication link between the two sides of the brain. It's essential to make the connections as strong as possible and one of the best ways to do so is to have your baby crawl.
Finally, the last essential of the crawling stage that I'll address is the development of the spinal curvature. When babies crawl, their heads need to be up and their bellies will sag a little bit. When a baby looks up, it helps to develop the cervical curve (neck curve). This curve is crucial because it helps support the weight of the head throughout the rest of that child's life. The sagging of the belly help to develop the lumbar curve (low back curve). This curve is essential because when the baby starts to walk, it better supports the weight of the whole body. Curves help support weights much more efficiently than straight lines. Just look at bridges; most bridges have a curve underneath or above to help support the weight of traffic.
So, if you have a child that doesn't seem to want to crawl, get down on the floor and show them how. It's more important than you may have thought.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
What's Safe in Medicine Today?
As I expected, my blog about vaccination has drawn the most ire from some people and also the most comments. That's one of the reasons that I wanted to talk about safety issues in medicine this week. Vaccines aren't the only portion of western medicine that need to be looked at as being harmful to your body and to society as a whole. However, with that said, there are some safe options available as well.
I first want to state that I in no way intend to bash the western medical world as a whole. There is a time and place for western medicine, especially in the event of trauma and life threatening illness. However, where the western medical world has gone wrong in my opinion is that they take these same acute injury principles and apply them to non acute situations. Perfect example being in most Type 2 Diabetes cases. There are many medical doctors out there who jump to prescribing insulin, Metformin, or other drugs to help with blood sugar levels. But, when you look at the actual physiology and research about Type 2 Diabetes, you will see that the best way to reverse and stop the effects of Type 2 Diabetes in most cases in by a healthy diet and exercise routine. You should ALWAYS try a healthier alternative to fixing a problem before drugs or surgery unless it is a life or death situation.
The reason that you should start with a more "conservative" treatment is because of all the adverse effects of drugs and surgery. Around 200,000 Americans will die due to adverse effects of prescription drugs this year. If that number seems high, you can check for yourself. The information is out there, it's just not being distributed. That number doesn't even include death due to surgery mishaps, over the counter drugs, or international statistics.
Also, there is a reason that the average older American is on 8 prescription medications. Most often it's because one drug will have a severe or quality of life depleting side effect. Therefore, they will give you another drug to stop that side effect which will typically have another side effect so they give another one and so on. If you ever want to know some of the side effects of the more popular drugs, just sit and listen to one of the many ads on TV or radio and pay attention to the "____________ may cause...".
But not all treatments have all of these deaths and side effects right? If you look at the "alternative medicines", you'll find that most are very safe and, in a lot of circumstances, just as effective if not more effective.
Chiropractic, for example is one of the most safe modalities of health care out there. There are reports of minor side effects in as few as one in 3 million treatments, others show fewer than that. One way to look at it is to compare the malpractice insurance that doctors and other medical personnel pay each year. Malpractice insurance is a requirement to practice medicine of any kind and it's in case something "bad" does happen under your care as a doctor. Many medical doctors pay tens of thousands of dollars each year for their malpractice insurance, depending on their profession. My malpractice insurance is about $1400 a year. The reason that there is such a discrepancy is because chiropractic has far fewer cases of adverse events than western medicine, and there's the numbers to prove it.
So, before you pop that next Lipitor or get scheduled for your next surgery, ask yourself if you have tried other less invasive treatments and if the side effects are really better than trying to live a healthier life.
I first want to state that I in no way intend to bash the western medical world as a whole. There is a time and place for western medicine, especially in the event of trauma and life threatening illness. However, where the western medical world has gone wrong in my opinion is that they take these same acute injury principles and apply them to non acute situations. Perfect example being in most Type 2 Diabetes cases. There are many medical doctors out there who jump to prescribing insulin, Metformin, or other drugs to help with blood sugar levels. But, when you look at the actual physiology and research about Type 2 Diabetes, you will see that the best way to reverse and stop the effects of Type 2 Diabetes in most cases in by a healthy diet and exercise routine. You should ALWAYS try a healthier alternative to fixing a problem before drugs or surgery unless it is a life or death situation.
The reason that you should start with a more "conservative" treatment is because of all the adverse effects of drugs and surgery. Around 200,000 Americans will die due to adverse effects of prescription drugs this year. If that number seems high, you can check for yourself. The information is out there, it's just not being distributed. That number doesn't even include death due to surgery mishaps, over the counter drugs, or international statistics.
Also, there is a reason that the average older American is on 8 prescription medications. Most often it's because one drug will have a severe or quality of life depleting side effect. Therefore, they will give you another drug to stop that side effect which will typically have another side effect so they give another one and so on. If you ever want to know some of the side effects of the more popular drugs, just sit and listen to one of the many ads on TV or radio and pay attention to the "____________ may cause...".
But not all treatments have all of these deaths and side effects right? If you look at the "alternative medicines", you'll find that most are very safe and, in a lot of circumstances, just as effective if not more effective.
Chiropractic, for example is one of the most safe modalities of health care out there. There are reports of minor side effects in as few as one in 3 million treatments, others show fewer than that. One way to look at it is to compare the malpractice insurance that doctors and other medical personnel pay each year. Malpractice insurance is a requirement to practice medicine of any kind and it's in case something "bad" does happen under your care as a doctor. Many medical doctors pay tens of thousands of dollars each year for their malpractice insurance, depending on their profession. My malpractice insurance is about $1400 a year. The reason that there is such a discrepancy is because chiropractic has far fewer cases of adverse events than western medicine, and there's the numbers to prove it.
So, before you pop that next Lipitor or get scheduled for your next surgery, ask yourself if you have tried other less invasive treatments and if the side effects are really better than trying to live a healthier life.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Bad Bacteria? Not All of Them!
Growing up I thought that all bugs and microbes and germs were bad for you. That's why you always washed your hands and sneezed into your shoulder and took antibiotics when sick. What I didn't realize at that time (which may have grossed me out) is that people normally have a couple pounds of bacteria living inside them and on their skin. However, that's a good thing because these bacteria are good for you. Most of these bacteria are located within our digestive system, mainly the colon. These good bacteria are known as Probiotics.
There's been more awareness of the necessity of Probiotics within the recent years with products like Activia getting more air time. But that doesn't mean that everyone knows about them or why we have them. There's a number of different reasons that we have millions of bacteria living within our colon.
The main reason is that we NEED them. We live in a symbiotic relationship with these bacteria. They need us because we give them food through our diet and we need them to help with many different bodily processes. Some of the bacteria help us digest food like green leafy vegetables, some help kill of potentially harmful bacteria, and others actually help with the movement and absorption of the food that we eat.
So you can see that these bacteria are pretty beneficial. With that said, most people are deficient in the amount of bacteria present. This is partially due to the American diet, but mostly due to the over prescription of antibiotics. Antibiotics are really good at their job. They kill the bad bacteria in most cases. However, they also kill off the good bacteria that you need. A lot of times, you will probably weigh less after taking antibiotics because you've killed and passed the good bacteria that were helping you.
So if you've taken any antibiotics recently, it's a necessity to take a Probiotic supplement. Yes, you can get some good bacteria from eating yogurt or drinking kefir or kombucha, but it's not enough. You need to replenish that whole store of good bacteria.
You can find Probiotics at any supplement or health foods store. And typically, a good rule of thumb is that good Probiotics should be refrigerated.
There's been more awareness of the necessity of Probiotics within the recent years with products like Activia getting more air time. But that doesn't mean that everyone knows about them or why we have them. There's a number of different reasons that we have millions of bacteria living within our colon.
The main reason is that we NEED them. We live in a symbiotic relationship with these bacteria. They need us because we give them food through our diet and we need them to help with many different bodily processes. Some of the bacteria help us digest food like green leafy vegetables, some help kill of potentially harmful bacteria, and others actually help with the movement and absorption of the food that we eat.
So you can see that these bacteria are pretty beneficial. With that said, most people are deficient in the amount of bacteria present. This is partially due to the American diet, but mostly due to the over prescription of antibiotics. Antibiotics are really good at their job. They kill the bad bacteria in most cases. However, they also kill off the good bacteria that you need. A lot of times, you will probably weigh less after taking antibiotics because you've killed and passed the good bacteria that were helping you.
So if you've taken any antibiotics recently, it's a necessity to take a Probiotic supplement. Yes, you can get some good bacteria from eating yogurt or drinking kefir or kombucha, but it's not enough. You need to replenish that whole store of good bacteria.
You can find Probiotics at any supplement or health foods store. And typically, a good rule of thumb is that good Probiotics should be refrigerated.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
My Chiropractic Story
I just realized that some of the people who read my blog don't even know my chiropractic story. And since it's the perfect way to start off the new year, I'll do just that. Hopefully this doesn't bore anyone.
When I started looking into colleges to attend back at the beginning of high school, I recall looking into colleges that had a well respected biology department. In didn't know why at the time, but I kind of always wanted to do something in the medical field. In fact, as a kid, I remember playing quite a bit with a doctor's kit.
Then I got hurt in soccer practice my junior year of high school. A teammate (who probably weighed 2X what I did) and I collided and I honestly thought I had broken a couple of ribs. My mom decided to take me to the chiropractor she had been seeing mainly for some low back issues. They took x-rays. Of course, no broken ribs. He then went on to describe that I had some subluxations in my spine and ribcage that were causing these issues. We did a couple of treatments and I was without pain after just 2 or 3 treatments. What was even better, was that I realized I wasn't getting my "normal" 2-3 headaches per week.
The doctor and I got to talking more about chiropractic and why it's such an essential profession and what chiropractic school would be like. He also informed me that chiropractic uses the body's natural healing ability and that's why we don't need to use drugs or surgery. I decided that it sounded like a pretty good fit and started looking into colleges that offered pre-chiropractic majors (by the way, there's no such thing as a pre-chiropractic major, Biology major does more than fine).
While in college I took a lot of Chemistry along with Biology and began learning about medical drugs and surgery. From hearing how foreign these treatment options are to our bodies and learning all of the negative side affects of many of them, I definitely knew that becoming a chiropractor was the perfect fit for me. And ever since then, it was a lot of hard work and studying and now I finally get to see chiropractic in action everyday that I work. It truly is amazing.
What I now know after being in practice, is that the reason I wanted to do something in the medical field is because I wanted to help people get and stay well. And there is no better profession than chiropractic to do that. The fact that chiropractic enhances the body's innate ability to heal itself without intrusive means actually gives more validity and proof to the effectiveness of chiropractic when you actually study the anatomy and physiology of the human being.
So it's all because I got hurt playing soccer. I think it was worth it.
If anyone feels inclined to share their story of how they were introduced to chiropractic, you are more than welcome to comment.
When I started looking into colleges to attend back at the beginning of high school, I recall looking into colleges that had a well respected biology department. In didn't know why at the time, but I kind of always wanted to do something in the medical field. In fact, as a kid, I remember playing quite a bit with a doctor's kit.
Then I got hurt in soccer practice my junior year of high school. A teammate (who probably weighed 2X what I did) and I collided and I honestly thought I had broken a couple of ribs. My mom decided to take me to the chiropractor she had been seeing mainly for some low back issues. They took x-rays. Of course, no broken ribs. He then went on to describe that I had some subluxations in my spine and ribcage that were causing these issues. We did a couple of treatments and I was without pain after just 2 or 3 treatments. What was even better, was that I realized I wasn't getting my "normal" 2-3 headaches per week.
The doctor and I got to talking more about chiropractic and why it's such an essential profession and what chiropractic school would be like. He also informed me that chiropractic uses the body's natural healing ability and that's why we don't need to use drugs or surgery. I decided that it sounded like a pretty good fit and started looking into colleges that offered pre-chiropractic majors (by the way, there's no such thing as a pre-chiropractic major, Biology major does more than fine).
While in college I took a lot of Chemistry along with Biology and began learning about medical drugs and surgery. From hearing how foreign these treatment options are to our bodies and learning all of the negative side affects of many of them, I definitely knew that becoming a chiropractor was the perfect fit for me. And ever since then, it was a lot of hard work and studying and now I finally get to see chiropractic in action everyday that I work. It truly is amazing.
What I now know after being in practice, is that the reason I wanted to do something in the medical field is because I wanted to help people get and stay well. And there is no better profession than chiropractic to do that. The fact that chiropractic enhances the body's innate ability to heal itself without intrusive means actually gives more validity and proof to the effectiveness of chiropractic when you actually study the anatomy and physiology of the human being.
So it's all because I got hurt playing soccer. I think it was worth it.
If anyone feels inclined to share their story of how they were introduced to chiropractic, you are more than welcome to comment.
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