Crosser Chiropractic & Natural Health Center
Think-Wellness Newsletter
November 2006 Edition
Intestinal Flora ~ The Bugs in Your Body
Lowering Blood Sugar with a Low Glycemic Index Diet
Vitamin D...More Important than You Know
Water, Aspartame, and Natural Anti-Inflammatories
Dr. Mark recently went to another KST seminar in Philadelphia, PA. KST is the abbreviation for the Koren Specific Technique. This is a method of evaluation and treatment of the spine, extremities, and cranial bones (the head!) Dr. Koren is a chiropractor from the Philadelphia area. His passion is Chiropractic and its history. Through his continual studies of the different ways chiropractors and osteopaths practice, he has put together his own great technique, known today as KST technique. Because of his personal neck and low back problems he has had chiropractic care from the 'best' in the world, but only found relief here and there. His first patient was himself. He used his own body to test and fine-tune his concepts. To his surprise he was able to relieve problems he has had for 25 years. His wife kept telling him that he really had come up with something special. So, when he was speaking at a chiropractic conventions he would mention he was developing a new technique and would like to have volunteers to work on. He said there would be lines of chiropractors waiting to get worked on, so he had an excellent opportunity to perfect his technique. Dr. Koren explained the day after a seminar he would get calls from people he had worked on, explaining they felt relief they had not felt in years. After a while he began to believe his wife and continued to pursue his new technique. About two years ago, he began teaching this technique. I attended his program about one year ago and have used pieces of his technique on some of you. I have had some very good success with cases that I had previously struggled with. I was encouraged to attend the seminar again to learn more to better utilize this great technique.
Koren technique is based on a biofeedback mechanism that is built into the body located at the base of the skull. So, to test an area of the body that is injured, we challenge the areas surrounding the pain with a gentle stroke or touch, then slide the thumbs down the back of the skull. The biofeedback part is the meningeal fibers located below the occiput that will slightly tighten up if the area touched diagnostically needs to be adjusted. The adjustment is delivered by the arthrostim that taps at 12 cycles per second. The significant part is the 12 cycles per second because this is the same frequency that is within the body. Apparently, as this specific, familiar frequency is applied to the injured area, the body readily accepts and utilizes the positive energy to heal faster.
I have been very impressed with this technique. So, I will continue to use it more and more. The adjustments will be much more subtle using the arthrostim instrument, but will be equally or more effective as a manual adjustment. I will always be happy to offer the manual adjustment you are familiar with. So please, feel free to discuss with me the variety of treatment options available to you.
Intestinal Flora...The Bugs in Your Body
Did you know that we have 400 to 500 types of bacteria in our digestive systems; each of which has many types of strains? This may seem overwhelming, but 20 types of strains make up three-quarters of the total. The most common are bacteroides, bifidobacteria, eubacterium, fusobacteria, lactobacillus,peptococcaceae, theumanococcus, and streptococcus. Most of these bacteria are "anaerobic" meaning they do not need oxygen to thrive. Some are "aerobic" and need oxygen for survival. A third group produces lactic acid and can be either anaerobic or aerobic. Lactic acid -producing bacteria help acidify the intestinal tract and protect us from overgrowth of harmful bacteria. A total of one hundred trillion bacteria live together in our digestive system. Their total weight is about 4 pounds ~ the size of our liver!
Flora play an important role in our ability to fight infectious disease, providing a front line in our immune defense. Friendly flora also manufacture many vitamins including the B-complex vitamins, vitamin A, and vitamin K. Lactic acid-secreting acidopholis and bifidus increase the bioavailability of minerals which require acid for absorption; calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and manganese. It is a common misconception that friendly flora kill invading microbes. What they actually do is change the environment by "competitive exclusion" ~ they secrete large amounts of acids which make the area unsuitable for pathogens. The many benefits of acid-producing bacteria include:
Prevent
colonization of the intestines by pathogenic bacteria and yeasts by
protecting the integrity of the intestinal lining;
Produce
acids which keep the pH balance in the intestine preventing
disease-producing microbes from getting a foothold;
Lessen
side effects of antibiotic therapy;
Help
infants grow effectively (it is the primary bacteria of infants);
Inhibit
growth of bacteria which produce toxic nitrates in the bowel which can
cause cancer;
Help
prevent production and absorption of toxins produced by disease-causing
bacteria which reduces the toxic load of the liver;
Manufacture
B-complex vitamins;
Help
regulate peristalsis (rhythmic contractions of the muscles of the
digestive tract which helps food to pass through) and bowel movements;
Prevent
and treat antibiotic-induced diarrhea.
Probiotics, or friendly flora help various systems of the body and are essential to maintaining proper body function and good health. They aid in "Digestion" by regulating peristalsis and bowel movements. They also digest protein to free amino acids and they establish good digestion in infants preventing colic, diaper rash, and gas. For our "Immune Systems", they produce antibiotics and anti-fungals which prevent colonization of harmful bacteria and fungus; they manufacture essential fatty acids; they increase the number of immune system cells; they create lactic acid which balances intestinal pH and help to breakdown bacterial toxins and prevent production of the same. They have anti-tumor and anticancer effects while protecting us from harmful toxins and pollutants. For our "Hearts", they help normalize our cholesterol and triglycerides, and for our "Metabolism", they breakdown and rebuild hormones which promotes healthy metabolism, while converting flavonoids to useable forms by the body.
Cultured, or fermented foods, also contain various types and amounts of beneficial bacteria. These foods include: buttermilk, cheese, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh, umeboshi paste, vinegar, and yogurt.
Lowering Blood Sugar with a Low Glycemic Diet
by, Kara Hayes
Have you been following a low carbohydrate diet? Did you experience an initial and exciting drop in weight, but now are reaching a plateau in weight loss, and come to think of it, a drop in energy too? Carbohydrates are important. The right carbohydrates are essential. What are the right carbohydrates for you? Well, everyone is different, but in general whole grains provide the most nutrients. If you are watching your blood sugar (we all should to some extent), then it is important to get even more specific. Recently, one of the most scientifically proven ways to determine carbohydrate intake is through Glycemic index. Glycemic index is the scientific process of identifying the ability of a food to raise blood-glucose levels. It is a numeric way to identify carbohydrates. A high number (the scale runs from 0-100), indicates a dramatic rise in blood-glucose levels and a lower number (usually less than 40) indicates a slower reaction.
Choosing foods with a lower Glycemic index will: fill you up faster, keep you satisfied longer, prevent craving cycles, and aid in burning more body fat and less muscle mass.
Healthy, low Glycemic index carbohydrates will: maintain adequate insulin activity, maintain appropriate insulin stores in the liver, promote physical endurance, and enhance mental performance.
Whole Grains to include in your diet are: sprouted-grain products, buckwheat, quinoa, spelt, barley, bulgur, long-grain wild rice and rye. Carbohydrates should be eaten with fruits or vegetables and rarely, if ever, with meats and dairy. Sourdough bread, although not a whole grain product, can reduce blood sugar by 22% compared to other breads due to the lactic acid content. It also increases satiety for longer periods over all other conventional breads. So, if eating out, choose sourdough when you can.
Other tips for managing glucose levels include:
Eating
3-4 servings of fruit per day, particularly apples & oranges, they have
the best overall blood glucose control (…and all you diabetics have been
told not to eat any fruit, right??)
Consume
5-6 small meals per day. Snacks should be low-glycemic index choices.
Strive
to eat 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Be sure to eat
vegetables at a minimum of 3 meals per day.
Choose
at least 1 low Glycemic index food per meal.
Include
lots of fiber in your diet.
Acids
in foods slow the rate at which starches are digested leading to lowered
blood sugar. 4 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon taken with an average
Glycemic index meal lowered blood glucose by 30%. So, have a side salad
with your meal and top it with olive or flaxseed oil and vinegar or
lemon juice.
Lastly, you could be insulin resistant and not even know it! Insulin resistance occurs when the insulin produced by the body cannot be transported into the cells. The cell wall has become resistant. The pancreas responds by producing more and more insulin, thereby increasing blood sugar. One of the best overall assessments of your risk for insulin resistance is your body mass index(BMI), more specifically, your ratio of lean body mass, or muscle, to fat mass. This can be measured quickly and accurately with BioImpediance Analysis. BioImpediance Analysis is offered in our office for a fee of $25 dollars and the entire test can be completed in less than 5 minutes!
To find out more about Glycemic index, managing diabetes without drugs, loosing weight, or increasing your energy email or call Kara today!
Vitamin D....More Important Than You Know!
Epidemiology and Infection Journal, August 5, 2006, reported that a UCLA group confirmed two other recent studies, showing that a naturally occurring steroid hormone - a hormone most of us take for granted - was, in effect, a potent antibiotic. Instead of killing bacteria and viruses, the steroid hormone under question increases the body's production of a remarkable class of proteins, called antimicrobial peptides. The 200 known antimicrobial peptides directly and rapidly destroy the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including the influenza virus, and play a key role in keeping the lungs free of infection. The steroid hormone that showed these remarkable antibiotic properties was plain old vitamin D! Think about when colds begin and end. They begin when summer ends and we are indoors more. We rarely see colds in the summer months when there is more sunlight. So, as important as Vitamin D is to your bone health, it is extremely important to your immune system.
You can purchase vitamin D as a supplement and we recommend it for everyone, especially in the winter months. We have at least 2 very good products to choose from on our shelves and would be happy to order a different product for you upon request.
Water, Aspartame, and Natural Anti-Inflammatories
I try to instill in people to drink more water. Water is so important to health, both physical and mental. Currently, many disk problems in the back are being related to lack of hydration. Without proper fluids in the tissues, they aren't as pliable and much more susceptible to injury. Lack of water makes it more difficult for people to hold their adjustments and these same people tend to respond slower to care. You will have less aches and pains when your body is hydrated and you are drinking at least the recommended 8 glasses of water per day. A good read is a book entitled: "Your Body's Many Cries for Water" by, F. Batmanghelidj, MD. He indicates lack of water can be associated with disc problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, colitis, migraines, constipation, depression, and the list goes on. By drinking coffee, soda, many juices, and alcohol, you are removing more water in the body than you are putting in. It can take weeks to rehydrate your body after drinking these substances. Let's all make a better effort to ~ Drink more water!
Aspartame (nutrasweet, splenda), and other artificial sweeteners are toxic to the nervous system and have been linked to a great number of illnesses. Sugar is safer than artificial sweeteners. Interestingly enough, diet and artificially sweetened foods have been linked to increased weight gain. They cause cravings for carbohydrates. Please read: "Sweet Misery; a Poisoned World" or "Sweet Poison" by, Janet Hull. You may also see her website: www.sweetpoison.com.
With the side effects of Motrin and Ibuprofen being so bad, I suggest you consider natural antiinflammatories.Zyflammend by New Chapter and Kaprex by Metagenics are products we carry. There are others on the market and typically available at health food stores. Please consider natural alternatives that are safe, with no side effects as compared to the very dangerous NSAIDS.
Having a healthy immune system is so important to preventing common communicable illnesses like colds, viruses, and even diseases such as, cancer. We wonder what we can take when we become ill. However, rarely do we contemplate what we should be adding or removing to strengthen our immunity. Here are a few quick tips on prevention:
-
Wash your hands. Proper hand washing is being taught in schools everywhere because it is so important, yet one of the easiest ways to stay healthy.
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Avoid refined sugar. Sugar is "hidden" in almost every processed product. Look for terms like, corn syrup, molasses, sucrose, sucralose, and high fructose corn syrup. There are 36 grams of sugar in 1 can of soda! Research shows as little as 18 grams of sugar can drastically reduce antibody production!
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Avoid Coffee. More specifically caffeine, can impair the body's ability to produce anti-bodies. Reducing the amount of caffeine in your diet has many health promoting benefits including strengthening the immune system, improving glandular function, and decreasing blood pressure.
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Get plenty of rest and reduce stress. Many of us ignore the detrimental effects of "burning the candle at both ends." As the source of many degenerative diseases, stress is the number one killer in our country and the number one reason for doctor visits. Eight hours of sleep each night and a little "R & R" each day is essential to a healthy immune system.
Many of us realize Vitamin C can be very helpful to a cold. There are a variety of supplements and herbs available to strengthen our immunity, prevent illness, or lessen the duration of an infection. Echinacea is widely sold, but in my opinion, not the best. It works only if you have a fairly strong immune system to begin with. I like Astragalus or Medicinal Mushrooms. They both strengthen your entire immune system and make your healthier overall. The use of garlic, elderberry, and goldenseal act similar to antibiotics, but need to be taken steadily throughout the duration of your illness. Try taking them along with the above whole-body immune builders.