Start your Day with Cereal?

Just today, I read an article about the most unhealthy cereals for kids (or adults for that matter).  I thought they did a good job of portraying how detrimental sugar laden cereals can be.  However, the one issue that I have with the article is the suggestion of "healthier" cereal options.

Now, don't get me wrong, a bowl of Unfrosted Mini Wheats is going to be much better than a bowl of Froot Loops Marshmallow.  You're getting MUCH less sugar.  But when we look at foods that are healthy for your, we don't only look at the sugar content.  You need to look at the food as a whole.

Most cereals are carbohydrates, and simple carbohydrates at that.  Simple carbohydrates have little to no nutritional value to them.  They get broken down into sugar in our digestive tracts and not much else.  So, even if you're choosing a bowl of Cheerios, you're still getting more sugar than your body needs in the morning.

One other aspect that cereals are severely lacking is in the Vitamin and Mineral department.  You may have noticed that most cereals are "fortified" with many vitamins and minerals.  That means that they add vitamins and minerals to the cereal.  That's good right?

Not so much.  The reason that the cereal industry fortifies their cereal is because of what happens in the processing of the cereal.  When making a cereal, they start out with a relatively healthy grain that is full of minerals and vitamins.  In order to get it to the correct size, shape, texture, and flavor, they need to completely change the grain.  And, in may of those steps, most, if not all, of the natural vitamins and minerals are lost.  So, they just replace them.  The issue with the fortification of vitamins and minerals is that they are all created in a lab and most are indigestible by the human body.

Finally, the ingredient that most cereals are severely lacking is healthy protein.  In order for you to start your day off right and not have the 10:30 crash is to get protein in your breakfast.  Good sources of healthy protein are organic, free range eggs and meat, nuts, and raw milk and raw milk products.

So, if you're one of those people who's been eating Lucky Charms every morning since you were 2 and need to have multiple cups of coffee just to get through the day, try at least one day a week with replacing that bowl of fortified sugar grain with a healthier, protein option.

Chiropractic & Stress

I know it's been a while since my last post.  The holiday season was a little hectic and the blog kind of fell to the wayside.  Anyway.

As I'm sure you all know, the holiday season can be a stressful time no matter what your situation.  And now that the holiday season is officially over, there's some things that you can do to de-stress.



Most people don't associate chiropractic with being a de-stressor, however, regular chiropractic care is one of the best ways to ensure that stress doesn't take a stranglehold on your body.

When your spine and nervous system are correctly aligned, there won't be any disturbances with the connection from your brain to your body and vice versa.  When your body and brain are able to communicate without any interference, it can deal with other problems more easily.

When your spine is lined up, it also isn't pulling on muscles, ligaments, and tendons abnormally.  If these soft tissues aren't being stressed in different directions, it is much easier for your body to relax and to feel relaxed.

There's another realm of medicine that we have talked about briefly called psychoneuroimmunology.  This basically states that when your body is able to correctly communicate with itself, it makes you have a better outlook on life.  Essentially, you feel happier.  And when you feel happier, you tend to be less stressed.

So, I guess what I'm really trying to say is that if you feel stressed or even overly stressed, try getting a chiropractic adjustment along with your massage or meditation or deep breathing.  It will probably help more than you might think.

Buyer Beware

This is a topic I have been meaning to write about for some time now.  When you go to the grocery store, if you're like me, you try to buy things that are as healthy as possible.  However, when you're looking at a package that says "All Natural", you still need to be wary.

Ideally, "All Natural" would mean that the product would be healthy for you.  Sometimes, that's not the case.  Typically, "All Natural" means that there are no food products that don't exist in nature.  However, "All Natural" products could still contain items that have been modified, sprayed, changed, or created in a lab somewhere. 

For instance, I've commented on how High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad for you, but it would be considered "All Natural" since it comes from corn.  Another example that I've written about would be with Genetically Modified (GMO) products.  All these products are still grown in a farm or greenhouse somewhere, but have pesticides put into their genes.

Another reason that "All Natural" foods may not be such a great choice is their nutritional value.  Something that is "All Natural" can still be high in sugar, fat, salt, simple carbs, etc.  In fact, that goes for organic products as well.  No matter if it's "All Natural", organic, or not, you still need to look at the nutrition facts.  You need to be very mindful about what you're buying, and not just trusting that the product is good for you because the manufacturer put a fancy decal on the box.

So, what's the best way to avoid all of this trouble?  Buy as many fresh products and try to avoid anything in a package.

Soy you Think it's Good for your Body?

These days, it seems like more and more people are realizing that milk doesn't sit too well with them.  So what to put in that glass or pour over your cereal?  Many people are turning to soy.  But, is soy such a good alternative?  I think you can probably guess where I'm going with this one.


I have a couple of issues with soy, the first being a good replacement for milk.  First of all, soy isn't the complete food that it's cracked up to be.  For something to be a complete food, it needs to be a food that you could survive on without eating anything else.  Soy is not a complete food for a number of different reasons.  It does NOT have a complete and full spectrum of vitamins and minerals that your body needs.  Also, the protein in soy may be a decent protein, but it is highly indigestible by the human digestive system.  (In fact, the most digestible soy products are fermented soy products such as miso.)  You will NOT be getting the required nutrients that your body needs and craves from being on a strict soy diet.  It could even lead to serious malnutrition diseases by being on a strictly soy diet.

The second big reason that I'm not much of a fan of soy is because of what are called phytoestrogens (I'll call them PEs cause it's easier to type).  PEs are structures naturally within the soybean.  PEs are exactly what they sound like, estrogen compounds.  Now, most people know that women have higher estrogen and men have higher testosterone.  But men also have estrogen.  When you increase soy intake, you are also increasing your estrogen intake with PEs.  In men, this could lead to hormonal changes that give higher levels of estrogen.  Not only that, but higher estrogen levels in women can be a big deal as well.  Higher estrogen can lead to things such as an increased risk for breast cancer or infertility.  Not to mention that if you give your baby soy formula, you will be exposing them to much higher levels of estrogen in the form of PEs before their little body can handle it.

Finally, the last big issue that I have with soy is actually with US soy.  Any soy that you buy that was grown in the US is going to be GMO (genetically modified), unless it is certified organic.  If you want to read why GMO foods are such a detriment, just re-read my blog titled The Breakdown on GMOs.

So the next time you decide to swap out your milk for soymilk or baby formula for soy formula, just remember, there are better options out their.  Try coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk, or even try to get away from the milk dependence that we were brought up with.

Just a Reminder

I would just like to take this opportunity to give a reminder to anyone who follows my blog:

Your questions and comments are always welcome.

Whether you agree, disagree, have a quandary, or simply have something to say, I look forward to people commenting on my blog.  It means that the information is getting out there.

I will do my best to respond to your comments as swiftly as possible and make a solid effort on further explaining myself or answering any questions that may have been posed.  Even if the comments are to blog posts from last year.

One of the points of this blog is to start discussions and there's no better place to hold or continue a discussion than in the comment section.

I hope that everyone's health continues to reap life's benefits.  Especially with Halloween coming up!

Are You on Schedule?

I decided that I wanted to give a sneak peak of my upcoming Vaccination Education Class being held at the office on Wednesday, October 26th at 6pm.  So, my blog topic for this week is going to deal with the ever expanding vaccination schedule that we are to adhere to.

Ever since the first vaccines arrived way back in the late 18th century, there have been more and more vaccines added to the mandated list from our Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Back in the mid 20th century, it didn't seem like such a big deal.  You'd just get a couple shots and call it good.  Today, that's a whole different story.  Here's a look at how that vaccination schedule has changed over the years:

1980 - 20 vaccines

1995 - 40 vaccines

2011 - 68 vaccines

Now, I do need to state that these numbers may not be accurate.  The reason is, these numbers are the number of vaccines that someone is recommended to receive by the time they turn 18.  These numbers don't even accout for voluntary vaccines such as the HPV vaccine or Gardasil (future topic).  They also don't account for the adult vaccines that are recommended (flu vaccine, shingles vaccine, etc.)

As you can see, the number of vaccines that are recommended has skyrocketed over recent years.  I was able to do a little calculation, and by the year 2020, at this rate, our children will be required/recommended to receive 80 vaccines before the age of 18!

Now. if you don't think that's an issue, consider all of the stuff that gets put into vaccines and how much is getting put into your infant / child over that 68 vaccines time period.  Ingredients such as:

Formaldehyde

Aluminum
Mercury
Phenoxyethanol (ingredient in antifreeze)

Peanut oil

Latex

Human and animal cells

So if you'd like to find out more about vaccines, the vaccine schedule, or the new WA State Vaccine Laws, stop by the clinic if you're in the area on the 26th at 6pm to learn more and to join in on a hearty discussion.

Chronic Ear Infections - Just a Phase?

This past Sunday, I was sitting in church with the family and there was a prayer request for a little girl who would be going through surgery to put tubes in her ears because she had been suffering from chronic, multiple ear infections.  I have to say that my heart went out to her even though I had never met her before and wished that I had met her previously.  The reason is simple.  I believe that no child should have to get tubes put in their ears.

Even though the surgery seems relatively simple and harmless, you're always going to be messing with the body's natural state.  You have a barrier (ear drum) between your outer and inner ear for a reason.  One reason is so that you can hear, the other is to prevent things from getting into your inner ear.  Most of the time, tubes are put in the ears to prevent build up in the inner ear.  But why is there buildup in the first place?

What I would have told these parents to try (assuming they hadn't already) would be to get rid of the cause of the buildup.  Like so many other western medicine remedies, you treat the symptom, not the cause.  As a chiropractor, I like to treat the cause of the problem, preferably with minimally invasive procedures. 

So, what could be the cause of the buildup and chronic infections?  3 Things:

1)  Diet.  Most food that we and our children eat (mainly store bought dairy and foods with gluten) are high in sugar and cause general inflammation in our bodies.  The bacteria that are responsible for many ear infections like this.  They feed off of the excess sugar, multiply and cause our body to react by sending inflammation and mucus to the area to stop the bacteria.  many times, this inflammation, mucus, bacteria mixture travels up a tube in the back of the throat called the Eustachian Tube to the inner ear.  The tube gets blocked, more gunk builds up, and you get an inner ear infection.  So, if you get rid of the offending bacteria, no more infections right?  If only that were the case.

2)  Over Prescription of Antibiotics.  So when you take an antibiotic to kill the "bad" bacteria, it's all good right?  Wrong, you're also killing off the millions of good bacteria in your body that we referenced in an earlier post.  These good bacteria (probiotics) help fend off further infections.  When you take an antibiotic, it is ESSENTIAL to build the good bacteria back up by taking a probiotic to help fend off future infections.  Also, when you take an antibiotic, some of the bad bacteria are going to survive.  They stick around and multiply and can cause future ear infections unless further steps are taken.  When this happens, many pediatricians prescribe another and another round of antibiotics.  The circle continues until the last resort is tubes.  Or is it?

3)  Spinal Subluxation.  In the upper portion of the spine, there are nerves that travel into the ears and throat.  If there is some sort of irritation to those nerves, the area that the nerves go to will also be irritated.  This means that the ear, throat, or Eustachian Tube can be more easily irritated and more prone to ear infection.  I don't think that it's a coincidence that Dr. Stemp (the other chiropractor at Cascade Chiropractic & Massage) never had an ear infection growing up with both parents being chiropractors.

So, what would I have told the parents of this little girl?
#1)  Stop all dairy and gluten intake for your daughter for at least 6 months and supplement probiotics.
#2)  Let me take a look at her spine and ears.

At worst, it would do nothing and we would look into some other, more natural remedies.  At best, she wouldn't get ear infections anymore.  Just the thought that this might work over needing to put your child under anesthesia to have surgery would make me try it as a parent.